U.S. postal service rant

[Grumpy's Gal]

I'm just blowing off steam. Please know, if you work for the postal service, this is not directed at you. I'm a pretty calm person but this is making me mad!

I have had GREAT luck with USPS. I mail lots of letters and cards. I mail quite a few packages as our family is scattered all over.

In the last six weeks, I've had the WORST LUCK. A trackable package I mailed got lost five weeks ago. They can't get any helpful info from the tracking number ( why do I even have one?) then I sent another package a week ago ( it was a gift) two day delivery, signature required, extra insurance. Did it get delivered by 3:00? Nope, it didn't get delivered AT ALL that day. It arrived on the third day! So much for two day delivery. A CARD to my sister, who has lived in her house thirty years, was undelivered because "no such person lives there and no forwarding address", and she sent a card to her son in another state that got returned today as undeliverable but the post office confirmed everything was fine and has no idea why it's undeliverable. Yet she had to pay to resend it.

Ok. I know I sound ....... I do appreciate the work they do. But not so much the last six weeks. Now I wonder if previous cards and packages have gone missing and I just didn't know about it. (or if it's just recently gotten worse.)

 

[Pacolovestacos]

I'm just blowing off steam. Please know, if you work for the postal service, this is not directed at you. I'm a pretty calm person but this is making me mad!

I have had GREAT luck with USPS. I mail lots of letters and cards. I mail quite a few packages as our family is scattered all over.

In the last six weeks, I've had the WORST LUCK. A trackable package I mailed got lost five weeks ago. They can't get any helpful info from the tracking number ( why do I even have one?) then I sent another package a week ago ( it was a gift) two day delivery, signature required, extra insurance. Did it get delivered by 3:00? Nope, it didn't get delivered AT ALL that day. It arrived on the third day! So much for two day delivery. A CARD to my sister, who has lived in her house thirty years, was undelivered because "no such person lives there and no forwarding address", and she sent a card to her son in another state that got returned today as undeliverable but the post office confirmed everything was fine and has no idea why it's undeliverable. Yet she had to pay to resend it.

Ok. I know I sound ....... I do appreciate the work they do. But not so much the last six weeks. Now I wonder if previous cards and packages have gone missing and I just didn't know about it. (or if it's just recently gotten worse.)

You don't have to appreciate it really. They're all getting paid a salary to do their work and if people are making mistakes, you're right for calling them out.

 

[yoopermom]

Honestly, this is why I *only* send packages via UPS, I can follow them via tracking from start to finish, not just at the finish (what good does that do?). Also USPS two day delivery is not guaranteed (at least in our area), so I'd rather pay the few extra bucks and send it UPS if it absolutely has to be there in that amount of time.

I'm also leery of sending *anything* via USPS in greeting cards/envelopes because I received two in the months after my last surgery that had obviously been opened and, when I contacted the senders, the contents were missing (thank god both were Amazon gift cards, which Amazon was great about cancelling and replacing).

So now I use USPS for a few bills that I can't do electronically, and for flat rate packages that I'm not in a rush to get to their destination.

Terri

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Honestly, this is why I *only* send packages via UPS, I can follow them via tracking from start to finish, not just at the finish (what good does that do?). Also USPS two day delivery is not guaranteed (at least in our area), so I'd rather pay the few extra bucks and send it UPS if it absolutely has to be there in that amount of time.

I'm also leery of sending *anything* via USPS in greeting cards/envelopes because I received two in the months after my last surgery that had obviously been opened and, when I contacted the senders, the contents were missing (thank god both were Amazon gift cards, which Amazon was great about cancelling and replacing).

So now I use USPS for a few bills that I can't do electronically, and for flat rate packages that I'm not in a rush to get to their destination.

Terri

The USPS two day delivery is guaranteed here but I'm not inclined to try it again. They did refund my money because it was 5:00 on the third day when it was delivered.

Thank you for sharing your UPS info. I will definitely try this next time. I have no idea where I can do this but I will find out tomorrow! Thanks!!

 

[Pacolovestacos]

FedEx is always an option. A little pricier but you can rest easy knowing they will get the job done.

 

[yoopermom]

Thank you for sharing your UPS info. I will definitely try this next time. I have no idea where I can do this but I will find out tomorrow! Thanks!!

Despite being in a rural area, we have a number of pack and ship type places that don't charge anymore than the 3 shippers (I've double checked!), and are very helpful for providing me with all three options and pricing. (And, yes, I do support them by buying the occasional box or bubble wrap from them.)

Terri

 

[usnuzuloose]

I am sick of the usps delivery. I am tired of the lies when they say they put the paper in your box and it says no one is home. I leave a note on my door for the mail person explaining why it takes a few minutes to even to get to the door. And then I have to drive to the post office. And I say if I had that yellow slip I would not have to write down all the info from my email and come here.

I even had them throw a package on a patio I don't go out on. I happened to look out there and there was a package and it had been there for 4 days. I was livid. This office wont even answer their phones. I even asked them what happens to the older folks who can't make it to the PO and get their stuff. I have two dogs and if anyone rings the bell or knocks I know it. Some people are not grateful for their jobs.

 

[superme80]

Our post office sucks. They usually deliver mail late. Packages get delivered on Sunday. It is so bizarre. I know I live in a small town, but really?

 

[jdb in AZ]

FedEx is always an option. A little pricier but you can rest easy knowing they will get the job done.

We don't trust FedEx either. DH sent his prized guitar across the country so a friend could do some work on it. When it was delivered the box had tire tracks on it. Yep, the guitar was kindling.

 

[smokeyblue]

I've stopped using USPS for packages because UPS has way better tracking, automatically insures contents for $100 and there is a UPS store a 5 minute drive from my house in a strip mall with ample parking. Going to the post office downtown is like a hour and a half affair. I'm usually shipping small boxes under a pound and it costs about $9 at UPS and it would be about $7 at USPS.

I really hate receiving packages from USPS because they try to stuff packages in my mailbox all the time that don't nearly fit. I've had boxes shoved in my mailbox that have taken minutes to extricate. They also have left my packages in the snowbank next to my mailbox before, that really irritates me!

 

[clutter]

Really? I've used the click n' ship for the last three years with no problems. That said, by using the online version, they let me know that it will be 3 days instead of two because it's going to a smaller, more remote destination. Way better than the cost of UPS ground (who charged me more for delivering to a residential address). But... I had my dad's mail forwarded after he passed. I thought. Turned out they forwarded it to the SAME address that he lived at. I've been calling and calling and calling, and they can't seem to fix it.

 

[firecracker725]

I'm most definitely a UPS girl. The UPS store near my house is amazingly fast. I'm in and out of there in minutes, while the post office is at least a half hour ordeal *minimum*. The tracking is also very nice.

 

[Hikergirl]

Our post office sucks. They usually deliver mail late. Packages get delivered on Sunday. It is so bizarre. I know I live in a small town, but really?

USPS delivers Amazon packages on Sundays.

My PO sucks too, I have had problems with them for years. They have no reason to change, its been the same people working there for as long as I can remember. Nobody gets fired, so there aren't new postal employees coming in to replace those that suck at their jobs.

 

[mom2rtk]

FedEx is always an option. A little pricier but you can rest easy knowing they will get the job done.

Actually it's a LOT pricier. And that's the problem.

Our post office sucks. They usually deliver mail late. Packages get delivered on Sunday. It is so bizarre. I know I live in a small town, but really?

Ours is pretty awful too. We've been at this house over 25 years and have always gotten delivery very late. Some days not at all. Last week I ran into the carrier delivering our mail at 7 PM. I asked him about it. He said he was sorry but got pulled off to deliver somewhere else. WTH? I hate those late deliveries because packages can end up sitting out all night. That happened once with some prescription medications I got by mail order. It was well below freezing.

Meanwhile I went to our closest post office yesterday. They recently cut the hours and only have the lobby open 10-4:30. I was there at 1:45 and still not open. Turns out that they close the lobby for lunch from 1 to 2. Man, those are some crazy short hours! And not a single place I could just mail a basic shirt sized package. Had to leave and drive to a different post office.

I'm most definitely a UPS girl. The UPS store near my house is amazingly fast. I'm in and out of there in minutes, while the post office is at least a half hour ordeal *minimum*. The tracking is also very nice.

If you're mailing a package, always print your postage online.

And avoid the USPS lobby at all cost. At ours you could end up waiting however long it takes for someone to get a passport. It's one thing if they have decent self service options, but they recently took all the automated machines out of there. Can't even buy a stamp without getting in line. It's nuts.

 

[wgeo]

Just sent a package UPS - they tried delivering it and the person wasn't home, was supposed to get there Friday the 13th. Now they put some nonsense on their tracking website that says the address isn't correct - but it is - and that they're trying to contact the reciepient - who hasn't been contacted in any way - and it says expected delivery is July 7th? Huh. Never had UPS be weird like this before.

 

[wgeo]

Actually it's a LOT pricier. And that's the problem.


And avoid the USPS lobby at all cost. At ours you could end up waiting however long it takes for someone to get a passport. It's one thing if they have decent self service options, but they recently took all the automated machines out of there. Can't even buy a stamp without getting in line. It's nuts.

We went to get passports and they told us we had to make an appointment - sure tricky to have all 4 of us out of work and school during their short business hours, but we took the first available appointment for 3 weeks away. Get everyone off work/school that day and the person called in sick, but they were willing to reschedule for only 2 weeks later that time. sigh

 

[rlk]

Packages get delivered on Sunday. It is so bizarre. I know I live in a small town, but really?

I'm happy to get be able to get packages on Saturday and Sunday.

 

[design_mom]

Ugh. I'm sorry for your experience. I'm in the same boat as you. I enjoy having a post office and don't want it to go away, but sometimes they just don't seem to care.

A couple of weeks ago we were waiting for a package via USPS that required a signature. The USPS website said it was coming on Saturday, but it never arrived. When my husband looked online it said "delivery failed due to potentially vicious dog." At the time that delivery was supposedly attempted, we were expecting family to arrive at any minute to celebrate my son's birthday -- we were here, the door was open, etc. We do have two large dogs (a lab and a standard poodle) but neither are vicious, neither were outdoors (and they would have been in the fenced back yard anyhow), and neither even barked. We were here. Nobody attempted delivery.

I asked our normal carrier about it when it was re-delivered on Monday. He said he doesn't deliver on the weekends so it would have been a different carrier. Our carrier surmised that the weekend carrier did not have any signature cards (very few packages these days require signatures). To attempt delivery (successfully or unsuccessfully) at the door, means the carrier would have had to scan the signature card (they leave it and tell you to bring it to the PO to claim your package if you're not home). To fail to deliver because the carrier didn't take the correct supplies would have potentially involved a "write up" from the postmaster. But carriers are not required to get out of their trucks if there are unrestrained dogs in the area (for safety reasons) and it's almost impossible to prove/disprove that there was/wasn't a dog at the time of delivery. If the weekend carrier claimed "dog" then he would not have been required to attempt delivery/scan the signature card, so he wouldn't have to reveal he didn't have one. I'm 99.9% sure there was not an unrestrained dog anywhere near our house, or my two would have alerted me. Very frustrating.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

My Mom mailed me a package the other day and it had tracking on it. She messaged me Monday to say that she didn't know what happened, but that the tracking information showed the package had traveled to a major city the opposite direction of where I live and that it was currently listed as being in California. (I'm on the opposite side of the country.) We were making jokes about it wanting to go to Disneyland before it came here and figured it just got mixed up and would be here eventually. I then went out to get the mail and it was sitting at the end of the driveway. I have no idea what good the tracking info did. I should have had her check to see where USPS had it listed at that point and if they even had it shown as delivered yet.

A couple of years ago I had placed an order around Thanksgiving that had Christmas items in it. I waited and waited several weeks for the package and eventually it was listed as delivered...except I hadn't actually received anything. I contacted the post office and the guy told me he couldn't do anything, that I would have to file a claim through the company I purchased through. The company returned my money, but I was out the gifts that I was hoping to take back with me at Christmas. My husband was home for another whole week before joining me in Canada and the package had not been delivered even up to two days before Christmas. However, when we got home from our vacation in the new year, the box was there waiting for us on our kitchen counter (the person watching our house had brought it in). That means that a) the tracking did nothing as far as locating our package goes and b) our mail was on vacation hold, yet for some reason, they decided to deliver our package anyway, which means it could have potentially been outside in the winter for a couple of weeks. I ended up calling the company and re-paying for the shipment that finally arrived. It wasn't their fault that it took the mail service at least 5 weeks to deliver a package.

We also used to have someone on our route that when there was a package that needed to be signed for, they wouldn't bother coming up to the house to attempt delivery and get a signature. They would just automatically stick a card in the mailbox that said, "Oops! Tried to deliver, but you will have to come to the post office to get your package." This happened at least five or more times and EVERY SINGLE TIME I was home.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has USPS delivery issues!

I've had some variation of all of the above. I think the only thing I have to add is our carrier does not get out to make us sign for a registered letter. Instead, it's just placed in our mailbox. If you check the online tracking, it says 'left with individual' or whatever the verbage is for that scenario. But the letter was in the mailbox and nobody ever signed for it. This has happened more than once, and on each occasion I was home at the time.