and we wonder why the Post Office is broke

[David LaPell]

I had been missing a package for the last two weeks, a small package and not insured by the seller on Fleabay. So I emailed USPS a couple of days ago and gave them the tracking number. Yesterday I get a call from the head of the processing part in my Post Office. Just the return number and his name, no reason. So I call this morning, and tells me he knows he called me and wonders why I called him back. Because he told me to. So then he said "Well you called the 1-800 number and reported something missing right?" I told him that I had sent an email if that made the difference and then he got a little heated and shouted out my box number. I told him that it was correct. He proceeds to tell me the package is not at the local Post Office. I knew that by the tracking number that I had pulled up on the computer while I was talking to him. He says he had that same info. Then he says it probably fell off a belt and that it might turn up someday. So won't Jimmy Hoffa maybe but I am not holding out hope for either in my lifetime.

 

[M&P Freak]

I can picture a conveyor belt somewhere with packages all over the floor because the training manual said nothing about the packages not on the belt.

Hope your item shows up soon.

 

[Roadtrash]

And they keep raising the price of a stamp. I figure in a few more years the post office will go the way of the dodo bird.

 

[kcabear]

Wow! Yeah I would've been a tad bit irritated. Did you know Postal worker's vacation days do not expire. They can save their weeks of vacation until they get 6 months of vacation then they have to start taking their time off!!!!!!!! WTH????

 

[5Wire]

Be nice, guys, the USPS has to PREPAY retirement benefits years in advance including the pensions of those retired from the military but working for the USPS. No other firm on earth has those requirement. This puts a huge burden on the Service at the ultimate detriment of their day to day capabilities and makes it close to impossible for them to meet their Federally decreed budget requirements.

Hopefully your package will be found and delivered.

 

[Roadtrash]

It's strange isn't it that bills always seem to show up on time but your package is lost. Hope it will show up soon.

 

[labworm]

Funny how items from flea bay seem to get lost, I had 2 over the years disappear.

Even Ted Williams never batted 1.000

 

[carpriver]

I have had problems with my local post processing center. I have a very small coffee roasting business. I get a order for coffee I roast it and put the package out to be picked up. Most days it get picked up, some days I have to take it to the postal processing center. I guess I depends on who delivers my mail as to whether it get done. I have talked to the shift supervisor and the postmaster and some person in DC and they all said they will take care of it. When I call the local processing center the Post master get real pissed real quick and defends this lazy carrier. Good luck.

 

[steamloco76]

A non-profit historical society I belong to was mailing special "thank you" to some if its member in 8.5" by 11" craft envelopes. We hand addressed over 200 of these and ran them through our postage meter. Our mail carrier picked up the mailing and took it to local post office. The Postmaster saw large number of large envelopes and decided to weigh one. Apparently it was about a half ounce heavy for the postage our meter applied. Our carrier wanted to call us and have us come pay for and apply the additional postage. The Postmaster insisted the envelopes all be cancelled and the large red "Insufficient Postage" stamp be placed over the addresses on ever single piece!

We had to buy and address over 200 new envelopes, eat nearly $200 of postage we had already applied AND pay for the new postage. A call to a regional supervisor said the local Postmaster was within her rights to handle it the she did, though they agreed it wasn't the best way.

 

[RightArm]

My postal carrier does not show up if it's raining and sometimes not if it's too hot. It's kinda funny to go out to an empty box one day, and then the next, it is crammed full.
No point complaining. I just laugh.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

A non-profit historical society I belong to was mailing special "thank you" to some if its member in 8.5" by 11" craft envelopes. We hand addressed over 200 of these and ran them through our postage meter. Our mail carrier picked up the mailing and took it to local post office. The Postmaster saw large number of large envelopes and decided to weigh one. Apparently it was about a half ounce heavy for the postage our meter applied. Our carrier wanted to call us and have us come pay for and apply the additional postage. The Postmaster insisted the envelopes all be cancelled and the large red "Insufficient Postage" stamp be placed over the addresses on ever single piece!

We had to buy and address over 200 new envelopes, eat nearly $200 of postage we had already applied AND pay for the new postage. A call to a regional supervisor said the local Postmaster was within her rights to handle it the she did, though they agreed it wasn't the best way.

I would guess "HER" is the problem here. JMHO

 

[DWalt]

If there was an organization ever hamstrung by its union employees more than USPS, I don't know what it is. Maybe GM. Were I in a position to do so, I would sell it off to UPS or FedEx. Something like that is probably going to happen eventually anyway.

 

[Engineer1911]

All that junk mail that is mailed for almost nothing never gets lost. I get 2 AT&T, 2 Dish TV, a Comcast letter, and a massive coupon flyer booklet weekly. Now I know why my letters cost 45¢ .

 

[Poodle Soup]

My postal carrier does not show up if it's raining and sometimes not if it's too hot. It's kinda funny to go out to an empty box one day, and then the next, it is crammed full.
No point complaining. I just laugh.

We had to call them and tell their carriers to stop trying to tear our mail box off the side of the house. They were trying to stuff packages that were LARGER THAN THE MAIL BOX into it. And the people who work in the office... I know their job has to suck but talk about mindless drones.

 

[etc1006]

I got a college textbook of fleabay last fall. Never showed. I called, seller called. Was sent media mail and we were told it was pulled for "audit"... ***? They said they do at times that due to the number of illegal dealings going on in the mail... Uh, OK, am I gonna get it? They couldn't answer that... It never showed and the dude refunded me. He sent me an email about a month after and he received the remnants of the packing back.... I still got an A in the course....

 

[Herknav]

I am dealing with a money order right now that I purchased. The payee's bank said it was fraudulent. This turned out to be USPS error. The Postal Inspector won't return phone calls or e-mail. Three calls to the Accounting Helpdesk, and I *think* I am getting a refund. They were nice enough to refund the payee's bank's bad check fee, but I'm stuck with postage x2.

 

[retarmyaviator]

If there was an organization ever hamstrung by its union employees more than USPS, I don't know what it is. Maybe GM. Were I in a position to do so, I would sell it off to UPS or FedEx. Something like that is probably going to happen eventually anyway.

I would hope if it is sold off it is not to UPS since their drivers belong to the Teamsters union.

 

[Fishslayer]

All that junk mail that is mailed for almost nothing never gets lost. I get 2 AT&T, 2 Dish TV, a Comcast letter, and a massive coupon flyer booklet weekly. Now I know why my letters cost 45¢ .

Don't forget political mailers. Our critters have an allowance (ie... WE pay for it) for that. Up the price on bulk mail & should be sittin' pretty. More money for them, less junk for us. Win win. Never happen though.

 

[5Wire]

From Think Progress of all places regarding the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006

<Snip>
Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Under PAEA, USPS was forced to “prefund its future health care benefit payments to retirees for the next 75 years in an astonishing ten-year time span” — meaning that it had to put aside billions of dollars to pay for the health benefits of employees it hasn’t even hired yet, something “that no other government or private corporation is required to do.”
<Snip>

 

[therevjay]

I know everyone has a USPS horror story. But I have a buddy who works for UPS and buys/sells antique toys on the net in his spare time. He ships everything through the post office because he says it is cheaper and has a better chance of not getting broken. Go figure!