We’d like to take a moment to explain how changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) since the pandemic started are impacting package speed, and what that means for our customers who rely on us for fast, reliable shipments and deliveries.
The first component of fast delivery is shipping it out fast. On that front, our warehouse team is doing extraordinary work. We haven’t closed a single day since the start of the pandemic, and most days we’re still shipping orders on the same business day right up until our 1 PM ET cutoff (and if we aren’t, it is due to high volume and that information is communicated on our Shipping page and during checkout to help you make an informed purchase decision).
Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in delayed deliveries from orders placed with a USPS shipping method. We recently conducted a thorough review of our delivery speeds. More often than not, USPS is still hitting the estimated delivery dates presented during checkout, however the rate of packages that are delayed has gone up significantly. Those estimated ship dates that we show during checkout are our best estimate based upon the information that the USPS provides us. If you’re placing an order with a USPS service as the shipping method, please keep in mind that mail delivery in general has slowed down and delivery speeds may be inconsistent.
To make matters worse, we’ve noticed that many USPS tracking numbers aren’t updated after departing our warehouse. We’re not sure if this is related to package scans being missed, or a technical issue on USPS.com. Usually the package is still moving, and most of the time it is still delivered on time. We realize that this can be incredibly frustrating. You’re not able to get an idea of where your package is and when it will arrive, and it hinders our ability to assist you.
If you’ve received a shipping confirmation email from us with a tracking number, you can be assured that the order has departed our warehouse and is in the hands of the USPS. We do not send those emails out when we create the labels. They’re only sent after the package has left our facility.
We always have and always will ensure that you receive your order. If your Priority or First Class package doesn’t reach you within 7 business days of being shipped, please Contact Us and we will reship it immediately. We proactively monitor these too, so if you don’t contact us we will still reship your order and reach out to you to let you know what happened.
FedEx is also experiencing delays at times, however in general they have been much more reliable since the pandemic started. If you absolutely need a product in a timely manner, FedEx is the way to go, even more so than in the past.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times. We understand this is frustrating. It is frustrating for us too. We’re anxious for shipping speeds to return to pre-pandemic speeds. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to Contact Us if you have any questions about your order.
Update – effective 10/1/21 the USPS will have new delivery standards that will affect the speed in which some First-Class Package Service orders are delivered.