USPS Messed up AGAIN

[Muddyboots]

About 4 months ago, I signed up for USPS Informed Delivery at the strong recommendation of the local USPS Postmaster for two reasons.
1) the Informed Delivery provides the resident a photo of what is supposed to be delivered that day which sends message to driver there is a record of that days delivery.
2) also helps if your mail is being pilfered which is increasing these days.
3) if mail is not delivered, you can check a box that sends message it was not delivered. We have had numerous times when mail wasn't delivered and a special delivery was made next morning.

We think this has helped a lot since this keeps carriers "honest" from just skipping that days delivery for whatever reason.

In case of a lost package, I have had local Postmaster chase it down to find it was on a shelf in Philly and nobody dealt with it. Her intervention got it back into shipping and delivered in 2 days. There was nothing wrong with labels just got continuously overlooked. You need to find a Postmaster that cares and they can do a lot for you if you ask nicely. They get beeched at a lot and seem to want to help those who ask for help.

I have as many problems with FedEx but now they just park out on culdesac instead of trying to back down driveway. And then drive across lawn.

Highly recommend signing up for Informed Delivery.

Informed Delivery® - Mail & Package Notifications | USPS

Informed Delivery is a free service from USPS that shows you preview images of incoming mail, plus status updates about your incoming and outbound packages. Get notifications in a morning Daily Digest email, or at any time from the dashboard using your smartphone, computer, or USPS Mobile app.

informeddelivery.usps.com

 

[epags]

Today marks the 1 month anniversary that a member of this site shipped me a barrel I purchased from him. It has officially went off grid for the second time. Several days back I filed an inquiry about it and the next day it turned up at a distribution center and was sent out the next morning. The inquiry actually took several days of trying to file at the USPS website, took the local PO making some calls. Since then the package is MIA and nobody can figure out where it was shipped to. So as of now I'm not only out the money for the barrel, which was shipped without insurance, but now my gunsmith (that was on standby for this) is on a month long trip. I have missed multiple competitions and unless I try and find a prefit (which I've tried and failed & even if I did will cost $500+ more dollars) I will be out for several more.
I've got one word for this experience with the USPS…incompetence. Pretty much just not happy with this whole ordeal.

This will not make you feel better, but I did insure a priority mail package. It got lost and, when I filed, they denied my claim dispite the copies of the receipt for the insurance/postage and receipt for the original cost of the item. No explanation and no way to fight the decision.
After a year the post office notified me they had quit looking for the package. I never told them that 3 months after it was posted, the individual received it. BTW I photo shopped out the address so it would not show (for the buyers privacy).

 

[Muddyboots]

It got lost and, when I filed, they denied my claim dispite the copies of the receipt for the insurance/postage and receipt for the original cost of the item. No explanation and no way to fight the decision.

I have contacted my Congressional Rep with similar and they interceded and got their attention. I would go that route to apply pressure on them. I have found it works.

 

[ARlife4me]

I ordered from Stocky's (if spelled correct) company that a member suggested they might have what I'm looking for. They did have it in stock and shipped it (usps), but didn't give me any tracking info. After 1 month I was finally able to get an answer from whom I purchased from. It showed delivered? WHAT? WHERE? 3 months of trying and getting po'd, but trying very hard not to be at them while on the phone I was told tracking showed delivery 40 miles south of me. Dishonest people whom ever kept it!!!!!! Stocky's (if still spelled correct) shipped another order out 2 day by ups or fedex. I did receive it. I'm just glad my life didn't depend on it! Bedding compound and pillars a and other small items. This was early last year after purchasing a boyd's stock that badly needed it.

 

[Muddyboots]

Maybe we are filing complaints at the wrong level. If you have record of items being lost on continuous basis over time, I personally would file it as being stolen with the USPS Inspector General. Items are being specifically targeted to come up conveniently lost. Funny a box of Depends from Amazon not likely to become "lost" but a box coming from a sporting goods site will be somehow just not making it to destination.

If you are losing a barrel, actions, or even rifle, I would take it right to the top with an allegation it was stolen since it can no longer be tracked. It takes somebody with USPS system knowledge to pull this off. I would file s "stolen" firearm complaint with USPS Inspector General. If local USPS cannot find it, one would have to assume it was stolen in transit? This raise a potential theft inside USPS to the highest level possible in USPS bypassing the lip service at lower levels. This is a very serious complaint when it goes to them especially a firearm.

https://www.uspsoig.gov/investigations/internal-mail-theft

 

[Rich Coyle]

The whole USPS business model is flawed. They get no funding from the government, but Congress controls the rates they can charge so their hands are tied on their revenue, but not on costs. What other business do you know of where they have to provide a service, but may never see a cent from some customers? I.E., they have to deliver mail to people, who, in theory, may never buy a stamp or send a package. For business purposes, I have a P.O. Box for mail. Just paid to renew it. Cost was $190.00 for the year. Start charging everyone for mail delivery and they might be able to pay more and get better quality personnel. Right now, the starting carrier gets around $17/hr. which is not much more than a fast food worker and as mentioned above, the carrier has to be outside in all kinds of weather, it's a physical job and they don't typically get 2 consecutive days off. I've had my share of unhappy experiences with USPS lately as well.

How many fast food workers get 40 hours? Government workers get great benefits too.

 

[Muddyboots]

I ordered from Stocky's (if spelled correct) company that a member suggested they might have what I'm looking for. They did have it in stock and shipped it (usps), but didn't give me any tracking info. After 1 month I was finally able to get an answer from whom I purchased from. It showed delivered? WHAT? WHERE? 3 months of trying and getting po'd, but trying very hard not to be at them while on the phone I was told tracking showed delivery 40 miles south of me. Dishonest people whom ever kept it!!!!!! Stocky's (if still spelled correct) shipped another order out 2 day by ups or fedex. I did receive it. I'm just glad my life didn't depend on it! Bedding compound and pillars a and other small items. This was early last year after purchasing a boyd's stock that badly needed it.

Most people understand that it's illegal to open mail that's not addressed to them. What's not so widely understood is just how serious the consequences can be. Intentionally opening, intercepting or hiding someone else's mail is the felony crime of mail theft. It comes with some heavyweight penalties, including five years' incarceration in a federal prison.

File criminal complaint with USPS Inspector General is only way to stop ***'s like this and make them pay the legal consequences.

 

[Muddyboots]

Most people understand that it's illegal to open mail that's not addressed to them. What's not so widely understood is just how serious the consequences can be. Intentionally opening, intercepting or hiding someone else's mail is the felony crime of mail theft. It comes with some heavyweight penalties, including five years' incarceration in a federal prison.

File criminal complaint with USPS Inspector General is only way to stop ***'s like this and make them pay the legal consequences.

Maybe sporting shippers should include this warning on their shipments with we will prosecute to highest degree of the law allows! Maybe somebody will see there are consequences.

 

[Buttermilk]

Some bad info in this thread.

USPS receives no tax dollars. All revenue come from the sale of stamps and other products.

Reason for losses was a government mandate to fund retirement for people who they have yet to hire…, but that changed a short while back.

If you have an issue with the USPS try calling your local post office. The numbers are available online with a quick search. Speak to the postmaster and you'll likely get better results than doing the toll free number.

 

[Muddyboots]

Postmasters are very limited in resources to track a lost or stolen package. You have to get it to a department that has that specific mail theft responsibility. A PM can send message to last known location but the USPS Inspector General will actually do a potential mail theft criminal investigation. Nobody wants an agent with a badge visiting their site for potential criminal investigation. Its time to ratchet up the fire on these mail theft criminals. This includes neighbors that receive your package in error and choose to keep it.

If your discussion with local PM comes up then it is time to file formal criminal complaint.

 

[adk hunter]

Mom used to bribe the janitor to clean up her Kindergarten room with brownies. Works on the USPS and UPS folks too

He had a terrible pain in his cartridge in his knee too so maybe she wasn't that clever!

 

[yorke-1]

If everyone had an opportunity to spend time in a major hub for any delivery company, they'd have a different perspective. There's a lot more work going into getting packages/mail to the correct location than most people think.

The carriers get blamed when an item gets delayed or misdelivered, even though the shipper put an incomplete or incorrect address on the package. The carrier gets blamed for damaged packages, even though the shipper used improper or insufficient packaging. The carrier gets blamed when packages are stolen off of porches or out of mailboxes, even though the customer lives in a high-crime area. The carrier gets blamed when a package isn't delivered, even though the house is inaccessible because of locked gates, unsafe road conditions, or aggressive animals. The carrier gets blamed when a package isn't delivered because a homeowner doesn't/won't properly mark their actual address. (It's amazing how many homeowners deliberately mislabel their house).

Customers get mad that they have multiple drivers rotating through their area, but still want service 6-7 days a week. Customers get mad about late deliveries but complain if their packages get delayed until the next day. Customers get mad about late deliveries, then complain that drivers are driving too fast in their neighborhood. Customers get mad when packages get delayed for weather issues because "they got their 4 WD truck down the road just fine". Customers get mad when the driver can't find their house, but the same customer won't put a valid phone number on the package so the driver can call and ask for help.

I can keep going, but until the customers change their perspective, they'll never change their perception.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

I had a problem with my local P.O. losing and opening mail. Wasn't that important until certain Federal office not getting paperwork got involved.
I'm no genius but the Post Master was from my hometown and after the Feds got involved, we got a knew Post Master. Best part. No more problems with my mail in over 15 years. I think this was an actual verifiable case of karma.

 

[ARlife4me]

Some bad info in this thread.

USPS receives no tax dollars. All revenue come from the sale of stamps and other products.

Reason for losses was a government mandate to fund retirement for people who they have yet to hire…, but that changed a short while back.

If you have an issue with the USPS try calling your local post office. The numbers are available online with a quick search. Speak to the postmaster and you'll likely get better results than doing the toll free number.

Also any extra revenue is paid to the us government. So technically they don't make any profit. So I've been told?