I learned something recently...
I'm sure you already knew that when you purchase something online and you're wanting it delivered to your residence, you can use a variety of shipping methods (UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc.). But did you know that even if you pick UPS or FedEx shipping, certain companies (like one that I used recently) will combine the use of UPS/FedEx and USPS as a cost-savings measure? Because it costs more to have UPS or FedEx deliver the item straight to you, companies will have UPS or FedEx drop off the item at a nearby USPS location and then have the postal workers finish the delivery. So really, this makes the shipping costs you're paying to some companies all the more ridiculous.
For my recent purchase, UPS did most of the heavy lifting (and flying) across the country, and delivered the purchased item to the post office closest to our zip code. That would be this post office in Warr Acres. After waiting for two weeks and not receiving the item, we looked into the delivery status only to discover from UPS that:
"The receiver does not want the product and refused the delivery. The package will be returned to the sender."
The Warr Acres post office never delivered the item to us, and also decided to tell UPS that we didn't want it... So now the item that we purchased is back with the company, and it's going to have to be shipped to us. Again.
And I've been trying to call the Warr Acres post office for two days now in an attempt to ensure that this nonsense won't happen again, except their phone number has a perpetual busy signal.
When I call the USPS 1-800 number to let them know I can't get a hold of the Warr Acres post office, they have the most convoluted, and blood-pressure raising automated phone tree system in place. It will not let you get to customer service without first having you tell it (the automated system) what you're wanting to talk to customer service about. And when you try to give an answer, it will do everything in its power to not get you to a human being. I understand that it's not a living thing, but USPS' automated phone tree system feels evil in how much it's been fighting me. Like it's actually this dastardly artificial intelligence that's bent on eventual world domination but for now is satisfied at making people have mini strokes by being the exact opposite of helpful.
Anyway, long story long... What a terrible, terrible place. My goodness, this lumbering dinosaur of a government corporation needs to be put out of its ever loving misery. read more