Dawn is about to "go POSTAL"!!

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ed4copies

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,752
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
Is it funny? Not if you're the guy going into the post office!!

We have a package going to South Africa. The customer has requested "US Postal Service--Express mail". So, Dawn fills out the correct paperwork and puts it in a Priority flat rate (the same box we have used many times for Express, you just need to cover over "priority" with "Express" stickers) We take it to the Post office. NO GO!! Wrong box, here's the "good box". So, back to the office and repack!!

OK--repacked in their box, back to Post office!! Counter guy tries to enter into the system---NOPE--USPS does NOT serve that city!! Back to the office and call USPS. National "hotline" assures me that everything is correct and they should take it, "Have you spoken to the local postmaster?"

History: YES, I spoke to the postmaster a couple years ago, about adding tape to the flat rate envelope. She was adamant that you could not do it, even though I took in the postal regs that said you could---I lost. Went to the "higher ups"--they assured me I was correct, but they could not direct the local to change their policy.

Back to this package, we take it to a different post office (there are 4 branches within 10 miles, I have played this game before!! EVERYTHING IS GREAT!!! EXCEPT they need a different customs form (rather than the one that the online USPS provided---not much chance this is wrong).

On the way back from there, we pass another USPS, so "What the heck". Stop there, take the package in--they weigh it, charge us a couple bucks for insurance (wasn't a way to do this, on-line) and it is now merrily on it's way.

UNITED STATES postal service----BULL---You're local situation WILL vary!!

Ed
 
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I like Dawn very much (we have not met "in person", but yes through the forum here and the chit-chat and friendly barbs accompanying numerous orders, etc. That being said...I definitely do not want to be around when she actually "Goes POSTAL!!!". :eek::eek::bulgy-eyes:

Steve
 
I had a similar situation with the box recently at my local PO. A truly unhappy nest of little vipers! The have also lost TWO (count 'em, 2) Certified letters I've sent out in the past. Couldn't find them, no offer of refund of postage, either. Years ago, when I was - among other things as a starving student - a substitute mail carrier, we had to log in and out and sign for each certified or registered letter. Now, I'm sure they use computer scanners so they can lose them faster! Russ
 
USPS doesnt service any city in South Africa actually. It all comes to the main depot and then is transferred to the local SAPO who make the delivery so I find that quite strange Ed. Although I suppose if it was some little backward town like Pretoria or Cape Town it might prove difficult to find on a map :)
 
terryf said:
USPS doesnt service any city in South Africa actually. It all comes to the main depot and then is transferred to the local SAPO who make the delivery so I find that quite strange Ed. Although I suppose if it was some little backward town like Pretoria or Cape Town it might prove difficult to find on a map :)
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Hopefully the mail service will be better in New Zealand!
 
been there, done that...used the USPS website to download the required forms, filled them out online (wow, you could actually read them!), took it to the local PO to add insurance and send out...nope, need a different form...

The other thing that gets me is how much further it is from South Africa to the US than from the US to South Africa! Terry and I swap from time to time and have sent packages on the same day...his gets to SA in a week, mine comes in a month or more later...same post date, just takes the scenic route!
 
Please Make SURE

that Dawn doesn't delivery her packages to the P.O. in a backpack!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:DAMHIKT:biggrin:
 
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I have found our local post office is just about the worst place to go to get real information about mailing an international package. They just don't handle enough to know. Mine are picked up by my Carrier who takes anything I put out and scans it into the system. She doesn't worry about whether I have the right form, she assumes that if I put it there it's the right one (she's right), I only use 2 one for small flat rate and first class) and another for Medium or larger Flat Rate.

If I have to take something to the PO it is a hassle, they don't know what form I should use, they have a form they stick on that isn't there when I put electronic postage on and they have some idiot book that nobody knows how to use to look thigs up. It is ironic that my on-line program see the address and get the correct postage and the post office can't. Still they charge me more if I take it to the office.
 
I took a flat rate box to the PO and because of the way the label was attached, they refused to send it flat rate. :mad: Had to pay almost double for shipping (I was in a hurry and didn't have time to repackage).:mad::mad:

I know the PO used to have a test for prospective employees (don't know if they still do), but I think they only hire those who fail because the smart ones would quit after a week or two of seeing all the incompetence:biggrin::biggrin:.
 
terryf said:
USPS doesnt service any city in South Africa actually. It all comes to the main depot and then is transferred to the local SAPO who make the delivery so I find that quite strange Ed. Although I suppose if it was some little backward town like Pretoria or Cape Town it might prove difficult to find on a map :)
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I think that is true about everywhere including USA -- you Post a package there and it will be delivered here by USPS. I thought it was interesting that the UPS and FedEx delivery trucks stopped frequently at the small town Post Office I used to use and left packages there for Delivery.
 
Smitty37 said:
I thought it was interesting that the UPS and FedEx delivery trucks stopped frequently at the small town Post Office I used to use and left packages there for Delivery.
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UPS calls it Smart Delivery. They do the long haul and US Postal, excuse the expression, Service does the last mile. Supposedly it is cheaper and vendors can claim they use UPS.

FedEx has a similar service but don't recall what it is called. Bottom line: it takes at least a day longer to ship this way.
 
terryf said:
USPS doesnt service any city in South Africa actually. It all comes to the main depot and then is transferred to the local SAPO who make the delivery so I find that quite strange Ed. Although I suppose if it was some little backward town like Pretoria or Cape Town it might prove difficult to find on a map :)
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Terry and I went through this on the Colaboration challenge last year. I had to ship to S.A., which was fine except that the "State" postal service was on strike. That really put a delay in our pen!
 
walshjp17 said:
Smitty37 said:
I thought it was interesting that the UPS and FedEx delivery trucks stopped frequently at the small town Post Office I used to use and left packages there for Delivery.
Click to expand...

UPS calls it Smart Delivery. They do the long haul and US Postal, excuse the expression, Service does the last mile. Supposedly it is cheaper and vendors can claim they use UPS.

FedEx has a similar service but don't recall what it is called. Bottom line: it takes at least a day longer to ship this way.
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I suppose that is generally true, but the instance I referred to there were two UPS trucks that dropped things off in the Post Office, one in the morning and one about noon. The later trucks stuff always sat over night, but the earlier truck usually got there before the Rural carrier left and those packages got delivered the same day UPS would have delivered them.
 
Now you're gonna get me started!
Be glad you only have to deal with the USPS, FEDEX and UPS once in a while. I have to deal with them daily and I've been fighting them for 19yrs! No one recognizes my home address because it doesn't exists. NO ONE, not even my utility companies. I have to give them my PO Box number to find me and guess what? Try ordering a package, who will ship to a PO Box? I can put my home address on a package to be delivered but they go to my neighbor who lives on West Church with the same house number. I live on East Church but it doesn't exists in anyones system. West Church St. only has 5 houses for crying out out! There is a sign on my corner saying East Church but do you think anyone delivering a package looks at street signs?! If I get mail with my home address it gets put into my PO Box only because the post master lady knows me and she keeps telling me to have them change the address to my PO Box number. If someone else sorts through the mail when she's not there it gets thrown into the misc. bin to be sorted whenever. She doesn't understand some people WILL NOT ACCEPT A PO BOX for an address! And no, there isn't always a space for an alternate address, I have to choose one. I'm wrong either way I go!
This is only a small percentage of what I go through with mail and I've completely given up on ordering anything that requires me to put in a physical address.
I was told I live in BFE but didn't want to believe it. I'm just a PO Box number to the world :frown:
You people with a real mail box and a real post office count your blessings. You could live on my street.

You wanna know what the real kicker is? This house has been here for over 100years!

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! @$%*!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to curl up in the fetal position until I calm down.
 
ohiococonut said:
Now you're gonna get me started!
Be glad you only have to deal with the USPS, FEDEX and UPS once in a while. I have to deal with them daily and I've been fighting them for 19yrs! No one recognizes my home address because it doesn't exists. NO ONE, not even my utility companies. I have to give them my PO Box number to find me and guess what? Try ordering a package, who will ship to a PO Box? I can put my home address on a package to be delivered but they go to my neighbor who lives on West Church with the same house number. I live on East Church but it doesn't exists in anyones system. West Church St. only has 5 houses for crying out out! There is a sign on my corner saying East Church but do you think anyone delivering a package looks at street signs?! If I get mail with my home address it gets put into my PO Box only because the post master lady knows me and she keeps telling me to have them change the address to my PO Box number. If someone else sorts through the mail when she's not there it gets thrown into the misc. bin to be sorted whenever. She doesn't understand some people WILL NOT ACCEPT A PO BOX for an address! And no, there isn't always a space for an alternate address, I have to choose one. I'm wrong either way I go!
This is only a small percentage of what I go through with mail and I've completely given up on ordering anything that requires me to put in a physical address.
I was told I live in BFE but didn't want to believe it. I'm just a PO Box number to the world :frown:
You people with a real mail box and a real post office count your blessings. You could live on my street.

You wanna know what the real kicker is? This house has been here for over 100years!

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! @$%*!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to curl up in the fetal position until I calm down.
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Hmmmmm - I suspect the real culpret here is the city or county. They provide the street address map to the post office. One of the most frustrating days of my life was spent looking for a medical center that gave a street address and none of the city maps even showed the street. I finally found it by looking at a building that looked like it might be that medical center and it was...and the street address was exactly as they gave it but the city map ended before it got to that street.
 
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