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New FedEx Ground and USPS Arrangement

This is a heads up to members involved in a sale where the goods are sent by FedEx Ground. FedEx and the USPS now have an arrangement whereby FedEx Ground delivers the package to the postal facility in the recipient’s zip code and the USPS completes the delivery to the recipient’s door. I’ve encountered this new arrangement twice in the last ten days, once as the shipper and once as the recipient (neither shipment was audio related).

Based on my experience, you can expect two changes from the former service by FedEx Ground. First, total delivery time can take another day because the USPS delivers the package as part of its once-a-day regular mail run. Whenever the package arrives at the postal facility after that day’s mail has already been sorted and given to the mail carriers, the package won't go out until the next day. Second, FedEx’s tracking number system now tracks the delivery of the package only to the postal facility. This can be disconcerting to the recipient who has not yet received his package but reads on FedEx’s tracking site that the package has been delivered.
dougmc
hifixpert
25 posts
 
This of course raises another more important question. In the event that the gear is damaged upon arrival, who accepts responsibility for the claim: FedEx or USPS? I have been saddled with this system on some non-audio shipments and it is a royal pain to track a shipment, all the more so since for FedEx delivery is considered to have been accomplished when the item arrives at a regional sorting center, and not necessarily at your local post office. Two and three day delays are more common than the aforementioned one-day delay.
krell_man
827 posts
 
To clarify my answer above: I didn't mean that FedEx Express (Red Truck) actually delivered the package, only that they fly the package for the USPS. The Postal Service actually delivers the package.

But like HiFiXpert brings up, who is ultimately responsible for any damages? It seems that everything should be on the USPS since the item was given to them to be delivered and the item was insured. How they choose to send it should not be our concern, it should be USPS' concern.

Chuck
sherod
1,690 posts
 
I have read that USPS will soon(in order to cut costs) stop Saturday deliveries.
don_s
271 posts
 
This can't be happening. No way is this going to work. My postal carrier is about 5'2" and maybe 110 pounds. Sweet Asian lady with a great smile and always happy to see me. But she hasn't had to lug a pair of 65 pound monoblocks to my front door yet either. I bet she starts spitting on my mail real soon.

I have a FedEx Ground account and don't remember getting any notification. Of course I don't pay much attention to the junk they send me. I looked for a reference on the web but only found a 2001 agreement. Anybody have a link?
dougmc OP
105 posts
 
Krell_man, I think Fed Ex remains responsible to the shipper for any damage that occurs in transit. The shipper's contract is with Fed Ex, not the USPS. The USPS is only acting as an agent of Fed Ex., which remains liable. Fed Ex may be able to collect from the USPS for the amount Fed Ex ends up paying its customer for damage caused by the USPS, but the customer is not required to deal with the USPS.

My reasoning assumes that Fed Ex doesn't insert a clause in the terms printed on its shipping slip that shifts liability to the USPS for damage the USPS causes. That would be a disaster for the customer, because each carrier would point the finger at the other one, and the customer would have no way to determine which one caused the damage. If dealing with either one of these carriers alone is brutal, imagine what a three-party merry-go-round would be like. However, I think the customer backlash would be so bad that Fed Ex wouldn't try such a maneuver.
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