On 6/13/2013 9:17 PM, Glen Slick wrote: Shipping I guess would be the same as Europe, getting anything passed Latin America border is another story. Ben. PS. Think of the balance of trade, TONS of coffee shipped out, 1/2 lb of computer parts shipped in.

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Alexandre Souza wrote: So it's like in the US! Packages never go lost...they just return 50 years later. -- -- Cory Smelosky http://gewt.net Personal stuff http://gimme-sympathy.org Projects

On Jun 14, 2013, at 10:42 AM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote: Ugh. Was that the stuff mentioned recently on the list? If so, at least it got scanned first, but still. Ugh. It's a shame, really. The USPS used to be my preferred shipper, because they did the best job for the lowest price. Things have gotten REALLY bad in the past few years, especially where I live in Philadelphia; most of the carriers genuinely do not care. There are a few of them who don't even bother knocking when they come with a package and leave it on our doorstep on a BUSY CITY STREET. We've even had one rubber-band a package to the door handle. Someone tried to stuff a padded envelope full of 6502s into the slot in our mailbox and gave up halfway because it got stuck (I had to cut the package in half; fortunately, I could cut BETWEEN two of the chips). Most of the time I swear they don't even knock (I work from home, so I should be able to hear them knocking). One time a few weeks ago, we got a slip in our mailbox when we never heard a knock, and when my wife went to the post office the next day to pick it up, there was a line out the door (in a post office that's not usually even busy) full of people with the same story, all of whom had the same carrier who apparently hadn't even brought the packages back to the post office. We eventually got it the next day, but it was pretty much the last straw; I avoid USPS shipping altogether now if I can help it. We have one older carrier who always knocks loudly and waits more than 3 seconds for an answer at the door and never leaves the package on the step. He's the ONLY ONE out of about 7 different carriers, and he's about to retire. What a shame. I wonder if people didn't grouse so much whenever postage went up with rising transit and administrative costs (and a drop in junk mail, which also subsidized the service) the system might be better. A few months ago, they were going to stop Saturday deliveries because no one would accept a hike in postage rates, but our Congress decided that that just wouldn't do and MANDATED that they continue Saturday delivery (without actually offering any more money to sustain it). It's such a broken system. - Dave

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Cory Smelosky wrote: Blame the US Congress and the inflexible "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act" that was passed in 2006 by the 109th Congress. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022335782 The pension funding requirement is why the postage rates have continued to go up (especially for parcel services), along with the overall lowering of the quality of service. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/8909a (3) (A) The United States Postal Service shall pay into such Fund? (i) $5,400,000,000, not later than September 30, 2007; (ii) $5,600,000,000, not later than September 30, 2008; (iii) $1,400,000,000, not later than September 30, 2009; (iv) $5,500,000,000, not later than September 30, 2010; (v) $5,500,000,000, not later than August 1, 2012; (vi) $5,600,000,000, not later than September 30, 2012; (vii) $5,600,000,000, not later than September 30, 2013; (viii) $5,700,000,000, not later than September 30, 2014; (ix) $5,700,000,000, not later than September 30, 2015; and (x) $5,800,000,000, not later than September 30, 2016. (B) Not later than September 30, 2017, and by September 30 of each succeeding year, the United States Postal Service shall pay into such Fund the sum of? (i) the net present value computed under paragraph (1); and (ii) any annual installment computed under paragraph (2)(B). This is /more/ than the USPS actually pays out each year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/02/06/the-post-office-… http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-02/understanding-the-post-office-s-be… This is also why the USPS eliminated the international "surface mail" (cheap but very slow) and "Global Priority" (airmail, under 4lbs) [http://pe.usps.com/imm_archive/html/imm_archive_2006/imm/immc2_016.html] and replaced both with the MUCH more expensive "Priority Mail International". This alone pretty much killed all the international shipping I once did, since it made international postage cost as much or more than the stuff I used to send out. More: http://www.esquire.com/print-this/post-office-business-trouble-0213?page=all

I have been sitting on my front porch when the "unsuccessful delivery attempt" incremented. It happens a lot more in the late fall, when they have more temporary flakes. My REGULAR USPS guy is great. Therefore, he will be retiring very soon. 30 years ago, had a USPS delivery guy who refused to deliver anything for anybody not labelled ON THE MAILBOX, including "C/O"s for houseguests, and he "Returned to sender" a correctly addressed wedding invitation from my ex. (THAT redeemed him a little) seconded! But most/all other prez's further contributed to the problems.

On 6/14/2013 9:13 AM, David Riley wrote: UPS did this one time with an explicit signature / human required shipment for $50,000 worth or memory sticks for a friend one time. Never saw the package, but heard all sorts of rumors. UPS refused to cover it. I have also had Fredx do that as well, but not as bad a my buddy got burned. that was about 20% of his total liquid capital and it took 3 years of suing UPS to get it back (with interest). if you ever ship hi value, do a hold at office pickup, never a deliver. always insure, but it will take lawsuit to settle it. Should be laws to make it more expensive for them to be fair and settle, but right now dragging out big screwups pay for them. jim

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Dave McGuire wrote: Let me guess...a comb-bound book mailed in a bubble mailer instead of using a cardboard box? You could always try contacting the mail recovery center (tell em they are irreplaceable confidential documents that must be returned), but I've never had any luck with them finding the stuff they "lost", including large, heavy stuff that would (should!) be nearly impossible to lose or misplace.

On 06/16/2013 12:01 PM, John Foust wrote: Hey, *I* don't use 'em.. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Dave McGuire wrote: If I sent 120 lbs of computer junk, would they send another one? (send lots of shipments in an appropriate size and weight range; do NOT send a one ton package.)

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Dave McGuire wrote: ...and the maintenance fees are simply astronmical! g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://www.scarletdme.org - Get it _today_!

On Fri, 14 Jun 2013, Alexandre Souza wrote: At first I was all "heh", and then I was all "EWWWWWWWW!" :) g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://www.scarletdme.org - Get it _today_!