I say stole because we know USPS workers are not above stealing mail. If that’s the case then I’m out $150 in giftcards that were tucked in the cards. Suck that now I have to f**king start having to track Christmas cards.
Wow. Only six months? I thought the PO was harder than that.
Holy crap. My mail carrier is unreliable on a good day, but I don’t think she would steal.
My parents always put outgoing mail In one of the big blue mailboxes, not in their own mailbox. Swiss post doesn’t pick up from individual houses, which I think is the norm outside of the U.S.
Worst was when a post carrier stole some coins that a guy had shipped then signed off it was delivered creating even more of a clusterfuck. USPS’s response was “not our problem”
I’ve had it where I was expecting an expensive package, from a jewelry store. I was tracking its progress. All of a sudden, it showed delivered and signed for. I was home the whole time. I called the postmaster. The package was found on the mail truck. It was a “mistake”. Sure it was. This was the same mail carrier who got us into the habit of having a weekly mail exchange on our block, because he couldn’t be bothered to get it closer than about within two houses or so.
Meanwhile in my Jungle
So should I report this even though there was no tracking?
I would. If there is a pattern, the PO will at least make some token effort. If enough people make enough noise, some action might even be taken.
Seconded – plus the chance of something turning up. I did an enquiry about a card I mailed with a small trinket inside; three days later I got a Baggie basically with some scraps of paper and a mangled trinket with a note that the item was damaged in transit. :smack: But I’ve known other people to score and get back lost/missing things. Sometimes it just depends on asking and the right person looking.
I take it that (a) they were all mailed at the same time, to different addresses, and (b) either you posted them directly at a post office or a curbside box, or you saw the mail carrier pick them up? I’m just trying to rule out things like somebody drove up to your mailbox, where you left outgoing mail, and stole them, or they were taken after being delivered (which would be an incredible coincidence if they were mailed to different locations and none of them got there).
One, if you mail something valuable, insure it. The problem with this is it sometimes marks the envelope or package as valuable, which is bad if the contents are not replaceable. Two, if you mail something valuable, disguise it. I used to send money (in the form of checks, which are traceable, instead of gift cards, which probably could be but nobody bothers) in envelopes that I dressed up as bills or ad flyers or anything but a personal letter. Junk mail always makes it through. Three, if it is a package, make it too big to be concealed and impossible to be opened easily. We’re talking many layers of clear impenetrable plastic tape, not just around the edges, either. None of this will stop a truly determined thief, but as the saying goes, you only have to outrun the other guy’s package.
Also, from a story I read many years ago about the USPS.
Put a sheet of paper with the address on the inside of any item you mail. That way, if something happens to the address on the outside, they will find the address on the inside and be able to deliver the item.
Yes, but I don’t believe we should pay extra to have insurance.
If things go missing, report it on the USPS whistle-blower line.
Strange, every time I mail a letter I get tracking number with my receipt
I am on pain management. The pharmacy benefits for our insurance is Express Scripts. If I don’t need my pain pills right this second, I mail my prescription to Express Scripts. I’ve been doing this for years with no problem.
This past year, it’s been FUBAR. USPS effed up a couple of deliveries, one time they left the pharmacy pouch in the cluster mailbox. These drugs require a signature. Express Scripts showed the medication delivered and signed for.
Mr VOW went stomping to the PO, demanded to speak to the Postmaster. He was told, “Some customers authorize delivery on a prior signature.”
Postmaster was told #1 you can’t do that, and #2 nobody authorized such a thing.
Postmaster was DILLIGAF. (Military-speak)
Mr VOW came home, steam shooting from his head. He called Express Scripts, asked for the Patient Advocate SUPERVISOR. The supervisor was quite interested in the story. She assured Mr VOW that the PO would be informed they were breaking the law, and she said the carrier who had stuffed the pharmacy pouch (the one stamped “signature required”) into the cluster mailbox would be unemployed.
Now, we do live in two ststes, which is the main reason we use the mail order pharmacy. The next time I mailed in my pain medicine Rx, we were in AZ. Express Scripts said it was being shipped UPS.
Oh dear GAWD. There were many calls to Express Scripts. More calls to UPS. It finally got to the point where tracking info from UPS sid they had tried to deliver twice, nobody was home.
Another call to UPS. More yelling. Supervisor looks at the delivery pouch, says, “Oh, this sys Lot 15.”
Mr VOW is almost hving a stroke. “We are Lot 152.”
“Fixed it. Delivery will be tomorrow.”
Good deal, since we were leaving AZ for SCal the day after!
NINE PM, we have every light in the house on. We see the UPS truck flying down our dirt road. Mr VOW climbs into our car and chases the truck. He manages to stop the guy, and asks for the package. “Gee, I wasn’t expecting to make a delivery to you guys now.”
Mr VOW says, “See if you have a package for our last name.” He did, and it needed a signature.
The good part is coming!
Mr VOW stomps in our front door, and practically throws the pouch at me. It’s addressed to our last name, but the first name is “Jim.” That’s not my name. Not Mr VOW’s name. Oh, and it says Lot 15.
Before there is a righteous nuclear detonation, I said, “Let me open it.”
The pouch contains a pill bottle, my name on it, and it’s my pain prescription.
My blood pressure is skyrocketing just recalling this mess!
AFTER we get to SCal, Mr VOW calls Express Scripts, talks to the Patient Advocate Supervisor.
His final question was, "Why did you send the Rx via UPS instead of the Post Office?
Answer: “It’s more secure.”
~VOW
Bump
Bump for?
My sad story!
~VOW
So i reported it Sunday night. I was thinking that since it was over 1 oz and used 2 forever stamps each (to avoid the Post Office during the holidays) it may be stuck in Denver because they didn’t know how to handle it. Should we send it to the addressee? Return to sender? Ansd so it was stuck there.
One of the cards showed up Tuesday at my mom’s with no postmark - just a blue inkmark through the stamps. Now maybe the second one will show up.