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I remember about 15 to 20 years ago, long before Louis De Joy, congress started meddling in USPS
pensions and moved the money to make it look like it was in the red. Someone was trying back then
to give the Post Office a black eye.
Now the Post Office is not a piece of the government. It's a separate self sustained entity that doesn't get
any funding from the government. Those dirty buggers back then and still today are standing on the necks
of the PO workers.
That's how I remember what was going down back then. Those of you who worked there please correct me
if I'm wrong.
 
My wife sent a Xmas gift package to our daughter and son in-law. Inside this package was 1000.00 dollars worth of SOUTHWEST Airlines travel gift cards. Unfortunately she put the wrong address on the package. She realized it at 2:30 PM about 35 minutes after she left the post office. She zoomed up to the post office to retrieve the package and was told the truck had already left to go to the distribution center and she would have to go on line and file an intercept to get the package returned to sender. She attempted to file the intercept on line but was unable because the address was invalid. Here is the rub. You can't use the tracking # only the address to file an intercept. She spent 45+ minutes in the phone most of it on hold. Finally got a real person who was very helpful and notified the Post Master in Reno. The Post Master contacted my wife the very next morning and told her that the package would be intercepted at his office and returned. In the end it all worked out and my daughter was able to pick up the package at the office. Now the ugly details. 2:45 PM wife arrives and was told package left the office, when in fact it didn't leave the office until 5:48 PM . Then it went to the way to New Jersey before heading to Reno Nevada. The lazy postal worker could have walked to the back room and got the box so my wife could have addresed correctly. Another plus the USPS can't intercept a package using a tracking # only the address. WTH?
Here's an eye opener for you. We are told by multiple shippers to not send cash. Gift cards seem to be a great option as opposed to a banque check or usps money order. However, when asked about insurance for the $500 MC gift card, the USPS clerk said gift cards are only insured for $12 each regardless of how much you put on it and even if you have receipt of amount loaded -- only $12/card
 
Just got back from the local gun shop. There is a very long package there waiting for the shop owner ( has FFL) to ship. It’s a long gun, handmade flintlock. The original sender was told by 6 post office employees plus the POSTMASTER, that they can’t ship ANY firearms , modern or antique, long guns included. He showed them the regulations, they laughed and told him it has changed to all guns. FFL to FFL ONLY. Not sure what to make of this…
 
The only thing to make of it is these employees do not understand the very regulations they are suppose to enforce.

I had the same issue with my Local post office. I politely asked for the name and number of their superior at each level of management who told me I couldn’t do what I knew was legal. Finally got to a person who knew the law and he took care of it.
 
Several years ago I did an investigation on a package that was sent to me. It made its way to Georgia where the dead packages or missing items go. The gentleman talked trash about not having a phone number for the facility. He was very patronizing. So my package of antique uniforms disappeared. At the time the USPS had a auction site. I told him. It would behoove them that my items not make it to there auction site and I hope there employees enjoy wearing my cloths.. From my investigation the place had a very poor record of being proactive and items were always being stolen by employees who had "O" self worth. This was from a source I had in the facility. So I mail 99 % of my item by Brown truck UPS now. Just a word from the wise.
 
I was told by a person who just retired from the PO. If the postmaster refuses to accept a firearm that you can otherwise legally ship, that office is under investigation for theft, or had theft problems in the past. Makes sense to me.
 
I recently bouhgt a flintlock the seller shipped it usps signature required.i watched the delivery man walk to my door with a little pice of paper stuck it to my door it said sorry i missed you. I went out and asked him what the &#@% you didn't even knock he replied i figured you weren't home. Usps in ND is in sorry shape!
 
A couple years ago I had my son mail me a difficult to find small air filter for a Mini Bike. He lives about 125 miles away. He sent it USPS and forwarded the tracking number. Tracking stated package received at the post office for processing. It never made it past there. For weeks it kept stating it was in transit. I finally gave up. Went to the mail box one day and lo and behold, there it was. Only 5 months late. By that time I had fabricated an air filter and already sold the Mini Bike.
 
Was watching the tracking on a flintlock I had coming and thought I'd give the PO a heads up on my unusual-for-them long wooden box. Our new clerk was a cellist and dabbled in string instrument repair. Luthier stuff. We were talking highly figured maple and Adirondack spruce and flintlocks in no time. And he asked if they should call me when it came in. It was handed to me by the smiling clerk when I walked in the door, without even a scuffed corner on the box. We have a conscientious bunch here. No, I don't work for the PO, just have much success with them.
 
IMG_20240104_153030130_HDR.jpg

I received another package of magazines today. Thanks Steve, payment will be mailed tomorrow.
The USPS did succeed in damaging the package before it got to me. I hope no issues were lost. Good job, guys & gals.
 
AND... The original package, containing 3 or 4 magazines, that was mailed on Nov 24, 2023 has never shown up. I'm still ****** about that.
 
I mailed a letter to Ca. From Va. nearly two weeks ago. Has not shown up yet.

I talked to my local guy at the post office. He said the Richmond office was three weeks behind on sorting packages. I haven’t given up hope yet😀
Update to my earlier post:

letter dropped off at the local PO on 11/29/23
Postmarked on 12/05/23
Delivered on 01/02/24

Just happy it made it. 😀
 
Think of what a late mailed check or money order does to your reputation?

Unless you opted for tracking, there is no way to prove you aren't a deadbeat buyer.

It's frustrating. Hoping more folks who insist on checks and money orders realize some of the pitfalls.
 
Christmas!!! Lost packages and mail to
My son were months ago. Stop making excuses for incompetence.
most of the incompetence is in the U.S. Goverment and the higher ranking supervisors. I am sure the system does not let them fire bad employes as should be done. What a system!.
I spent 35 or more years in the heavy const. industry op. eng union we finally wound up with decent pay and benefits, but our contract wording stated that the employer was the ultimate judge of our qualifications. which pretty much means discharge for any reason they desired. And all this despite having an award winning apprentice program and also an journeyman traing program promoting skills and saftey.
If you want anything done properly and efficiently have nothing to do with any govt. agency, if you must and are having any difficulty be certain to ask to speak with a supervisor, that is nearly the magic word.I only wish I had been aware of that years before I became so.

Blitz
 
For what it's worth, I've shipped hundreds of thousands of dollars of business material (small, expensive electronics, I repair them, so every transaction is a receiving and sending shipment) and I've only had a package lost once, but it was recovered by the postmaster when I called them, he went to the house it was accidentally delivered to and picked it up (they GPS track scans, so if a package is delivered to the wrong house, they can find out). The other few times something was "lost" it was due to scammers or mailbox thieves, completely outside of USPS control.

There's ways to Photoshop an address label to make it show up on tracking, but never arrive at your destination making it possible to ship an empty box to another person and have it say delivered on your end. It's really simple if you understand how their tracking system and scan codes work, people scam Amazon returns all the time that way. It's a common scam, disturbingly easy to do, and hard to prove that you did it.

USPS is also severely understaffed. My carrier is working 2 routes at the moment. My mail used to come around noon, now it's 8-9pm. Need a job anyone?

If you're sending or receiving something that you can't afford to lose, have it insured, and have it shipped express if possible. Never once has an insured, or priority mail package gone missing for me (I've had a few missing letters), and that's out of hundreds / thousands of packages. They also have signature and ID verification services, and to prevent theft, you can have an item held at the post office. For really expensive items, I opt to hold at post office and require ID, same deal if I suspect anything shady.

Also, the tracking process is done somewhat automatedly, one of the postal workers explained how it works. The system knows where the package SHOULD be, and says it is there. Most packages aren't scanned individually during transit, they're scanned in bins, if your package accidentally ends up in the wrong bin, it can be scanned in to a location that it is not. If you call a postmaster, they have access to the actual tracking info, and can find out the last time and real location that package specifically was scanned, attempt to recover the item. Once it's at a local post office, it will be specifically scanned back into the system. USPS postmasters (in my area at least) do take their jobs seriously, and are more than willing to help you track down a missing package. Reviews for the local PO are terrible, they claim that the employees are rude, and unhelpful. However, I've noticed that they respond to your attitude in kind. If you come in all angry blaming them for missing package, they're a lot less likely to help you, the lady at the front desk has absolutely nothing to do with your missing stuff.

If you pay with PayPal friends and family, Venmo, zelle, or cashier's check, you're pretty much screwed. There's a reason PayPal charges a fee, it's to protect you. Bypass the fee, and PayPal doesn't give two hoots.

I've seen a handful of a items I would have loved to purchase here, but I'm not willing to send non-refundable money to a complete stranger before my product is received. I'll happily pay with regular PayPal, or through a CC merchant or escrow service, but I would never use PayPal friends and family, Venmo, or Zelle with someone I don't know personally.

I don't want this to come off as rude, but if you didn't insure your package, and sent money bypassing "the system" than when something goes missing it's on the buyer or seller.
 
New USPS records for me.

1) Guy mailed first class it in Louisiana on 26 December 2023 and it Arrived in PNW 16 days later on 11 January 2024.

2) Item i sent via insured ground advantage on 4 December 2023 is now lost. FWIW the USPS claim system has not been upgraded to reflect ground advantage as insured yet.
 
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