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Media mail

jdavidb on 2005-02-25T16:48:32

I've been picking USPS media mail as my preferred shipper for a couple of years, now. For one thing, the USPS has always been more reliable and provided better service to me than UPS and FedEx. (Yes, I know a lot of people can't identify with that statement.) For another, they are faster than those services about 50% of the time.

Plus, media mail is usually dirt cheap, and it is often free. (Especially from Amazon and Bookpool.) If I don't need something immediately, I pick media mail.

But today I got an unexpected surprise: a package I had shipped by media mail can be tracked at stamps.com. That's a new feature, I think. Yet another service of the commercial providers that the USPS has duplicated.

I'm happy, for now. Some parts of the libertarian revolution can wait.

Re: Media mail

vsergu on 2005-03-04T14:03:39

That doesn't correspond at all to my experience. I'm currently waiting for an order sent by media mail that shipped February 18, and two-week waits are typical. And I live in the middle of a major metropolitan area (DC), not the boonies. Also, a couple of years ago a book sent by media mail was damaged in transit.

In contrast, UPS ground shipments routinely arrive in one day, at least if they're shipped from somewhere in the eastern US. I never pay for UPS two-day or next-day shipping.

Re: Media mail

jdavidb on 2005-03-04T22:49:19

Got a media mail package this week that I ordered late last week. Probably only took about 4 business days to get here.

Meanwhile, my other media mail package was delayed from Amazon, and when it finally shipped, they FedExed it. It arrived last night.