Why does the US Mint send coins via UPS?

One would think the governMINT would want to throw business to another branch of the government - esp. a branch that's always crying poverty.
I like UPS but USPS is more convenient for me.
Just my 2¢

 

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Did they really send your shipment UPS? What a crying shame.

 

My guess is that UPS contracted to do it cheaper than the USPS via open bidding.

I'm with your line of thinking though!

 

Mine always come from the USPS, not UPS.

 

If you go over a certain threshold ($300?) they bump the shipping up to UPS Next Day Air.

 

UPS is a lot safer and more dependable IMO. I've had the USPS lose too many things - my USPS service gets worse all the time. Not long ago I had a coin delivery that was "out for delivery" with the USPS, but never confirmed delivered. It showed up 2 weeks later - "prolly" found on the floor of the carrier's vehicle during a cleaning. If you've ever tried to check on a missing/late/lost shipment with the USPS their customer service is just about useless.

 

I have had some combo deliveries as well from the mint, first UPS and then USPS. TC

 

I despise UPS. I've known people who've worked for them who told all kinds of horror stories. One big no no is never mark your package FRAGILE without insurance, they (those I knew who worked there) say they kick and throw those packages extra hard when shoving into the trucks. Sometimes drop kicking them like a football in the warehouses.

I like USPS, never have major problems, especially if the items being shipped have a tracking number. Next would be FedEx.

 

I agree, I've had no problems sending packages USPS, I would think that the mint would use them exclusively

 

Since I only receive mail and packages at my post office box, USPS is my preferred option. Vendors that ship only UPS (or any other pirvate package delivery service) have to make the delivery to my office, a purchasing and shipping practice I use sparingly.

 

Hmmm my 2012 Infantry was shipped through Fedex (federal express) and not UPS, but it was delevered to the USPS in my town then sent to me.

 

The reason they're always crying poverty is because they're held to such ridiculously high standards, they have to pre-pay health, retirement, & other benefits. Did you know they're not allowed to lay off or reassign employees? You have the postal union to thank for this. Read the 2006 Postal accountability and enhancement act, & discover that per union contract; they are held to standards that no other government entity or business is. 80% of everything the USPS takes in goes to pay ridiculous postal salaries + bennies. Fed-Ex & UPS pay 32, & 53% respectively. Makes you think you'd get much friendlier service from these employees, but they're protected by their contract so they don't have to be.

 

My purchases have come via USPS. Thank goodness. We have a rural carrier who knows the "secret hiding spot" as opposed the UPS guy who leaves everything in plain sight, even though he could place the items in or behind our patio deck box. Not to mention the inordinate amount of damage that UPS sometimes inflicts upon my deliveries...

 

the stuff i have usually ordered from the mint started out with fedex and then ultimately delivered by usps

 

Actually the "Mint" doesn't send them the PBGS (Pitney Bowes Goverment Services) a contractor company ships them via what they feel is the most cost effecient means.

 

I usually save up my orders from the Mint until I have around $400 or $500 worth of stuff and that always gets upgraded to 2 Day Air UPS.
Used to be UPS promised delivery by 10:30AM but now it's "end of day" which, presumably, could be 11:59PM!
Today's parcel got here a little after 1PM and the UPS driver delivered it to my neighbor downstairs - good thing she's honest!
On smaller shipments from the Mint, I've gotten the combo Fedex-USPS delivery, which doesn't seem to get here any faster than straight USPS deliveries take.
Be that as it may, my personal point of view is that any packages sent by any government agency (the Mint included) should use USPS, not a private delivery service.
I believe that it makes more economic sense to shuffle government money around between accounts than to pay a private carrier.

 

Cheapest way possible is what makes economic sense these days.

 

Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. Clowns like that are soon weeded out and shown the door.

And I've gotten my share of dinged and damaged packages through the postal service too. No one delivery service reigns supreme in that regard.

FDX ground picks up the packages from the fulfillment center and delivers them to the local post offices for the last leg of the journey.

 

How 'bout the Letter Carrier that rubber banded a package of mine to the mail box because he couldn't fit it inside and decided that the thirty foot walk up the driveway was too far to carry a three pound parcel? There are poor delivery practices exhibited by every carrier service.

 

I get a lot of that happening here too with the USPS. Rather than carry a box to the door they'll jam it between the mailbox and the newspaper box. At least UPS brings it to the porch in any weather. I've also had my share of USPS damaged package too - the latest was a coin album that was practically destroyed by USPS.

Yep - FedEx Smartpost is now a cheaper type of FedEx service. FedEx delivers to my PO and then the USPS carrier makes the final delivery.