USPS Carriers Are Like Uber Drivers for Amazon

by: methuen-web-sales

I'm not sure if I want a sloppy looking person delivering my packages so I would hope that the shipping companies would be vetting their deliverers.  I also hope that it's not a method that people/employees of less than stellar principles to go into to increase their income.

by: sasikat9

@methuen  Not sure you want a sloppy looking person delivering your packages.

My so called mail person is the exammple of sloppy pig.  She wears the same sleazy crotch hugging shorts and halter top everyday while driving a smoke burping oil leaking government motors car.

The days of uniformed postal employees in our area of the country is long gone.  A rural route we have.  Complain to the postmaster and his retort is " What do you expect me to do"

I for one would like to see the uber like delivery of my parcels.

Maybe at least they can get them to the right address which our sleazy mailperson  can't seem to do.  

by: Ming the Merciless

Porch shopping carried to a new level.

Of course, these greedy corps are considering this because they can pay peon wages to the "everyday" people who will be delivering packages -- until the theft/shrinkage rate becomes unsustainable.

by: Rexford

So when the "everyday person" is responsible for delivering the package, and the package goes missing, is the "everyday insurance company" going to cover it.

Drones, newspaper trucks, "everyday people"......the equivalent of one of Donahoe's thinking days.  

by: Basset

Aside from porch shopping -

Mr. Basset has used Uber and likes it - no complaints at all.  That being said - the sexual assault charges that pop up now and then with Uber drivers are worrisome.


At least the delivery people won't be coming IN the house - still, I hope they get a background check.

by: iheartjacksparrow

There was a big story a few days ago here in Los Angeles that four male Uber drivers at the Los Angeles Airport were ticketed because they had criminal convictions that would prevent them from having a taxi license. According to the Los Angeles Times, the offenses were: child exploitation, identity theft, manslaughter, and driving under the influence. If Amazon is going to use Uber drivers as delivery persons, I certainly hope they research these people thoroughly as I wouldn't want the people referenced in the article delivering my packages.

by: ajeweler

Unfortunately the world is full of convicted criminal's todays society, I say as long as they have that in their past (except child Crimes lock them up and neuter them) everyone has had some sort of run in with speeding tickets and traffic violations (what if they took your license forever for one ticket?)

with that said as long as they can be in some way insured and or bonded let them work (less in obomacare)

Now the real criminals lets use fleabay for example there are a bunch of criminals that have not yet been caught so what most of you are stating is if they were caught do not let them work but..... if they are active in crimes against people like freebay it is ok to allow them to have a say so in your business??

people a thief is a thief if you put lipstick on a thief it still a thief.......

as a employer for over 45 years I have hired people with Past criminal records (some stupid charges) one comes to mind

Hemp (or pot seed) is a crime in my state even possession of a single seed is punishable by jail time

This employee purchased bird seed from w-mart it contains hemp seed when stopped on traffic violation they asked to search car they found yes one single seed they charged this poor man possession under 20 grams??? he was arrested thrown in jail, bailed out hired attorney cost him over 5,000 to defend himself and even after two years fighting this finally won, however the arrest still shows up on a background check we hired him he was a great employee over 10 years of service to us and never once out of line, handled thousands of dollars in jewelry.

so these drivers should for sure be screened but if they have a bogus charge do not condemn them
every problem has two sides

here is a link to the seeds from birds most states have laws for hemp even though it is sold in every state in w-mart and online people get arrested for the most petty things (mostly the past 20 years or so)

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/03/us/bird-food-is-a-casualty-of-the-wa
r-on-drugs.html

the real criminals are the ones active that have not yet been caught karma

by: sasikat9

@ajeweler   I would think that the cop that had the time to go through the birdseed to find just one seed should be fired for wasting the taxpayers money.

That said having cops in my family we find the story just a tad bit stretched on the truth.  

by: ajeweler

@sasikat9

re read it did not say he went thru food, said found seed in car
and just so you will know I am retired gold badge as well.....
stretch nothing yes waste tax payers dollars but still was bad

drivers need the chance is the just of the story if they have record it may be petty

by: sasikat9

@ajewler

re again nowhere did I say food.

Still believe its a stretch. Cops may be somewhat on the dumb side on occasion but they are far from stupid.

Paste star on forehead for being a retired gold badge for what ever that is supposed to mean.

by: Volvo351

Yeah, eBay is going to accept tracking from a bunch of slackers who can't hold a regular job...after they sleep off their buzz they activate the Uber app and there are people crazy enough to get into a vehicle driven by someone with a residual blood alcohol or THC level.

by: Volvo351

@Sparrow

Gypsy cab drivers who are ILLEGAL ALIENS?  In Los Angeles?  Naw...couldn't be.

by: iheartjacksparrow

@ajeweler - There has to be something else going on with your employee. Hemp seeds are sold in health stores and on Amazon as a source of protein. Either the officer had other charges pending on your employee, or it wasn't a seed but actual bags of pot.  

by: DonC

I receive excellent service from the USPS. I don't anticipate changing services.

by: Chicago48

Endicia says Uber and Amazon are making moves to enter the package-delivery space, reportedly testing crowd-sourcing services where "everyday folks" will deliver packages.

^^
This is the dumbest thing I ever heard or read.  No way would I let an ordinary person deliver my package, no way.  Can I sue them if the package is damaged or lost?

by: Chicago48

Also, if Amazon, Uber, or others use crowd-shipping, it could mean a lot of un-uniformed drivers showing up on peoples' front porches - not necessarily a good think in light of the growing problem of package theft.
^^
Not only that, what if that person shows up at your door at night unannounced.  That person could be taken for a robber or stalker and shot.

by: Chicago48

At least the delivery people won't be coming IN the house - still, I hope they get a background check.
^^
You don't know THAT.  From what what I read UBER does a poor job of background checking.

by: FREDDY

Do not see the cost savings there.  Only for large heavy packages going to rural area.  
Does Amazon require signature confirmation for claims??  That means staying home till they show up??
I will stick with the reliable USPS, UPS, Fed ex  system.  

by: Toledo Maude

Half a lifetime ago in desperation to fund my small dying import business, I worked for four years as an independent contractor driver for a small courrier company.

After four years of driving 70,000 miles a year, I burned out two vans and had six months of payments left on the second burned out van.  I was down to replacing worn out tires with used slightly less worn tires.

Not to place too fine a point on this, driver turnover was constant which meant reliability suffered with common occurance of late deliveries and lost packages.  Between the vageries of the economy, competition from other large and small courrier companies, and the cost of maintaining a vehicle, there was little or no income at the end of the year.    

We made the USPS, UPS and FedEx look good.  Very good.

As a 15 year eBay seller veteran/victim, I will eagerly continue to rely on the big three for deliveries.  

by: debranator

funny thing..in my neighborhood...
amazon has had "regular" people in their own cars deliver to me for years.sometimes the packages are fedex..some ups.
but, i see at least 2 regular people a week...at my door with amazon packages.