How Reliable Is Your Postal Service?

Hi Andrew, This must be very frustrating and worrying as you took the precautions to ensure swift signed for delivery. I realy hope they do turn up. I had another government department send back things I had sent to them recorded delivery changing my address which they sent back to my old address even though the information was informing them of the new one and I lost my birth certificate. I was the one though that had to pay for a copy, crazy isn't it. Huggles. Ellie:D

I know how you feel. Breathes there ANYONE who hasn't got some P.O. saga of woe to relate?

Here's MY favorite (this happened many years ago):

I made a piece of artwork, packaged it up, took it to the P.O. & got the proper stickers they said had to go on it, as it was being sent to London (I live in Texas). I'd never sent a package overseas, so I VERY CAREFULLY followed their instructions, making sure all my I's were crossed & my T's dotted. So to speak, tongue firmly in cheek.

Mailed it, went home, thought no more of it. I didn't really expect any answer, so months went by, life went on, yadda yadda.

One morning, there came a knock on my door,=6 months later.= Postal carrier stands at my door, holding a VERY battered looking package, & tells me I need to pay MONEY for it, as it has been stored (somewhere iin Dallas, I think) since I mailed it.

Sure enough, it was my poor old package. It looked like a grizzly bear had tried to open it.

Well, I was told to go the Postmaster & pay HER.

Not a happy camper, I. She was very snarky, telling me I should have included such-&-such sticker, & why didn't I KNOW that. Furthermore, the insurance I'd paid on this one-of-a-kind artwork had roused the suspicions of the border people, so they'd torn it apart looking for drugs. And I should be GRATEFUL, she said, that she's actually going to WAIVE the storage fee. Oh & by the way, England wasn't covered in the insurance I'd paid, so don't expect any reimbursement THERE....

I took my poor art home, with the ratty package (with so many other stickers on it I'D never seen), & repaired the art.

Then I took it to the Postmaster in the MAIN P.O., & explained why I thought the P.O. should pay for my having had to repair it, & what that had cost. Further, I asked him why I'd been led to believe the insurance WOULD cover the entire trip--not just to our border!

He was conciliatory, & actually arranged to pay me for my repairs. WHILE I WAS THERE, I noted a Fed Express package on his piled-high desk behind him. I pointed to it, & asked about why it was there.

He said: "Oh, if I want to be sure something gets where I need for it to go, I FedEx it!"

I laughed all the way to the bank, bought a warm coat & a plane ticket to London & FLEW the package to the office across the Pond, & HANDED it to the intended recipient.

Back home, I hung the tattered package on my wall as a conversation starter. It never failed to start one. It just LOOKED like a tale that needed to be told.

Maggiepie

Hi MaggiePie, Wow that is some story but like you the fact the postmaster himself used Fedex cracked me up. Thank you so much for sharing this story. I hope you enjoyed your stay in London. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Celestos, I have recived packages opened also. I do not trust the post much these days I must admit as even special delivery and recorded delivery quite often don't make it and you can never replace the items in them either even if they do compensate. I think this year rather than send Christmas parcels I may wait until I can visit the person or they me. Huggles. Ellie:D

Oh, no...don't get me started on OOPS (that's how _I_ pronounce UPS). As many times as they've left my packages with total strangers, or in places I wouldn't see it for weeks?

Nuh-ungh. What OOPS AND the P.O. BOTH need is SERIOUS competition from a PRIVATE company who knows they HAVE to do better, or=lose their shirts!=

'Course, with the government leaning more & more into the all-powerful State, that's less likely than EVER to happen.

And yes, I KNOW UPS is private--but where's THEIR competition??

Maggiepie

Hi Sirrob, It is worrying to think that if we are asware of the ones that don't arrive the numbers could be a lot higher as there as many we don't know that have been sent. The post also arrives at crazy times, years ago it used to arrive before we went out the door now it can be late afternoon or not at all. Huggles. Ellie:D

That's right. And oohh, before i forget, lucky for you that it arrives on the same day. I remembered one Christmas card that was sent by my aunt sometime in November then I went on vacation late December and the card came third week of January days after I arrived from my vacation. Sounds great job, right?Sometimes it is just so amazing.

Hi P1kef1sh, No I still haven't received and I never recieved a book either that I ordered and it was a one off, the company only had that copy but they have been great and credited me but I am upset over this one too and it does make me wonder how many are sent that we don't receive. I get my mail quite late most days if at all. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Bbsr, Four months, that is a ridiculous amount of time. Our first class service here is supposed to be next working day but it is usual for it to take two or three if it does arrive but it does sound like a better service than the one you have in India. I am quite upset about the two I haven't received though and it does make me wonder how many more I don't get. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Vicky, I have been patient and I don't think these will arrive as it has been weeks for one and months for the other and it makes me wonder just how many others that I am unaware that I don't receive. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Mimipi, I'm good thanks but the fact that I know these parcels have been sent and have never received is not only upsetting for myself but for the person that took the time to send also. They can lose the bills though, I don't mind that one LOL. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Subha, 20 days from the same area location yes I would agree your service is very unreliable too. I am quite upset that I haven't received these parcels though. Huggles. Ellie:D

Hi Liquorice, Oh the junk mail always arrives LOL, what a waste of trees and I put most straight into the recycle bin. I don't mind if the bills are lost but these parcels have upset me as there is no reason why they shouldn't have arrived. Huggles. Ellie:D

Yes, our junk mail also goes straight into the recycle bin. Maybe I should make a hole in the side of the black box and the postman can post it straight in there instead, lol!

I know that some people put a sign up saying "no junk-mail please", but this wouldn't work with the junk-mail that comes through the post office (rather than the leaflets delivered by distributors), as the postman wouldn't know or have time to differentiate.

I would also be annoyed if parcels hadn't got to me. Very frustrating! I hope that they get to you in the end; I've heard tales of some items taking a slow and rather inefficient route before getting to their destination. (If you get them, look at the postmarks to see where they've been!)

I actually tend to BELIEVE it when someone tells me my check is in the mail! That's how unreliable the P.O. is, here!

Maggiepie

Hi Mayka, The internet or a courier does in fact seem like a safer bet. Here in the UK postmans houses have been raided and bags and bags of mail have been discovered cos they couldn't be bothered to deliver and have stolen the contents from interesting looking ones. I have lost faith in my postal service completely. Huggles. Ellie:D

Here too the bank statements and credit card statements come in a fortnight after their due date. Have heard about bags of letters being found in postmans houses.