I don't normally leave negative reviews, but my experience with the Dandridge, TN Post Office was so consistently unprofessional that I feel other customers deserve to know.
I received a custom ceramic doll valued at over $200 that arrived in a visibly crushed and bent box. When I picked it up from my porch, I could hear broken ceramic pieces moving inside. The doll's head had been forced into the body, causing damage beyond repair. I had ordered two dolls from the same seller. The first arrived in perfect condition in an undamaged box. The second arrived a day later in a severely damaged box, and the damage to the doll directly matched the crushed area of the packaging.
The biggest problem, however, was not the damaged package--it was how the claim inspection was handled.
On June 11, 2026, I visited the Dandridge Post Office with the USPS corporate letter instructing me to have the item inspected. I was told the claim couldn't be found and that no manager or Postmaster was available. I left my information and was told someone would call me the next day. No one did.
When I returned on June 12, Postmaster Jeff Grambell immediately became dismissive and acted as though the inspection could not be completed despite the written USPS instructions. After eventually inspecting the package, I repeatedly requested written documentation confirming the inspection and what would be reported to the claims office. He refused every request, laughed when I asked for documentation of his refusal, and told me I would simply have to take his word for it.
A clerk then produced the exact USPS "Receipt for Articles Damaged in Mails" form I had requested, but the Postmaster still refused to complete it or provide me with a copy.
He also ignored multiple requests to contact me at my work phone during business hours and repeatedly called only my cell phone instead.
After receiving conflicting information, I contacted USPS Corporate Claims directly on June 15. They explained the proper procedures and opened a complaint regarding how my inspection had been handled.
When I returned to the post office on June 15, the Postmaster suddenly had the very form he had refused to provide three days earlier. I returned on June 16 after learning my claim had been denied. The completed form stated I had "kept it for repair."
That is not what happened.
I refused to surrender the damaged doll because I had repeatedly been denied any written documentation proving it had been inspected or documenting that I had surrendered it. I was not refusing the process--I was requesting proper documentation before leaving a valuable item behind.
The Postmaster told me he informed the claims office that the damage did not occur at his branch. My claim concerns damage that occurred while the package was in USPS custody--not at any specific local office. During our conversation, he also acknowledged he did not believe the seller shipped the doll already damaged or that I caused the damage myself.
Throughout these interactions, I found his demeanor dismissive and unprofessional. He laughed at reasonable requests, refused standard documentation until days later, and repeatedly disregarded my requests regarding communication. These interactions occurred in front of other customers.
I respectfully request that USPS review the security camera footage from June 11, June 12, June 15, and June 16, 2026. The footage will objectively show how these interactions were handled.
This experience has left me with little confidence in how damaged mail claims are handled at this location. I will continue pursuing this matter through the appropriate USPS channels until the claim and the handling of this matter are fully reviewed. read more
