Shipping nightmares & the post office

Discussion in 'Hip Business Network' started by kitty fabulous, May 25, 2006.

  1. kitty fabulous

    kitty fabulous smoked tofu

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    Does anyone else here have such a hard time with the post office, or do I have some kind of package-eating black hole surrounding me? I can't believe they lost another package! This happens too often. I'm about ready to go postal myself!

    The obvious solution is to require insurance with every order. Postage and handling is already high enough as it is. Those of you who ship via the post office, do you require insurance, and is it worth it? Has the post office ever lost one of your shipments, and how do you pacify the customer about it? How do your customers feel about paying for insurance? Are there affordable alternatives to the post office?
     
  2. hippiestead

    hippiestead Ms.Cinnamon

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    We had package disappearances when we first moved to where we are. The disappearances seemed to stop when we got to know our regular postman & paid for the confirmation fee on packages. They also seem to have fewer problems with priority mail. The flat rate boxes are nice for heavy stuff (as long as it'll fit in a shirt sized box)

    Make sure you tape stuff well if packing in recycled boxes & reinforse bottoms even if you think the tape is fine; also have the product bagged in the box with the delivery address....we sent a box to KC thinking the tape was fine but it wasn't & if one of the people on the post office sorting crew hadn't recognized our jewelry as 'probaly going to the hippie shop', we would have lost a couple of hundred dollars worth of stock! A different box was delivered to the shop with a note saying that an address on the bags inside the box would have gotten the stuff delivered faster....
     
  3. kitty fabulous

    kitty fabulous smoked tofu

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    Thanks, I'll remember that. I bet the box came open. it was full of heavy books
     
  4. jenashali

    jenashali Member

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    You should check out my other post in reply to if there are any Work at Home Moms. The business I work with does all the shipping for me. When I refer a customer to the company, the customer buys directly from the company. I don't have to deal with ordering inventory, or delivering products.

    http://jena.stayinhomeandlovinit.com
     
  5. uproar

    uproar Member

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    My friend, a fellow indie crafter businessperson, has had 2 different packages recently dissappear en route to their destination. One of them was an order she was shipping to a customer that never made it to said customer. I know that that one was shipped with delivery confirmation as well, not as though that made any difference.

    We've had trouble with mail over the past months since I live in New Orleans, and the system is still recovering here....just yesterday on the news there was a story how for the first time since Hurricane Katrina a nearby city, which was one of the worst hit by flooding, is finally able to deliver mail again now.

    I've personally found DHL to be the most reliable, although I think FedEx is probably equally good. We've had some issues with UPS in addition to the regular postal service.
     

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