Have had 2 issues with USPS lately. Got a lost Money Order now for the 6mm Classic i recently bought here. Was sent Certified Mail with tracking but no one can tell me where it is. Recently had to spend $32. to stop payment on a lost check and now looks like another stop payment expense on the money orders. Whats the best option to avoid USPS for sending payments?
I just learned that if a package is sent with tracking you can "recall it" (return to sender) as long as it hasn't been delivered yet. It cost me $17.50 to do it but I was able to get my MO back without waiting the 90 days. If they can't return it to you, the refund the charge is what it said.
USPS, Has become a joke,I'm in the same boat
Aren't MO's SO much better than a personal check?
I made some Parts for a slide off a rare antique pistol for a friend who delivers mail in Colorado. I shipped them in a small Flat rate box with tracking, they went from here , to Tulsa , to Denver, and disappeared. We were both sweating it , then 3 weeks later it was scanned in Puerto Rico. The Denver druggies put it in the wrong Bin...Doh. It finally showed back in Denver and was delivered 3 days later to my friend after a Caribbean cruise. Almost 6 weeks total shipping time.
As far as money goes, Paypal has worked for me , Or I mail a personal check.
It's not lost, its just "arriving late"
160user thats good to know. Will be an option.
I’ve recently sent several certified bank checks via USPS using standard first class with a stamp. So far, every member has received their funds. I wonder if you’re tipping your hat with all the certified mail business. My bank can always cancel the check and reissue. Costs me nothing but a “forever stamp”. IDK
Right now I have 3 triggers for my Remington 541 S and T rifles out there. Somewhere. No tracking data.
Check this out! Past week I sent a $2600 cashier check to a gentleman by Priority with tracking. It disappeared in Atlanta. Thank goodness for my small town credit union. On a major bank there's a 90 day hold on a cashiers check. My credit union let me file an indemnity agreement to cancel the check, had funds redecorated that afternoon, and I went in the next morning and did a wired transfer from my credit union to his credit union. This was our second transaction and I'd already received his goods. I was a nervous wreck! My reputation and integrity was being tested. I thought I was going to have to come up with another 2600 and wait 3 months to get the first back. I got very lucky. Next time on a big check I'm sending it UPS if I don't elect to do the wire transfer. The wire transfer cost me $20. The cashier check and postage cost me about $13. The extra $7 was the best ease of mind I ever spent!
I’ve had two payments lost in the mail thru usps in the last 3 months. One I had to do a stop payment thru my bank so that was another $25 cost. Yes the post office has become a joke.
In February I mailed a payment to Utah from Missouri that took 19 days to receive, luckily the recipient waited
In our small town the Postmaster told me he's trying to hire 5 carriers and 2 rural delivery people but he can't find anyone who wants to work. The reason I was talking to the Postmaster is because the Post Office has delivered 3 of our packages to the wrong address since December. Luckily they can tell where the packages were scanned so we know where they were delivered. We only got one back. FedEx isn't any better around here but at least they send me a picture of my package on someone else's porch.
Whether buying or selling I like PayPal, but will take any old check or money order as payment as long as you want to put the transaction into the hands of the usps. I can either ship your item tomorrow, or in 2 weeks at best after waiting for the check to get delivered and then clear. As far as shipping whenever I sell anything it gets sent ups. Knock on wood never had an issue.
Pretty much USPS SOP lately......
![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/dtRBq9qf/Screenshot-20240307-015311-Samsung-Internet.jpg)
Aren't MO's SO much better than a personal check?
Personal checks have their problems too.
Check this out! Past week I sent a $2600 cashier check to a gentleman by Priority with tracking. It disappeared in Atlanta. Thank goodness for my small town credit union. On a major bank there's a 90 day hold on a cashiers check. My credit union let me file an indemnity agreement to cancel the check, had funds redecorated that afternoon, and I went in the next morning and did a wired transfer from my credit union to his credit union. This was our second transaction and I'd already received his goods. I was a nervous wreck! My reputation and integrity was being tested. I thought I was going to have to come up with another 2600 and wait 3 months to get the first back. I got very lucky. Next time on a big check I'm sending it UPS if I don't elect to do the wire transfer. The wire transfer cost me $20. The cashier check and postage cost me about $13. The extra $7 was the best ease of mind I ever spent!
I recently sold a rifle on the classifieds and USPS lost it for a week. Your right It feels like your reputation is on the line. From now on I’m going to spend the extra money and have my dealer ship any firearms I sell.
The small town in Northern Wisconsin where we have a cabin..... the rural carrier used his route to deliver drugs / dope.
You never knew what was gonna end up in your mail box.
Retired last fall from a large sporting goods retailer. I worked in their call center and 98% of my job was cleaning up after UPS screwed up. The company switched to FedEx a month or so before I left and it only took a couple of weeks to realize FedEx was as bad or worse than UPS. I'm selling odds and ends of gun related stuff left over from my gun shop and dealing with USPS is nothing shy of horrible. Have noticed if inbound payment is sent to me with a printed label it gets here days faster than hand written labels.
I sent two USPS money orders USPS priority ($10) on Monday and they arrived at the sellers on Wednesday as scheduled. He shipped the handgun via UPS on Wednesday and it is scheduled to arrive at my FFL tomorrow. So a week for the full transaction assuming gun arrival tomorrow. No complaints here.
I recently sold a rifle on the classifieds and USPS lost it for a week. Your right It feels like your reputation is on the line. From now on I’m going to spend the extra money and have my dealer ship any firearms I sell.
The advantage to having a dealer ship for you is that the BATFE can be involved in the event it gets “lost in the mail” whereas a non-FFL holder doesn’t have that support.
How many letters and packages does USPS move daily?
How many letters and packages for FedEx?
How many for UPS?
Do they all have hiccups? ✅
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
USPS in my area in Alaska has always been cheaper and much more reliable that UPS or Fedex!
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
usps priority envelopes have tracking numbers same as packages.
I always will take a personal check. They usually clear in a day os. I haven't been burned by a gun guy, YET!
I recently sold a rifle on the classifieds and USPS lost it for a week. Your right It feels like your reputation is on the line. From now on I’m going to spend the extra money and have my dealer ship any firearms I sell.
The advantage to having a dealer ship for you is that the BATFE can be involved in the event it gets “lost in the mail” whereas a non-FFL holder doesn’t have that support.
Exactly. Plus my FFL has accounts with both USPS and UPS. He knows what he is doing and well worth the few dollars I pay.
I guess I have been lucky with USPS . Sometimes a day or two late but always gets where I sent it.
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
usps priority envelopes have tracking numbers same as packages.
Ahh, I thought we were talking about priority tracking options for US 1st Class mail, which I still don't believe is available. For someone mailing a 'regular' letter, the cheapest tracking option is certified mail, which IIRC runs around $4-$5. The USPS does offer
Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes but they cost $9.85 per envelope, or $8.50 if you use a commercial mail service.
Well i was told today by the Post Master that he would waive the stop payment fee for both money orders( had to buy 2 because it was over $1000.) most likley because i just 2 months ago had a $32. stop payment charge for a lost check. Also was told like has been mentioned already not to send Certified mail but send priority with tracking which is about double the expense. Just have to hope you get your refund all the while you just hope the recipient has lots of patience in waiting for all this to play out and in my case he has been very patient. Just not the way i like to do business and am looking for a better option than USPS. Im giving this till monday and if not delivered then stop payment will happen.
How many letters and packages does USPS move daily?
How many letters and packages for FedEx?
How many for UPS?
Do they all have hiccups? ✅
Yes, the USPS handles an astronomical amount of letters and packages daily.....but maybe just maybe if they DIDN'T add all the junk mail flyers on top of the legitimate mail they could do their job a little more efficiently.
Then there is the bigger problem.....249 years.
249 years since the institution was created in 1775. One would think that after two and half centuries of doing the SAME job day in and day out they could perfect it just a little bit. Is doing their job RIGHT after 249 years of experience too much to ask for?
And I'll add this, FedEx and UPS and others wouldn't need to exist if the USPS did their job......
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
They put the standard envelope inside a larger envelope. Have both sent and received numerous priority "letters" that way. Who told you that priority was only available for packages?
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
They put the standard envelope inside a larger envelope. Have both sent and received numerous priority "letters" that way. Who told you that priority was only available for packages?
Exactly what I wrote above. $10 on a $1000 purchase...
As much as we bitch about USPS it is till absolutely the best and easiest way for a non-FFL to ship a long gun.
Competition is not even close.
Ed,
Yep, it works very well! But apparently many have never tried it--or had it recommended by their local PO.
Might also mention that have been "downsizing" a little more in 2024, and so far the USPS has been 100% on firearms shipped and arriving when tracking said they would.
John
In my area USPS has been more reliable than either Fedex or UPS--and UPS is just about impossible to deal with when shipping firearms. (Have my own FFL.)
Had some late deliveries of checks until the local postmaster told me that priority mail tracking works better than the tracking of certified mail. Since then have mailed them priority, and they not only get there quicker but track is indeed better.
How does priority mail tracking work for letters? I was told that priority mail tracking was only available for packages?
They put the standard envelope inside a larger envelope. Have both sent and received numerous priority "letters" that way. Who told you that priority was only available for packages?
One of the veteran USPS clerks at the Last Chance Gulch office when I tried to get tracking on a 'regular' 6.75 envelope that I had put a 1st Class stamp on. But it was a 5-6 years ago so maybe the 'Priority Mail Flat Rate' envelopes weren't available then? IIRC, the clerk never mentioned the Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope option.
I sent 100 brass casings 300 miles on Feb 20th. It's March 8th, and still hasn't been delivered.
It's caught in this doom loop in St Louis, back and forth between USPS facilities.
TRACKING
I'd much rather send and receive a personal check.
They clear within a day or two and much easier to cancel if necessary.
In my neck of the woods FedEx is scary stupid. I told them (when they followed up to say they are sorry for the latest screw up) they make USPS look like seasoned package delivery professionals.
These days any online order that only offers FedEx doesn't get the order from me. I simply leave the shopping basket full. And when they follow up with me to ask why, I tell them why.