RANT--USPS--UNBELIEVABLE ENCOUNTER X 3

[50 target]

Well folks, at 79 I thought I had lived long enough to see it all. I was wrong, very wrong. I wasn't raised to complain but to change things if something didn't work or go your way. Well, I can't change this and the enormity of the stupidity of this is so beyond belief I thought I would advise everyone of my encounters so you can beware and not run into the same problem/frustration.
I sold an item on another forum and requested a USPS MO as payment and received such. I got to the PO early this morning 5 minutes before opening since I had a Dr. appointment in 20 minutes. I was 4th in line and it went quickly with only one clerk at the counter. I said that I wanted to cash a USPS MO and she asked how much and I replied $200.00 and she replied she could not cash it since she just opened up and did not have $200.00 and I would have to come back later. I said how do you open a business to the public and not have $200.00 and she just stared at mne. I started to ask how long did she think it would take for them to scrape together $200 but I thought better of it and had to get to my Dr. After my appointment I went to the downtown PO in the large city where my Dr. was located across the state line, which is the main PO in a federal building, downtown in the central business district. This is 2 hours after my first encounter. I went to the only clerk at the counter and asked to cash the USPS MO. She asked how much and I said $200 and got the same reply as the first clerk. I replied how does the PO, a very large business open its doors and not have $200 to wait on a customer. Her reply was "we are not a bank" and I replied that I was familiar with the purpose and function of the PO and since I retired from banking I was familiar with the difference but since they could not cash their own MO they should not sell them. She was not as nice as the first clerk. Fast forward 2 hours later I go to the rural PO near my home and I have to go through the same routine. I still have not been able to cash the MO and it is 3:30 PM my time. How in the name of all that is common sense have we gotten to this point in this country? If you are selling something on the S&W forum and you request a USPS MO, be warned if it is more than $10.00 it may take awhile to get your money. Nobody, and I mean nobody has been able to do anything with the USPS and there have been many who have tried and failed. I am frustrated and disgusted that such is our situation today. Thanks for reading and take care when dealing with them.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

Well folks, at 79 I thought I had lived long enough to see it all. I was wrong, very wrong. I wasn't raised to complain but to change things if something didn't work or go your way. Well, I can't change this and the enormity of the stupidity of this is so beyond belief I thought I would advise everyone of my encounters so you can beware and not run into the same problem/frustration.
I sold an item on another forum and requested a USPS MO as payment and received such. I got to the PO early this morning 5 minutes before opening since I had a Dr. appointment in 20 minutes. I was 4th in line and it went quickly with only one clerk at the counter. I said that I wanted to cash a USPS MO and she asked how much and I replied $200.00 and she replied she could not cash it since she just opened up and did not have $200.00 and I would have to come back later. I said how do you open a business to the public and not have $200.00 and she just stared at mne. I started to ask how long did she think it would take for them to scrape together $200 but I thought better of it and had to get to my Dr. After my appointment I went to the downtown PO in the large city where my Dr. was located across the state line, which is the main PO in a federal building, downtown in the central business district. This is 2 hours after my first encounter. I went to the only clerk at the counter and asked to cash the USPS MO. She asked how much and I said $200 and got the same reply as the first clerk. I replied how does the PO, a very large business open its doors and not have $200 to wait on a customer. Her reply was "we are not a bank" and I replied that I was familiar with the purpose and function of the PO and since I retired from banking I was familiar with the difference but since they could not cash their own MO they should not sell them. She was not as nice as the first clerk. Fast forward 2 hours later I go to the rural PO near my home and I have to go through the same routine. I still have not been able to cash the MO and it is 3:30 PM my time. How in the name of all that is common sense have we gotten to this point in this country? If you are selling something on the S&W forum and you request a USPS MO, be warned if it is more than $10.00 it may take awhile to get your money. Nobody, and I mean nobody has been able to do anything with the USPS and there have been many who have tried and failed. I am frustrated and disgusted that such is our situation today. Thanks for reading and take care when dealing with them.

I wasn't even aware that it was possible to cash a USPS MO at the P.O. I've gotten a few for buying guns on Gun Broker but never received any for payment. You learn something new every day.

Rick

 

[444 Magnum]

Take it to your bank. No need to hassle with the P.O.

 

[ladder13]

I go to my bank and cash it. In and out. Their own product and they won’t cash it. Pathetic.

 

[Greyman50]

Perfect example of why usps should be privatized….

 

[Rule3]

Just go to your bank

 

[blackdeuce]

I tried to pull a reasonable sum of money out of my bank account a few years ago. Something like $10k to $20k. I don't recall. I was surprised to find that my bank did not have that much on hand. I mean, that's not a ton of money these days.

 

[65-2x2]

I no longer attempt to cash MOs at the PO. My Rural PO may not take in a hundred bucks cash all day.

 

[LVSteve]

Perfect example of why usps should be privatized….

...and you think that would make a difference? Rule 1 in many concerns is don't trust your employees with cash.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Having dealt with many a weeping post mistress, who would take cash out of the drawer hoping that the next audit was some weeks away, at small town post offices during my time with the Yankee Gov't, I can tell you this. Postmasters at small town post offices are given what is called a "Postmaster Responsibility Drawer." This is their cash drawer. It generally has a total value of $10,000. That value includes stamps, stamped envelopes, post cards, and cash. Since that vast majority of transactions these days are via debit/credit card, there is very little cash in those drawers. It is folly to cash a postal money order at the post office. I just toss 'em in my atm, but I understand that luddites have a different take on this . . .

 

[cherrypointmarine]

I ran into the same situation a while back . I had 2 of them, both $1000 . I don't know if it's still the norm , but then that was the biggest they sold . I wanted cash so I tripped down to the P.O. , sorry we can't cash them . Again , how do you sell them but can't cash them ? Luckily they are like gold , any bank or CU will take them . Don't you just love the blank look they give you when you ask why not ?

 

[olfart]

I've determined that the main purpose of the USPS is that of a travel agent for packages, bills, mail of all sorts. I frequently track packages that should have been here in 2 days, and 10 days later they're on their 3rd trip through the Shreveport Package Sorting facility, having traveled to several different cities up to 300 miles away. We finally gave up on our TV Guide subscription after missing more of them than we got.

 

[Skeet 028]

If they sell them...they should HAVE to be able to cash them. What I would like to see is if they got some of the worthless throw the boxes around people...oh and the few thieves they employ

 

[chief38]

The USPS employs thousands of people however I have a very difficult time finding one that is even half competent! My experience has been that they are unknowledgeable, down right rude, lazy, won't even question something they know is wrong and lack common sense. On top of that they just out and out lie!

I have had too many encounters with them the latest just being 2 days ago! I will not apologize as IMO USPS employees have crossed the line! This is what we pay 73 cents for on a first class envelope! When I ship stuff - I NEVER use the USPS! Even when it costs me more money I will always use UPS or Fedex. Yes - UPS & Fedex are far from perfect either however they are mostly head and tails above the USPS!

The USPS is an absolute JOKE and while I once respected them and thought they were a necessary evil, I now think it should either be privatized or disbanded! The employees their have made their own bed - I have no sympathy for them. Just another quasi Gov't agency that performs at the lowest levels possible and suffers no consequences. After being burned many many times, I avoid them as much as possible - like the plague!

 

[bearman49709]

I bet somewhere around 95% of all M/O's sold at P/O's are paid for by debit cards and 25-50% of all other sales are paid by debit/credit cards. Hard to cash M/Os with no cash.

 

[cadmike]

Good grief! So the OP went to 3 different POs and a Dr. Appt. then found time to bless us all with a 500 word, very comical essay on his frustrations with the PO. The funny part was when he went to the PO the 3rd time instead of going to a bank.

But the absolute funniest part was when he wrote the essay instead of going to the bank and simply moving on with his day.

 

[glenwolde]

It's a lousy product. Hard to get. Hard to cash. I use a virtual bank and the electronic deposit won't take Money Orders. If the PO can't cash it I have to mail it in. I generally don't accept them. Zelle is my preferred method.

 

[22hipower]

Good grief! So the OP went to 3 different POs and a Dr. Appt. then found time to bless us all with a 500 word, very comical essay on his frustrations with the PO. The funny part was when he went to the PO the 3rd time instead of going to a bank.

But the absolute funniest part was when he wrote the essay instead of going to the bank and simply moving on with his day.

Yes, but I can understand his frustration with the USPS. I sent a check to a friend who lives five miles from me. Three weeks later he asked if I had sent the check. . . .so I sent another one. A week later both of them were delivered on the same day. A year or two ago I sent my real estate tax payment to the tax office which is also a few miles away. Months later I realized the check hadn't been cashed; oh, oh late charges and interest. Called the tax office and told them when I had sent the check and after doing a little research they said they had 25 or so others who had mailed their checks about the same day from the same post office and none had arrived; they waived the late fee and interest. Two weeks ago I was waiting for a package which was to be delivered that day, late in the afternoon got a text saying it had been delivered except I had been here all day and it hadn't been delivered. Went to the post office, they ran down the employee for my route, she assured us that she had indeed delivered the package. . . .but to the wrong house. Packages with tracking from other carriers, but using the USPS for the final leg, sometimes sit for a week to ten days in the USPS "distribution" center a few miles away. You can see that the USPS has it but takes a week to deliver it a few miles even though the other carrier moved it across the country in a couple days. Yes, you can go to a bank to cash your MO, you shouldn't have to go to another carrier to be sure the mail is delivered.

 

[Swiftflyer]

I tried to pull a reasonable sum of money out of my bank account a few years ago. Something like $10k to $20k. I don't recall. I was surprised to find that my bank did not have that much on hand. I mean, that's not a ton of money these days.

I need to give my bank a 48 hour warning to withdraw more than 10 grand in cash.

 

[moosedog]

I always cash my USPS MOs at the bank or credit union. They only have starting cash of minimal
amount to open with at the PO. Nothing to get upset about.