New FedEx Ground and USPS Arrangement


This is a heads up to members involved in a sale where the goods are sent by FedEx Ground. FedEx and the USPS now have an arrangement whereby FedEx Ground delivers the package to the postal facility in the recipient’s zip code and the USPS completes the delivery to the recipient’s door. I’ve encountered this new arrangement twice in the last ten days, once as the shipper and once as the recipient (neither shipment was audio related).

Based on my experience, you can expect two changes from the former service by FedEx Ground. First, total delivery time can take another day because the USPS delivers the package as part of its once-a-day regular mail run. Whenever the package arrives at the postal facility after that day’s mail has already been sorted and given to the mail carriers, the package won't go out until the next day. Second, FedEx’s tracking number system now tracks the delivery of the package only to the postal facility. This can be disconcerting to the recipient who has not yet received his package but reads on FedEx’s tracking site that the package has been delivered.
dougmc
Luckily and in addition to this, I found out about six months ago that FedEx Express (Red Truck) delivers the Express and Priority Mail.

I'm in Indianapolis, IN. What the Postal Service told me was that items are flown according to FedEx's flight schedules.

This means that from Indianapolis, anything going west normally gets there the next day because of the time zone difference and FedEx's set flight schedule.

Likewise, anything going east or is coming east to Indianapolis normally takes one extra day because of the time zone difference and FedEx's set flight schedule.

I've shipped and received quite a few items this way and have found this to be true.

Chuck
This of course raises another more important question. In the event that the gear is damaged upon arrival, who accepts responsibility for the claim: FedEx or USPS? I have been saddled with this system on some non-audio shipments and it is a royal pain to track a shipment, all the more so since for FedEx delivery is considered to have been accomplished when the item arrives at a regional sorting center, and not necessarily at your local post office. Two and three day delays are more common than the aforementioned one-day delay.
To clarify my answer above: I didn't mean that FedEx Express (Red Truck) actually delivered the package, only that they fly the package for the USPS. The Postal Service actually delivers the package.

But like HiFiXpert brings up, who is ultimately responsible for any damages? It seems that everything should be on the USPS since the item was given to them to be delivered and the item was insured. How they choose to send it should not be our concern, it should be USPS' concern.

Chuck
I have read that USPS will soon(in order to cut costs) stop Saturday deliveries.