What's the record for longest USPS MO delivery?

[Guest Buck Dharma]

I just shipped a Daytona from NJ to Oakland California and it took 8 days and cost $43. I will never do it again. I purchased tracking and it said picked up on the day I dropped it off and didn't change at all till it said delivered 8 days later. What a bunch of Morons those people were when I asked them to try and track it. Absolutely a waste of time. It did arrive OK but I was very worried for about three days.

Was that the USPS? Because UPS should have been much less and quicker.

Yes it was USPS. I have shipped guitars through UPS, and Fed Ex before and never had a lost or damaged shipment. The only reason I used The USPS was because I shipped a guitar to Ontario and it went pretty quick and was really cheap. It was just convenient during lunch break to send it from the post office. I won't do it that way again with that tracking.

[kenjones]

I've never had a USPS MO lost (yet!).

One thing I have noticed, when it takes forever to receive a MO for an eBay auction, I always get emails from the buyer that say things like "My mom (girlfriend, uncle Larry, probation officer, etc.) says she (he) mailed it last week." Then, after several emails from me asking if it was ever sent, I finally receive it in the mail weeks later, and notice that the postmark is dated 1-3 days before the day I received it! The last guy that did this gave me a story about his kidney dialysis and how his girlfriend had promised she would mail it but couldn't find the time to do so...

[jujisque]

Seriously though, Ron, I didn't expect you to do that at all, but thanks a million anyway. You have too good a heart.

The only thing is that now I am going to feel bad until you get your money in your pocket.

Goodness begets goodness. One of life's best lessons.

I've found that I feel more confident about sending them if I put them in an envelope wrapped in a piece of paper with something written on it. That way it looks just like an ordinary letter in an envelope.

[straightblues]

I sent one out 5 days ago. Man I hope it get there by today. If not, the worry will begin. Next time it is priority mail with a receipt!!!!!

[El_Natoro]

Well, my horror story has ended. It took 10 days (I got it yesterday) for the MO to come back to me in a plastic bag, with a generic apology printed on it, from the USPS. The envelope and the MO were torn down the middle and about 25% of both were missing. Sheesh!

At least now Ron and I can quit worrying. I just wonder how they are going to respond on Monday when I bring it in for an immediate replacement. Being that it is not lost (well, at least most of it isn't) they should give me a replacement immediately, right?

Thanks again for your help, guys.

[John E]

Beat this: It took a full month -- yep, 30 days -- for a Christmas card to travel from northwest D.C. to our house in Alexandria, which is a distance of just over 12 miles. My chin about hit the floor when I received it in late January and took a look at the postmark.

[MCChris]

I've been screwed once each on my mortgage payment (which has to travel about 3 miles) and my credit card payment. No more. Now I take the mortgage check straight to the drive-thru teller and I pay my credit cards online. Still, that's only twice USPS has messed up for me, but in the two worst possible ways. Of course it couldn't have happened with my phone or cable bills. Who gives a good god damn if those arrive on time?