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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,609
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Customer care:  Please explain to me why a shipment starts out with UPS and is then transferred to USPS for delivery.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,166
Registered: ‎04-02-2015

@KatieB wrote:

Customer care:  Please explain to me why a shipment starts out with UPS and is then transferred to USPS for delivery.


I'd like to know the same thing. It burns me up, that they transfer to post office, then I see them coming down the street, in the mean time it is 3 days later that I'm getting it.They are here every single day except saturday and sunday, but still transfer early in the week. " your things will be there tuesday," so expect them friday at the least. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,903
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I highly doubt they will tell you the specifics but it's all about their cost.  It saves THEM money.  It's cheaper for them to pass it off to USPS.  UPS must have cut a deal with USPS a couple of years ago and pitched the deal as a win-win for everyone.  Yeah, right.  Everyone but US.  I do not like it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,930
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Because QVC chooses to use the cheapest shipping method available is what the Postmaster at our Post Office told me???

I just placed an order online with iHerb late Sat. My package was shipped UPS & transferred over to USPS but I still received my package today. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,204
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

USPS goes everywhere. A few years ago UPS refused to deliver to a rural, dirt road residence.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,483
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I have had no issues with it, so Im all for cheaper and or mail carrier is a zillion times better with packages than the UPS guy, who should try out to replace Baker Mayfield the way he throws packages. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,111
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I prefer USPS these days, since my UPS guy doesn't come until 7:30-8:00PM most times.  Sometimes later.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,913
Registered: ‎11-06-2011

Re: UPS to USPS

[ Edited ]

@KatieB - Like many online retailers, QVC has chosen to use the SurePost service for the fulfillment of many of its orders. This means that packages are scanned into the UPS distribution system and proceed through its hubs until they reach their destination city, where they are then transferred to the local USPS office for final delivery. (There is also a FedEx analog called SmartPost, but QVC rarely works with FedEx.)

 

This approach offers significant savings for QVC (and potentially for UPS and the USPS as well), especially for medium-size packages with the recent rate increases in that area. Unfortunately, the success or frustration of this setup all depends on the efficiency of both UPS and the USPS in individual cities/areas. In some places, things go smoothly and only one day is added to the delivery process for the transfer between couriers; in others, multiple days could be added based on whether there are established thresholds for package transfers, whether it is a particularly busy day/week, or whether there are many higher-priority packages that need to take the space on the respective company trucks to meet delivery guarantees. Regardless, it's not a very fun game to participate in, but as long as QVC is charging its customers for shipping, it is likely the reason why shipping costs are relatively low and part of the reason the Q can stay operational.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

I'm OK with it if it only adds one day on to the delivery time, which for me doesn't usually happen; it's usually two days, depending on the time my post office gets it.  My last order got transferred to the wrong post office and added four days on to the delivery time.  It was finally delivered yesterday, and I was surprised and happy to get it since there had been no updates since the one letting me know about the error.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

I don’t have a problem with this form of delivery either.  Both my local UPS and USPS are quite good.  More often than not, UPS delivers anyway because they’re in my area often.  When my orders do go to the post office, it’s just a one day delay.  

 

Several companies that I order from use this now.  Or the FedEx version.