My US Post Office Rant

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 7:55am

This is my opportunity to rant about the US Post Office but also curious if others have had similar situations.  After much jumping over hoops, I got GE Appliances to send me a new refrigerator handle for my two year old refrigerator for no fee. The part was being sent via Federal Express and USPS.  Yesterday, the door bell rings and my postman is walking away.  I address him and he then turns and tells me something is wrong with my package.  I look down and the narrow brown carton is wrapped in a plastic wrap and discolored.  I state the box is open.  I pull the handle out and it and my hand is drenched in a wet substance. I say what is this.  I'm told oil.  At the USPS distribution center another package leaked oil over mine and others.  I ask why did you decide to deliver in this condition?  I am told (and later reconfirmed) that they have to deliver it no matter what the condition.  To make this rant shorter, after talking to "higher" ups, even though the damage happened on their premises it is not the USPS responsibility to resolve the situation.  I or GE should have insured the package.  Some of you may say, just wipe it off.  Since I don't really know what substance it really was and what effect the chemical could have on the white paint in the days to come, I really don't want this handle.  Plus it is for my refrigerator and the thought of this liquid substance all over the handle makes my OCD come in.  I was just glad I was home to question the postman, instead of just finding it on my doorstep.  If I had brought it into my house, the oil or whatever the liquid was , would have greatly stained my carpet.  Of which I was told by USPS, that would have been my fault, since I chose to bring it into my house.  I know this is long.  It is just sad that we have become a place where no one takes responsibility for their actions.  It shouldn't surprise me...but it still does. I am going to hope GE is understanding and replaces the part, but would understand if they chose not to.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 8:19am

Artman, I understand your predicament. Unfortunately, I have had many more and worse experiences with USPS. Not going into them, but they include losing LOTS of mail, including checks to the IRS, delivering packages to the wrong building, sending emails that they're sorry they missed me while I was home the whole time, NEVER leaving a note that they tried to deliver something, squashing our mail into the boxes so that the contents are ruined, etc. I'm only saying this so that you know you're not alone.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 8:27am

I appreciate that Jane.  Then, you know from your experiences, were told, it's everybody else fault, but the USPS.  That's the attitude I don't like.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 8:52am

Don't even get me started on how much I the USPS.

SOOOOOOOO much lost mail.

I have complained (nicely) over and over again to no avail.

I too could write a tome on how inefficient they are and how the managers and carriers don't seem to give a crap.

 

 

 

 

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:06am

I'm so cynical that I think they lose mail on purpose to force us to pay more by using certified mail, insurance, return receipt, etc. And it works for them - I don't send anything important without paying extra for certified mail. Bast**ds.

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:10am

This was my last issue with USPS. It couldn't decide if it liked NJ or MA more. Mind you it then went MIA and never made it to CT. Was supposed to be 2 day delivery.

June 17, 2015 11:39 SPRINGFIELD, MA 01152 ARRIVED AT USPS FACILITY
June 16, 2015 15:45 JERSEY CITY, NJ 07097 ARRIVED AT USPS ORIGIN FACILITY
June 13, 2015 12:15 SPRINGFIELD, MA 01152 ARRIVED AT USPS FACILITY
June 13, 2015 08:58 KEARNY, NJ 07032 DEPARTED USPS FACILITY
June 12, 2015 21:27 KEARNY, NJ 07032 ARRIVED AT USPS ORIGIN FACILITY
June 12, 2015 20:12 LAKEWOOD, NJ 08701 ACCEPTED AT USPS ORIGIN SORT FACILITY

[LarryD2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:36am

I freelance in addition to my full time job. In the last two years alone, the post office has lost/failed to deliver a dozen freelance checks -- and as anyone who freelances knows, getting a replacement check for a paycheck already issued is no easy task.

The letter carriers don't seem to lose any of my other mail -- just my checks. I reported it to the USPS and their response was basically tough SH*T. When I suggested that someone might be stealing my checks, they practically laughed in my face.

So yeah, I hate the USPS and their pretty much universally horrible service.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:43am

Larry, can you somehow  arrange to pick up your checks in person?

[LarryD2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:49am

It's possible for some places where I do work, but there are other companies I contract for that aren't located in NYC. 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 9:53am

These are the people who you have turned your healthcare over to.  The USPS is a government backed monopoly so they can act anyway they feel like acting.

I could go on with stories about how poorly they've treated me, but they would be the same stories that have already been mentioned.  I use them as little as possible.

LarryD, you may want to check into getting a PO Box.  I've found that once I started having my mail sent to a PO box, most everything was delivered.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 10:00am

Bring back the Pony Express

With everyone using e mail & e cards, they are hurting for money. Do you keep pouring money into it which will do nothing more than put a band aid on a gaping wound? It makes sense to reduce delivery to reduce costs but try getting people to agree to it is like pulling teeth. The same people will than complain when the cost of a stamp has to go up to pay for redundant services. When the cost of a stamps goes up, less people use the USPS . Once that happens, you know the rest. No Saturday delivery means one less day to get a bill or a pile of junk mail.

Updated On: 6/25/15 at 10:00 AM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 10:50am

Dammit, I had no idea the postal service was in charge of US healthcare! 

 

Have you ever gotten the, "Somehow your package got damaged in our facility. We try our best to make sure that doesn't happen, but alas, such is life," notes on a beaten up, broken package? Those are fun.

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 10:53am

I'm waiting for "We lost your package but here's your note.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 10:59am

The USPS reminds me of a scene from "Bent"

Two prisoners are told to dig a hole, After awhile , they have a hole & next to it the dirt that came from what is now the hole. The guard than tells them to fill in the hole. Once that is done, he tells them to dig the same hole. The process is repeated etc. You can throw all the money you want at the USPS and it will make no difference. It is like throwing money down a rathole.

 

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:06am

While I've had my share of pains with the with Post Office (when I lived in Chicago mail was a nightmare), it's worth noting that a lot of these issues are most likely due to the financial squeeze imposed on them by congress in 2006, which forced the post office to having retiree funding in place for the next 75 years, something required of no other government agency.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:26am

"it's worth noting that a lot of these issues are most likely due to the financial squeeze imposed on them by congress in 2006"

No sorry, that excuse doesn't work.  First off, the USPS was crap before that.  Second, that act can't be blamed for surly workers who won't half do their job.  Third, Congress can undo that "financial squeeze" if they half cared about you getting your mail.  But they don't, so they won't.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:27am

^This

The USPS struggles because there's been a consistent effort to defund it by folks like Goth who get elected to Congress.

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:39am

Great post Goth

Give the man a cigar.

The issues are coming up because the USPS is bleeding money because they are losing customers like there is no tomorrow

Updated On: 6/25/15 at 11:39 AM

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:49am

Sorry kids, but I have experienced nothing but great service from the USPS for 40 years. No lost mail here, no crushed packages, no surly postal carriers/clerks. Just last month I received an online order from three states away, the day after I ordered it -- USPS was the mode of delivery. I've had more problems with UPS and FedEx. Yes, I live in the burbs, but two major US cities are less than an hour away.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:53am

No sorry, that excuse doesn't work. First off, the USPS was crap before that. Second, that act can't be blamed for surly workers who won't half do their job. Third, Congress can undo that "financial squeeze" if they half cared about you getting your mail. But they don't, so they won't.

This from a man who defended his reliance on the government helping him with rent stabilization by blaming it on Obamacare.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 11:59am

The only person in the universe who would complain about the price of a stamp going up is the one person in this thread who made fun of people who would complain about the price of a stamp going up.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 12:05pm

UPS is a pain as they do not deliver on weekend. Recently, my wife ordered something and their website said it was delivered. Turned out a new driver delivered it to the same apartment # but right across the street. I had to put on my Sherlock Holmes hat to find this out & than I had to call the women who met me outside her building with the package.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 12:18pm

Most countries only have Monday-Friday postal delivery.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 12:40pm

Most countries only have Monday-Friday postal delivery.

The US used to get mail delivered twice a day.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/25/15 at 12:42pm

I think we should only have M-F delivery too.

 

For the record, I'm actually very sensitive to the USPS' struggles. I used them for a long time even after they screwed up and didn't do much to correct the issue several times. I don't want to see anyone laid off.

But at a certain point, when you have no confidence that your bills will get paid on time or time sensitive document will arrive, you just have to stop using them.

My office spends way more on shipping now than say, 5 years ago because we had to start using UPS for even the most basic of correspondences. We don't want to incur the expense but "it got lost in the mail", while true, doesn't mollify clients.