Amazon's alternative to UPS and USPS, is being expanded with SWA and coming soon

[dalekphalm]

9 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

How is it different than random strangers dropping you off at the airport?

It's different because you're there to supervise the (I assume) taxi driver or shuttle driver. These drivers are also usually part of a company, which in theory holds them up to higher standards.

 

Whereas a person being contracted out to pickup and deliver packages ad hoc? Much bigger chances of not meeting standards. And you're not there to supervise them, so they can get away with more, since there will be less "proof" of wrongdoing.

[AshleyAshes]

4 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

It's different because you're there to supervise the (I assume) taxi driver or shuttle driver. These drivers are also usually part of a company, which in theory holds them up to higher standards.

 

Whereas a person being contracted out to pickup and deliver packages ad hoc? Much bigger chances of not meeting standards. And you're not there to supervise them, so they can get away with more, since there will be less "proof" of wrongdoing.

To be fair, there are not infrequent stories of both government postal workers and private parcel company workers stealing stuff, mishandling materials and such.  While most regions put certain additional criminal legislation against interfering with the national mail service, for private carriers it is, legally speaking, no different than stealing or damaging any other 'work materials'.  It could be theft and you could be charged for it but there really are no guarantees against corruption.

 

I mean, it's not like the UPS driver is some crack parcel Navy Seal agent.  They're someone making a bit better than minimum wage who has to wear brown shorts.

[Eaglerino]

5 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

It's different because you're there to supervise the (I assume) taxi driver or shuttle driver. These drivers are also usually part of a company, which in theory holds them up to higher standards.

 

Whereas a person being contracted out to pickup and deliver packages ad hoc? Much bigger chances of not meeting standards. And you're not there to supervise them, so they can get away with more, since there will be less "proof" of wrongdoing.

How is you supervising him going to stop him from driving you off the highway?

 

Amazon would just send it to you again, like they do if UPS or USPS lose a package. My friend gets same day delivery from people like this all the time and has yet to have an issue, his bigger issue is neighbors stealing his packages (caught them on camera more than once). I don't think this is really a worry, generally people aren't bad people and if someone does steal your package it isn't going to go unnoticed for long

[dalekphalm]

1 hour ago, AshleyAshes said:

To be fair, there are not infrequent stories of both government postal workers and private parcel company workers stealing stuff, mishandling materials and such.  While most regions put certain additional criminal legislation against interfering with the national mail service, for private carriers it is, legally speaking, no different than stealing or damaging any other 'work materials'.  It could be theft and you could be charged for it but there really are no guarantees against corruption.

 

I mean, it's not like the UPS driver is some crack parcel Navy Seal agent.  They're someone making a bit better than minimum wage who has to wear brown shorts.

Agreed - but there's less chance of a UPS worker stealing your stuff. Presumably they like their job, or need it enough to not want to get fired. The chances of them getting caught and fired are higher, I would think, over some contract worker.

1 hour ago, Eaglerino said:

How is you supervising him going to stop him from driving you off the highway?

 

Amazon would just send it to you again, like they do if UPS or USPS lose a package. My friend gets same day delivery from people like this all the time and has yet to have an issue, his bigger issue is neighbors stealing his packages (caught them on camera more than once). I don't think this is really a worry, generally people aren't bad people and if someone does steal your package it isn't going to go unnoticed for long

That's not a fair comparison.

 

You can supervise him to ensure he doesn't steal your stuff - and if he breaks it, you're at least there to see it happen.

 

And yes Amazon would just resend the package, but now you're waiting for said package to get redelivered, which is a hassle and a waste of your (presumably) valuable time.

 

I agree that risk of package theft is small - it's never happened to me. But I would personally choose well paid unionized employees who have at least a modicum of job satisfaction over some contract worker with no benefits and likely makes a pittance on each delivery, and no sense of job security.

[Tribalinius]

With the rise of online shopping in the past few years, all major delivery companies will need to adapt their logistics to face this trend. Warehouse wise, most of them seems alright at this point but you can't say the same thing about delivery, especially home delivery. We all saw videos where <insert delivery company> drivers throw stuff across the yard just to make a delivery faster. I had to run after delivery drivers a couple of times because they faked to knock or ring. I had an occurrence where a driver threw a freaking monitor across my apartment hallway. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the 24" monitor flying in the air. I went ballistic on that guy and made sure to report him.

Nowadays, I make sure that deliveries are made at businesses I work for or at my office. I don't want to deal with home deliveries anymore, not until someone figures out a magical depot system with all major companies at the same place to pick up parcels.

[Deli]

Read so many awful stories of bad deliveries here, oh God.

 

Except food that I go to the nearby supermarket. Almost everything I buy nowadays is from varies online stores. And many of them use the local Postnl service. Which, at least in my case, very good, reliable and always on time deliver to my house. Yet to have anything broken or missing.