USPS shocker

Firstly this ain't a go at them but just a few observations based on my recent 'experience' so you perhaps guys may save yourselves the grief associated with lost packages.

As you know the TD tach race was set for 09th Nov.
I sent my 6 engines to Ron on the 30th of October. Mindful that they usually take 4 to 7 days I paid a large premium
to get them to Tuttle Guaranteed within 5 days using Royal Mails Airsure 5 day tracked service.
I awoke on the 01st to find they were now in New York........
8 days to the tach race so far so good.
Well, as most of you know they didn't show and the tach race was pushed back a further 3 weeks.
Fast forward to the 22nd, they still hadn't arrived and I started to try to trace their whereabouts.
A quick check on the Royal Mail site showed each of the tracked steps form my Post Office counter to the receiving
depot in New York and a note advising all further tracking to be done via USPS.
I phoned USPS.
Lets not get too bogged down in their voice 'recognition' system, sufficed to say it doesn't work and you have to
go round the houses for about 10 mins before a real person appears on the line.
Now, coming from a country where until 15 years ago Customer Service was completely alien few things surprise me,
but the 'Gentleman' I spoke to was utterly uninterested. He told me the parcel was non trackable and there was nothing
he could do. He got a little flustered when I told him I was looking at the USPS site which told me it was sat (allegedly)
in New York on their tracking section. He then agreed it was in New York but didn't know why or when It might not be
or when or if it might proceed further.
On the 24th ie the daY after Royal Mail consider it officially lost, USPS tracking (remember this it not a trackable
parcel doh) site says it's been sent to Cleveland, 25th arrived in Cleveland, 26th sent and received in Oklahoma city
27th Received by Tuttle Sorting depot and Thankfully delivered at 1500 that afternoon.
Now I know Rowland Hill was English so I guess we should have a good Mail System but USPS have had 170 years
to catch up.
Anyway observations and comments over I think what I'm saying is if you care for something and you're sending it
through the mail make sure it's well insured and don't fret if it doesn't appear when it should. If you're sending stuff
abroad (as long as it's not Italy or Nigeria) and it doesn't arrive quickly it's probably your end the problems have
occurred.
If receiving stuff don't hassle the vendor, if it's Ebay cut him some slack particularly if he's got good feed back.
Again look above, the most expensive service Royal mail offer and your guys took 26 days to get it 1500 miles.