Closing in on about 30,000 post office locations and 143,000 drop-off boxes, the USPS may boast of offering one of the best postal services in the US. But does this also include their complimentary service? In other words, can the USPS packages be dropped off at another agency(the UPS for example) and still be entrusted to reach its recipient without any harm done? Can two different agencies, ( such as the USPS and UPS), collaborate in synergy to efficiently deliver dissimilarly labeled packages? Simply put, can one drop off a USPS package at UPS? Read on, and we’ll find out more about these.
What differentiates a USPS package from a UPS one?
The prominent features are on the packaging as most of us know it. On a normal day, a package contains the label of the courier service it is to be mailed by. Whether it be USPS, UPS, or even FedEx, the package labels would surely indicate. The package contains a barcode that needs to be scanned to ensure the details of that particular package are entered into the system. This is also done to enable the tracking process should the package experience delayed delivery in any case. Therefore what differentiates a USPS package from that of UPS and indeed from any other carrier agency is that unique label attached. It is then a matter of choice to decide which to patronize.
Can I drop off USPS packages at UPS stores?
In theory, yes. In reality, I wouldn’t advise it. Let’s start with the yes part. For one, it is not explicitly stated anywhere that it is impossible to drop your USPS package at UPS stores or vice versa. It has always been done but as a complimentary service as the workers are most times not paid for it. Delivery men would come to the UPS stores to transport the packages to a sorting facility. Different UPS stores have different policies about this. Some stores would wait until all the packages with different labels(be it from USPS, FedEx) are filled to a point before contacting the agency involved. Others do it daily. There have been several complaints on this issue hence the advice to drop packages at the local post office directly. The most frequent of these are that the UPS stores would often take in the packages without issuing proof of drop-off and that most times lead to the package not being scanned. This may then result in all kinds of problems, the worst of them being your package never gets to the recipient. Also, about twelve years earlier, the United Parcel Service(UPS) introduced what is called the UPS Returns Flexible Access which allowed any return mail or parcel via USPS to be dropped in UPS stores. In this case, the UPS pays its workers for the activity.
What happens if I drop my USPS package at UPS?
As mentioned earlier, a lot can happen. More often than not, the packages are transported back to the USPS as the delivery official comes to pick them. Sometimes, however, the reverse is the case as those at the UPS store do not bother to send it. Yes…although unfortunate, this does happen at times. It is advisable to call the UPS store before dropping your package to at least ascertain if they do send it off to USPS. Better still, and if you can help it, just send it to your local post office instead.
Conclusion
Although it is possible to drop off USPS packages at UPS, the disadvantages of doing so far outweigh its advantages. As our package delivery is a top priority, we should ensure the right steps are taken so as not to get it stuck in limbo.