Our Glorious USPS

I have recently ordered plants from 5 different shippers.  #1 & #2 shipped via FEDEX, so both arrived in 48 hours. Plants are safely in my greenhouse.

Nos. 3, 4 & 5 shipped via Priority Mail.  According to what I can read from looking up tracking numbers, the USPS is surpassing all performance expectations:

#3 from Sacramento, CA area:

  • May 4:  Tracking number issued and package accepted in Sacramento
  • May 6:  Processed through Kearny, NJ
  • May 6:  Shipped from Kearny
  • May 6:  Received back at Kearny
  • May 7:  Shipped from Kearny
  • May 7:  Received at Linden, NJ
  • May 7:  Received at Millburn, NJ
  • May 7:  Returned from Millburn
  • May 8:  Received at Kearny
  • May 8:  Out for delivery in Maplewood (but not delivered at correct address)
  • May 8:  Received at Kearny
  • May 9:  Shipped from Kearny

#4 from Miami, FL area:

  • May 6:  Tracking number issued
  • No updates to this shipment (still in Miami?)

#5 from Anaheim, CA area:

  • May 7:  Tracking number issued at Westminster, CA
  • May 7:  Processed through Anaheim, CA
  • May 9:  Processed through Kearny, NJ 
  • May 10: Arrived at Phillipsburg, NJ!
  • May 10: Arrived at Kearny, NJ
  • May 10: Arrived at Union, NJ

If I wasn't paranoid about shipping delays before, I most certainly am now.


Is there a manager at the Maplewood post office, to whom one can hand in a written complaint, or is it strictly a counter operation?

At one point I understood that our mail was sorted at the USPS facility on Chestnut Street in Union, but that address does not appear anywhere in the info I find via tracking numbers.  

Correction, one shipment was just updated to show Union.


You need to contact Union on delivery issues.  Another possibility is to go through Informed Delivery where you can email detailed information regarding your delivery issues through their feedback function.  They also have an online chat function which I have tried in the past with mixed success.   


We had a horrible experience with Philadelphia p.o. last December, but their response was quick and informative.  I believe the spouse posted a complaint/inquiry online, then a guy called us, promptly, and twice no less.


joan_crystal said:

You need to contact Union on delivery issues.  Another possibility is to go through Informed Delivery where you can email detailed information regarding your delivery issues through their feedback function.  They also have an online chat function which I have tried in the past with mixed success.   

 I have signed up for Informed Delivery, but I can't find the feedback function.  How do I locate that?


tomcat said:

 I have signed up for Informed Delivery, but I can't find the feedback function.  How do I locate that?

Tab in lower right hand corner of the main screen.  Labeled "Feedback"


Below are USPS contacts I've used when we've had issues.  The contacts in this list have probably changed, but that 908 number is still correct, I believe.  

Consumer Complaints for NJ
Maplewood Postmaster as of 2020 — Robyn Burns
(Ms. Jackson at Union handles postal carrier complaints
or Supervisor Gomez -- don't know if this still true)
908-378-6129

Here is the info on the NE Regional Mgr.:

https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/officers/eastern-reg-proc-ops-vp.htm

Sorry that you're having these problems; USPS mishandling of mail is extraordinarily common, unfortunately.  Don't understand why DeJoy is still in charge.  


Elle_Cee said:

Don't understand why DeJoy is still in charge.  

The USPS Board of Governors still has a Republican majority.

Here’s Why Louis DeJoy Will Likely Stay In Charge Of The Postal Service Under Biden (Forbes)


w/r/t #4, it appears that the shipper never delivered the package to USPS.  Shipper generates the label and when USPS picks it up/receives it, USPS scans into its system.


DaveSchmidt said:

Elle_Cee said:

Don't understand why DeJoy is still in charge.  

The USPS Board of Governors still has a Republican majority.

Here’s Why Louis DeJoy Will Likely Stay In Charge Of The Postal Service Under Biden (Forbes)

So why doesn't Biden fill the three vacancies and then nominate another Democrat when the next Republican's term expires in December?  5-4 Democrats starting in 2022.


yahooyahoo said:

So why doesn't Biden fill the three vacancies and then nominate another Democrat when the next Republican's term expires in December?  5-4 Democrats starting in 2022.

There’s no reason that I can see he can’t, when the time comes.


He's nominated three people to fill the vacancies already.  They should be voted on by the full Senate soon.


My sister in CA sent my mom here in NJ a package. It got as close as Teterboro (?!) on one pass, but made three full coast to coast journeys before finally landing in Union County at my parents’ house. Makes zero sense. 


Shipment #5, after finally getting to Union, that location sent the package back to Phillipsburg again, all on the same date (May 10).  Since then, nothing!


My husband gets pictures of our mail for the day it gets delivered. Got a pic 2 days ago of a bday card for my daughter which probably has some kind of gift in it (cash, check, gift card). Have not received it.


wendyn said:

My husband gets pictures of our mail for the day it gets delivered. Got a pic 2 days ago of a bday card for my daughter which probably has some kind of gift in it (cash, check, gift card). Have not received it.

 Where do these pictures come from?  Sounds like it's before they get to your mail box.  So curious how they are coming to you.

I never send gift cards through the mail anymore.  Too many never got delivered.  If you can feel a card in it, & it's not from a c.c. company, bank or insurance company (hate to say it, but...), I think they get pocketed by someone along the way  I send any monetary gifts electronically now.


Juniemoon said:

 Where do these pictures come from?  Sounds like it's before they get to your mail box.  So curious how they are coming to you.

 I receive pictures of the day's mail (scans) in a daily email from the USPS.  I can also check what mail to expect that day by going to the Informed Delivery website. This free service includes both letters and packages.


joan_crystal said:

 I receive pictures of the day's mail (scans) in a daily email from the USPS.  I can also check what mail to expect that day by going to the Informed Delivery website. This free service includes both letters and packages.

 Joan, do the pictures include photos of the mail that you get that is meant to be delivered to other addresses?  Not only do we get mail addressed to neighbors, but often enough mail addressed to other states.


krnl said:

 Joan, do the pictures include photos of the mail that you get that is meant to be delivered to other addresses?  Not only do we get mail addressed to neighbors, but often enough mail addressed to other states.

 Yes.  I have received images of mail addressed to other residences.  Lately, thanks to having a terrific letter carrier, these letters to not make it to me.  When they did, I had heads up to notify the correct addressee that I may have mail for them.


joan_crystal said:

 I receive pictures of the day's mail (scans) in a daily email from the USPS.  I can also check what mail to expect that day by going to the Informed Delivery website. This free service includes both letters and packages.

 Joan:  I had no idea this was available!  I'll have to check it out.  Can I get to it thru the main USPS website?  If not, can you post the website you used?  TIA


Juniemoon said:

 Joan:  I had no idea this was available!  I'll have to check it out.  Can I get to it thru the main USPS website?  If not, can you post the website you used?  TIA

 https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Informed-Delivery-The-Basics


Steve said:

He's nominated three people to fill the vacancies already.  They should be voted on by the full Senate soon.

 I've seen an unconfirmed report today that the first of Biden's nominees has been confirmed


it's a little concerning that scans of your mail could be sent to someone else by mistake.  it could be something you would rather a neighbor not know...like from a mental health center or a court.


jmitw said:

it's a little concerning that scans of your mail could be sent to someone else by mistake.  it could be something you would rather a neighbor not know...like from a mental health center or a court.

 All you see from the scan is the envelope, not the contents.  Address of sender is not always legible, if there at all.  Contents even from mental health center or court could be anything.


And the scans exist whether you sign up or not, they are part of the sorting/processing technology


joan_crystal said:

jmitw said:

it's a little concerning that scans of your mail could be sent to someone else by mistake.  it could be something you would rather a neighbor not know...like from a mental health center or a court.

 All you see from the scan is the envelope, not the contents.  Address of sender is not always legible, if there at all.  Contents even from mental health center or court could be anything.

 but still the envelope would give the name of the medical provider or court.  i it is legible and says County Behavioral Health or County Probation dept, that says a lot.  there would be a vet bill from behavioral health or probation.

its one thing for the scans to exist in the USPS database, but another to actually be send to a neighbor.  I have some neighbors that are very abusive, it is not safe for them to see any mail I am getting.  one is delusional and paranoid and will come to a nefarious conclusion.  I could get a letter from a mental health non profit asking for donations and he may starting going off on me for being crazy....he has made many bizarre accusations already.


tomcat said:

Shipment #5, after finally getting to Union, that location sent the package back to Phillipsburg again, all on the same date (May 10).  Since then, nothing!

 Going back to original thread, this package has finally moved.  It is now in Nashua, NH!


jmitw said:

 but still the envelope would give the name of the medical provider or court.  i it is legible and says County Behavioral Health or County Probation dept, that says a lot.  there would be a vet bill from behavioral health or probation.

its one thing for the scans to exist in the USPS database, but another to actually be send to a neighbor.  I have some neighbors that are very abusive, it is not safe for them to see any mail I am getting.  one is delusional and paranoid and will come to a nefarious conclusion.  I could get a letter from a mental health non profit asking for donations and he may starting going off on me for being crazy....he has made many bizarre accusations already.

 If your neighbor gets an email with a scan of letter to on it, they're getting your letter as well. Personally, I have never seen anyone else's mail appear in my Informed Delivery emails. I do still get letters to the old occupants of the house after 16 years of not living here, but they left no forwarding addresses and it's all junk anyway.


ridski said:

jmitw said:

 but still the envelope would give the name of the medical provider or court.  i it is legible and says County Behavioral Health or County Probation dept, that says a lot.  there would be a vet bill from behavioral health or probation.

its one thing for the scans to exist in the USPS database, but another to actually be send to a neighbor.  I have some neighbors that are very abusive, it is not safe for them to see any mail I am getting.  one is delusional and paranoid and will come to a nefarious conclusion.  I could get a letter from a mental health non profit asking for donations and he may starting going off on me for being crazy....he has made many bizarre accusations already.

 If your neighbor gets an email with a scan of letter to on it, they're getting your letter as well. Personally, I have never seen anyone else's mail appear in my Informed Delivery emails. I do still get letters to the old occupants of the house after 16 years of not living here, but they left no forwarding addresses and it's all junk anyway.

 not necessarily, if you have a regular carrier, they may pick up on the error and correct it (more so in the past and maybe if the PO gets fixed).  even 20 years ago, I had something personal misdelivered to a neighbor who says she didn't notice it wasn't for her and opened it....but there is at least a chance the carrier will catch the error....probably did catch a lot more.


jmitw said:

 not necessarily, if you have a regular carrier, they may pick up on the error and correct it (more so in the past and maybe if the PO gets fixed).  even 20 years ago, I had something personal misdelivered to a neighbor who says she didn't notice it wasn't for her and opened it....but there is at least a chance the carrier will catch the error....probably did catch a lot more.

 This is true. I haven't had a regular carrier for sometime. But going back to the emails from USPS, I just checked through every one from this year and found nothing in them that wasn't addressed to me, if that helps to alleviate your concerns. I'm not saying that joan_crystal is wrong here, just that while she has seen letters on those emails addressed to others, I never have.


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