Shipping

 About a dozen years ago, our washing machine ceased to spin properly. A check on the internet suggested that this was caused by a failed ratchet on the agitator, a part that as I recall you could hide under a quarter and that cost about $2.50. It cost that if you could find one, that is. The internet takes away as efficiently as the internet gives, and it appeared that there was no store within ten miles that sold the part. We ordered it from Tennessee.

About a week later, we were about to go out of town, the ratchet had not arrived, and the washing machine did not work. Considering our prospects--would the store in Virginia really have the part?--we called for a repairman, who did what I could have done, though I'm sure he was more efficient. The ratchet arrived a couple of days later. The out of town business had shipped "UPS to USPS", which allows UPS to do the efficient long haul work and leaves the more labor-intensive delivery to the Postal Service. Had that business folded a piece of paper around the part, placed it in an envelope, and mailed it for (then) 40 cents from the nearest post office or mailbox, we would have received the part in ample time.

A fortnight ago, I ordered a book through Alibris. The seller promptly sent a notice that it had shipped. After some days, I checked the tracking number. This showed that the item had been picked up by a USPS shipping partner and was ready for USPS pickup. Such was the status a week ago, such it is now. I had hoped to take the book along on a trip that starts Sunday, but now I doubt I will.

Given the low cost of media mail, I wonder how much money can be saved by using a shipping partner. I suppose the partner handles the labor of packaging, and probably has the equivalent of the postage meters I used long ago. I can see that one might wish to have somebody else manage the meter.

But I wish I had the book.