Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My USPS Nightmare
I begin with a sincere apology to all the Postal employees who strive to maintain and deliver exceptional customer service. Your dedicated selflessness is appreciated though usually unstated until there is a problem. It is when these problem(s) arise and how they are handled that leave most of us, the consumer, really ready to rip all of you a new one…
My Story
After spending eighteen plus years in a small rural town that only offered post office boxes, I am now painfully aware of how obliviously spoiled I’d become to good old-fashioned service.
Moving to a populated area states away and submitting the appropriate change of address form, I eagerly awaited any validation of my new existence. After a couple months with not one piece of junk mail, I contacted my new post office expressing my concerns. The woman I spoke with assured me that it was my old post office who was not forwarding my mail, that I needed to contact them and all other companies (phone, cable, electric, etc.) to ask why they weren’t sending anything. This was my first ‘red flag’ but decided extending benefit of doubt necessary and did as instructed. Half way through my list I was painfully aware of where the fault lay and though embarrassed, continued to ensure I’d covered everyone. All had advised they had sent what they were responsible for. I called my old Postmaster and friend (remember, this was a very small town, first name basis, exchanged Christmas cards, etc.) who advised he had a collection of mail returned to him by this new post office. Armed with actual evidence I called the new post office back. The lady I spoke with continued to insist that it was not their fault so I requested to speak with her supervisor. Of course, he wasn’t in… I drove to the post office and located my new Postmaster who informed me that they weren’t my Post Office! Irate, I called my old Postmaster and advised him of this revelation. At first my new Postmaster didn’t want to speak with the old but complied when realizing I wasn’t going anywhere without answers. After our three-way chat, I was graciously advised that all would be taken care of. Vindicated and validated by a department of the United States Government, I basked in this glory for two years, even receiving packages from Vietnam and China! Then…
My husband broke his cell phone and our service provider gave us the phone number and address to get it fixed. A few years had passed since the above dilemma so postal problems were never thought of. I received a call from the repair shop advising that the phone had been returned. Written on the envelope: Vacant lot. Everyone, I assure you, I’m sitting here inside my domicile typing to you from my computer at this so-called vacant lot! We went over the address twice and after assuring this gentleman that I really wasn’t calling from the twilight zone, authorized a retry. The following week I received the same call. I gave the man a relative’s address that lives close by, as I didn’t have the time to deal with the postal service again. Yes, for all interested, I continue to work outside the home forty plus hours a week. This delivery was made to my relative and I picked it up. I still don’t understand what transpired and had no time to look into the matter so, makes the subject mute, for now. I still received most expected mail, howbeit sporadic, throughout the following year to include ordered packages.
Fast forward to last week, the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. Dutifully ordering Space Bags as Hurricanes are and continue to whirl past my ‘not so vacant lot’ (this last statement gives me the he-bee-gee-bee’s) I nervously tracked my order from USPS’s web site. The site showed arrival at my (???, remembering past statements here) post office on Thursday with expected delivery that evening or the following morning. I rechecked the site Friday morning to find they had listed my package as undeliverable! I called the 800 number and was advised the package was incorrectly or incompletely addressed, returned to the sender and that I needed to contact the issuing company. I contacted the company and everything was correct. I pulled up USPS’s web site and found the Postal Inspector and Inspector General links. Using the Inspectors link I sent them this message:
To whom this may concern,I have had repeated packages and mail returned as undeliverable and has become a major headache. I have contacted the companies and all have shown the correct address so this appears to be a lazy problem on your end. This last incident # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was returned to sender without an attempt to deliver! Interestingly enough, I have received other (though sporadic) mail and packages at this non-existent address where I live year round. I am requesting a full investigation and if necessary, full compensation for the above and past orders if this problem is not corrected. Sincerely, X
Their response:
Dear X,Thank you for contacting us regarding your mail item, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I understand that you have concerns about several items that have been returned to the sender as undeliverable as addressed. According to our records, your item was delivered on August 30, 2008 in XXXXX, XX XXXXX. Complete tracking information is only available for Express Mail® items. Services that confirm delivery are designed to be a low cost alternative to full tracking. Delivery Confirmation™, which is brought into the Post Office™ for mailing, will include an acceptance scan. It does not include tracking of the package en route. In regards to other mail items being returned to the sender, I apologize that this is occurring, and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your situation. Please reply with the following information and I will file a report to document this issue:- Full name of the sender- Address of the sender- Full name of the recipient- Address of the recipient- Your home telephone number- Return Endorsement on returned mailpiece (if available) - Date of Endorsement- Type of mail (letter, large envelope, package, large package, or unknown)If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service®. Regards, X
This is where it gets really strange. On their tracking site my package showed as undeliverable prompting my ire and calls. My husband saw this entry though I didn’t have the foresight to copy it. Within hours the tracking showed: delivered, undeliverable, then delivered… AGAIN!!! This entry is copied and filed for any future changes they may care to list. And yes, by the following day my package was left at the office with a slip in my box notifying of this delivery. Make of it what you will but I find this quite strange.
What I’ve done to rectify this problem:
(1) Pay bills on-line or in person. This was not a choice made out of meanness or anger but survival.
My Story
After spending eighteen plus years in a small rural town that only offered post office boxes, I am now painfully aware of how obliviously spoiled I’d become to good old-fashioned service.
Moving to a populated area states away and submitting the appropriate change of address form, I eagerly awaited any validation of my new existence. After a couple months with not one piece of junk mail, I contacted my new post office expressing my concerns. The woman I spoke with assured me that it was my old post office who was not forwarding my mail, that I needed to contact them and all other companies (phone, cable, electric, etc.) to ask why they weren’t sending anything. This was my first ‘red flag’ but decided extending benefit of doubt necessary and did as instructed. Half way through my list I was painfully aware of where the fault lay and though embarrassed, continued to ensure I’d covered everyone. All had advised they had sent what they were responsible for. I called my old Postmaster and friend (remember, this was a very small town, first name basis, exchanged Christmas cards, etc.) who advised he had a collection of mail returned to him by this new post office. Armed with actual evidence I called the new post office back. The lady I spoke with continued to insist that it was not their fault so I requested to speak with her supervisor. Of course, he wasn’t in… I drove to the post office and located my new Postmaster who informed me that they weren’t my Post Office! Irate, I called my old Postmaster and advised him of this revelation. At first my new Postmaster didn’t want to speak with the old but complied when realizing I wasn’t going anywhere without answers. After our three-way chat, I was graciously advised that all would be taken care of. Vindicated and validated by a department of the United States Government, I basked in this glory for two years, even receiving packages from Vietnam and China! Then…
My husband broke his cell phone and our service provider gave us the phone number and address to get it fixed. A few years had passed since the above dilemma so postal problems were never thought of. I received a call from the repair shop advising that the phone had been returned. Written on the envelope: Vacant lot. Everyone, I assure you, I’m sitting here inside my domicile typing to you from my computer at this so-called vacant lot! We went over the address twice and after assuring this gentleman that I really wasn’t calling from the twilight zone, authorized a retry. The following week I received the same call. I gave the man a relative’s address that lives close by, as I didn’t have the time to deal with the postal service again. Yes, for all interested, I continue to work outside the home forty plus hours a week. This delivery was made to my relative and I picked it up. I still don’t understand what transpired and had no time to look into the matter so, makes the subject mute, for now. I still received most expected mail, howbeit sporadic, throughout the following year to include ordered packages.
Fast forward to last week, the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. Dutifully ordering Space Bags as Hurricanes are and continue to whirl past my ‘not so vacant lot’ (this last statement gives me the he-bee-gee-bee’s) I nervously tracked my order from USPS’s web site. The site showed arrival at my (???, remembering past statements here) post office on Thursday with expected delivery that evening or the following morning. I rechecked the site Friday morning to find they had listed my package as undeliverable! I called the 800 number and was advised the package was incorrectly or incompletely addressed, returned to the sender and that I needed to contact the issuing company. I contacted the company and everything was correct. I pulled up USPS’s web site and found the Postal Inspector and Inspector General links. Using the Inspectors link I sent them this message:
To whom this may concern,I have had repeated packages and mail returned as undeliverable and has become a major headache. I have contacted the companies and all have shown the correct address so this appears to be a lazy problem on your end. This last incident # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was returned to sender without an attempt to deliver! Interestingly enough, I have received other (though sporadic) mail and packages at this non-existent address where I live year round. I am requesting a full investigation and if necessary, full compensation for the above and past orders if this problem is not corrected. Sincerely, X
Their response:
Dear X,Thank you for contacting us regarding your mail item, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I understand that you have concerns about several items that have been returned to the sender as undeliverable as addressed. According to our records, your item was delivered on August 30, 2008 in XXXXX, XX XXXXX. Complete tracking information is only available for Express Mail® items. Services that confirm delivery are designed to be a low cost alternative to full tracking. Delivery Confirmation™, which is brought into the Post Office™ for mailing, will include an acceptance scan. It does not include tracking of the package en route. In regards to other mail items being returned to the sender, I apologize that this is occurring, and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your situation. Please reply with the following information and I will file a report to document this issue:- Full name of the sender- Address of the sender- Full name of the recipient- Address of the recipient- Your home telephone number- Return Endorsement on returned mailpiece (if available) - Date of Endorsement- Type of mail (letter, large envelope, package, large package, or unknown)If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service®. Regards, X
This is where it gets really strange. On their tracking site my package showed as undeliverable prompting my ire and calls. My husband saw this entry though I didn’t have the foresight to copy it. Within hours the tracking showed: delivered, undeliverable, then delivered… AGAIN!!! This entry is copied and filed for any future changes they may care to list. And yes, by the following day my package was left at the office with a slip in my box notifying of this delivery. Make of it what you will but I find this quite strange.
What I’ve done to rectify this problem:
(1) Pay bills on-line or in person. This was not a choice made out of meanness or anger but survival.
(2) Whether shipping or delivery, ask about other options as opposed to USPS service.
(3) Try speaking with your postal service about any issues and remember to treat them as you’d like to be treated. Ensure getting workable answers, don’t allow yourself to be left hanging.
(4) Consider getting a P.O. Box from one of these companies that will handle everything including signing for your mail.
(5) As a last resort make it known that you will use the Inspector General link at the bottom of the USPS page and do so, if necessary.
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