USPS strikes again

[RSinOR]

Bought a handgun from a private seller who lives in Glenview, Illinois. I live in Portland, Oregon. He will only take a check for payment. On 10-24 I go to the Post Office and mail the seller his payment using a Post Office provided Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope. The receipt has a tracking number and indicates delivery is expected on 10-27. Now I know this isn't a guaranteed delivery date but at least I have some indication as to when it might arrive. I wanted Priority Mail because the check was for a large amount and I wanted to be sure it was delivered.

It left Portland on 10-24 and arrived at USPS Regional Distribution Center, Palatine, Illinois on 10-29. About 3 days later I Emailed the seller and asked if he had received my payment to which he replied
no he hadn't received it yet. I gave him the tracking number. Tracking continued to show the envelope was still in Palatine, Illinois. I asked him how far Palatine, Illinois is from where you live. He said it was about 7 miles away. We continued our Email exchanges and his payment finally arrived on 11-12. It sat at the regional distribution center for 14 days.

Now, Glenview. Illinois is 1750 miles from Portland, Oregon Driving time is about 33 hours. I could have driven to the seller, handed him his payment and driven home quicker than it took this envelope to be delivered. What really upsets me the most is I paid $11.90 for priority mail service, which is suppose to be faster than regular first class mail and it looks like I wasted a lot of money
for nothing.

 

[minconrevo]

In this case, the tracking you paid for gave you a solid hint where the package had gone. It did not show as delivered for the approximate 2 weeks it was "lost in space" at the post office. It was worth some peace of mind, more than would be gained from 1st Class.

 

[blackdeuce]

I sent a money order by Priority Mail with tracking and it took 2 to 3 weeks to get there. Canceling the money order wasn't real simple, so we waited it out.

I recently sent a check standard mail, but with tracking, and it got there in a couple of days. Priority Mail is not work the extra cost.

 

[DixieRanger]

Am amazed at delivery time with Amazon. Have ordered in afternoon and on my porch by 8am in the morning.

 

[AudieMurphy]

same thing has happened to me..Mailed payments priority and It get delayed or Believe it or not misdirected to another destination that is nowhere near its intended place....If you notice when mailing a priority letter or box..the clerk sticks on another label beside your written address. This is so the computerized scanner can supposivly shuffle it through the system faster.....yea right!!...just like another poster stated...first class is faster and can still be traced incase it becomes lost. the reason why is because at every relay or transfer station a picture is taken of every first class letter thats mailed....All lot of people dont know this but Its true!!

 

[lihpster]

Now, Glenview. Illinois is 1750 miles from Portland, Oregon Driving time is about 33 hours. I could have driven to the seller, handed him his payment and driven home quicker than it took this
envelope to be delivered. What really upsets me the most is I paid $11.90 for priority mail service, which is suppose to be faster than regular first class mail and it looks like I wasted a lot of money
for nothing.

You think you could have done that for $12? The USPS handles about 375 million packages every day. And they do it for relatively cheap. Are they perfect? No. None of us are. But this is America. Don't like the service you get? Start your own delivery service. It worked for UPS and FedEx. Of course, nobody is happy with them either.

 

[dben002]

Paying extra for Priority Mail is the second largest scam on the human species..Can't say here what is first as I would be placed in forum jail for a few days.....

 

[jculloden]

Pray nothing you mail goes through JAX Florida

 

[Alpo]

What really upsets me the most is I paid $11.90 for priority mail service, which is suppose to be faster than regular first class mail and it looks like I wasted a lot of money
for nothing.

1992. Priority Mail was new. "$2.00, for 2 pounds or less, in 2 days or less. Guaranteed!"

So I paid the $2. FedEx would have got it there in 2 days, also guaranteed, but they wanted $10.

My priority mail letter got there 14 days later.

Last time I bought priority mail.

 

[SW1911PC]

...
Now, Glenview. Illinois is 1750 miles from Portland, Oregon Driving time is about 33 hours. I could have driven to the seller, handed him his payment and driven home quicker than it took this envelope to be delivered. What really upsets me the most is I paid $11.90 for priority mail service, which is suppose to be faster than regular first class mail and it looks like I wasted a lot of money
for nothing.

A few years ago, I ordered a rare [ not particularly valuable ] book from a bookstore in Europe. The bookstore lady placed the book in a cardboard / pulp envelope and sent it via postal mail; so USPS was to deliver it. What was delivered was the empty pulp envelope; a tear the entire length of a long edge; burst from the inside ( think "Alien" ) - packaged within a clear plastic bag with an apology printed on a white rectangle, something like:

- We apologize for the damage to your parcel ...
) -_;

[ ed. found a photo ]

A Tyvek envelope could'a been a container.

Of all the billions of pieces of mail that get delivered just fine and timely ( adverts, bills, magazines [ paper ... and won't be read ] and solicitations ), we of course notice the fails of something we value.

 

[Yaworski]

What really upsets me the most is I paid $11.90 for priority mail service, which is suppose to be faster than regular first class mail and it looks like I wasted a lot of money
for nothing.

Priority mail is really no faster than first class. If you really want to make sure that your stuff gets there, send it first class certified or registered.

 

[Yaworski]

- We apologize for the damage to your parcel ...

I've gotten a few of those over the years.

A couple years ago, I bought a mag for my 3914 on ebay. The package, a plastic padded envelope, came and was empty. My layman's eye discerned that the seal had been peeled open and then stuck back in place. I contacted USPS and the Postal Inspectors. The official response was "We investigated and determined that no theft has taken place because we have no reports of the package being opened." WTF.

The seller refunded my money. I kept the package for months thinking that he might need it for his claim but I have no idea how he fared with USPS because he stopped responding to my emails.

To be fair, I've had far fewer problems with USPS than with FedEx.

 

[AudieMurphy]

But dont be in a hurry for them to deliver...regitered mail requires every stop that parcel goes thru for an employee to sign off they received it and it doesn't travel along with ordinary mail.....Its seperate...

 

[Yaworski]

So I paid the $2. FedEx would have got it there in 2 days, also guaranteed, but they wanted $10.

I used to send stuff to my kids in Maryland via FedEx Ground. Pittsburgh to Maryland was often one day, sometimes two.

One package sat at the Kinko's store for three days before it was picked up. FedEx refused to offer an explanation.

 

[AudieMurphy]

try claiming FULL insurance coverage on a parcel that you insured...GOOD LUCK!! the insurance carrier for USPS...is a contractor..FULL documentation of value must be proven and is not subjective.....just because a item like yours sold for x amount doesn't mean you'll receive like wise....an apraised value from a true apraiser that is their bussiness to do needs to be submitted with claim

 

[mtgianni]

try claiming FULL insurance coverage on a parcel that you insured...GOOD LUCK!! the insurance carrier for USPS...is a contractor..FULL documentation of value must be proven and is not subjective.....just because a item like yours sold for x amount doesn't mean you'll receive like wise....an apraised value from a true apraiser that is their bussiness to do needs to be submitted with claim

I had a package I sent show it had been delivered in person on tracking it. The buyer asked a week later when I was going to ship. I had the local PO run a search and was informed "Sorry it was misrouted, misdelivered and is unretrievable".

I started the insurance process on line. The first two were denied as the package had been delivered to someone. I don't even think the comments were read. The third time was accepted and a check received for the value of the item, as determined by a purchase receipt, plus the cost of postage. The process took about 3 weeks.

The advantage of priority over regular mail is tracking and insurance. You have to determine if it is a value or not/

 

[CalifEd]

I had the opposite experience with the USPS and Priority Mail.

I was sending a Certified Check from California to Virginia via PM.
My letter was turned over to the PO, timestamped On Wednesday 11/08 at 16:38, and the delivery ETA was Tuesday 10/14.
The counter person said it was after the cutoff time (16:00) and would leave the next day, Thursday, but delivery would be delayed due to Columbus Day on the following Monday.

Maybe it was the Post Office pushing things because of their upcoming holiday, magic or just an ordinary miracle but the letter was delivered the morning of Friday 10/10 - a real 2 day delivery, all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast.

A very pleasant surprise and one that I will never, ever, rely upon .

 

[jcelect]

Suggestion to all! The next time you are buying long distance try using a bank transfer for the exchange of funds, especially when it is a large amount!

 

[bullmack]

I've had my share of USPS packages that went on mysterious routings but eventually arrived where they were supposed to. I also recently had a "self inflicted" senior moment for which USPS managed to surprise me (in a good way). I was shipping an Ebay sale via UPS Ground Advantage. A GA shipment starts with UPS with the USPS doing the "last mile". The label has sections with both carriers listing and their respective tracking numbers. I was supposed to drop it off at UPS but instead dropped it off at USPS. If I'd gone to the counter it would have been discovered but they have a bin for prepaid/labeled packages so in the bin it went. The next morning I realized my mistake and rushed back to the PO assuming it wouldn't have scanned correctly and they'd still have it. Nope. It's also a real small PO and the counter guy is an idiot thus totally not helpful. I was resigned to one of two outcomes. Eventually it would be mail returned back to me or 2) it would disappear which an internet inquiry listed as a very real possibility! Every day I tried both tracking numbers and it never showed up until I received a notice it had been delivered. My Ebay payment for the label went to UPS so I have no clue if USPS ever got their part of the fee.

 

[Chuck24]

It’s nothing new, this is from 1906

 

[Narragansett]

About 6 weeks ago, I sent a priority letter from Savanna, GA to Huntsville , TX. I took 23 days. It went forom Savannah to Houston, then back to Savannah, and then back to Houston and finally to Huntsville.

Currently I am waiting on a package from north of Pittsburgh, PA. It went to Greenville, NC, then Chicago, then Dallas, now Tallahassee, FL. I might imagine it will go to the black hole in Jacksonville, and then to Savannah. At least it is within 300 miles again