# USPS is BAAAAAD Lately



## aggie182 (Dec 14, 2018)

USPS is letting me down big time.  

I've shipped a few pens Priority that have taken over a week to arrive.  I shipped 2 pens from the south side of Houston, one going to just north of Houston and one going about 30 minutes south of Houston to Angleton, TX.  They both went to the Houston sorting facility, then to Austin, then to the North Houston facility, then finally to their destinations.  I shipped November 28th and they arrived December 7th.  

I ordered from Exotic Blanks and USPS received the item on 11/16.  It arrived to me on 11/26.  This again was Priority Shipping.  I know this isn't Exotic Blanks fault, it's on USPS.

I ordered again from Exotic Blanks on 12/8 and USPS received the package the same day.  The package left Racine on 12/8, and has been "In Transit to Next Facility" since then.  We'll see when it arrives.  My guess is the middle to end of next week.

Maybe it's the weather.  Maybe it's the increased volume in shipments.  Either way, I wish they wouldn't sell a service as 2-3 Priority, when it clearly won't be the case.  There was a news story recently with other folks reporting similar things.

Ok, rant over.  Are y'all experiencing the same thing?


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## gtriever (Dec 14, 2018)

No problems here... yet. We'll see what happens this next week.


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## Ed McDonnell (Dec 14, 2018)

USPS in central Florida has been great.  Deliveries on time or ahead of schedule.  Both incoming (from all over) and outgoing.  I haven't sent anything to the midwest, but the coasts have been smooth sailing.  I do seem to recall seeing a lot of lousy weather in the middle of the country when watching the local news.  

Maybe the whole Missouri Texas thing is confusing them.  It could be one state too many in the address for the computer scanners (or who / what ever is sorting).  

Ed


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## mbroberg (Dec 14, 2018)

I've had great service from USPS.  We have an awesome mail carrier who goes out of his way to provide good service.  On two seperate occassions recently I have had packages from Exotic Blanks delivered to me on a Sunday.  The first time there was an Amazon package also delivered so I assumed that the mail carrier just brought the Exotics Blank package along snce he was makng a delivery anyway.  The second time there was no Amazon package, just the package from Exotic Blanks.


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## dogcatcher (Dec 14, 2018)

The only problem I have is when I have to ship to Houston or order something  some thing from Houston.  Incoming and outgoing packages are usually on time, except for the Houston area.


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## mbroberg (Dec 14, 2018)

Maybe it has something to do with Texas.  My daughter lives in Horseshoe Bay, TX and always complains of bad service.  She lives in a community where there are banks of mail boxes.  Her letter carrier apparently cannot match a number to a box.  Her mail is constantly being given to someone else and she is always receiving other people's mail.  It once took over  three weeks for her to receive a Birthday card we sent her.  It contained a check which I canceled.  Of course,the card was delivered the next day.


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## aggie182 (Dec 14, 2018)

It may be a Texas thing.  It just seems odd that things are taking so darn long.  It's everything I've shipped via USPS Priority or received via USPS Priority.  Admittedly, the sample size it small, but it's frustrating.  I understand that with ordering on a Saturday, it's likely Monday will be the first day it will move.  I'm mostly just venting.

My current order:  

December 12, 2018			IN TRANSIT TO NEXT FACILITY
December 8, 2018	19:39	OAK CREEK WI DISTRIBUTION CENTER	ARRIVED AT USPS REGIONAL ORIGIN FACILITY
December 8, 2018	18:24	RACINE,WI,53405	ACCEPTED AT USPS ORIGIN FACILITY


Here's one of the pens I sent:

December 7, 2018, 4:20 pm, Delivered, In/At Mailbox, COLDSPRING, TX 77331, Your item was delivered in or at the mailbox at 4:20 pm on December 7, 2018 in COLDSPRING, TX 77331. 

December 7, 2018, 9:22 am, Out for Delivery, COLDSPRING, TX 77331

December 7, 2018, 9:12 am, Sorting Complete, COLDSPRING, TX 77331  

December 7, 2018, 8:43 am, Arrived at Unit, COLDSPRING, TX 77331  

December 6, 2018, In Transit to Next Facility 

December 4, 2018, 12:15 pm, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility, NORTH HOUSTON TX DISTRIBUTION CENTER  

December 3, 2018, 6:08 am, Departed USPS Regional Facility, AUSTIN TX DISTRIBUTION CENTER

December 2, 2018, 1:04 am, Arrived at USPS Regional Facility, AUSTIN TX DISTRIBUTION CENTER  

November 30, 2018, 4:08 am, Arrived at USPS Facility, HOUSTON, TX 77032  

November 28, 2018, 4:58 pm, Departed Post Office, FRESNO, TX 77545  

November 28, 2018, 4:48 pm, USPS in possession of item, FRESNO, TX 77545


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## Scotty (Dec 14, 2018)

I just sent a pen from Virginia to Tennessee. Only took 2 days. I was happy. Ever situation is circumstances are different though.


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## wolf creek knives (Dec 14, 2018)

aggie182 said:


> It may be a Texas thing.  It just seems odd that things are taking so darn long.  It's everything I've shipped via USPS Priority or received via USPS Priority.  Admittedly, the sample size it small, but it's frustrating.  I understand that with ordering on a Saturday, it's likely Monday will be the first day it will move.  I'm mostly just venting.
> 
> My current order:
> 
> ...



If it's a Texas thing then it's migrated north to Montana.  My most recent order from Exotic blanks took five days.  I shipped an order to one of my customers in Hawaii and it took 9 days to arrive.  I received an order that I placed with a vendor in Hawaii and it took 6 days to get to me.  Living in a town about the size of your thumb nail probably doesn't help.  My neighbor is the Post Master for our post office and she said the weather plays a big factor and the amount of packages being sent causes problems.  So I just accept it and let my customers know that a 3 day delivery isn't guaranteed.  Where I live they won't deliver my mail to my house, nor will UPS or Fedex, because it's out in the middle of nowhere in the Rocky Mountains.  So I driver 24 mile RT to get my mail, I just track my packages on line to figure out when they've been delivered.


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## ed4copies (Dec 14, 2018)

We (ExoticBlanks) have had more requests for tracking this year than ever before.
It still is a very small percentage (less than 5% for certain), but when we track it the information is often missing days at a time.  This is VERY unusual, but that doesn't help the customers who are encountering the delays!!!


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## aggie182 (Dec 14, 2018)

ed4copies said:


> We (ExoticBlanks) have had more requests for tracking this year than ever before.
> It still is a very small percentage (less than 5% for certain), but when we track it the information is often missing days at a time.  This is VERY unusual, but that doesn't help the customers who are encountering the delays!!!



Certainly not y'alls fault at all.  I hope it didn't come across that way.  I was using it as an example of how slow USPS deliveries have been for me coming and going.  I'll plan early next year!


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## jttheclockman (Dec 14, 2018)

Here in NJ I get packages almost every day and have to say for the most part very good. I have gotten deliveries 7 days a week and sometimes twice during a day. Packages come in the morning and regular mail at night. Now I had a 2 packages come the last 2 days that were broken open. One package nothing was lost and they even put it in their little baggie saying they are sorry. The other package came from China and lost 2 items due to falling out. I blame them for not shipping in a box like normal people but they ship in wrapped plastic. I am in the process now of getting a refund but not always easy when language is a barrier. Guessing with increased volume and holiday delays because of weather it could be worse. You really need to plan or warn potential customers of these things. We are at their mercy.


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 14, 2018)

For the 4 years I lived in Spring, Texas (North of Houston) it was 3 days regular mail between there and almost anywhere in the country. Only problem was local service, it could be delivered anywhere within 3 cul de sacs of the right house. However, post office itself was great. 

Moved to Magnolia (further North of Houston), local delivery was great, local post office was below average and delivery time was more hit or miss. 

Now near Indianapolis and local post office is tiny but above average, local service is good and delivery time is excellent. 


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## renichols (Dec 15, 2018)

Aggie, don't feel to bad. Last time I ordered my meds from the VA it took 7 days after shipment conformation too get to my house. From one side of Omaha to the other side.


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## Kenny Durrant (Dec 15, 2018)

I don't think it's Texas as a whole but an area. I've shipped packages all over with no problems. I once sent 3 different packages 1 to Missouri, 1 to Puerto Rico and 1 to Houston from Sachse Tx, east of Dallas. The one to Houston took a day longer than the others. The Post Office even told me it would from the start. If I remember correctly it wasn't the cheapest either.


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 15, 2018)

I suppose we shouldn’t forget the little things, like in my case having lived in both places, the fact that the population of the greater Houston area is larger than the population of the State of Indiana. 


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## aggie182 (Dec 15, 2018)

They should advertise 7-10 day Priority Mail for services to and from the Houston area.  I understand weather causing delays, but a company the size of USPS should be able to anticipate the effects of holidays and population in metro areas.

Once again, just frustrated and venting.


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## aggie182 (Dec 15, 2018)

The Dec. 8 order from Wisconsin arrived at the North Houston Facility today.  Hopefully it will make it here Monday.  Time will tell.


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## dogcatcher (Dec 15, 2018)

MRDucks2 said:


> I suppose we shouldn’t forget the little things, like in my case having lived in both places, the fact that the population of the greater Houston area is larger than the population of the State of Indiana.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app



I am a Native Texan, and can trace roots back to before the Texas Revolution.  But Houston, nope, I was there in December of 1967, I swore I would never go back, so far so good.  It will be 51 years in a few days.


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## larryc (Dec 15, 2018)

I have had some really bad experiences with USPS. I had a $400 shipment get lost right here in Atlanta. Thank goodness it was insured but it still took four months to get reimbursed.
Twice I have requested a pickup of Priority mail and the pickup was not made. One time I received an email at 11:00 pm that the package was picked up and it was still sitting in my carport. I had to submit another request for the next day.


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## Brotherdale (Dec 15, 2018)

There is a problem at the north Houston distribution center. Same thing happened last year at about this time. I never could find out any info about what is going on.


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## wolf creek knives (Dec 16, 2018)

renichols said:


> Aggie, don't feel to bad. Last time I ordered my meds from the VA it took 7 days after shipment conformation too get to my house. From one side of Omaha to the other side.



When I call into the VA for refills the recording says "allow 7-10 days to receive your refill".  I usually get them in the mail within 5 days.  Distance from Fort Harrison to Wolf Creek is around 50 miles.


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## MikeinSC (Dec 16, 2018)

It's their busiest time of the year and more people than ever are ordering Christmas presents and whatnot online. 
Not only are they handling the mail load but also Amazon shipments and UPS/FedEx smartpost as well. 

My local post office is delivering packages on Sundays right now because the volume is so high. And this is in a small town of about 3500. 

Add in any weather/ equipment/ travel delays and it just compounds the workload.


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## monophoto (Dec 16, 2018)

MikeinSC said:


> It's their busiest time of the year and more people than ever are ordering Christmas presents and whatnot online.
> Not only are they handling the mail load but also Amazon shipments and UPS/FedEx smartpost as well.
> 
> My local post office is delivering packages on Sundays right now because the volume is so high. And this is in a small town of about 3500.
> ...




I think Mike is right - every process is subject to the reality that 'stuff happens', and while there is an expectation for how the process should work, there will always be a few outliers.  And if that process is stressed, then the number of outliers will increase.  That's a basic industrial engineering fact.  

The last six weeks of the year are the period of greatest stress for USPS and it's prudent to anticipate that shipments will take a day or two longer than normal during this period.


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## Woodchipper (Dec 16, 2018)

If I mail a card to my neighbor three doors up, it goes all the waaay to Chattanooga and then back to Cleveland. At one time, local mail was sorted here- two drop slots, local and out of town.
Another rare instance- my wife ordered a Bob the Builder watch for our grandson. She never double checked the address and it was delivered God-only-knows-where. A lady at the post office said there was a street north of town that had a similar name but she couldn't tell me if it had been delivered there.  I checked and the largest number was which is smaller than our number. I also told her that UPS took the time to verify the correct address and deliver two packages to us. Remind me of the mail carrier in Louisville, KY who was given an award. A few days later, they found two tons of undelivered sale flyers in his attic. No wonder he could get done early!
A country in Africa had the postal workers go on strike. There were mounds of undelivered mail behind the post offices. When the strike was settled, they burned the mail!


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## renichols (Dec 16, 2018)

wolf creek knives said:


> renichols said:
> 
> 
> > Aggie, don't feel to bad. Last time I ordered my meds from the VA it took 7 days after shipment conformation too get to my house. From one side of Omaha to the other side.
> ...



The 7 days was after I received the notice they were shipped.Took 5 days just to get the order ready :usflag: :biggrin:
Can't complain , one of my new scripts cost about 7k per IV .


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## jttheclockman (Dec 16, 2018)

Just got a package delivered today Sunday. I talked to the postal driver because she actually rang the doorbell being it was raining and she said she has 348 packages to deliver today alone and she just started when she hit my house. I got a notice that it was to be delivered today and sure enough. My biggest complaint is many time my packages get delivered a couple doors down and his sometime get delivered to my house. But we know this and has been happening for many years so no big deal. I give them an A for this time of the year.


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## leehljp (Dec 16, 2018)

OK, a funny on mail in another country:

I had just moved from Osaka area to the Nagoya area - specifically Toyota City, and had been there a week. (I had been living in Japan 19 years at this time.) I had to overnight some papers to our office in Tokyo. I went to the post office with my Manilla envelope properly addressed in Japanese with my return address (in Japanese) in the upper left corner. I paid for OVERNIGHT and the lady stamped it correctly.

Next afternoon, the package is in my mailbox at home. A little irritated, I rushed over to the post office and they were waiting for me! I told the man, I paid for this yesterday to be sent to Tokyo OVERNIGHT!.

He said "Yes but it has to be addressed correctly!" (I knew that "technicalities" were held against foreigners at times, so I was prepared for a wild answer, and I most certainly got one.)

Me: "So, what did I do wrong".
Him - opening the official book on correctly addressing mail - "Well - this is the official book on how mail is supposed to be addressed." and he showed me the placement of the "To ADDRESS" and "From ADDRESS".
Me: "Well, that is how this is addressed, even in Japanese, not Romaji., So what is wrong with mine?"
Him: (sucking air - meaning he is perplexed)." Well, we all knew that you were a foreigner, and we were not sure you knew how to address it properly!"
Me: "But I did it correctly!"
Him: "Yes, but we did not know if you, as a foreigner, Really Knew how to do it correctly, or if you just guessed, - so we sent it back to you!"

Me - taking a deep breath and knowing I was not going to win this argument: Ok, OK, I KNOW how to address it correctly, I am speaking to you in Japanese; I can write Japanese. NOW, How shall I address it in the future so that YOU will KNOW that I KNOW how to address it correctly in the future?

Him - sucking air again: "Well, why don't you put the TO address on one side and the FROM address on the other side?"

Me: How will YOU know where to send it? This side or that side?
Him - sucking more air. No answer.

Me: "What if the next time, I write the "FROM" (出) Kanji at the top left, and the "TO" (へ) character on the middle just beside the address?"

Him: "You know how to do that?"
Me: "Yes"

I never had that problem for the 5 years I lived in Tokyo or the 14 years I lived in the Osaka area. From that time on, I added 出 at the "FROM" place, and へ for the "TO" place.

When I Tokyo, I received mail from the USA that had greatly incomplete addresses to me. They KNEW where we foreigners lived.


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## larryc (Dec 16, 2018)

leehljp said:


> OK, a funny on mail in another country:
> 
> I had just moved from Osaka area to the Nagoya area - specifically Toyota City, and had been there a week. (I had been living in Japan 19 years at this time.) I had to overnight some papers to our office in Tokyo. I went to the post office with my Manilla envelope properly addressed in Japanese with my return address (in Japanese) in the upper left corner. I paid for OVERNIGHT and the lady stamped it correctly.
> 
> ...



Abbott and Costello couldn't have done it better.


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## Pen Joe (Dec 16, 2018)

here is SW La. terribly slow, usually take 12-14 days to get an order in and many time, package open and things missing, used to not be like that with the older UPS fellow and the post office is even worse, guess I need to lower my standers even lower.


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## Herb G (Dec 17, 2018)

I think we all could provide a horror story with the post office if we tried.
Around here, it does ZERO good to complain. They just ignore you & really mess with your mail when you do. The postal inspectors busted a drug ring inside the post office here just a few years ago. They were shipping illegal drugs to here from all over the states.
They all ended up with lengthy prison sentences.

I mailed my Mom 2 birthday cards from my mailbox a few years ago. I mailed both at the same time. One made it, the other was stolen. They thought it had money in it I bet. Pissed me right off, so I filed a complaint with my congressman. They ended up firing everybody at my local post office & brought in a new crew. 
Apparently I wasn't the only person complaining about our local post office.
When they fired everyone, they had to inventory everything in the post office. They found a tractor trailer full of mail behind the post office in a separate parking lot. Some of it had been in there for 3 years.

You have good ones & you have bad ones. There ain't a whole lot you can do about it unless you complain to your local congressman.
It's a crap shoot basically. You send your package & hope it gets there sooner or later.


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## WriteON (Dec 17, 2018)

Where can a a 1000 black and white loafers be found?



Post Office:biggrin:..
Our local PO...nobody answers phone. Or if you have an appointment for something nobody is there to meet you. 

seriously...It's amazing how the mail gets to where it supposed to go to. Be patient...it works out somehow.


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 17, 2018)

The USPS “system” has been designed to work in spite of people. There are good one on the system. Problem is the process has not be adequately looked at to be improved due to the volume of people it employees. 

While some I have complained to over the years will quickly explain they are independent and not a part of the government and not funded by tax dollars, it is a false statement. They would not exist if it weren’t for the federal level bailing them out annually. 

If we took the bail-out dollars and put it toward truly improving the postal service, it could be done, would be expensive and would result in pretty significant job losses. 

However, they are still pretty efficient for the actual cost of delivery. Go send a letter through UPS or Fedex and you will see the difference. 

As long as we are still mailing things in envelops, USPS will always be there and always be struggling. 

I have had great friends and relatives who worked for the USPS. Some of them were among the best and some among the most worthless so I do have insight. 


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## Sataro (Dec 17, 2018)

Not having any issues in Central Texas...packages going out & arriving in a couple days.


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## jxdubbs (Dec 17, 2018)

I have a package that haven't been updated since the 14th. Also said I was supposed to get it today. And since I already got my mail I don't see it happening. 

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## TellicoTurning (Dec 17, 2018)

I've never worked in the postal system itself, but worked for an airlines that handled mail and worked closely with the local sort station in SFO... and with 40 years in traffic, transportation and logistics, I can tell you that in spite of the occasional snafu, the post office is still pretty efficient.... considering the number of pieces of mail that handle daily, their error rate is way way below less than 1%.... I've had experience and similar issues with UPS, Fedex, DHL, MSAS and all the other couriers...plus all the major airline carriers, truck carriers and ocean liners.


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## Rob_Mc (Dec 17, 2018)

I placed an order with WoodTurningz on Nov.7 and they gave me a tracking number the next day. About a week later I tracked the package and it went from Indiana and was in Chicago. Great! I say to myself - it should be hear in another week or so (I'm a bit outside Toronto so I figure it'll take some time to clear Customs etc.) I check again a week later and the package has gone to...Singapore! WTF! How did that happen?! I just received the package today - about 6 weeks after it was sent. Frustrating as heck!


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## leehljp (Dec 17, 2018)

Rob_Mc said:


> I placed an order with WoodTurningz on Nov.7 and they gave me a tracking number the next day. About a week later I tracked the package and it went from Indiana and was in Chicago. Great! I say to myself - it should be hear in another week or so (I'm a bit outside Toronto so I figure it'll take some time to clear Customs etc.) I check again a week later and the package has gone to...Singapore! WTF! How did that happen?! I just received the package today - about 6 weeks after it was sent. Frustrating as heck!



Ok, OK, I get it. They digitize it, kinda like "Scottie, Beam me up!" then it gets onto the internet and goes from site to site around the world, making port calls at certain servers and then finally back home to you where it un-digitizes itself! :biggrin:


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## wolf creek knives (Dec 18, 2018)

Some really interesting stories here so I thought I'd throw mine in too.  About 45 years ago I was stationed at a remote site for the U.S. Navy in a different country.  We were so remote that once we ran out of fresh food we resorted to eating old C rations, problem #1.  You can only live on C rations for so long before tempers begin to start ramping up.  Problem #2, we didn't get any mail for 6 weeks.  Nothing got through, on either side.  Not only did tempers get much worse, a lot of families back in the states started contacting their elected officials to find out was taking place as they hadn't received any mail for 6 weeks either.  Being in a highly classified area, nothing from the govt. could be shared with families.  My fiance at the time, now my wife, was wondering too until one day the mail finally came and she had a string of letters going from the front door to her bedroom.  Needless to say she was happy camper and she still has the letters to this day.


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## cjester (Dec 18, 2018)

Our local post office is great.

Chicago's PO can sometimes be a black hole. I just filed a claim on a package that never made it through the city.


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## TonyL (Dec 18, 2018)

Can't think of a better bargain.


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## Woodchipper (Dec 18, 2018)

While we're on the subject, I mailed a lab report to the VA hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I got the lab report back and the envelope was marked "Moved." Someone didn't know their butt from first base and was too lazy to figure out where it was supposed to go. The hospital is in the same place it has been for years.


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## leehljp (Dec 18, 2018)

This is a different slant. Lots of major companies will not ship to a PO Box. Just won't.

Lots of small towns do not deliver mail IN TOWN to the street address (physical address). You must have a P.O. Box to get mail. Even our local post office will not hold mail unless you have a box. It all goes back if it does not have a Box number in the address.

In many / most cases, even if the postal people know you and are related to you, if the box number is not on the address, it gets sent back.

When you try to tell large companies this, their first reply is "the post office will put in your box. Me: You don't know small town governments and post offices!

Many times I have added a P.O. Box under the street address to online companies only to have it deleted or tell me they cannot accept that address.

But large companies are not the only ones that get hard headed. Once when I was living overseas and back home for a month, I had to get my DL renewed here in MS. The DL offices was in the next county so I went. The lady was a crabby as they get. "You can't have a P.O. Box address on your DL!" 

I asked, "IF they need to contact me by mail, such as one of those camera citations, how will they contact me?"
She said they will send it to your street address. I said, Oh they send by FedEx or UPS? She quickly replied NO! By USPS. Me: The PO does not deliver (in my home town) if it does not have a Box number on it. 
She said rather sternly that they would. 

Since this conversation from her side was rather loud, several heard it and 3 other people said, NO they don't in that town. 

I got my Box number on the DL!


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## dogcatcher (Dec 18, 2018)

MRDucks2 said:


> While some I have complained to over the years will quickly explain they are independent and not a part of the government and not funded by tax dollars, it is a false statement. They would not exist if it weren’t for the federal level bailing them out annually.
> 
> If we took the bail-out dollars and put it toward truly improving the postal service, it could be done, would be expensive and would result in pretty significant job losses.
> [/url]



If the post office was free to operate like private enterprise such as UPS and FEDEX, we would pay a lot more in postage, because the post office would raise the rates to make a profit.  Also the rates would be a nightmare.  To mail a letter to a remote location would cost more than a local letter, the farther the letter/package traveled the more it would cost.  The goverment still mandates mail be delivered everywhere, even remote locations, our current postage subsidizes those deliveries, in a private enterprise world, the customer pays extra to deliver to remote locations.  

Sometimes I feel it should be completely privatized, but these remote locations, would lose all services if the rates were standardized across the country as they are now.  Who would bid on a route in the Big Bend area to deliver mail to a handful of ranchers and the National Park?  Drive 200 miles a day to deliver a handful of mail and your pay is less than the cost of the gas to get to the first ranch mail box.  Nobody, so the goverment would have to pay a huge subsidy, so we still lose.  Even in some populated areas, most rural routes do not produce enough revenue volume to cover the cost of delivery.  

I used to ship and receive about a 100 plus packages a month, the few screwups I remember, the ones that made it on time I tend to forget,  The system isn't perfect, but it works pretty good for the cost in today's market.


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## Woodchipper (Dec 18, 2018)

This is a job for Amazon, they are into everything else. Deliver packages and mail at the same time by drone. Newspapers are going down the tube as people are getting their news by Internet. The local paper mill is switching from newsprint to toilet paper....something that is useful.


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## CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI (Dec 19, 2018)

*My latest USPS Experience*

Shipped a small priority mail package on Monday, Dec 17, @ 11:04 AM, from southeastern US.  

Arrived at a rural PO, more than 100 miles from a big city in northeast US, already out for delivery Wednesday, Dec. 19, @ 9:39 AM.

GREAT JOB USPS!  Let's give some positive credit where credit is due.


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 19, 2018)

As stated earlier, USPS does well for the cost. As a percentage of mail/packages delivered to me by a carrier I have had a higher percentage of items from Fedex and UPS delayed, damaged or Mis-delivered than USPS. Higher cost corporate carriers do not necessarily mean 100% satisfaction. Every since the court ruling that “absolutely, positively will get there overnight” does not mean something will “absolutely, positively get there overnight”, all bets are off. Lol. 


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## wolf creek knives (Dec 19, 2018)

leehljp said:


> This is a different slant. Lots of major companies will not ship to a PO Box. Just won't.
> 
> Lots of small towns do not deliver mail IN TOWN to the street address (physical address). You must have a P.O. Box to get mail. Even our local post office will not hold mail unless you have a box. It all goes back if it does not have a Box number in the address.
> 
> ...



Interesting Hank.  I live in a small town in Montana and due to where I live the PO will not deliver to my home, nor will UPS or Fedex.  But...I'm given a free PO Box for my mail and if someone just puts my street address on it, it always finds it's way to my PO Box.  I actually got a Christmas card this year and the delivery address was
Tom and Barbara
Wolf Creek Montana
And it got to my PO Box cancelled stamp and all.  I think in your case maybe the people at the PO are reading the "rules and regulations" book way too hard.  Especially if they know who you are or are related to you.


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## dogcatcher (Dec 19, 2018)

leehljp said:


> Many times I have added a P.O. Box under the street address to online companies only to have it deleted or tell me they cannot accept that address.



Some people insist on all mail going to a PO box, others get both home delivery and PO box delivery.  The bar code that is put on the mail determines where it will be delivered, this is done by machines.  Until it gets to the delivery point nobody knows where it is going.  

I had an accounting client that lived in a nearby town where he had a PO box.  His business had a street address in my town, but no mail box.  Any mail addressed to his business street address was refused by his secretary and was returned to sender.  Then he complained about the mail service, it was his contention the mailman should know he wanted his mail delivered to another town to a PO box.


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 19, 2018)

I once moved from the postal zone of one town to the postal zone of a nearby town (move was maybe 3 miles). 3 months later, the DMV sent me notice that I had 18 points on my license out of a possible 12 points. Sent it to my old address. That Post Master knew I had moved, but realized it may be important mail that would be delayed through the return over the Holidays. So she hand delivered to the New Years Eve Party she knew I would be at across the road from her house. This was about 20 years ago. 


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## Woodchipper (Dec 19, 2018)

When I was in seminary, a friend lived in a real small town in Kentucky. His mail was always filed at the post office under "P" for preacher.
Edit- reminded me of a mail carrier in Louisville,  KY who delivered mail to the daycare where my wife worked. He learned that the envelope from Canada contained the paychecks. He made a special trip to deliver the paychecks in the morning so the teachers and staff could go the the bank on their lunch time. Since the school closed after banking hours, this allowed the teachers to deposit their paychecks.


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## TellicoTurning (Dec 19, 2018)

Talking about UPS service, when I was living in Humble, Texas - a town north of Houston, the UPS man also lived in my neighborhood a few street over...he also knew that I often worked late at my job, so he would take my packages home and deliver them after hours, when he knew i was home.... I didn't know him personally, but he took care of me. 



 At my job in Houston, I often handled letters of credit that ran into 7 figures... I would handle the negotiation of the documents, then needed them delivered to the banks down town.  I always used FEDEX as they were best at handling sensitive documents like the LC's... My office was for a while at the Airport, then later out on the 610 loop around Houston and near the ship channel... the packages with the million dollar documents always went to Memphis then back to Houston for deliver... fortunately, I never had any go missing, but also always struck me funny that a document destined downtown from my office, a distance between 10 to 12 miles, always made a trip to Memphis first.  Some of the documents went to banks in other cities, like New York, San Francisco etc... those I could understand making the trip to Memphis, but 10 miles to downtown Houston??  'Course I could have used a local courier, but they weren't near as reliable as FEDEX.  



When FEDEX first started up back in the '70's. everyone said the concept would not work... now all courier companies use that concept to handle documents.


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## aggie182 (Dec 20, 2018)

It sounds like it's a Houston area issue during the holiday times.  I don't recall is being like this last year, but I don't recall a lot of things.


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## vtgaryw (Dec 20, 2018)

I typically ship pens USPS.  If it's one or two pens, First Class, padded envelope is cheap and efficient.  I had one last big order to get out this week (20 pens.)  I looked at a large flat rate box, $ 17.00 +.  I was shipping Monday, they estimated Thursday delivery, but the customer was worried about not having enough time to wrap them (they were gifts for employees.)  I ended up going to UPS, it cost $ 10.59, ground (it was only 200 miles or so) and they were there the next day.  I'll look at UPS more often now.

Gary


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## MRDucks2 (Dec 20, 2018)

I just learned a couple of weeks ago that in Indiana, USPS shipping charges do not require sales tax to be collected on them but shipping through any other carrier i.e. Fedex or UPS requires collection of Indiana sales tax on the shipping costs. All if sold in Indiana, of course. 


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