Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2008

SHIPPING GOODS

UPS uses USPS, so should you

 My ire is often aimed at the United States Postal Service (USPS), mostly around the times of mailing rate increases. I have no beef with the friendly and efficient clerks at the post office. Our dedicated mail carriers, of which I once was one, deliver the mail six days a week.

Any lingering "negative feelings" towards the USPS suddenly seems to have changed and I feel compelled to share my eye-opening experience.

I recently had the opportunity to "explore an alternative, more efficient" mailing service due to an unexpected urgency of getting a package of medication off to my wife, who was visiting our son in California.

Remembering "excellent service and speedy delivery," I headed to UPS on the Mukilteo Speedway last Wednesday, feeling that the package could be tracked and arrive in California by Saturday. No such luck! On Monday my son said, "The 'goods' are here, but why didn't you send it UPS?"

The package was actually sent USPS on Thursday from Lynnwood. I did not ask to send it overnight, but why the one-day delay and sending it USPS?

Why did UPS charge $8 and send it for $4.80 via USPS? It probably was not illegal, but seems unethical.

The UPS clerk explained it was cheaper to send it USPS -- "everyone knows that is the regular UPS mark-up." I told him I neither intended to return to his place of business nor use UPS services.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Ignorance of mailing charges can cost you close to 50 percent more.

The Mukilteo Post Office is half the distance from our home and I could have saved $3.20 in postage, not to mention the gas money.

Alf L. Knudsen
Mukilteo
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA