I had one package that came up missing shipped through USPS.

I received notice that it had been delivered through the tracking number.

I tried to contact our local PO three times, one time was told I don't have time for this right now, and will call you back. Never happened, so I filed an online complaint that got their attention.

Three days later my package was delivered, and the local Post Master called to ask if I had received it. I replied yes, and she asked why I hadn't contacted them directly.  

They found it through the GPS tracking of the delivered package.

It had been delivered to a house about three miles south of me with the same house number but wrong street. 

 

31 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

I had one package that came up missing shipped through USPS.

I received notice that it had been delivered through the tracking number.

I tried to contact our local PO three times, one time was told I don't have time for this right now, and will call you back. Never happened, so I filed an online complaint that got their attention.

Three days later my package was delivered, and the local Post Master called to ask if I had received it. I replied yes, and she asked why I hadn't contacted them directly.  

They found it through the GPS tracking of the delivered package.

It had been delivered to a house about three miles south of me with the same house number but wrong street. 

 

Because it ain't my job????

43 minutes ago, Gunny said:

Because it ain't my job????

No matter, I got my package! 

 It has been my experience that any government service is by nature bloated and inefficient. Just about everything is better in private enterprise. I find Amazon can get me what I want in a day or two and since I am a Prime member, which is very reasonable, shipping is almost always free. I have ordered items in the afternoon and received them the next morning many times frequently cheaper and delivered at no cost. I use it a lot now that I don't want to expose myself to covid any more than I have to and the service is superb so far. I have never known the government to even approach that kind of efficiency - ever. Regulations are the only thing keeping them from delivering meds as well. IMO the USPS well before long go the of the payphone.  The postal service is political and they want me to trust them with my vote? Not a chance. Make voting day a national holiday and maybe expand it to two days in this social distancing environment but I am all for in person voting.   

7 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

 

How much you want to bet those pushing to privatize the USPS own (or a good chunk of) the companies they're pushing for? 

Not me and I’d privatize in a heartbeat. 

The postal employees are a bunch of no good $#@#$%^&&*^&%$ people! Oh sorry for that, my brother and sister don’t read this forum (They are both current employees of USPS) I did a year carrying back in 1986. All I can say from my experience back in 86, was the sanctity of first class mail was a genuine tenet when I carried. Other than that there was a movie (comedy) that wrote itself while I was there. Some sad experiences with some of the Vietnam Vets I worked with.

Steve, I do have a question.  If the USPS is its own entity and self supporting, why are they before Congress asking for bailouts on a regular basis?

They need to devise a better mailing system here.  Everythings done electronically now, I don't even get bills in the mail anymore.  All online.  Any type of medications should be overnight at the expense of the sending company to the patient via fedex or UPS.  If I had to rely on USPS on vital drugs if I needed them.  They would most likely fail.  Plus it takes way too long to get those medications that one would need.

Edited August 14, 20205 yr by AndrewB

2 hours ago, Ron Dudelston said:

Steve, I do have a question.  If the USPS is its own entity and self supporting, why are they before Congress asking for bailouts on a regular basis?

Why not ? The government bailed out the major banks and general motors when they needed it. Remember that?

I heard today that the Postmaster general is removing 502 mail sorting machines around the country and is destroying them. These machines sort thousands of mails every minute. It is a deliberate effort to slow the mails so ballots can't be counted on election day. The machines cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and are being destroyed so they can't be quickly replaced. This is a deliberate attempt to destroy the postal service that we have had since before we were a nation.

Edit : The number of machines being removed has increased to 671.

Edited August 15, 20205 yr by Al B

Well, Ron.  The facts are that the Post Office has not had a bailout since 1971.  They keep asking for a line of credit to get ahead, but Congress has refused every time.  There has NEVER been a bailout for the Post Office.  Go to the website and see for your self.  Also, as I said, I get the monthly magazine from NARFE which states how Congress is always looking to the Post Office for funds.  But some news agencies will report that the Post Office needs a bail out.  If you have to PREFUND your Medicare, Social Security, health insurance plus FERS payments plus life insurance and health insurance payments for 5 years, you may ask for some relief.  That is NOT a bail out.  That is requesting relief or some forgiveness.  Each time the Post Office ask for any money, this is their justification for a rate increase in postage.  The other thing Congress did to the Post Office is that the driver is no longer supposed to leave the truck unless the package is too big for your mailbox.  These same people put this into effect in 2013.  To believe that the Post Office is getting any relief or bailout is the Jim Jones Koolaid.  Drink up.  

 

In 2013, Congress mandated that the postal carriers would deliver to the door.  Many of us had to set up mail boxes.  Now, they have relaxed that and some have removed mailboxes but when they do, the 2013 ruling is applied.  Those who did not put up a street side mailbox were grandfathered in to get door delivery.  Also, Congress tried to get the Post Office to do only 5 day delivery.  

 

I have relied on the Post Office for over 70 years.  All legal documents are delivered by mail.  I will never go electronic billing or payment.  It is more subject to hack.  I get hacked on my credit card about every 6 months.  It is always some scoundrel at a local business.  I never give out my credit card info over the phone or internet.  I will submit a check to a vendor out of town.  I have never had a problem.  Our Post Office system, is the world's best delivery system.  With all the kinks and personnel, it still gets through at that lowest rate and speediest service except my personal experience in Louisiana and Texas.  For some reason, they can loose anything.  I have sent packages there and it takes bird dogging and about 5 weeks.  I can send stuff to Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia or anywhere in Florida in 3 days.  

 

UPS, started in 1921 and is very sloppy.  Many of those carriers are angry and don't care about what they do.  I will not use them if I can help it.  When I order something, if they do not have a mail option, they do not get my business.  

 

I worked for 6 years in contracting studies.  Oh, the horror stories I can tell. Burnside-Ott was a fueling contract to refuel Navy planes.  They never could get it right.  After 2 years, they came back and said they did not have the expertise or manpower at the funds they were receiving to fill all the requirements.  So, they sued and came up with a 75% satisfaction rate vice our 95% satisfaction rate on delivery and refueling.  Now, it is about 50% of that.  Most of the planes from our local Naval Air Station are now at the airport where they get better service.  

Dick Cheney took over all food preparation and serving for military bases in 1970.  Shipboard sailors were no longer allowed time on shore duty because the galley work was all privatized.  The food was worse, let me tell you.  The IT department where I worked last can not or will not maintain pace with the needs.  And, they don't have as many employees to serve after the BRAC of 1985-1995.  I talked with a fellow employee who said it is sad.  The people can't get the computers they need, they can't access servers more than about 50%, they hardly do a service call.  In my day, it was like being in the military.  When you got a call, you made an immediate response and worked to get the best and quickest results.  

 

Ok, I am out of this.  I am not drinking the Koolaid.  

4 minutes ago, FlGatorwood said:

I am not drinking the Koolaid.  

We have tea???  Hot or cold.  

12 hours ago, Larry Buskirk said:

@FlGatorwood,

Very well put Steve.

My SIL was a USPS employee.

How much you want to bet those pushing to privatize the USPS own (or a good chunk of) the companies they're pushing for? 

Absolutely.  They have been trying to tear the Post Office apart since the 1980's.  They have no replacement.  The Japanese have copied our postal system and it is far more complicated than ours.  

 

Those of you who think it would be easy to be a carrier, please go take the test.  After 2 hours of reading addresses, you'll be begging for some headache relief.  

 

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

10 hours ago, Al B said:

Why not ? The government bailed out the major banks and general motors when they needed it. Remember that?

Chrysler too, and it's foreign owned now. 

IF (very big IF) I recall correctly:

 

If you have an "altercation" (fight, shooting,etc.) with a USPS employee it is a Federal crime. To be prosecuted in Federal court.

 

So if they are not Federal employees what warrants them getting Federal protection?

41 minutes ago, smitty10101 said:

IF (very big IF) I recall correctly:

 

If you have an "altercation" (fight, shooting,etc.) with a USPS employee it is a Federal crime. To be prosecuted in Federal court.

 

So if they are not Federal employees what warrants them getting Federal protection?

I'm not stepping into the discussion, but what you said is true (at least about the Federal court jurisdiction). There was a customer who shot his carrier in the leg in Dayton, OH. some time back. He was just sentenced to 12 years in prison (yesterday, I think) in a Federal court.

I believe the postal workers retirement plan is a civil service plan, not social security.

Postal employees are federal employees as they work for the government, but their pay is funded entirely by the post office funds.  It is a self sustaining branch of the federal government.  I worked for 35 years for DOD.  Our jobs were often shut down because of Congressional disagreements with the executive branch over annual budgets.  The Post Office carried on during our shut downs.  They are not subject to the Congressional Budget.  

 

All federal employees are under Social Security as of 1982.  The Civil Service Retirement System was removed and defunded putting $1.8 Trillion dollars of employee only contributions into the national debt.  Most of those who were federal employees at the time could choose to stay with the old system or move over to the new system.  Minimum retirement age was raised to 62, except for FBI, CIA, and such.  They still get to retire at age 55.  But, in 2009, all federal employees pay 9% Social Security with no added benefits.  In addition they pay Medicare.  This is on top of required health and life insurance.  By the time a federal employee pays all these required deductions, they are out of pocket 30% of gross pay.  

 

TSP is like a 401k but it is governed by Congress.  So, if you or I go downtown and purchase government bonds and notes, you get the market return.  If a government employee purchases such (again, required to enter TSP), they are limited to 1% return on their investment.  If a federal employee on Social Security retirement gets a COLA, it is limited to 2%, not what other workers get if above 2%.  This program is called FERS and the only time you don't collect Social Security as a retiree is the time you must retire before age 62, you get a stipend equal to the amount of what you would collect from Social Security.  So contrary to the Newt Gringrich and Paul Ryan diatribe, we are not rich.  I know folks who worked in the private sector and collect between $30k and $40k annually from Social Security.  You will rarely find a civil service with that kind of retirement.  Most of the folks who worked rebuilding Navy/Marine aircraft get from $1200 to $1800 per month on their retirement and pay the higher premiums on Medicare than those from the private sector.  We get to pay over $150 per month while my wife pays $135 for hers.  So we are both rich and privileged.  

Edited August 15, 20205 yr by FlGatorwood

Hey, AlB and other regarding the question about the sorting machines being removed.  Here is a link of evidence.  

 

https://hosted.ap.org/clevelandbanner/article/bed44c605f5e14731a31c1fbe59a9d0d/tennessee-postal-workers-struggling-amid-cuts-backlogs

 

As you can see, these machines are essential to the downsizing and keeping the post office viable.  Remember all your legal documents rely on only the U. S. Post Office.  

 

This is obviously an effort to cripple the post office.  

 

Yes, private industries such as banks, insurance companies and auto makers got bail out money.  Yes, they can't be efficient but can beg at the trough of my tax dollars.  I don't deal with any of them.  They will get no more of my money.  

Gator, I had forgotten about the change from civil service to SS. I had been forced to retire from the shipyard after that after 20 years service before the change. My "generous" civil service retirement has grown over the years, with cost of living increases, to slightly over $1,800 per month. Worked  another 34 years under SS. Because of my disability, had to accept lower paying jobs. Total retirement between both, and including my wife's SS income from her part time work over the years is under $50,000 per yr after medicare deductions. Welcome to the world of the wealthy.