Post Office Blues - Happy Ending

bmattock · 08-19-2005

I bought a couple of things off of eBay in June - they never arrived. Contacted both sellers, they swore they shipped the items - one seller had a confirmation back from the Post Office that his package was delivered to me. I did get a refund from one of the sellers - the other said tough and I let it go.

I went to the local Post Office and complained. They said they'd talk to the carrier, but refused to do any more. They said they could not research it any further without tracking numbers - the seller who had a confirmation now said he could not find it and was trying to get a duplicate from the Post Office on his end.

I filed an official complaint online at the US Post Office website. Time went by.

On Monday, I got a postcard from the US Post Office. It said that my complaint had been resolved (nothing had happened). It asked how I liked the service? I just about hit the ceiling.

Then, the other day, I saw our carrier outside our house, and I lit into him. I let him know that I was not going to stop filing complaints until my packages reappeared. That if they were 'lost' they'd better get 'unlost' nice and quick. If they had been stolen, they'd better get unstolen. I said that I would never let it drop - never let it go. I'd be a pain in the tuchus for the rest of my life to the US Post Office. He said I should talk to the Postmaster and he left.

Yesterday, I got home and found two packages waiting for me. Both had June 24 postmarks. Both were unopened, undamaged (the labels were beginning to turn yellow) and when I opened them, they were both pristine examples of their type (more on that in a moment).

Today, I went to the Post Office and showed them the boxes and asked what happened. I mean, the postal carrier had just dropped off the packages like it was any old thing and kept trucking - no explanation at all.

The Post Office manager checked and told me that the boxes had been delivered to a house one block over - same house number. The resident of that house had apparently realized the boxes were not theirs, and had left them on the front porch for the Post Office to pick up. And they sat there for nearly two months. The Postal carriers were (I'm sorry) exactly the same as many union employees I've known over the years - refusing to do anything that was not exactly and specifically spelled out in their contract - the packages had been 'delivered' and they were not going to so much as bend over and look at the packages again. They actually had to step over the packages every day for two months - and ignored them. Not one carrier - that route had temps on it too - all of them. They just refused to take action, despite the obviousness of the situation. Disgusting.

Apparently, the carrier I had chewed out had twigged and gone - uh, duh. Maybe those two packaged one block over that I have to keep stepping over to deliver the mail are the packages this guy is ranting about! HE finally decided to actually look at the labels - and surprise, surprise, they were my packages.

The amazing thing was that they were not stolen all that time. We've also had some mighty thunderstorms and high winds - but the boxes were intact and not soggy.

The cameras? A classic Canon FTbN and a Yashica Lynx 14. The Canon was dirty but cleaned up to mint condition. The Yashica had a stuck shutter - a few minutes with the Ronsonol and it was perfect. Appears to have never had a roll of film through it, or a battery in it. 50mm f 1.4 lens, baby. Not bad for a fixed-lens rangefinder.

So, I'm happy. Glad to have the cameras. Now I have to cut a payment to the seller who refunded my money - gotta make things right for him too.

And that's the end of that story.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

stet · 08-19-2005

man, that's a really good story. I'm glad you have the cameras, and that you probably scared the living hell out of your carrier. And I'd guess your mail problems are over, at least while this incident is fresh.

Too bad your blood pressure is a casualty in this, though.

bmattock · 08-19-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by stet

man, that's a really good story. I'm glad you have the cameras, and that you probably scared the living hell out of your carrier. And I'd guess your mail problems are over, at least while this incident is fresh.

Too bad your blood pressure is a casualty in this, though.

I was pretty hot, that's true. But I tend to use venting as a coping mechanism!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

back alley · 08-19-2005

so bill went 'postal' with the postal worker and his parcels were posted promptly.

Fedzilla_Bob · 08-19-2005

You know, we get packages intended for our neighbors at the other end of the block. Also packages for neighbors 1 mile away. We drop them off. We figure the Post Office and the carriers are both "non compus mentus."

At other times we have had one idiot who bends flat packages (with cardboard in them). Even after I explain it clearly to him. "Oh it will be OK," he says. Followed by a fay pat on the arm as I gritted my teeth. My molars are ground perfectly flat on their tops because of twirps like that.

Good on you Bill. You got results.

Poptart · 08-20-2005

I'm on the other end of this equation recently with two eBay buyers claiming they never received their items; but neither had wanted to pony up the $1.30 to insure the packages--surprise! So I'm left to file forms with the post office and field emails demanding refunds in full, postage included, naturally. Like I lost their mail.

rover · 08-20-2005

Well, this whole world/internet trade racket we are all involved in can be stressful. For the most part people are honest, but stuff can happen and you simply have little satisfying recourse.

I too had an item "lost" from June 9 when the scumbag (oops, that slipped out, I meant to say seller) placed an item in the mail till it was delivered the first week of August. I filed a lost package complaint, called customs to investigate having them search for the package, and the slug (oh, there I go again) surely lied when he said he did the same at his end.

Well, truth be told I was lied to, the package was not mailed until July 6 according to the post mark, and she was delivered in 3 or 4 weeks which is probably about right for a package from Holland.

Bill was able to access the right person to give an earful to. I wish I could get on a plane and "go Mattock" on my creep.

Poptart · 08-20-2005

I'm still at a loss about what to do. I'm barely making a profit on eBay as it is without having to lose money I never had to begin with. Damn you, eBay!

rover · 08-20-2005

I now ship everything with confirmation via Priority Mail in the US. In my mind I think it makes the USPS feel like they are being watched and the packages seem to arrive a little quicker. And, if I do sell something I can do a service and provide a confirmation number if shipping is slow.

back alley · 08-20-2005

i'm still using the same dog team...

rover · 08-20-2005

They are the cutest delivery team.

Poptart · 08-20-2005

Yeah, I found one of the receipts but not the other . . . I must have 400 p/o receipts. The problem is that, receipt or not, the buyer can still leave me a negative f/b. I asked eBay for their advice so of course they're ignoring me.

POSTI-Tuomo · 07-05-2007

I work as a mailman, and you don't even want me to go ranting about the colleagues I have to work with... Well, maybe I'm exaggerating and all, I mean most of my mates at work are good people, or just OK, by minimum. But some can make my blood boil...

Mostly through sheer idiocy.