TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Dejoy’s company (a logistics provider) was an IT customer of mine before he was appointed, but the atmosphere in his company was alway unsettling as if everyone was living in fear and mostly concerned about CYA. Usually, when you encounter an environment like that, it comes from the top, and having met him, I think I understood why none of our sales people wanted the account (myself included) - just a strange place, and I gave it up after a couple of visits. Considering the cuts he made when he first came on board and the attendant declining service, I’m not sure why he hasn’t been replaced. My experience with the rank and file carriers has been excellent in every way.

Ron 717 Loc: Pennsylvania

Last year I mailed a package that kept giving me the same message you are getting. After 2 weeks I had to refund the buyer because the package was considered lost. The tracking kept stating “In Transit” after I refunded the buyer and exactly on day 30 it was marked as delivered. The buyer then resent the purchase amount to me although it would have been difficult to force them to if they hadn’t done what was right.
This is what we have to live with in todays world.

Ollieboy

I use permanent ink that can't be "washed" on my checks. I also have a standing order of no money transfers from any of my accounts. I've had success with these procedures. (So far)

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

A few weeks back I had to send a priority mail envelope to Tallahassee - the Florida state capital about 200 miles from here. It took a WEEK for it to be delivered. When we send letters or packages (via regular first class mail) to our relatives in rural Maine ("rural" meaning an hour to the nearest traffic light!) they almost always arrive in 3 days. Go figure.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

USPS may not be the best way to send a package, but sometimes it is the only way. I recently sold a piece of equipment to someone with a P.O. box. Only the postal system will deliver to one of those, UPS will not and most likely FedX will not also.

Chance Logan Loc: New England

Information shared can be helpful if you have the facts right. The USPS no longer has to prefund retirement like before. It now has an uncontested (to this point) reign of delivery time tables that have been deliberately 'slowed down' by its controversial Postmaster General DeJoy with a history of conflicting interests. Despite our lack of confidence in Congressional reps, they are high volume users of the mail system, email and telephones. But where is the pressure for them to act if you don't hound them with the problem? The Administration, which seems to be delayed too, was to revamp the Postal Board of Governors and investigate DeJoy. Yet, the new Chairman of the Board of Governors (per a Federal News Network article in January) '...applauded the rollout of a 10-year reform plan last year, which looks to reverse the impact of 15 years of annual net losses by 2030. Under that plan, USPS has increased mail prices and implemented a new service standard that slows the delivery of 40% of first-class mail.' Interesting that the crutch for the net losses used to be the pre-funding retirement costs that no longer exist. There has been no explanation for how slower translates to better service, but I doubt if they will ever say delivery problems (especially for packages) are caused by slower handling of letters.

No excuse for what they have done to the delivery standards. No excuse for the inaction of the Administration. No excuse for consumers not to inundate Congressional reps to get improvements; even if incrementally.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

Some time back, during the "pandemic" I had two separate orders/packages being shipped by DHL, UPS, or FedEx, that tracking indicated had been delivered to a Post Office distribution center about two hours drive from me. The USPS tracking indicated the packages were expected. That status remained for several days. Then one day the USPS tracking showed, "Out for delivery" but no infoe where it had been or when it had oved. Strange, but I did get the items I was expecting.

JBRIII

A few weeks back I had an order from Amazon containing an SSD, some power supplies, etc. just disappear from the Amazon facility. After two weeks, Amazon had a three way call and PO said no package ever got to them from Amazon. Amazon replaced everything, then week or so later first order arrived. Amazon told me to keep both orders which was great, but where did package sit for three weeks? My suspicion is it was just sat aside somewhere at Amazon until someone noticed it, since there was no tracking showing it ever got to any USPS location.

I once lost a hammer in the basement, looked everywhere, months later I told my wife I had found it. She asked where it had been, answer: I don't know, but I'm hammering with it, so I have found it, never did figure out where it had been, just that it was now in my hand!

Dannj

Unlike past years when the mail deliverer was the same for many years in my area we now have a rotation. Other than an occasional item delivered to the house next door, the service is excellent. They even put small packages inside the storm door at times. I’d like to think the local postmaster is responsible for the good delivery service but the counter service at the local post office is so bad that most people use the facilities in the adjacent towns. Go figure😳

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

FYI, “couldn’t not even speak English” is a double negative, meaning in essence that they can.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

A quick add-on to my previous thread post. During the conversation that I mention above, the same person said that the most common error resulting in a delay is placing a parcel or envelop in the wrong destination queue/bin that what was read. For example, let’s say all mail to Iowa goes thru Des Moines for sorting. A bar code gets read that says Cedar Rapids but the package gets placed in the Cedar Falls load. If a recipient or sender looks at tracking, it will tell him/her that the package is in Cedar Rapids even tho it’s headed for Cedar Falls. What he couldn’t tell me is, what happens with the package when it reaches Cedar Falls. Does it get set aside or returned to Des Moines.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Don't hold your breath on collecting any insurance, I gave up after a year and a half to collect on a lense they ruined. The big run around, multiple calls , paper work , time invested , I finally gave up, got better things to do with my time. Don't bother with the insurance.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

In 2020, the USPS delivered about 20 billion packages, so it's not surprising that some get delayed or lost. Postmaster DeJoy took steps to make the USPS more efficient by slowing down delivery. The term "On Time" has been extended to four or five days.

For Priority mail, delivery can take 1, 2, or 3 days (not guaranteed). Contact customer service after five or more days after mailing."

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Delayed-Mail-and-Packages

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

As I mentioned in a previous post to this thread, a camera repair service I've used actually recommended never insuring based on his experience. Recovering through USPS is rare, since it's "never" their fault.

TonyBot

There IS a way for the PO Box to receive something from UPS or FedEx.

Say, the physical address of the PO is 123 Main St, Anytown, Yourstate. [zip=99999]
-or- Your (or your customer's) address is PO Box 456, Anytown, Yourstate. [zip=99999]

Address your UPS or FedEx package *this way*:

(receiver)
123 Main St, Apt 456
Anytown, Yourstate, 99999-xxxx (look up the zip+4 for 123 Main on USPS.com)

It works. Used it many times. Both ways. BUT not all UPS/FedEx drivers know it!

---------

But, the original problem of non- or late-delivery with the PO is mostly poorly written address and the PO mis-sorting. Add to that that the workers are being pushed to do more and more than ever, as MDIMainer has stated.