Is The Mint Smart To Use "Smart Post" ?
Kudbegud
Posts: 4,735 ✭✭✭✭✭
After putting up with worst "innovation" of the decade I refer to it as Stupid Post as some of you might have seen. I subscribe to the 5oz ATB's. Like all subscriptions there is only one choice for shipping. Actually, no choice. But that's another issue.
It shipped right away on 11/14. OK, that was going with the trend of getting orders out the door quickly. Tic-Toc, Tic-Toc. I got the Informed Delivery email today that a package was out for delivery. The ATB was going to be here. 44 days. It's usually 21 days expected days from door to door. OK, a little leeway for jammed holiday shipping. 44 days is unacceptable. Yes, I'm in Hawaii so I assume longer shipping time. Alaska also has this typical delay. That is figured into the 21 day average !
I've seen some who are a lot closer to the shipping point getting quicker delivery. I'v also seen some just as close reporting more than a week to get their order.
If I had a wish that the Mint had to grant one I'd consider would be to stop shipping Stupid Post - or the UPS equivalent, Mail Innovations. Both stink bombs by any name.
So I'd say NO, it is not smart for the Mint to use Stupid Post.
Sorry for the mini rant. It just bugged me when I realized how long it took after receiving the delivery notice.
Comments
nobody smart uses smart post.
Nope.
Between what the mint charges now, what they offer now, and that stupid "smartpost", I have stopped buying much at all.
I used to have a half dozen, or more, yearly orders....most were under the $300 mark (mint sets, proof sets, half dollars and gold dollars), and so wouldn't upgrade the shipping. I'm NOT going to pay the higher shipping charges and I go very very VERY tired of ordering and WAITING 2 WEEKS for my stuff.
Their decisions, while maybe making some sort of fiscal sense, have cost them on the flip side by turning off people like me so we don't bother making purchases
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
It's a poor way to treat your most loyal customers. Only offering the worst shipping ever sound like a good way to reward customers who have a standing order sight unseen? Total incompetence.
I admit I don't ship much to Hawaii, but in my experience doing extensive shipping from the Rocky Mountain region, in general, Smart Post is not really much cheaper for lighter items. For 1-2 lb items, the different is often trivial. Under 1 lb can typically go first class, which is generally much faster than Smart Post. Plus, many US Mint purchases could fit in a flat rate box, which could potentially be cheaper. I would be surprised if the overall savings were very much at all, and they are irritating customers. So it seems dumb all around to me.
My general observation is that your exact location dictates the length of time to get Smart Post shipments. This isn't based on any special knowledge, just comparing notes with folks who live in different areas. For our location, Smart Post is typically the number of days for ground delivery plus 1-2 days. So it really isn't too bad. However, for many it seems to be more like ground delivery time plus a week.
You are so right Davideo. That FedX sales man must have been a real smooth talker.
I run into mistaken thinking by sellers quite often being in Hawaii. I've been told all kinds of reason. "We don't ship to foreign countries" "We only ship to the continental United States" "We have to ship UPS Second Day Air to Hawaii" Sometimes they will listen when I ask why the have those shipping restrictions. A few don't want to hear anything you're saying. I have used the Postal Rate charts and shown it's only a few cents more than the furthest point from them on the mainland. I offer to pay the difference. Sometimes it actually works. Adding that they are cutting out customers living in Alaska and Hawaii from their potential clients list will open their eyes. My last pitch reminds them that we have been a US State since August 21, 1959. That can backfire.
I hear ya. AK and HI are in the same boat -- maybe... My Mint orders almost always ship USPS Priority which surpass DumbPost by weeks. Not sure why you are getting Dumbs.
But I often encounter ebayers that will not send to AK since they think we are a foreign land and costs more. In truth, Flat Rate Priority ships equally to ANY state or territory of the US. It p*sses me off when I see this and try to ask "why"? We are part of the USA and WTF?
Cheers! AK
They switched to Priority a while ago for us. Before that if you paid for budget shipping on a regular order it came Stupid Post. Subscriptions only go Stupid Post to everybody. No choice offered when you subscribe.
Yep. Beats me. There is a Postage Rate Sheet that tells all about it. You'd think every one in the US would know AK & HI are states. I guess some students aren't paying attention, are high or, I hate to say it, stupid. You see it on Kimmel and other "Man On The Street" bits. Yes, they edit for bad answers. I can't believe how many don't know how many states there are. Now they could also be playing it up for the camera. I mostly don't do business with those who say they don't ship to AK or HI. But if they are offering something I'm looking for ask if they will ship to me. Imagine what they would say if I was selling something and stated "I don't ship to (insert state here)". It's just an unnecessary extra step "we" have to go through because of someone else's ignorance.
@Akbeez
Visitors often asked if they different stamp to mail to USA. I think the concept being across the Pacific ......
As much as I dislike smartpost, the last delivery by that method got to me in record time. 4 days instead of 8.
'Course, UPS ground will get to me overnight or 2nd day. But I really can't complain about the last shipment. Now to see if that keeps up, or whether it was a Xmas anomaly...
You should tell them that Forever stamps don't work as postage to foreign countries, and they have to use denominated stamps. (I'm not sure if that's really still true or not, but it used to be.)
What they do with that information after you tell them, is left to your amusement.
Rightfully so ...... visitor thinks we are not part of United States. I wonder what PR is to US as far as USPS
I have sent many orders to PR and regular first class mail is just like AK and HI; the same.
I am in agreement with other posters here who cannot understand sellers who will not ship to AK or HI.
I don't get it...unless they are worried they're going to get dinged on shipping time (?)
Same to Guam as PR. GU is a lot further away and still a part of the US just like PR.
I had basically the same experience about mid-December. SmartPost came from the Mint's Memphis fulfillment center in just 4 days instead of 7 or 8.
The problem with FedEx Smart Post is the package sits at the Memphis airport for at least two days, then sits in St. Louis for another two days before moving on north. This delay at the airport hubs had been very consistent until this last Smart Post package in December.
USPS itself moves its stuff through STL in one day or less.
I also don't understand the politics of the Mint having this Memphis office, but it is some kind of godsend for FedEx. Memphis is their HQ.
i remember choosing smartpost for items I sold a few times on ebay. That did not go over well with buyers. If you compare the price it might be 15 cents cheaper for smartpost but add 4 days to the time. Sometimes it costs more and takes an extra 4 days
When selling on eBay (which I do about a dozen times per year), I find that spending a couple dollars more on USPS Priority Mail always results in a happier customer and better, more positive feedbacks.
When an eBay buyer is expecting a coin in a week, and it shows up in three days, they are invariably much happier.
For the small amount the Mint saves on shipping, the dissatisfaction by it's customers makes their decision to use Stupid Post a PR disaster.
The quicker delivery has to be because of added flights for Christmas packages. January will return to slow delivery.
@Kudbegud I totally agree with what you are saying, about the Mint being penny-wise and pound foolish, but we all know damn well that the Federal Government cares absolutely zero about what the plebes think.
The Mint people will get their high pay and generous pensions, and we collectors can go to h-e-double toothpicks.
Well Bill, I can only surmise that they listened once and changed Stupid Post on regular purchases to Priority Mail for us peons in AK & HI.
The Mint does not have an office in Memphis. The current distribution contract was won by FedEx. So it only makes sense for FedEx to use their own products. In the past Pitney Bowes and DHL have had the distribution contract with the mint .
@djm Okay, I have a box and a receipt from the December shipment. The box label says Fullfillment Center, 4638 E. Shelby Dr., Memphis, TN 38118. The receipt adds 'Suite 104'.
What is going on there, and who occupies that location?
There does seem to be a considerable inventory of Mint product available on hand at that location.
Inquiring minds want to know!
PFSweb has the contract for US Mint fulfillment. They use USPS, FedEx and UPS for delivery. They are headquartered in Allen, Tx and have offices in Tennessee, Mississippi, Canada, Belgium, and the Philippines.
ir.pfsweb.com/news-releases/news-release-details/united-states-mint-selects-pfswebs-end2end-ecommerce-r-platform
FWIW, I sent Christmas cards to Canada and Singapore using Global Forever stamps (the round ones).
Yeah, I think they changed the law (or at least came to agreement with foreign postal services) a few years ago.
I know I got bit by it early this decade when I was mailing stuff to the UK...
Considerable inventory? As in every mint product ordered on the web (from the mint) is shipped from there...
As kudbegud pointed out, fulfillment is by PFSWeb. They're the ones who actually inhabit that location for the Mint. If you enter that address into Google Maps, what do you get?
4638 E. Shelby Dr., Memphis, TN 38118
This is fundamentally incorrect. As much as everyone complains about how the Mint ships, it's really not the Mint.
The Mint subcontracted with PFSWeb for fulfillment. If you do a little research, it's PFSWeb that ships smartpost, apparently for all it's clients. (And they currently have some 40 clients.) And that's the reason the companies hire fulfillment companies, so they don't have to worry about order fulfillment, packaging, shipping and returns.
This isn't to say if the Mint wanted to push PFSWeb to ship ground they probably would, but probably at a higher price point for the contract.
I do find it interesting that we complain about smartpost and how it takes so long to get somewhere during shipping, but no one comments about Amazon's free shipping, who holds a package for 5 to 7 days before shipping it in some way that takes from 1 to 2 days. So in effect, they both take about the same amount of time...
I sorta agree about Amazon. Some times I get shipping the same or next day after I order. Most often shipping happens a couple days after I order. I'm OK with that. I am not supposed to get the Prime 2 day guaranteed shipping being in HI. But in reality, occasionally, for no apparent reason, they will ship to me by either FedEx or UPS 2nd day air. Most of the time though it's by First Class USPS. Rarely by Priority Mail. If I order a gift item and ship to a mainland address I always get the 2 day guaranteed shipping at no additional cost.
They used to throw in Stupid Post or UPS Mail (Non)Innovations which would irritate me so much I would call and passionately complain to CS and a supervisor. On occasion I threatened to, and got Jeff's email (yes, it's Jeff@amazon.com). My feeling was that I paid for Prime and should ALWAYS get a minimum of 1st Class. Never should I get the sub par shipping as those who did not pay for Prime routinely got. They must have listened because for the last couple years I have not gotten that non-Prime level of shipping.
Here is a secret about "Free Prime Shipping". Yes, mostly the prices are lower than from B&M. However, I have seen an Item, more than once or twice, in a search show up more than once in the list. Once as Prime, once as not Prime. Same product, same seller. Example: Product X Prime price $20. Not Prime $16 and $4.25 shipping. Still cheaper by Prime but not by much. It's just like any "Free Shipping" claim. No it isn't free at all. It's included in the price. Every time. It's just advertising hype.