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 ...

desiree of jamaica new york, NY November 20, 2009

i went i went to the postal service to ship out my i husband food package i ask the post guy if i can purchase a big box he explained to me he only had small boxes i asked if i can buy two small boxes i told him i would pay him once i finish packing my husband food package so that he can charge me for the shipping of the food plus the boxes he said okay i realized once i was packing the food in the box that i need one more box so i went back on line and waited to be call next instead of the same guy that help me the first time the postal lady on clerk number#4 help me i ask her if i can purchase another small box she told me the price of 1.98 i explained to her that i am going to pay for everything together she started to say how people want to many favors and that i was rude when i didnt say anything out of character so i finish packing the food in the boxes i had to get back on line because i did not have a pen to fill out the shipping forms so i stood on line the first postal guy that help me the first time help me i ask for a pen and ask did i have to stand on line again he rudely said no and call me rude which i was not being rude i finish filling out the forms i had to get back on line then when i was call next the first postal guy got up and decided to go to luch which was not professional and told his co worker good luck with me i gave the lady my food package to be ship out and ask for her name and his name and she told me she could not give that out so i ask to speak to her supervisor she walk in the back call the supervisor and told me he was on a call very rudely i as a customer should not have been treated in a rudely manner i appreciate if someone give me a call about this matter thanx

Rachel of Sandy, OR November 19, 2009

WE moved to this address in April 2009. Since then we have had nothing but trouble with our post office. On two occasions in May of 2009 things were mailed to us that were certified with tracking numbers, The post man delivered these packages to OTHER people. We never received these AT ALL. Upon calling and complaining we were told there is nothing they can do. Oh well. One of these documents was a court document that was time sensitive. Another was mail from our previous address that had bank statements and my renewed drivers license. In the month of June 2009 We had more than 5 packages and letters mailed to us that to this day have still not turned up. Two of these items were court items that had to mailed THREE different times before they actually came to us. In the month of August we had 7 different parcels coming to us that we are still waiting on as well. EVERY SINGLE one of these documents were important. We have continually gone to the post office to voice our concern and make complaints. Every time we are only told SORRY and there is nothing they can do. We are told that they have so many different post people for our area there is not a lot they can do. Now for Christmas two different packages were to arrive to our house within this past week. I have contacted the people that sent them and on their end it should be at our house. Neither thing has arrived.

I have reached my limit. There has to be more we can do about this. It is ILLEGAL to keep our mail or intentionally deliver it to a different address. I am currently waiting for a Christmas gift that is valued over 100.00 as well as a Memory card that was sent by Costco. According to Costco it should have already arrived. I am coming to you in hopes that with you involved things will get better. I am astonished at the lack of care or concern that the management has at the post office. I am also concerned as to what else we are not getting in our mail. I have also talked with over 10 neighbors in our neighborhood and they have ALL expressed the same concern. This has got to end. I look forward to hearing from you immediately concerning this issue. There are things that have been lost through our post man that are irreplaceable. Photos and such. I am so livid there are not words to describe it. There has to me something done to correct this corrupt SANDY OR USPS

Vicki of Anniston, AL November 18, 2009

Wanted to mail a package overnight - my husband was given a 2 day delivery date for 17.50 (which is for overnight/express mail) - he was not told that they did not offer "overnight" as he would have went else where. This 2 day delivery that we paid overnight rates for is normal delivery (we receive normal mail 2 days). Not very happy that the post office did not explain to him very well. My family really needed this package on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 not on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Danny of Albuquerque, NM November 17, 2009

We moved and needed a new key for our mailbox. It has been almost 4 weeks since we asked them to change our key. We have had to go to the post office and stand in line for almost 2 hours to get our mail, for the past 3 1/2 weeks. We know another couple who had the same problem. But they still got their key before ours. (they had their key changed even though they didn't ask for them to do it) And every time we call for help we get the run around.

People are not very helpful and say thank you and hangup. And we are being told to call certain people (call the supervisor, call the mail man, call the delivery supervisor, call at 7am and etc) when we feel we should not have to. We just want our key I don't know why they want us to call around everywhere.

We are not getting our bills on time, because we can't go to the post office everyday. Plus it takes to long to wait. When I went to the MVD to renew my license I needed proof of address since it changed. I didn't have any bills since they aren't delivering my mail, and therefore had to go housing and get a copy of my lease. My husbands mother died, and he is out of town, and I have a newborn, a 1 year old and a 3 year old. So now I cannot check my mail at all, because I will not stand in line that long with my children.

Lynn of Sunnyvale, CA November 17, 2009

They delivered all the mail for the four days we put our mail on Vacation Hold with 6 days' notice. This has happened before.

Katherine of Playa del Rey, CA November 17, 2009

Tracking Information: Status: Delivered Signed for by: LEE Ship Carrier: UPS Tracking ID: 1Z787Y884280150883 Latest Event: PLAYA DEL REY CA Delivered - Nov 13, 2009 4:01:00 PM See Complete Tracking History I have no idea who "Lee" is although the parcel with it's entire contents were sitting on my doorstep. None of the neighbors who I queried about the mystery signature knew anything about it. To avoid a similar situation and possible theft, I have spent the entire day waiting for UPS to deliver another parcel. It's nearly 6:00PM. Phone calls to UPS couldn't narrow down a time frame. This shows tremendous disrespect for the customer and customers' time. I will go out of my way in the future to avoid using UPS and inist on another method of shipping whenever possible.

Robert of Scotch Plains, NJ November 16, 2009

Hold Mail request confirmation WEH81065164 Begin Date Nov. 9 was totally ingored and if not for neighbors mail would have been lost & wet. This is the second time an error on our hold mail was made at this PO. This siturtion need to be addressed and corrected.

Anita of Kansas City, MO November 14, 2009

I'd like to report that I'm no longer getting replies from my postman's bosses. I have been trying for years to get a resolution to the problem of my postman's non-delivery and his mis-delivery. No resolution ever comes. I've dealt with several bosses in the USPS. To date, Dave S was the only one who cared whether the mail was delivered properly. Jamie told me from the beginning that nothing would be done about this problem. Mark assured me the problem would be solved.

Since then, I'm missing my professional license and worry that the replacement won't be delivered. Since contacting my local TV station's (NBC) "Call for Action," all communication has ended on the end of the two bosses. If they did their job to start with, I wouldn't have needed to contact an outside source! Now, they refuse to help me, and I still have a haphazard postman. I have requested a name and number of somebody in the postal service to help with this problem, but they are not responding. I will send copies of all my letters to the postal bosses and consumer affairs to the same media who has taken an interest in this story.

Bob of Lansdale , PA November 14, 2009

I recently was informed by our local US Post office of their intent to eliminate all the (very convienent) Electronic Stamp Machines nationally. This may be Their DUMBEST DECISION EVER! Just when we thought they were getting close to the 20th Century...Now, we will all have to wait in long lines again to simply get a STAMP!.....I guess with "genius level" decisions like this....I eagerly await Return of The Pony Express!

Billena of sandy springs, GA November 13, 2009

Ref#CA1OO427743 given to my by a customer service rep within the United States Postal service....... For two years in row aorund the holidays our birthday cards as well as christmas cards and gift cards are being stolen out of our mailbox's In our subdivision called Winding River Village. I tried contacting the post office and they refuse to return my phone call so the provided me with a refrence number which is above. I think this is a criminal matter that someone needs to address. My neighbor is a Veteran of the military so her check was placed in our mailbox and because we were on vacation and did not check the mail until we got back the poor lady had not gotten her check until the middle of the month which caused her all kinds of problems. I went around to my neighbors because i thought we were the only ones that had been effected by the post persons but everyone in the complex has been complaining about items being stolen out of the box or never even reaching the mailbox to my understanding that is a federal offence punishable up to 3 yrs. per offense... Please have someone investigate this for us or atleast ask questions.....Thank You

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