THREE TIMES this year alone, the United States Postal Service has lost things in the mail: 1 package and 2 money orders. A guy on ebay I talked to noticed this has been happening, too. Is there some way to possibly file a complaint? Or is there another office above the USPS that I would go to?

I'm getting really pissed and I want to do something about this.

Go in to your post office and ask or check their website.

Use FedEx next time?

You know it's funny, today I actually went to the post office for the first time in a few years today. It quickly became apparent why I don't go more often. Long lines, one person working etc etc. Seriously, the government needs to get their hands outta the business of mail, and let private companies take control. I guarantee you that it would improve the mail industry by leaps and bounds.

I disagree. You let private companies take over, and there's nothing to stop them from dividing up the postal districts into small monopolies.

"I live in FedEx county 55820."

"Really? Well, I'm in UPS 40004004."

Except, you know, competition. And the fact that Fedex and UPS both have total coverage.

Wolfy, come on man, take an econ class at the very least.

Next time do certified mail and get a freaking tracking number and insurance. your fault. they have systems in place to help you

Yeah. That's also a good idea, epsecially when you're doing stuff on ebay.

You're screwed.

Yay centralized information!

Yoshi is bingo on the nail-head mint-jelly I'm on a roll RIGHT!

Oh no, THREE TIMES in ONE YEAR!! Gasp. The USPS is not some homogenous corporate entity. It is made up of individuals, human beings, who make MISTAKES. They have tracking and insurance to prevent exactly your problem.

Royal Mail was made private about 3-4 years ago, although at the beginning the service was probably worse than when under government hands in the past 1-2 years the service has improved no end.

K, the prices have gone up slightly, ~5p extra on first class stamps and no second delivery in rural areas, but on the whole I'd have to say that its got better since privatisation, does a lot more than just mail now too.

Thats not to say its perfect, I've still lost 2 letters in the past 2 years but thats posting in Mile End, London, if the postal service is going to be bad, its going to be bad in Mile End...

The USPS is more or less a private organization. It doesn't get any government funding of any sort although it's sort of a givernment agency. It's entire budget is based on what it charges for services just like any other company, except it doesn't operate for a profit. Privatizing it would make it for profit and would raise the prices of services.

But it's also bogged down by Government regulations and beauracracy--something privatization streamlines. Not only that, but I'm sure it's nowhere near as organized as UPS and FedEx, just because they ARE out there for a profit and thus have their **** together. The USPS is just a group of people who are doing their job, whatever the higher ups say it may be--no real looking forward to moving upwards and to fortune.

That's true. It's really a mix of the two. It'd be nice if they just streamlined the system they have now.

Tracking and Insurance are a good thing, fo rizzle.

I've never had anything get lost in any mail service.

However, envelope sized stuff is easily lost. As are boxes cigar box size.

Cigar box sized boxes, letters, and padded envelopes are typically loaded into bags, and have a label attached to the bag that links all the items within the bag to the label.

The problem is, nobody replaces bags, and I've noticed with all services that alot of the time the bag's won't even zip up.

Then letters and crap spill into your box load. Then they get lost.

In my AP Government/Economics class the USPS was said to be a "government corporation." It acted and functioned like a corporation (more or less) but the United States owned it.

Dogsrool: I'm going to have to go against you here for basically all reasons said. USPS does have tracking #s. When I ship, I immediately get tracking #. Also think of it this way. Compared to UPS/FedEx the USPS is cheap. Generally the cheaper the price the lower the quality. Also did you get insurance?

UPS was always good at shipping X-mas cards.

You could always send them an angry letter.
Chances are they won't get it though.

You may have meant USPS.

But yeah, we do get bags full of what are probably christmas cards.

My biggest problem with USPS is that they're the only ones who can deliever to PO Boxes. I perfer FedEx or UPS because they're faster, generally cheaper, and they don't close down for the day at 4:00 pm.

UPS and FedEx aren't cheaper. USPS Priority mail is cheaper and faster than UPS or FeDex ground, which is the cheapest they have.

Depends.

Each service has specific advantages.

UPS's next day air service is one of my favorite services.

Infact, later this week due to the peak rush there will be atleast two days where my hub will recieve only next day air packages for sort.

Pretty neat stuff.

Doesn't UPS Ground insure a good $150 for free?

Yes, I should insure common letters.

And FYI, tracking doesn't do ****. I had tracking on a package, they lost it, I filed papers for investigation, they didn't find it. I doubt they even tried.

That's quite high for a single person. Especially when I hardly ever send through the mail in the first place, and other people send hundreds of things a year and loose nothing. The last two money orders in a row that sent through US mail have been lost. It's hard to pay bills through the mail when the mail service SUCKS.

That's why you get insurance.

I don't remember.

I avoid Ground Service at all costs, and I recomend that all of you do the same.

Ground Service is basically UPS' "Bend Over" service.

USPS may have tracking numbers, you MAY get it working before the package arrives.

For instance, I ordered something on the 17th. I was provided a tracking number that very day. It wasn't until 6:00PM TONIGHT that ANY information appeared under the tracker.

Frankly, I find USPS's service pathetic. Oftentimes the stuff is damaged, or even looks like it has been opened. Not to mention it is slow as sin.

Yet my experience with USPS has been the exact opposite. Which one of us is correct? I would guess the one of us that doesn't make a hobby out of making very quick judgements towards companies based on sole incidents, then casting those experiences into broad generalizations in such a way that he looks like he knows what he's talking about.

USPS is, on the whole, probably going to be a lot worse quality service than UPS, mainly because:
1) You get what you pay for
2) The workers don't get fired for doing a shabby job, just a piss-poor one (though it seems not even that)
3) It's the government.

Yeah. I never had much problems with USPS. I shipped stuff via USPS and it was there on time. The only incident I can remember didn't even happen to me. My good friend had a package delivered by USPS. It was apparently dropped. Some physical damage and the front panel didn't work. Other than that, it worked fine.

The point is that too often people have one or two negative experiences and then use that to cast judgement over an entire company or institution. It is completely asinine. Maybe you stick to another service because they haven't given you problems. That's fine. But don't do any of this "omgomg USPS is garbage cuz they broke my video card once three years ago, NEVER DEAL WITH THEM." State your observations and experiences AS OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES, NOT AS FACT.

In our area, no one ships USPS unless forced. My grandmother's company receives 50 percent or more of their packages damaged. It's not random, it's not rare, its just plain stupid.

What I find hilarious is that you guys are perfectly okay with a company losing a package. When you pay them to deliver that package, you expect EXACTLY that. When you go fill your car up with gas, you expect that gas to burn. Ever bought gas that hasn't burned? Neither have I.

The ABSOLUTE only time it is acceptable for something to not work correctly is when mother nature is involved, as such things are completely unavoidable. And one cannot blame the loss of a package on a tornado, they just don't happen that often.

Recieved 50, sent 200 packages USPS last 4 months never a lost package, just one sent back to me on a technicality that was in the end my fault. Stupid crap rule, but I still broke it. Actually I broke it about 50 times and they only caught it once.

I print all my postage at home and give it to my personal daily driver who comes to my house for package pickup/dropoff every day for FREE. The rare times I actually do have to get dressed and leave my house for the post office I stroll in, throw my package at them and leave without entering any form of physical queue. 99% of my packages are less than 12oz, with which USPS is far more efficient than any private company. USPS is by far the cheapest method of releasing my responsibility of items, which means bigger profits. The system works quite nicely for me and i've never really had any problems with it.

[CENTER][/CENTER]

[QUOTE=Cool Matty]In our area, no one ships USPS unless forced. My grandmother's company receives 50 percent or more of their packages damaged. It's not random, it's not rare, its just plain stupid.

What I find hilarious is that you guys are perfectly okay with a company losing a package. When you pay them to deliver that package, you expect EXACTLY that. When you go fill your car up with gas, you expect that gas to burn. Ever bought gas that hasn't burned? Neither have I.

The ABSOLUTE only time it is acceptable for something to not work correctly is when mother nature is involved, as such things are completely unavoidable. And one cannot blame the loss of a package on a tornado, they just don't happen that often.[/QUOTE]

This is why you always come off as such an idiot, CM, in these debates. You disregard everything everyone says (Emon has quite the point. It's especially noticeable in harddrive 'wars'), and say that everything you say and 'know' is 'fact'. It ceases to piss me off as I know you're full of ****. Just admit it--you have had bad experiences, doesn't mean that the USPS is a horrible organization. At least when I claimed that I had a few decent points to back it up.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]This is why you always come off as such an idiot, CM, in these debates. You disregard everything everyone says (Emon has quite the point. It's especially noticeable in harddrive 'wars'), and say that everything you say and 'know' is 'fact'. It ceases to piss me off as I know you're full of ****. Just admit it--you have had bad experiences, doesn't mean that the USPS is a horrible organization. At least when I claimed that I had a few decent points to back it up.[/QUOTE]

Flame Flame Flame.

I never said it was "fact" for all of USPS. I said in my area. Re-read my post, comprehend, and don't flame.

I'm not flaming, I'm saying you come off as an idiot. Hell, I know you're not, and I read your post. You still act the same exact way, you always have to be right. Sometimes, there IS no right--you only know of some people who have had problems with the USPS in your area. I'm sure there are infinitely more that have had NO problems.

Also, stick with cool matty, the name sucks less.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]I'm not flaming, I'm saying you come off as an idiot. Hell, I know you're not, and I read your post. You still act the same exact way, you always have to be right. Sometimes, there IS no right--you only know of some people who have had problems with the USPS in your area. I'm sure there are infinitely more that have had NO problems.

Also, stick with cool matty, the name sucks less.[/QUOTE]

I only speak from my experience, I don't think there needs to be a disclaimer on my posts that says that.

And I use that account at school only.

I had a package shipped to me on the 13th, and it still isn't here....It was supposed to be 2-3 day shipping >.<