Not a Fan of USPS tracking!

[PaphMadMan]

Originally Posted by estación seca

If you live near a FedEx center, you can arrange for the package to be held there for you to pick up during their business hours. This minimizes time in a freezing or baking truck.

A very good arrangement, I'm sure, if one has a way to get there that doesn't involve calling a taxi.

[Orchid Whisperer]

It is a balancing act between cost and shipping time/convenience. I have exchanged plants with a number of people, and have nearly always us US Priority Mail. I've had no problems, but I have always waited to ship when the weather was neither too cold nor too hot.

If you have to receive a plant in winter, or in summer, it is probably better to go with a commercial courier that can ship next day for the additional price.

[AnonYMouse]

I have, at one time or another, had issues with all the big carriers. The USPS has had the most problems and consistently. Yup, not getting updates timely defeats the purpose of updates. (Once, it didn't even give me anything since origin until they delivered it.) That doesn't allow me to plan. I'm willing to "will call" but my PO won't do it.

One smaller regional carrier, OnTrac, has had zero issues.

Unfortunately, I can't afford FedEx every time.

[Yazz]

Had some orchids delivered from a nursery shipped USPS "Guaranteed Delivery in Three Days by 3pm or Shipping is Free." Never saw that before.

Had fun watching the slow updates. Day three arrived, it flew into Houston at noon. Traffic is not the best around here and I was cheering for the nursery to get free shipping.

Low and behold, at 2:50pm, the package arrived on my doorstep. Interesting how a little impetus can change the performance of the business...

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by twinofmunin

Good luck with your plants. I have also noticed lately that it seems like they (USPS) just stop scanning some packages for a while -- ? Mine have largely arrived on time, but I'm always super worried when it never scans as having left a hub, but then is suddenly "out for delivery". The intervening steps are never entered into the route. Not sure what's up with that.

You put it much better than I could have. It is like they go somewhere, then you don't hear from them for 2 days, then they are out for delivery. Dosen't the airplane land anywhere? Anyway, my brain does not like ambiguity.

My plants arrived. 3 paphs and a phrag. 3 in spike. They look okay, but the guy forgot to put the 72 hour heat pack in there. (I won't ding him on it, I suppose). One plant is huge--- way, way bigger than I assumed.

---------- Post added at 05:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:31 PM ----------

I am not so worried in late Feb/March about winter weather because here where I live people are starting to wear shorts outside again. In LA area up to about SF and any of the southern orchid places I would trust to get here without freezing. But, the problem this time is that a huge storm hit a day after ordering. Texas, why do you do this to me every time!

I will not order too late into winter (late November to early Feb) or in the months of June, July, August because it gets to 100 degrees F here

[gngrhill]

I'd like to add my 2 cents worth here. I have ordered Many orchids online in the last year. I have NEVER received a "priority 2 day" in less than a week except the one plant I got from Hawaii, which was here in 2 days. One took 2 weeks. I have , somewhere in that "oblivion " a package now, shipped from San Francisco on Monday that was actually in Ancorage Alaska on Wednesday. (Seriously ?? Alaska ?? tropical live plant ??) Today is Friday and all I see on the tracking page Is "shipment is delayed" And I can't find anywhere on that page where I can contact anyone to ask "Why in heaven's name is it in ALASKA ???

[estación seca]

I really think in the US it depends on how close you and the shipper are to a major hub for whichever shipper you use. All the various shippers might send packages on different flights depending on space available. If a vendor is close to a regional hub for an airline which has a regional hub near you, your shipments from that vendor will arrive quickly.

FedEx, UPS and the US Post Office all have hubs here in Phoenix, so once things leave home headed for me, they get her pretty fast. Vendors near Charlotte, Miami and San Diego get their plants to me in 2-3 days. Hawaii same. Other places in the US, it's a craps shoot.

[AnonYMouse]

Another big sigh today.

gngrhill, grab your USPS tracking number and click "Help", you will get a pull down menu. Select "Contact Us". Click on the "Send Email" button and fill in the tracking number field and click "Continue" button. Another page will appear and select "unknown" for sender and fill in your info. I can't remember the rest of the sequence but that should get you started.

Calling doesn't do much. The wait is too long and when you do actually talk to someone, they really can't do anything.

I've had better results via "Contact Us", you get a case number.

I haven't seen a priority mail arrive in two days in a couple of years, regardless of where it comes from. I now expect them in 3 or more days.

[Optimist]

Oh gringhill, I am so praying for your defenseless little package! Hope it is okay!

About the hubs, you're totally right about hubs. And I am out in the tulies here. I suppose that I should be happy to get anything here-- and it is so. I am a bit spoiled because I have Amazon's paid service, and I get everything exactly when I am suppposed to. My main problem is trying to chose a day to be here to pick up the package. (Which could be taken care of by that ship to post office thing). One estimate is next monday, another is Saturday, (today) and I actually recieved the package Friday (yesterday). It is only by luck I was here to get it because I have a terrible spring cold and am bed-riddin so to speak.

[gngrhill]

Anonymouse, thanks for the tip. I will try that if it doesn't come today. When I tried to contact, they only had drop down menus and none of them covered what I wanted to do. Apparently they don't want to allow anyone to criticize