Anyone here work for the U.S. Postal Service?

[Snoozan]

I've got a question on what the USPS's responsibility is for delivering a piece of certified mail to the WRONG address and having it signed by some strange person.

I recently sent a check by certified mail for my DS's lease to an apartment complex. We rec'd the signed receipt card back, showing it was signed by someone with an RN after their name. The apartment lease office called a couple days after the card was signed(on the day the rent was due)and said they never got the check. Now what??? I can put a stop Payment on the check, but shouldn't the Post Office be responsible for my additional cost, since they were the one who delivered it to the wrong address? Also, shouldn't I expect to get my $$ back for the additional cost of sending it certified mail? I imagine if I'd sent the check with a $.37 stamp none of this would be happening today.

 

[bicker]

(I'm not a postal worker, but I play one online.)

Certified Mail only provides proof of the mailing of something -- it doesn't provide any guarantees, beyond those that apply to standard mail, that the mail is delivered.

Return Reciept only provides proof that the mail was delivered -- it doesn't provide any assurance of who received it.

For an additional fee, you can purchase Restricted Delivery. That is the USPS service that ensures that your mail reaches a specific recipient. That level assurance costs 2.5 times as much as Return Receipt, and definitely the USPS is liable if it can be proven that they didn't do as they promised. (Of course, that probably also would provide them with enough evidence to try and convict the person who actually did receive the mail.)

 

[DVC-Don]

We are always getting Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation packages dropped off on our front porch here. The carrier gets the right house number, but the street is about a 1/4 mile north from here. Been about six times in the past year. The first two times we drove the packages to the proper address ourselves. Now I just put them on the ground out by our mailbox and the carrier (I think) picks them up the next day.