I am so done shipping any packages through the PO.
This has been absolutely the worst season ever with this system. Every quarter I am having to call the local postmaster about something stupid. My two favorite incidents of 2013: 1) They shipped two packages back to China, even though I filled out those peach colored forms to Redeliver them when I wasn't available. 2) They placed my Incoming mail ON TOP OF my Outgoing mail in my mailbox - on at least 3 occasions. The occasions where my mail was never picked up at all? The reason was: "You had no mail to be delivered that day. It is a courtesy for the postman to check your mailbox for outgoing mail." Beautiful. YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, driving by my very conveniently-placed mailbox. Each time I call, I am told it is my regular carrier's substitute who is making the crazy mistakes. Why is said substitute not properly trained? We pay enough postage!
I have an ebay account I use to sell holiday items such as Halloween candles and mini xmas trees and the like. This has been the most stressful postal season yet for me and undoubtedly many other online sellers. Countless packages have been severely delayed, regardless of whether they are shipped Priority. Folks, Priority shipping, although expensive, is NOT GUARANTEED. Never was, and it has never been more evident to me than it has been since October 2013. I called the local postal manager, June, on numerous occasions over the years with my complaints. I like to consider myself pretty reasonable, not one to raise my voice and act like a complete a-hole to someone who represents a sucky-ass business.
The last time I spoke to June...WOW, is really all I can say, to sum it up. I had called her on a recent Fri I believe, about two lost packages, two days after one of the Priority packages was due to one of my buyers. (You see, on the previous Mon, I had scheduled for the USPS to pick up four packages: 2 at the front door, two in the mailbox. They missed the front door packages, and I had to call them to come pick them up before day's end. On Wed the tracking info showed those two packages never left San Diego.) June was in a meeting at the moment and took a message to call back. Fine. Fri morn, I called back and another lady answered the phone. She took a message for me, including the tracking numbers in question. It was confirmed June would be in Sat morning. She arrives at 4am, I'm told.
Sat morning I called and June answered. I politely said I had waited for her call yesterday (trying to jostle her memory). She snapped! Paraphrasing, "I HAD THREE CUSTOMERS I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL YESTERDAY. I WAS ON THE STREET, TENDING TO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TO PUT YOU ON HOLD NOW." I waited, incredulous. She gets back on the phone and scolded me that I have to be patient as she has to help customers - to which I interrupted, "I *AM* A CUSTOMER!" As I proceeded to explain the issue, her demeanor changed when she realized I was at the top of her list of call-backs, and what do you know, there are the tracking numbers. No apology for her outburst. She said she had to speak to Consumer Affairs for 'guidance'; hang tight till Monday. Sheesh.
Monday night I went to the Silver St office to speak to her in person, armed with printouts of the still-unchanged tracking info and a load of questions. Of course I missed her by 40 minutes. So I drove over to the Wall St office and stood in line, hoping I could speak to some sympathetic soul.
Finally, I spoke to the gentleman who happened to answer the phone on Mon about having someone pick up the two missed packages. His name is Eric Gilbert and he was terrific to speak with. He was polite and explained how things get tangled up, what with inclement weather plus the holiday season. The tracking system they use is MUCH more detailed than the info we have when looking at usps.com. One of the packages was delivered; the other almost there. Unfortunately, I had already reshipped duplicate items and thus had lost money. One recipient of the two has shipped the duplicate item back to me. Eric was apologetic about the delays and said he will have a talk with June as she is supposed to be returning calls. Good! I didn't know he was higher up on the food chain. He gave me his biz card and I left feeling my humanity in the USPS was (slightly) restored.
Days later, packages at the front door were missed again. This time I emailed Eric and he responded the next day, saying he spoke to all the carriers that they need to carefully read the online forms submitted to them (for crying out loud). Last Sat, my single - and scheduled Priority package was missed. I didn't bother emailing Eric. What diff does it make?
Now...I have a peeved buyer of this package who never received it, a solid week later. At the same time, a Priority package *I* was due three days ago appears to never have left IN.
For large packages, it's UPS for me from now on. The USPS can go down in flames for all I care. read more