filing a complaint to USPS - a rant...

[GOTHBROOKS]

ever pay for something to ship dhl/ups/fedex and have it end up being handed off to the local post office for usps delivery? i have.

[eBAUMANN]

Originally Posted by GOTHBROOKS

ever pay for something to ship dhl/ups/fedex and have it end up being handed off to the local post office for usps delivery? i have.

all the time, they are all in kahoots.

[GOTHBROOKS]

i feel like thats more deceptive to the consumer than marking something as delivered a few hours before its actually delivered.

[bicycletricycle]

Also, perhaps complain to your congressman, the postal service has been unfairly fiscally handicapped. There $15 billion debt is a direct result of the mandate that it must pay about $5.6 billion a year for 10 years to prefund the retiree healthcare plan. This requirement has deprived the Postal Service of the opportunity to invest in capital projects and research and development.

Prefunding their retirement liabilities may sound nice but if they go under no one is getting paid anyways. The pressure they are under is making it hard for them to compete with other companies that do not have the same fiscal pressures.

Your mix of part time new people delivering the mail is a direct result of them not hiring full time employees because it would increase their yearly retirement pre funding payments.

A law made to benefit full time employees and their benefits preventing new employees from ever making it to full time with benefits.

[wildboar]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

two packages got delivered, left on the porch.

the carrier's new trick - if they dont get time to deliver all packages is to update the tracking to "notice left - no secure location available".

as mentioned there were two other packages from the USPS left on the porch, and the one that was not delivered was small enough to fit in the mailbox.

obviously the carrier marks it as such to avoid the blame of not delivering and meet whatever quota/metric thy are tasked with.

These are the subcontractors that do this. Our neighborhood had a bunch of packages that were supposed to be delivered on the Friday before Christmas and they were all marked like that so they could still claim they met their obligation on their contracted work. People on the neighborhood Facebook went nuts and reported them to the Postmaster at the local office. There was a light snow and there were no footprints or security camera videos of them even attempting to deliver.

From what I could gather the local Postmaster actually cares. Our regular "real" mail carrier has made it clear she is not a big fan of the subs that deliver a couple times a week.

[Tony T]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

…sending an email complaint …

Take the time and visit your local post office and speak to the Postmaster there to register your complaint.

I'm lucky as I've had the same postal worker for over 3 years. The only time I've had any issues is when she's on vacation.

[chiasticon]

Originally Posted by GOTHBROOKS

i feel like thats more deceptive to the consumer than marking something as delivered a few hours before its actually delivered.

I think what happens is for FedEx Smartpost and UPS Surepost (what you're referring to), if it's a small package and the mail is coming to your place anyway, they give it to USPS to put in with your mail. saves FedEx/UPS time and money, not having to deliver tiny packages/envelopes all over town. and it doesn't increase the burden on the USPS delivery carrier too much (again, it's small/light packages they can put into their bag). but I don't think it's deceptive. the tracking will usually tell you it was handed off to USPS and their delivery estimate factors that in.

[Birddog]

On a side not. a couple of weeks before Christmas, my wife was in the local Post Office waiting in line. One of the clerks behind the counter told another that he was going to take a 15 min. break, My wife and others overheard him and my wife in a loud voice said "there must be at least 25 people waiting here in line and some of us have been here for 40 mins and you're going to take a break?". Sheepishly the guy returned to his post and my wife received nods of approval from the waiting patrons. If they have to pee, they can easily enough slip behind the curtain to go, but that wasn't the case.

[Jeff N.]

My PO is famous for being under-staffed, even on the busiest days...6 windows, only two of which are open, with a line out the door. Some people are at a window for 5-10 minutes for a transaction...they take their sweet time. They'll usually wait until I'm up next before closing a window for a break.

[CNY rider]

Nick come live upstate.
You won't have cell service, modern internet, good Asian food or a job but you will have great postal service.
We've had the same postman for at least 10 years. It's a rural route so he functions as our post office. Sells us postage. Takes packages without postage, weighs/measures them and sends them off, then leaves us a receipt with a payment envelope the next day.
He brings sensitive packages inside the back door of our garage, and always pets our dog. When we order baby chicks he is all over the delivery and makes sure we know when they are coming. We BS about deer hunting and vacations together. We give him a nice tip at the holidays.
It's all good up here.

[zambenini]

Just got an enormous USPS Priority box (folding tires what a drain to ship amiright?) on time - the seller sent a notice saying the item was out for delivery the day after I got them. Either USPS not all bad or seller anticipating late deliveries so sending out "your item is coming, get excited, leave feedback for us" notices late, too... ymmv.

[peanutgallery]

The problem is Jeff Bezos, Amazon contracted the USPS to deliver all their made in China stuff to suburbia via prime

I see a blown out neighborhood mail truck hauling a$$ at all hours and 7 days a week. Last night I looked at my watch and it was 8.45pm when that tired vehicle went by the house. That must be a terrible life, those guys are shot

I don't think the future gets much better as isn't Amazon developing their own delivery service? The churn will continue as those working conditions will be just as bad

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Also, perhaps complain to your congressman, the postal service has been unfairly fiscally handicapped. There $15 billion debt is a direct result of the mandate that it must pay about $5.6 billion a year for 10 years to prefund the retiree healthcare plan. This requirement has deprived the Postal Service of the opportunity to invest in capital projects and research and development.

Prefunding their retirement liabilities may sound nice but if they go under no one is getting paid anyways. The pressure they are under is making it hard for them to compete with other companies that do not have the same fiscal pressures.

Your mix of part time new people delivering the mail is a direct result of them not hiring full time employees because it would increase their yearly retirement pre funding payments.

A law made to benefit full time employees and their benefits preventing new employees from ever making it to full time with benefits.

Are there no ratios to uphold when hiring new workers? Like x amount of part time for every full time employee etc? If not that seem like a pretty dumb idea unless they were trying to give them a loophole that is.

[AngryScientist]

well, as expected, package arrived the next day.

i watched it get delivered via video footage. different mailman than i've ever seen.

[jemoryl]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

The problem is Jeff Bezos, Amazon contracted the USPS to deliver all their made in China stuff to suburbia via prime

I see a blown out neighborhood mail truck hauling a$$ at all hours and 7 days a week. Last night I looked at my watch and it was 8.45pm when that tired vehicle went by the house. That must be a terrible life, those guys are shot

I don't think the future gets much better as isn't Amazon developing their own delivery service? The churn will continue as those working conditions will be just as bad

When cycling around suburban NE NJ one sees harried looking workers driving white vans, clearly leases or rentals, delivering packages for Amazon. Some have a hastily applied magnetic Amazon sign on the side.