Actually, Amazon has turned Amazon into this experience. For the few cents of savings, these ship-to-USPS services are really the worst of all worlds, and USPS seems to get shafted with the entire blame because "derp derp the post office is obsolete" (you know, ignoring the actual increase in amount of general package traffic).
Anything I've had shipped Priority Mail has been handled well and on-time. The people at the counter at my local post office are fantastic. The actual letter carrier seems to be somewhat lazy when it comes to actually taking outgoing mail (and getting this fixed doesn't seem easy), but for the most part USPS works and has become my preferred shipping option.
Unlike UPS/Fedex, when you've got to ship something out, you can do it for a reasonable rate rather than the ridiculously jacked-up rates for people without a pre-negotiated shipping account. And you're in for a surprise when you end up missing a UPS/Fedex package and find out how out of the way their pickup centers actually are. (Also, there are plenty of remote addresses UPS/Fedex simply won't service.)
I completely agree in scaling back government, but the negative focus on USPS is yet another example of the entrenched unaccountable bureaucracy redirecting your anger away from itself and towards cuts of real infrastructure and services (which you'll eventually cry uncle for and re-fund). Please, don't fall for it.
I strongly prefer the postal service deliver my parcels. I live inside a locked building without an attendant, so to receive packages the delivery person has to come inside. But only USPS has a key to the front door. This means that when I have a UPS or FedEx delivery due, I have to stay at home all day. If I'm not, either they leave it and it gets stolen, or they leave a note and I have to stay home the next day.
If this guy lives in an apartment without a door man, it seems like missing packages would be pretty common (regardless of carrier). That's why Amazon created the Amazon lockers, which are available in Manhattan, where the author lives.
I use a mail forwarding/scanning service (ECM) to handle all my mail and packages. It's a lot easier for me to physically go pick up things one or two times a week than to deal with missed/missing/etc. deliveries.
(also seems like an easy perk for an employer; great shipping/receiving for employees.)
The problem is not Amazon nor is it the Post Office, it is FedEx. Using the Post Office to deliver the last mile makes sense, but you have to get the package to the local Post Office in a timely way. FedEx seems to treat "smartpost" packages as low priority.
Anything I've had shipped Priority Mail has been handled well and on-time. The people at the counter at my local post office are fantastic. The actual letter carrier seems to be somewhat lazy when it comes to actually taking outgoing mail (and getting this fixed doesn't seem easy), but for the most part USPS works and has become my preferred shipping option.
Unlike UPS/Fedex, when you've got to ship something out, you can do it for a reasonable rate rather than the ridiculously jacked-up rates for people without a pre-negotiated shipping account. And you're in for a surprise when you end up missing a UPS/Fedex package and find out how out of the way their pickup centers actually are. (Also, there are plenty of remote addresses UPS/Fedex simply won't service.)
I completely agree in scaling back government, but the negative focus on USPS is yet another example of the entrenched unaccountable bureaucracy redirecting your anger away from itself and towards cuts of real infrastructure and services (which you'll eventually cry uncle for and re-fund). Please, don't fall for it.