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When I ordered bicycle parts from Performance Bike, Inc. on August 25th and was told that my shipment would be via FedEx "Smartpost," I thought: "FedEx...that's good." Well, had I previously read some of the posted complaints about FedEx "Stupidpost," I would have had reason to worry.

When my package had not arrived by September 4th, I looked up my tracking, aka "where is the hitchhiker now?" number. Performance shipped on the 27th (off to a fairly slow start), and my package sat in a West Virginia "sortation" center from the 28th through the 30th. It arrived in a Denver sortation center on September 1st, and as of the 4th was still, apparently, being sorted.

When I wrote to Performance and FedEx, Jennifer at Performance replied, "All packages shipping by USPS are picked up from our warehouse by a subdivision of FedEx called smart post. Smart post deliveries (sic) the package to your local USPS." She added that she was sorry "for the inconvenience."

I can understand why an inefficient government monopoly like the USPS would want to gain credibility by associating with a successful private enterprise like FedEx, but why would FedEx want to be dragged down by the USPS?

A note to shippers: Drop the pretense--you are shipping PARCEL POST. The pennies saved aren't worth it.

A note to consumers: FedEx "Smartpost" ain't.

~Michael Russell

Location: Seattle, Washington

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Guest

USPS is faster than Smartpost or FedEx at times... My USPS delivers get delivered ahead or on time most of the time, FedEx is always a week or longer, regardless of where it's coming from and is late more often than not. Smartpost on the other hand is so slow I could bike to the shipping location and bike back days before it would be delivered.

Smartpost packages spend most of their transit time sitting in a lot at a sorting center, NOT scanned until they are just about to be sorted and right before they leave (if you are lucky).

Smartpost and DHL Global mail are the SLOWEST delivery methods around, and the cheapest, but that doesn't stop people from charging you 3-day or even 2-day shipping for budget shipping.

Guest

According to tracking info my package is still 'on time' Its just that the delivery date has changed from the 9th to the 16th. I guess if you can change the delivery dates as you go everything will always be 'on time' no matter how slow it is

Ionia Mfr
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-509410

Just read 1984, have you? In the book everything said by the govt is gone back and changed so that everything the govt says is always correct. Hmmm, changing delivery dates seems to fit.

Guest

another bad review for smartpost.....they say because i live on guam it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to a month. listen, i didn't discover online shopping yesterday, i've been doing it for years and even usps alone doesn't take a week.

if consumers in the continental u.s.

are complaining what more a consumer in the pacific and a u.s. territory!!please get rid of smart post!!

Guest

I agree completely about smart post but i have found that if two packages were sent same time fedex and usps same class usps wins most times smart post is so fedex can blame usps and usps can blame fedex everybody has an excuse and we lose

Guest

Smartpost update: My package left Denver on the 4th and arrived in a Salt Lake sorting center on the 5th--fair enough, a day to go 490 miles. It left Salt Lake on the same day (imagine that!) and arrived at the Helena, MT post office (not my home) on the 9th--four days to go 474 miles.

As of the 11th, it has still not arrived at my home. I can think of MANY names more accurate than "Smartpost."

recipient

You are welcome. I just got a reply from Fedex saying that it was my shipper who chose to use "Smartpost," as if passing the blame for selecting an incompetent service!

Guest

Thanks for your comments on "smart-post". Can't belive Fedex wants to be associated and I changed my order to UPS and not "smartpost".