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Our local, rural mail is delivered via contractor. The carrier on our route was observed dumping mail into a trash can left out by the mailbox. At least two times per week, some of our neighbor's mail is in our mailbox. The mailboxes are side by side.
Repeated complaints to the local postmaster achieves nothing...
I have no complaints about our UPS and Fedex drivers. They carry dog treats...
 
USPS tracking sucks and isn't worth "clicking" on. You can get better tracking info if you pay for it...
My wife is a postal carrier and here's what I'll say about that. The supervisors are most of the problem. And like most government agencies, problem supervisors get promoted, not fired.
You can get quicker service thru a private carrier, but you aint getting that for under a dollar.
Heard that prices are going up again this year and maybe a 2nd time too. Gotta pay for those 50 EV trucks they bought
 
So what changed?
PMG DeJoy happened. He was appointed by Trump in an intentional move to torpedo the USPS. Or should I say, to make their misery more complete. Because the advent of the internet had already hollowed out what had been their bread and butter revenue source, First Class mail.

The FFL I use to ship sold handguns ships by USPS Priority Mail. Which has been successful. But here I must add my own story of mishap. After my FFL dealer ships, he furnishes me with a tracking number. Which I monitor until delivery. I had one recently where, once the parcel got to the office of delivery, it was scanned "Returned to Sender - Insufficient Address." Which was not the case. The addressee wasn't watching for this as it was going to his receiving FFL. I got them involved with the PO back there and it was intercepted. It turns out that the mail carrier who delivered to the receiving FFL dealer was having a dispute with the FFL dealer about his mail receptacle. To be fair, I've found the tracking information system to be helpful.

In December, I had another small kerfuffle. Something I sold on ebay was scanned as delivered but wasn't. The addressee messaged me about it. It turned up at a neighbor's house a couple of days later. I had another one a few years ago that was scanned delivered but the addressee couldn't find it. He hadn't seen the key in his regular mail receptacle for a package left in a parcel locker.

I've mailed around 5,000 +/- parcels via USPS in the past 20 years. None that I know of have downright disappeared. I've only had two minor insurance claims for damage to contents. I've had some pretty miserable service from Fedex Ground, including "boomerang" routing from Calif. to Wash. by way of Georgia, so it happens.
 
The FFL I use to ship sold handguns ships by USPS Priority Mail. Which has been successful. But here I must add my own story of mishap. After my FFL dealer ships, he furnishes me with a tracking number. Which I monitor until delivery. I had one recently where, once the parcel got to the office of delivery, it was scanned "Returned to Sender - Insufficient Address." Which was not the case. The addressee wasn't watching for this as it was going to his receiving FFL. I got them involved with the PO back there and it was intercepted. It turns out that the mail carrier who delivered to the receiving FFL dealer was having a dispute with the FFL dealer about his mail receptacle. To be fair, I've found the tracking information system to be helpful.

In December, I had another small kerfuffle. Something I sold on ebay was scanned as delivered but wasn't. The addressee messaged me about it. It turned up at a neighbor's house a couple of days later. I had another one a few years ago that was scanned delivered but the addressee couldn't find it. He hadn't seen the key in his regular mail receptacle for a package left in a parcel locker.

I've mailed around 5,000 +/- parcels via USPS in the past 20 years. None that I know of have downright disappeared. I've only had two minor insurance claims for damage to contents. I've had some pretty miserable service from Fedex Ground, including "boomerang" routing from Calif. to Wash. by way of Georgia, so it happens.
We've had far more problems getting items returned to sender because of "incorrect address", which isn't an incorrect address, with FedEx than USPS. We've got one now.
 
I ordered a set of tools and replacement battery for my Surface Pro from a vendor in San Louis Obispo, CA. It traveled from there to Portland (60 miles from here) in a few days - then ended up in San Antonio, Texas that same day. Four days later it's still enroute somewhere...
 
We've had far more problems getting items returned to sender because of "incorrect address", which isn't an incorrect address, with FedEx than USPS. We've got one now.
The issue with the package that I mentioned wasn't "insufficient address." The carrier went by at 0930, the FFL dealer didn't open until 1000. Which has nothing to do with address. The dealer's mailbox had been destroyed by vandals. But receptacle availability wasn't a real issue either, because the mail piece in question wouldn't have fit anyway. SOP in either case is to leave an attempted delivery notice, and return the article to the local PO so the addressee can come in and pick it up. Instead, the carrier chose to return the package to sender. Fortunately, I was able to get the FFL dealer and the buyer to intercept the mail piece at the PO before it was returned to my dealer.

You could argue that without a receptacle, where is the carrier going to leave the attempted delivery notice? I think there is also an SOP that calls for mail to be held for a week or ten days when a sudden bar to delivery comes up. That gives the mail patron time to figure out their delivery has been suspended and resolve why this might be and to fix the situation. Or make arrangements to come in and pick up their mail at the PO until it's fixed. This will be a big issue in burned-out areas in California.

Mail carriers who deliver business addresses usually have a clue or two what's happening on their route. They see these people most days, know when they are open and when they are not. Some businesses have standing orders to hold mail when they aren't open, to be delivered the next day they are. That kind of customary communication didn't happen in this case. I guess that carrier in North Carolina won't be getting her Christmas envelope.
 
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I had a padded envelope sent from Salt Lake City and tracking said it was put in my PO box on Dec. 26th. Nothing there, and still not delivered by Jan. 4th, when I asked the Postmaster if they knew where it was. She did some searching, and came up empty, but said she would follow up on it. Four days later, it appeared in the box, stained with mud. Not a word of explaination.
 
We used to get our mail about 3pm now I check it around 7pm cause delivery in the dark is the new thing around here. Almost as good as the garbage guy that skips our recycling bin which is completely full for the second week in a row (supposed to be picked up every other week) so now I get to have a full recycling tote for two weeks until maybe he remembers to come down our street.

Wouldn't be such a big deal but I'm in a clean up mode in the shop my office and carport.
 
Just this week received a heavy package from China (auto parts, about 35 lbs.).

From time of order to delivery was less than the 5 days it took for the Priority envelope to get to Silverton from here. :(
I bought a holster and then found it was coming from Turkey! Had it within a week. I was shocked.
FED UP has always been my last resort. Think they suck
There's a company called On Trac. If you think FedEx is an issue, pray to God you never have to deal with OnTrac. I've had stuff arrive a day before it was supposed to, but more likely is the fact that something will go wrong and at that point, you'd wish it was USPS! They are clueless. I called Summit Racing, who I buy a lot from and asked that they not ship my orders thru OnTrac.

Staffing has been a big problem with the USPS, at least the branch where my wife works. It was made even worse by the new supervisor, who came from OC, who caused several employees to just walk out and never come back. By the way, the folks at the OC Post Office are pleased.

I recently heard that the sorting center for the USPS in Portland is experiencing some kind of equipment problem. Your letter carriers are often required to wait until the daily delivery comes from the center, which they have to sort by hand before being able to head out to deliver. Add this to short staffing and it's why you'll see those little white trucks out much later than normal.

I never seem to have an issue with my bills showing up on time...
 
I often use the Priority boxes with USPS. They are a set price per size and are heavier cardboard. Can send as much weight as you can put in them for the same price. I once returned a set of disc brakes for my Explorer. Stuffed em in the big box and taped the heck out of it!! "If it fits, it ships!"
 
I often use the Priority boxes with USPS. They are a set price per size and are heavier cardboard. Can send as much weight as you can put in them for the same price. I once returned a set of disc brakes for my Explorer. Stuffed em in the big box and taped the heck out of it!! "If it fits, it ships!"
A lot of the bullet manufacturers send their bullets in the medium if it fits it ships boxes. 65 Lbs at a time. I've got my local post office trained to call me and I'll come down and get them.
 
I often use the Priority boxes with USPS. They are a set price per size and are heavier cardboard. Can send as much weight as you can put in them for the same price. I once returned a set of disc brakes for my Explorer. Stuffed em in the big box and taped the heck out of it!! "If it fits, it ships!"
I once shipped a small flat rate box full of bullets. Just for kicks the guy at the counter weighed it. It would have cost $33 to ship Parcel Post!
 

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