US Postal Service

Consumers have a lot of problems with USPS, as the complaints in this section attest.  What's perhaps most unfortunate about this is the hostility displayed by too many postal employees who could care less whether their efforts to serve taxpayers are successful.

USPS • Damaged Mail • Lost Mail • No Mail Delivery • Stolen Mail • Wrong Mail --- • Address Disputes • Change of Address • Dangerous Drivers • Hostility • Prescriptions Mishandled • Privacy Violations • Restricted Substances --- • Priority Mail • Express Mail • Military Mail --- News • Postal Service May Seek Service Cut • Movie Fans Suspect Foul Play at the Post Office

By the way, many consumers routinely leave their outgoing mail in the lobbies of apartment buildings. Not a good idea, as Christopher of Seattle now knows.

Then there's the question of whether the Postal Service is meeting the letter and spirit of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Oh, and some of those postal workers don't drive too well either.

A few of the more recent complaints ...

Jan of San Diego, CA October 16, 2009

I own a handcrafted jewelry business. Sometimes a bride-to-be will find our site a few days before she leaves for her wedding and wants us to ship a product to her quickly. We never refuse an order and we also understand how important the small details are for a wedding. We quickly handcraft the product and we take it to the post office, intending to use the Priority Mail feature, often standing in a line that stretches out the door. (You count on your government post office to handle your mail efficiently - that shouldn't be too much to ask - right?) Finally it's our turn. We're met with a long-faced, expressionless person who might as well have the words "I HATE MY JOB" written on their forehead.

They work at a snails pace (why rush, why hurry?)and oh, they NEVER fail to take their breaks on time, regardless of how long the line stretches out the door. Then they give you their little speech where they PUSH the Priority Mail SCAM in your face. For 4.95 they say the package will be delivered in 2-3 days. Sounds reasonable...IF....it really IS only 2-3 days. So I took the chance and paid 4.95. I used a flat rate Priority Mail box, which identifies itself as a faster-than-normal type of delivery. Long story short, our bride-to-be in Dallas never did receive her jewelry that was sent from San Diego via the Priority Mail SCAM on a Tuesday. On Friday (3 DAYS LATER), she has to leave for her wedding - withOUT the jewelry that was sent Priority Mail on Tuesday. Now we will be giving her a refund and WE are out 4.95. Where is the justice in this?

Barbara of West Hollywood, CA October 15, 2009

I am a court reporter. I need to send exhibits and transcripts through the mail, and on time. This is my work product. Tired of spending hours in line at the post office, on my last trip there I bought 10 priority mail envelopes and stamps, assuming I could simply use these and leave the envelopes at the mailbox area in my condo building for the carrier to pick up.

Our carrier hasn't been delivering our mail until after 5 p.m., which is ridiculous. Yesterday I left my priority mail envelope for the carrier. It was only going to downtown Los Angeles, and contained original court exhibits, certificates and other legal papers. Today it was returned to me, scrunched in my little mailbox, torn, ripped, wet and soggy, with a label saying this type of mail has to be taken to a post office and handed to an employee there.

Why can't it be picked up by the postal carrier when he delivers mail here and picks up other outgoing mail? To destroy this mail is unconscionable. And now, since I didn't receive it back until after 6:00 this evening, I have missed my deadline and promised delivery date to a client who expected it delivered to him today.

Original court documents mangled, wet, wrinkled; outer envelope received back with holes in it so contents inside were ruined. Loss of goodwill with client. Deadline missed. Loss of priority stamp since I cannot reuse the envelope. If I lose the client over this late transcript and destroyed documents, it has the potential loss to me of 20,000 a year minimally.

Jenny of baltimore, MD October 14, 2009

I relocated to my new townhome Nov. 2008, I had my mail forward that same week. My townhome cluster boxes for my mail is located outside. The mailbox is damage and has no door. I never received a key when I moved in, and my mail is left in that box in public view. To my understanding, I recieved a letter from my landlords atty (after several compliants) that, "it is the responsibility of the Post office to maintain repairs and replace the boxes." I am still receiving some of my mail at the damage box. I have filed 3 compliants to the Postal Services. I've spoken to several managers, and was told by one that it will take 1400.00 to repair the damage boxes. (have docs) The final straw was when my family bank statements and unemployment checks were left . Not to my surprise someone forge my signature, SSN num, license num on the check. I called the police because I didn't know whatelse to do.

ronald of brooklyn, NY October 8, 2009

Just a starting time complaint. The hours on the door say "Open at 8:00 AM". However, no one begins serving the public until 9:00AM. I see all the workers walking to and fro begind the window, but they just tell the waiting public that they dont start until 9 AM. Is this right?

Jason of Miami, FL September 30, 2009

I had sold something to a person in New York, and sent them the product. Well it has now been about two and a half weeks now and the person still has not gotten the package. I check the online status of the package and it still says its in transit. We have both called several times and keep getting the same response. "The package is in transit". I have yet to talk to a real person, every time I call there is online the automated response system, and it does not give you an option to talk to a person. I am now out about 80 dollars, and I will never, ever use USPS ever again as long as I am shipping things ever. I ALSO DISCOURAGE ANYONE TO USE THIS SHIPPING SERVICE!

Autumn of Anaheim, CA September 29, 2009

On Monday 9-28-09, we received a letter in our mail box stating that the postman will no longer be bring us our mail. Apparantly the last two Saturdays he observed my dog in the garage and is refusing to deliver mail beacause of that. My dog is NOT ALONE, he is with my husband wating tv. They sit out there and watch sports. He never barked, growled, attacked, ANYTHING like that. I never saw the truck (which always parks in front of our house). I believe he drove by and saw him from his truck. We were never told that there was any sort of rule or law like this or we would have simply kept the dog inside during the morning, which is when our mail is delivered, and let him out after delivery. Our dog by the way is 7 years old, has arthritis, is about 30 pounds over weight and is not aggressive against people unless threatened of course, but has NEVER bit anyone.. This is a new mail carrier who has had this route for a couple of weeks. We have been in our house for over 7 years and have never been advised that our dog can't be out. Again he is not alone, he is with my husband or myself at all times. This seems to be an extreme measure for something such as a dog bite, that has never happened. This could have been handled simply by informing us of their rule. I called to speak with the supervisor the day I got the letter. She is fully siding with the carrier, of course, and advised me that the report states that he only saw the dog laying there. There was no attack or threatening behavior at all. Also he happens to be on vacation for the next week. How convenient. I can't speak with him until 7 days after I received the notice, and I only have 10 days to take care of this problem. They say we need a p.o. box, which there is a waiting list for, or a curbside mail box, which costs about 200-300. We can't afford that right now. We don't know what else to do.

Loretta of Morris, IL September 28, 2009

I am a Quality Specialist for Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. I sent a certified/restricted signature piece of mail to a woman in Marseilles that contained confidential information. The postal carrier, Carol G, delivered the item to the recipient's address and allowed the recipient's daughter to sign for the item. When the PS Form 3811 was returned to our office, we called the Marseilles post office to voice our concern because sensitive, confidential mail, that had been sent certified and checked (item #4 on the return receipt) restricted signature, had been signed for by someone other than the intended recipeint. We were told, by Cheryl Q, that we should have written "restricted signature" so the postal carrier could see it better.

Cheryl then informed us that the recipient's daughter had signed for the item, and that the carrier knew that the recipient "was in the pool." Cheryl was informed that the form had been properly completed and we requested a letter stating that the mail was, though restricted, signed for by the wrong recipient due to post office error. This letter is necessary to show that the hospital took the necessary steps to protect confidential information subject to the Healthcare Information Privacy and Portability Act.

We received a letter form the Marseilles post office, undated, but post marked 23 Sep 2009 which stated the following. "Dear Bonnie, I talked to my carrier who delivered the certified letter that you said was marked restricted on the back gree return receipt. She did not see it was marked restricted as it was not marked correctly. Per DMM regulations it is needs (sp) to be marked above the return address. However when she went to deliver it they were in the pool and the customer's daughter came over to sign it and then handed it to her Mom. In the future please mark restricted delivery letters as per the enclosed DMM instructions and we are sorry for the confusion. Sincerely, Cheryl Q, Postmaster."

Enclosed with the letter is a copy of internal post office policy 503.7.2 through 503.7.3.2 which addresses endorsement of restricted delivery items. Hand-written in is a message which states, "For future reference" with "above the address" circled and another handwritten message saying, "not just on green card." I personally spoke to Ms. Q today and we discussed the policy, which is not available to the public, and that endorsement of the item does not address proper completion of the form.

Kusam of Whippany, NJ September 28, 2009

I went to Whippany post office at about 3.48 p.m.on 09/27/09 to send one local letter. The person named above, weighed the letter and asked me to pay 0.81 for the stamps to be put on the said letter. I paid the amount to him and fixed the necessary stamps on the letter.But latter I realized that he had charged more amount from me, as the local letter should not cost 0.81. When I told him about my contention, he told me that he had charged 0.20 more from me by error and that he can not do any thing about it.Besides, he was very rude in his behaviour and his dealing with the customer was not professional and courteous.

vishal of elmhurst, NY September 27, 2009

our area usps driver is very unresposible. he does not deliver the stuff to our home. he only ringes the bell once and leaves the stuff on door. we live in building, apartment. we live on 3rd floor. we cant just come in a second. by the time we get downstairs he allready left in his truck. now how we know that its usps because we look down from the window at his truck and we know he always does that. we are tired of that. and we are not the only one. there is a lot of other people in our building who are complaining the same thing. we tried to complaint many times to usps but they dont take any action and they are very rude on the phone. sometimes we have very important documents like passport and he leaves it there.

that is not the only issue. i had one more problem before. usps stole my stuff worth 600 cell phones in the package. i never got to know what heppened to it. i tried my best to find out through costomer care but just waisted time. these people are so careless plz do something. they think this is the govt. job and nobody can do anything to them. they even eating while talking.

Sharon of Lake Havasu City, AZ September 25, 2009

Apparently the Postal Service is once again facing bankruptcy or increases in postage rates. I'd like to know how much it is costing the American Taxpayers for them to produce two stamps commemorating Muslim Holidays? USPS has never made a profit on first class mail as far as I know, only on bulk mailings which most of us hate anyway. The mail delivery should be privatized with bids from companies such as Fed-Ex (who provides air service to small towns where there is no airmail from the Post Office) or UPS, or some other company that has proven they are more competent in delivering mail and packages that the US Postal Service.

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