Can I file a compaint against the USPS with the BBB?

[Lisa loves Pooh]

some of "them" do post on these boards-like myself!

They stole one of my packages too. And box cuttered out the address off of my box and that is all I got.

The nice lady at the post office even told me that it had to be someone in the USPS as I had shipped the box from france and there is no way that they would have sent me just a label if the theft occurred prior to any evidence arriving in the US.

Them is not universal to all USPS employees. But it seems that packages tend to disappear more often with them than any other carrier.

Post office could of course not do anything, but I really felt like I had been sent a hostage letter.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

But if she'd gone to the post office originally, she could have purchased exactly the number of stamps she needed - assuming it wasn't actually 100 - and not had to worry about 'leftovers', and saved the $1 shipping fee and all the worry and aggravation.

I'm guessing she just expected it to work out better than this. Live and learn.

I pass our post office every day, but I'm also on the Internet everyday, and if it looked to me like ordering online was just a nice convenient way to get stamps I might have done the same thing too. And if I ran into problems, I guess next time I'd think twice about it.

 

[of the seas]

Great! Perhaps you can explain what happened between here and Florida with a package worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars? Because I am unable to get any response from the Postal Inspector.

Thanks!

How would I know?? Alls I know in the p.o. where I work we all take our job seriously and do the best we can do. Everyone goes through a background check and is fingerprinted. I don't know anyone who would even think about stealing something as it is a felony. It does get anoying when everyone bashes where you work at where you have put out a lot of sweat and tears into it. It is not easy and it is very hard work where I am. I always hear"how hard is it to remember so and so doesn't live here anymore" well, when you have over 300 boxes on your route, it is hard to remember every name and sometimes things get misdelivered. We put up all of our own mail and take it all out.

Stamps by mail is usually an easy way to get stamps.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks, of the seas!

I think not a whole lot of people are aware how much physical work and how much responsibility is involved when one is a postal employee (and please, no "jokes" about going postal, folks - they just plain aren't funny).

Most likely, the reason a very few who ship packages that are ultimately lost are getting the 'neatly box-cuttered label' because whoever is responsible for making those decisions feels a destroyed box pointless... and based on both of the seas' experience and my own knowledge*, postal employees aren't stealing your items.

*Yeah, I really do know a lot of different things. This particular one is based on friends and family employed by the USPS - and of course, of the seas' posts

 

[CathrynRose]

Most likely, the reason a very few who ship packages that are ultimately lost are getting the 'neatly box-cuttered label' because whoever is responsible for making those decisions feels a destroyed box pointless... and based on both of the seas' experience and my own knowledge*, postal employees aren't stealing your items.

Well, I disagree. Are all of them? Of course not. But I got back an empty box, not damaged, yet cut on the seam, nicely, cleanly sliced, and retaped (my tape was brown packaging tape - the P.O. tape was clear)

A mesh laundry bag, tightened shut - somehow opened, as well during this crazy 'damaged' box incident, and dropped out all my 'cute' dresses, cute undies, my son's sox jersey - YET my 'grandma panties' and plain T's, remained! Miraculous!

My Mother's vintage Disney beach towels - fell out, yet the plain big blue one, stayed put! Amazing!

Birkenstocks tumbled out, cheap Old Navy Flip Flops - they stayed put! Wow!

Like I said - hundreds and hundreds of dollars of items stolen. The only things I got back, were the one's worth nothing. It's funny how a damaged box can only drop out the valuable items, isn't it?

I'm still ticked about this - so if I'm coming off harsh, I apologize - but like I said, I had all my things rummaged through like a freaking free-for-all. That ticks me off.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thanks, of the seas!

I think not a whole lot of people are aware how much physical work and how much responsibility is involved when one is a postal employee (and please, no "jokes" about going postal, folks - they just plain aren't funny).

Most likely, the reason a very few who ship packages that are ultimately lost are getting the 'neatly box-cuttered label' because whoever is responsible for making those decisions feels a destroyed box pointless... and based on both of the seas' experience and my own knowledge*, postal employees aren't stealing your items.

*Yeah, I really do know a lot of different things. This particular one is based on friends and family employed by the USPS - and of course, of the seas' posts

According the postal employee I spoke with--that isn't proper protocol. There were no liquids in the box and even if the items broke, they were still mine and were of no danger in their broken condition to be confiscated without so much as an explanation.

My box cuttered label (which was my address written directly on the package) had absoloutely no evidence that there was anythign wrong with my box--as it was in mint condition with not a scratch, wrinkle, pen mark---nothing. The postage was not included, so there is no way that this travelled from overseas on its own and delivered to me without any postage being due.

They owe the customers an explanation and outside of that, it only points to dishonesty.


I've had rather good luck over the years with the USPS--but they are not immune to dishonest employees. Felony or not.
To pretend that theft doesn't happen is stating that the post office is immune to such things. And that is a naive way to believe. I don't care who you know since I know someone who works there as well and provided insight as to what could have happened.

In any business, there is theft regardless of the consequence. It happens.
Funny how the postal employee (whom I knew from church) feels differently than you guys on the matter.

 

[LadyZolt]

Last year, I ordered a lot of things from Amazon and when the box arrived, it was totally empty and clearly had been sliced open neatly with a box cutter. Anyone can see the "Amazon" label and know it's DVDs, CDs and/or books. Amazon re-sent everything UPS and it arrived fine and still in time for Christmas. Do I think a postal employee is responsible? Yes, I do. As others have mentioned, there is no accountability, no tracking number, and there should be.

A few years ago, I used the post office next day guaranteed delivery service for a very important business transaction. It did not get there the next day and the only thing they said was that I could fill out a form and get a refund. That does not help.

These are not the only two incidents. I have many more, but you all get the point.

I have *never* not had an item get there the next day when I send it FedEx. I have *never* had a package not arrive in the same shape as it was sent when it goes UPS. The post office has really gone downhill over the years and it is time for it to declare bankruptcy and allow the private market to handle the mail. I have a relative who just recently retired from the post office, so it's not like I haven't bent over backwards to try to understand, be supportive and keep trying its services. But I have learned that if I want something to really get there, I have to send it UPS or FedEx.

The post office has only itself to blame. It has overworked employees trapped in a bureaucracy that simply does not work. It can no longer provide the level of service that other companies can and do provide every day. I don't blame all the employees -- I know most of them are honest and hardworking -- but the fact that there is no accountability and that it's really difficult to get reasonable responses to complaints makes people not even want to patronize the post office. We email instead of send a letter if it's at all possible. UPS and other services like that would be out of business if the post office would simply start giving tracking numbers like others do and providing better customer service. It's really not that hard -- all the other package services have managed to do it. I hear the death bells tolling for the post office whenever I drive by it on my way to UPS.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[bumbershoot]

A few years ago, I used the post office next day guaranteed delivery service for a very important business transaction. It did not get there the next day and the only thing they said was that I could fill out a form and get a refund. That does not help.

FWIW, that's all a guarantee is. That they'll pay you x dollars if they don't meet their promise. I know that's obvious, but you wanted it to absolutely positively be there....and no one can absolutely promise that will happen. All they can ever do is try to get it there and then refund money if it doesn't.

 

[HsvTeacher]

Well, I'm worried now after reading this thread!

A package that I sent to my in-laws has not arrived, even though I sent it out by Priority Mail over a week ago. (I know Priority Mail is not guaranteed, but it's still frustrating!) Unfortunately, the package has everyone's Christmas (and one birthday) gift in it. I'm hoping it's just been delayed due to the snow storm they had over the weekend.

 

[MrsSpratt]

When I read the Title, I thought you wanted to complain about the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique!

I hope it all works out - Merry Christmas!

 

[DancingBear]

Why are you picking on the Post Office? For 44 cents, someone comes to your house, picks up some piece of crap you wrote, and takes it to Wyoming on a plane!

Jon Stewart

 

[Muffin]

I used to subscribe to a magazine that would come late every single month. Subscribers were supposed to receive their copy before it hit the newsstands, but I never did.

I spoke with the publisher and was assured that my magazine was mailed on a particular date every month, but I generally never received it until 3 weeks later.

They told me to check with my post office. I did, and I was assured that my magazines were being delivered as in a timely manner.

This went on every month for several years.

Well imagine my surprise and delight when the publisher started putting this particular magazine in a plastic bag and I started getting my magazine before it hit the newstand every single month from then on.

Just sayin.

 

[darlak]

I've had rather good luck over the years with the USPS--but they are not immune to dishonest employees. Felony or not.

To pretend that theft doesn't happen is stating that the post office is immune to such things. And that is a naive way to believe. I don't care who you know since I know someone who works there as well and provided insight as to what could have happened.

In any business, there is theft regardless of the consequence. It happens.
Funny how the postal employee (whom I knew from church) feels differently than you guys on the matter.

Of course theft happens within the USPS. My DH is in management at a very large post office. Theft is taken very seriously and the consequence is termination. However, having said that, the standard of proof is high and it is VERY difficult to terminate anyone. My personal opinion is that there must be some way to ensure better accountability of employees. There is an employee who has been fired twice for poor work ethics (not involving theft though), but has appealed and had his job reinstated both times.

There was even some idiot that my DH reprimanded for sleeping on the job (waay longer than his break time or even his lunch time). He filed a grievance on my DH because, as he stated "everyone sleeps during work hours".

Still, it is a hard job and there are many more good, hard-working, honest employees than bad. I have to agree though that they need to change their accountability practices and their termination policies.

 

[LadyZolt]

A few years ago, I used the post office next day guaranteed delivery service for a very important business transaction. It did not get there the next day and the only thing they said was that I could fill out a form and get a refund. That does not help.

FWIW, that's all a guarantee is. That they'll pay you x dollars if they don't meet their promise. I know that's obvious, but you wanted it to absolutely positively be there....and no one can absolutely promise that will happen. All they can ever do is try to get it there and then refund money if it doesn't.

I see your point and agree with it, but when I went in to discuss this, they acted like they didn't even care. If they'd acted sorry at all instead of "Oh well, yeah, that happens all the time. Here's a form to fill out" I might feel different. And, as I said, I have never had this happen with FedEx. It also was September and there was no bad weather or something like that which would have prevented overnight delivery. I can totally understand weather or other events out of their control. But in this case, the postal employees indicated that it's not at all rare for their overnight service to not deliver the item for two days. LOL!! Well, it's attitudes like that which make a lot of us go to FedEx and UPS. Like I said, I don't use the post office for anything I care about. I only use it for cards and unimportant things, and that's only because after FedEx was invented, the post office had Congress pass a law about what private companies could and couldn't do. They're on their way out, like horse and buggy makers -- obsolete and will eventually be only an interesting historical token, like the Pony Express. I won't miss it.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[LadyZolt]

So today is Christmas Eve and yesterday, the post office left me a form to pick up a gift, claiming that they tried to leave it at my house but no one answered the door. First, that's ridiculous -- I was in the kitchen making cookies and had the postal employee merely knocked or rang the bell, we'd have answered it. Four adults were home at the time, so I know NO EFFORT was made to have us come to the door and sign for the package.

So, DH goes to the post office this morning to get the "signature required" (thank God, otherwise, I believe it stood a good chance of becoming 'missing in transit' or something and it is a Christmas present I paid a hundred dollars for) package. Guess how many postal employees were working at 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve when over a dozen people were lined up to get packages?

ONE.

No one can possibly explain the logic of that. One poor postal clerk to hand out all the packages on Christmas Eve. The post office really has no idea how to provide good customer service.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[kaytieeldr]

so I know NO EFFORT was made

Don't have any idea what actually happened, but do you really think LESS of an effort is involved for the carrier to stop and fill out one of the 'package' forms, than to just simply, um, deliver the package?

Guess how many postal employees were working at 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve when over a dozen people were lined up to get packages?

ONE.

No one can possibly explain the logic of that. One poor postal clerk to hand out all the packages on Christmas Eve. The post office really has no idea how to provide good customer service.

It's too bad your DH had to wait (I had to wait twenty minutes one day last week, with two clerks and fifteen customers) but it IS Christmas Eve, and MANY employees in MANY companies/businesses request/get/regularly have the day (Thursday) off. Does your post office normally have many counter people working?

 

[1957]

Well, guess it must just be luck, as I have never had a problem! Our Postmistress pretty much knows us all by name (the eleven years I've been here). I buy 100 Forever stamps at a time, and leave a check in the orange envelope in my box. The last time, my check was short by $2.00, but she left them anyway, and SHE paid the difference. Once I figured out the mistake, I met her at the mailbox, thanked her profusely, and paid her back. She also knocks on our doors with over-sized packages so we don't have to go to the PO. She's really wonderful, and got a very nice cash tip from me (and others) for Christmas! If I send anything of value, I use Certified mail, UPS, or Fedex, depending on size. I declare the content and value, and get a receipt with tracking number. We absolutely love our Postmistress!

 

[LadyZolt]

Don't have any idea what actually happened, but do you really think LESS of an effort is involved for the carrier to stop and fill out one of the 'package' forms, than to just simply, um, deliver the package?

Yeah, because on my street, the mailbox is on the street, so all he has to do is reach into the mailbox and drop off the form, whereas to deliver it to me, he'd have to get out of the truck, walk up to the door, actually knock, wait 30 seconds, and then have me sign something and hand me the box.

My husband is a nurse, and they have people working *every single day of the year*. Accountants know they can't get days off near April 15th. The post office should ensure that their staffing on their busiest time of the year (after Thanksgiving until Christmas) meets the demand, and they consistently don't.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[1957]

Yeah, because on my street, the mailbox is on the street, so all he has to do is reach into the mailbox and drop off the form, whereas to deliver it to me, he'd have to get out of the truck, walk up to the door, actually knock, wait 30 seconds, and then have me sign something and hand me the box.

My husband is a nurse, and they have people working *every single day of the year*. Accountants know they can't get days off near April 15th. The post office should ensure that their staffing on their busiest time of the year (after Thanksgiving until Christmas) meets the demand, and they consistently don't.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

So, LadyZolt, what is your occupation? What do YOU do that is above and beyond to satisfy your consumers? Last I heard, the USPS is not obligated to get out of their truck to deliver a package if it's too large for your mailbox. How do you know that your USPS person even HAS your package on his truck? Accountants work in a private industry. Your husband, the nurse, undoubtedly, works on SHIFTS. Sorry - you sound pretty selfish to me. Merry Christmas, anyway!

 

[LadyZolt]

Last I heard, the USPS is not obligated to get out of their truck to deliver a package if it's too large for your mailbox. How do you know that your USPS person even HAS your package on his truck?

Um, what the heck got into you?

The package was not too big for the mailbox. The package required a signature. The form said they tried to deliver it, yet no one was home. That is *not true*. Four adults were home at the time.

I repeat: I have a relative who just two months ago retired from the post office where he worked full time for the past 25 years. The post office used to be great -- but now it has gone downhill with bad customer service. It is time to privatize the postal delivery service.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)