Explanation of what Tendered to USPS Means

January 14th, 2009 Jeremy Winter Current NewsNews 34 Comments

I have recently ordered a light weight package from Newegg.com and have discovered, through tracking, that the package has been tendered to the USPS. The package originally had been shipped by DHL.

What does Tendered to USPS really mean?

Tendered to USPS basically means that the original shipper, whether it be UPS, FEdEx or DHL, has taken the package part of the way to the destination and then shipped the package the rest of the way using The United States Post Office.

This amounts to your package arriving 1-3 days later then if the original shipper had simply taken the package all of the way. So why would a company that ships packages, use another company to ship packages? There are two scenarios that could be the cause of this problem.

Scenario 1

Cost for shipping packages varies from company to company. If DHL made it to their distribution facility, which is about 45 miles away, and realized they only had a small amount of packages to send to my area, it would make no sense to send a driver out to deliver them.

A more cost effective solution would be to use the tried and true USPS.

Scenario 2

DHL will be closing their domestic Shipping service here in the United States on Jan 30, 2009. DHL appears to also be scaling their operations back as they get closer to this date.

What the company could be doing is, shipping the packages to their facility that is closes to the destination and relying on USPS to complete the delivery from there. With this strategy they are becoming the middle man between the company you ordered from and the USPS.

Conclusion

What all of this boils down to is a wait of 1-3 days longer then expected through a fully functioning courier. My package should arrive within the original terms of 3-7 days, but I still feel like this is a inconvenience.

With that aside though, I have been fairly happy with NewEgg as a company and still continue to use them as a great source for low priced electronics and PCware. I have had mixed feelings about the shipping companies, on multiple occasions, so I’ll leave that one up in the air for the moment.

What have your experiences been with NewEgg, FEdEx, UPS, and the USPS?

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34 Comments


  1. Yes I ordered a package and seen that too, one would think that using more than one company would cost more to deliver. If DHL is closing, or closed, since its March of 2009. Why do they still use DHL if they are closed down, or did the date change for the closing? Makes no sense to me. NewEgg seems cool so far for prices. Just ordered one item, but may do more later down the road.

  2. Andrew


    recently purchased some computer hardware from newegg, and have purchased a few items from them in the past. I was never pleased with their processing time, and was even less pleased with the shipping companies they chose to carry their products. Naturally, after I ordered my new RAM, I was expecting it to take a while and i saw that they now offered rush processing so i paid the extra three bucks.

    I wasn’t aware that their processing took longer than that of tiger directs total delivery time. It took them two days to “rush” my processing, and after tracking this package, i find out that it was passed off to usps, I don’t believe I will ever order from them again, especially not when tigerdirect offers their items for very similar prices and can get my item shipped to my house in a matter of two days after ordering it WITHOUT paying any rushed processing or delivery fees.

    long story short:
    newegg’s service sucks,
    there are much better alternatives.

  3. James


    Yeah this is happening to me as we speak. I live less than 2hrs away from NewEgg’s Memphis, TN warehouse. My package was sent to Cincinnati, OH, then across country to Kansas City, MO. Now I have to wait another week for the USPS to get it to my doorstep? I would be furious if I had actually paid for shipping, but you gotta love NewEgg’s free shipping promotions!

  4. Corey


    i just recently brought a phone battery(not from newegg from another website)but they used DHL and since you all said they closed down Jan 30 why are they still using DHL? please respond


  5. @Corey – I did some further research to answer you question and from what I have found, DHL has officially ended their domestic service in the US, but has continued to provide shipping through air in the US.

    Basically, the company you ordered from will take the package to a DHL facility, then DHL will fly the package to the airport closes to the destination, and then USPS will take the package to your destination.

    I know that doesn’t sound like the end of DHL’s domestic service in the US, but I am guessing that they are just trying to maintain some shipping services while “claiming” it has come to a end.

  6. Phil


    First of all, Neweggs service does not suck. If you used them once and had a poblem with them…it was a fluke I assure you. I have been using them for about 8 years now and have ordered approx. $3,000 dollars worth of electronics from them over the years and have NEVER had a problem with there service. The one thing that I would suggest to everyone out there is to NOT use OR pay for there “rushed service” If you order your item on Monday or Tuesday you’ll find that you get your item usually fairly quickly, although now they are using DHL instead of UPS or FedEx which they used to normally use, on a regular basis for most of there shipping small or large….I’m seeing just like everyone else has stated….DHL is passing item off to USPS which I hate! I kept using newegg, not only because of there good prices, great service, but because they DID NOT use USPS…..Any time I spend alot of money on an item I want a damn tracking number and want to know exactly what day it’s going to be on my door step…which USPS you will not get that unless you pay for next day delivery where they guarantee it to be there by 10am or 2pm depending on service you pay for…but what newegg is not doing sending DHL…just to have DHL then use USPS….you won’t get that tracking number of when it will show up at your house…all you have is to guess it will take 3-4 extra days to get to you. So the days of getting your item from newegg in 2-4 days are gone….atleast for the time being. Anyways I think I went off track with where I started….Don’t pay for rush ordering….it’s a waste of money from what I’ve heard and seen. Your order will get processed at the same speed whether you pay for that service or not.

  7. Rusty Shackelford


    yea they tendered it in elkridge and i live in laurel
    its only been a day but still

  8. Aaron


    newegg used to ship everything for free back in the day…. i was sad when they went away from that policy. They do offer lots of products with free shipping, and those change week to week. ha! i sound like a sales man! Bottom line, shipping costs have gone up just like everything else in this country as the dollar continues to plummet. Go FED! One step closer to a single world bank/currency. yay for off topic rants!

  9. Nancy Lynn


    I just found out that an item (small) that i ordered online and paid $12.95 shipping for and $6.95 for faster processing was shipped on the 10th, but i wont get it until the 20th. when tracked it said the same thing, Tendered to USPS for delivery, I am very angry at this mainly because of the extra money that i paid to get it here quickly, but also because it was unnecessary, fed ex (who carried it first) has been on my street three times since Friday, to two seperate houses, the whole thing has me sick to my stomach speaking with customer service was useless, and i had to ask the woman what i paid the $6.95 for, she said if i hadnt paid it , my item would not get here for 2-3 weeks….and no they do not tell you any of this on the website….needless to say, they received a nasty email from me, i have posted on 5 different websites about their policy, and i have posted it on my own websites as well, hopefully the next person who decides to order from them will know better and go elsewhere.

  10. Greg Alexander


    I have to say, DHL is crap. I can’t believe they “tendered to USPS” for my package, since USPS would have had it here already if they’d just given it to USPS “first class” at the origin. However, I have nothing to complain about because I clicked on “free shipping” when I ordered my RAM, and I didn’t chose rush or anything. Newegg got my package to DHL within 48 hours, and less than 48 hours after that DHL had handed it off to USPS, so I know it will be here soon.

    Every time I do business with newegg I pick the absolute cheapest delivery option and I am always impressed that my product comes in less than a week. If you are in a hurry, no amount of rush will satisfy you, so you come on here and whine. Newegg could make the experience satisfying by somehow offering a star-trek-transporter-5-minute shipping option for only $3.95, or you can just change your mindset a little. Less than a week to get something shipped to you just because you clicked a couple buttons on a computer…that’s stellar! We’re living in the future, people, let’s try not to be spoiled whiners.

  11. Nancy Lynn


    You may be right for some, but when i pay for something to be delivered in 2-3 days and it takes 10 to arrive, then i am going to complain. companies that do not put on their websites all the details of shipping are rip offs and should not be allowed to do so. If i wanted to wait that long why would i have paid extra for it? Obviously i had plans and needed the item that i ordered for a certain date and since it did not show up on that date i had to go to another store and purchase something similar. So what sense does that make? none, i have a right to be angry and so do many others.

  12. Leon


    Well, my personal experiences with NewEgg have been pretty good, orders typically processed that day or next morning and the prices are usually cheaper and my items have always come through FedEx or Ups depending on whatever deal they get, I’m assuming. Only item i ever had was a bad Epox motherboard, and sent it back and got a full refund they were polite and didn’t give me any hassles.

    My experiences with DHL as Airborne Express were less than ideal, considering I spent a day tracking down a package they had just dropped at a random house in the neighborhood, even after I talked to them on the phone explaining to them exactly where i lived. Anyone with an IQ of 5 or higher could have figured it out, but their driver didn’t, so if they are anything like they were under the Airborne Express name, then them handing their delivery service off to the post office might be considered an upgrade.

    Fedex was the only courier that I used that ever lost a package, it went through Newark and disappeared It took some time to get a refund, since i had to call the place i ordered the item from and have them file a claim; great fun when the only person you get can barely speak broken English.
    On a side note, I’ve seen the inner workings of the FedEx ground facility in Orlando. Tracking is great, and seems like every time a package is moved it gets automatically scanned and routed to the right location (hopefully). However, package handlers themselves are a completely different story, and quite frankly, and having seen what I have is enough to make even an atheist pray their stuff gets there in one piece.

    The USPS, well, I have to say up until I moved to Florida, my opinion of them was pretty neutral. Here in my area, I’ve had tons of lost and misdelivered mail some that never came (great when it’s a bill that needs to be paid right away) . Hell, I even had a birthday card that took 6 moths to get to my mailbox.

    As far as UPS goes, I just got my new phone delivered by them, and it looks like they had a contest to see who could do the most damage, but at least the phone still works.

    I think the bottom line is no matter how good the reputation of any company is, you’re still going to be at the mercy of the people working for it.

  13. John Ottosen


    I have used newegg.com acouple of times. I have always paid for ups(and once fedex) 3 day delivery service. I have never had a package take more than 3 days and never had it delivered by anyone other than the original carrier. Some of the items were small, cheap items. I am now worried that I will have the same issues everyeone here has had!


  14. @ John Ottosen – If you pay for 3 day delivery it will not be tendered to the USPS for the sole reason that, it would take longer then 3 days to deliver any package through 2 carriers and a total of 3 handlers, so it can only go through one carrier. The “new” egg saver shipping, available at newegg.com. now says that all packages are tendered to the USPS from DHL.

    In the past egg saver shipping would arrive at my house in 3 days, but since this new policy was adapted, it now takes 5-6 days. (I live near Seattle Washington, Newegg.com is based in Southern California)

    With that all being said, I still prefer Newegg.com to any other online electronics retailer.

  15. Leo


    It SUCKS! I live literally at a 3 minute drive distance from the New Egg warehouse in New Jersey. I used to buy stuff and get it next day via UPS. This Monday I bought something that went all the way to my house to a DHL Location 2 hours north from my place, stayed there in the DHL warehouse for an entire day, and was gracefully tendered to USPS this morning to be brought down pretty much to the place it was shipped for, and I’ll be lucky if I get it this Friday. So, it went from one business day to 3 to 5 business days.

    Sadly, Newegg is losing its lead as _the_ online electronics provider.

  16. Jordanis laureano


    why newegg ? why are you lowering your standards for no reason ?
    i expect more from you guys
    damnit

  17. Joshua


    Newegg is the best when it comes to ordering computer hardware. I dont check any other place now because i now newegg will be the best. As for shipping if i get a shipment from the Tennessee warehouse and it is shipped using UPS then if i order before 3 in the afternoon (give newegg enough time to get the items out) then i will get the package next day. Even with the eggsaver shipping. UPS drives the package from Tennessee to Jackson,MS then to Shreveport,LA overnight just in time to get it the Shreveport distribution site. If the package is shipped with DHL then it goes through about 5 other states before it gets to me and usually takes about 3 extra days, but still with in the 3-7 days alloted by newegg.

  18. Krys


    I purchased an item & paid the extra money for the expedited shipping 1-3 days… They sent it through DHL on December 22nd, & on the 24th, they “TENDERED TO USPS”. What’s completely ridiculous is that the item was sent from NC to GA & now it is in MD! I live in PA, there should have been no reason to ship it to so many places. I was able to send a package “STANDARD” mail on the 22nd, from PA to CA & it got there before Christmas. Now I have to wait for DHL & USPS to decide what other six states they are going to send it to before getting it in my mailbox. I’ve never had so much trouble in my life, the package isn’t even half of a pound!

  19. jackie


    If my package is tendered to USPS then i lose any tracking mid way. I have enough trouble getting my mail. How am i supposed to follow the tracking to my house- or know the correct delivery date so i can be home to accept it?
    I’d rather my electronics didnt sit out on a rainy stoop.

  20. jackie


    not only that but i bought my item- dec 29th- its the 12th. WTF


  21. I ordered a silicone skin case for my rokr e1 from amazon.com
    That was about a week ago. It was shipped via DHL and after 5 days of nothing on the tracking website, it says “Tendered to USPS.” USPS isn’t the problem. It’s the processing. First, DHL has to process it and ship it, then usps has to process and ship. Which, is really irritating me because I’m scared to use my phone outside because I’m scared I’m going to drop it and break it like I did with my other phone. I live about a 5 minute Walk from the post office. Although my package is in Elkridge, i’m not sure… Not it has to be sent to my local post office which will take extra time…

    I just don’t understand… why would the seller send the package via dhl and it barely weights anything? it’s just a silicone case for heavens sake… I would have just put it in a bubble wrapped envelope and put it in the mailbox… pair like 0.67$ for the stamp…

    it would have gotten there in like 3 days max… So stupid.

  22. Dixon


    There’s only one solution. If you’re ordering something big, Newegg will use UPS, so you don’t have to worry. However, if you’re ordering something small, and use free shipping, chances are you’ll be stuck with DHL/USPS. You can either take your chances and hope they go the UPS route, or you can pay the extra $3-5 and opt for guaranteed UPS/FedEx.

    This is the third time I’ve been stuck with DHL/USPS, and every time there’s been a 5 day delay during the transition process. From now on I’m making the drive. I’ll only pay the extra money for equipment not available elsewhere.

    First newegg replaced FedEx Express Saver with UPS, and now they’ve started using DHL instead of UPS for small deliveries. Make sure you let Newegg know about your dissatisfaction before they make further changes.

  23. Troy


    Hey Andrew…They don’t process over the WEEKEND you moron. They process all of my orders within a couple of hours as long as its during the week and during operating hours. Grow a common sense or something.

  24. Tony


    Ummm … Troy I think you are the moron. I ordered RAM this past Sunday and my order was processed the same day and shipped out on Monday. Maybe you should check your facts before you flame someone else.

  25. Ed


    I ordered from eforcity and DHL got my package from Cali to NJ in less than 24 hours. My question is, how many days does it usually take USPS after the delivery has been tendered to them?

  26. holly


    USPS SUCKS. The US postal service is the worst shipping/mail company. If they were not a government-owned company they would have been out of business years ago for a being terribly inefficient, having bad customer service and being all around completely unreliable – the only thing I can rely on with the post office is that I have no idea when my mail and packages will come.

  27. Warwick


    I’d have to say it’s pretty DUMB! I ordered something from Tiger Direct shipped UPS and it was “Tendered to Local Post Office”…here’s the kicker, the DAY it was “Tendered”, UPS actually DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE! I live in a MAJOR city and I have ordered from Tiger for about 5 years now at a total of over $20,000 for my IT business…UPS comes to my doorstep at least once a week! Who knows why someone apparently thought I lived in the middle of nowhere!

  28. Warwick


    LOL~ That should read “DELIVERED [a different order] TO MY HOUSE!”…who knows why they can deliver one thing and not something else?….psycho, makes little sense to me~

  29. Ed


    Why would FedEx deliver to the post office less than a mile from my office, a package I was expecting & could have received today, now it will be another 1-2 days for the PO to throw the box around.

  30. Misti


    Omg im in the same stupid boat!! This is the first year I did all my daughters Christmas shopping online & so far I have received everything I ordered, today is Dec 23rd & my last package was supposed to arrive today, its the one gift she SO was hoping for this year, an iPod touch4 & I paid $10 for 3 day delivery, I ordered it on the 13th & it shipped out on the 14th. What pisses me off is that I have been getting UPS deliveries here at my home everyday M-F for the last 2.5 weeks. My package via UPS tracking was “rescheduled” for delivery yesterday! Well I tracked it yesterday morning & sure enough for the first time in my 10+ yrs of using UPS I saw that my package weighing 1.7lbs was “tendered to post office” & now here we are many days past the promised delivery date & who knows when I will get it. What REALLY pisses me off more than anything is that I got 2 packages delivered to my house via UPS yesterday & am sitting here waiting for a few more that are “out for delivery” so WHY did they decide to dump my other package at the dang post office when they where coming to my house everyday this week anyways!?!? Makes NO sense to me at all!! Now with tomorrow being Christmas eve im wondering if I need to run to Costco & buy a new iPod touch, that way my daughter gets to open it on Christmas morning, or do I put all my faith & trust into UPS & the post office to get it here by tomorrow!? I REALLY dont want to explain to my daughter that her present wasn’t here & should hopefully be here “soon”. This is pathetic & I am furious as it is already 7 days late & they dumped it at the post office right before driving my other packages to my house yesterday & again today!? I think they are overloaded since its the holiday & they are making some ridiculous & stupid decisions down there at UPS. I still love UPS & prefer them over any other but this is absolutely unnecessary & blatantly a dumba** decision they made. Yes I am mad, more nervous & worried then anything cuz I dont want to let my daughter down on Christmas morning & if it doesnt get here tomorrow then it just kinda puts a damper on everything. Happy holidays to all of you! -Misti

  31. jim


    check this out and i live in south carolina my packages is in ca. im on day ten waiting

    5/25/2011 09:21 AM PT Carson, CA TENDERED TO USPS
    5/25/2011 03:33 AM PT Carson, CA ARRIVAL DESTINATION DHL GLOBAL MAIL FACILITY
    5/24/2011 07:56 AM ET Forest Park, GA DEPARTURE ORIGIN DHL GLOBAL MAIL FACILITY
    5/24/2011 01:54 AM ET Forest Park, GA PROCESSED
    5/23/2011 10:50 PM ET Forest Park, GA ARRIVAL ORIGIN DHL GLOBAL MAIL FACILITY
    5/23/2011 06:00 PM ET Indian Trail, NC PICKED UP BY SHIPPING PARTNER


  32. WOW! That is simply ridiculous Jim. I can’t believe they would ship something across the country just to bring it back.

    Makes no sense what-so-ever.

  33. Mace


    Wow! They can put men on the moon and can`t get our damn mail delivered. 2 days to travel 3 states with DHL. They tendered it to a location 90 miles away and its been 5 days and I still don`t have the package! AMAZING


  34. Sucks. Same here too. Why tendered to USPS when we pay for shipping & handling already? Anyways, I guess only certain small companies does this. The last order I paid on buy.com wasn’t like this. Do not order from eForcity.