USPS Uncontrolled Shipping Damage

The last order I received via USPS was badly crushed.

Only the combination of a larger than necessary shipping box as used by scalehobbyist.com , padding inside the box to reduce kit movement and the fact that Academy leaves a generous amount of room for the sprues of their 1/25th scale JagdPanther kit saved the kits inside from destruction.

If at all possible, stay away from using the USPS.

One additional comment.

I would also suggest staying away from UPS.

The last time I used UPS service, I paid for Next Day Air at a local UPS Hub package drop off office only to learn that the UPS Hub allowed the package to sit two days waiting for pickup at the package drop off office before it ever made it onto their sorting belt. 

Yep, last 2 packages received were sent priority and late and damaged.

Goose

I rather that the package takes a bit longer to get to its destination with no damage.

Oh, I forgot to mention when I sent a package from where I live in Florida to Virginia, 2 day Priority Mail. It took 5 days to get to Virginia cause it went via Oregon,  yes Oregon!  USPS customer service rep said it was accidentally mis sorted. And of course they do not guarantee that the package will arrive in 2 days either yet you pay extra for the service and they refused to issue some type of refund or credit.

Delivery date disclaimer is something I learned as well when I wanted to send a letter via registered mail.

Again, no refund if late.

As a matter of fact, one item I mailed did not even show up as delivered on the USPS web access tracking site.

I had to call the recipient to learn it arrived.

Hi ;

This is not new news .I have learned that you cannot trust either U.S.P.S. or UPS or FED - EX with this delicate stuff

  .I am going to have to drive all the way from New Braunfels ,TEXAS to Montgomery, ALABAMA to ensure the 1/200 ARIZONA and 1/96 U.S.S. KIDD for my client/friend arrives safely and undamaged.

   Rather ridiculous in this day and age ,isn't it ?

Tankerbuilder

You are right , very ridiculous specially with USPS shipping prices that have gone up several times.

I don't know if it's still the case but years ago, early 70's, the USPS hired a lot of temporary employees to help with the Christmas rush. They worked 89 days and when their time was up a new crop showed up for the next 89. If the problem is starting to get worse than it used to be, maybe that's the reason.

walker

I do believe you hit the nail on the head. I just  spoke to someone that works for the USPS and was told that they no longer are hiring regular gov. employees but civilians that get no gov. benefits. I was also told that "Fragile" stamps mean nothing as ALL packaes get treated the same.

I used to work for the UK branch of an American paper company, we shipped upwards of 1 1/2 - 2 40' containers a DAY.

Our nickname for a certain company was 'OOPS' another 'ParcelFARCE'

In the end we went with the one that was 'least-worst'

I once had an Italeri M32 foolscap-sized box HAMMERED through an 8" letterbox...  but that was the UK post-office.

I wanted to order some Polly Scale paint from a hobby shop in Cleveland, Ohio. Spoke to the owner and he told me he no longer ships paint. Long story short, he was fined $700 by the USPS after they traced the origin to him. HE was sendin gout $12 worth of water-based acrylics to a customer. Apparently they (USPS) accidently broke open the package during processing/transfer/shipping.

Get this - even though they are water-based acrylic paint, the USPS consider them as toxic product deemed dangerous to ship. Huh?!?!?!?!

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

...........

Get this - even though they are water-based acrylic paint, the USPS consider them as toxic product deemed dangerous to ship. Huh?!?!?!?!

Here's the thing - major online hobby stores (Squadron, spruebrothers, megahobby, etc...) sell and ship paint; both enamels and acrylics.

What about stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's? They get shipments of paint too - even water color artist paints! So where's the fairness?

Why did the USPS singled out a small mom & pop business and not any major online stores? If they're gonna go all Rambo about shipping hobby paint they should do the same to major online stores - not just the little guys.

I agree it doesn't bode well if others follow suit.

Just a guess, I'm not privy to the supply chain operations, but I imagine that stores like HL or Michael's get their paint from the manufacturer to their distribution center via 18-wheeler where it is then broken down and shipped to individual stores by their own in house transportation assets.

Larger online hobby shops probably ship their products using alternative delivery methods so they bypass the US Postal Service. If shipping paint or solvents, it probably goes UPS or FedEx and their computer ordering system would identify whether or not they can use USPS or not.

The small mom & pop outfit probably ships the cheapest option regardless of content. It doesn't become an issue until a mishap makes it an issue.

I believe that all paints can only be shipped via ground only due to being considered hazardous.

I agree plastic junkie. What gets me this LHS did send it ground shipping. Why penalize him for shipping water-based paint the USPS considered them "toxic"? This is what boggles the mind.