Complaint Review: United States Post Office - nationwide

They are in the process of changing how insurance claims are filed and such, I believe that technically, you can file the claim either place. Although it is easier for the person who has the package to do it. As they have all the verification with the package. I had run into that also--We had a lady who mailed alot of Ebay breakable stuff. And she used about 3 different offices, depending on where she was. The bigger office was usually the one to turn her away. They would tell her she had to file the claim in her Home office, which was where she lived. Which was a load of garbage.They just didn't what to deal with the claim. Also something to consider as to why they don't want to take the claim--the refund that is issued counts against their office as a loss. Not saying that's right, just saying that could be why they are giving you such a hard time. --your father had a REALLY STUPID clerk "helping" him. registered is ALWAYS the better way to send it. It is a little slower, but if you've got something worth 5 grand, it definitely worth it. That is another thing they tell us in training--you're supposed to ask questions, becuase they assume when someone wants to send it registered, they don't really mean that. go figure!

Here we are at 72 hours and haven't heard back from the PO yet. Yesterday I did call the local PO from where I had sent the package from. As you suggested. The supervisor there told me that the customer has to file the claim, not me, which makes sense, except when I called the 800, 72 hours ago I was never told that, whick kind of irks me off, and delays the process. Now, to the registered question. Sent my 75 year old father to the PO with a package wrapped(special) for register, with instructions to mail it register/with postal insurance. The "nice" clerk at the counter convinced him it was "SO MUCH BETTER" to send it insured only. Better for whom. The price to send the package reg/w/po ins is $13, the price for plain insured was $51. Value of the package was $5000. Dad called me back in a tizzy, all upset because we had never spent that much money sending out a package before. I went into the PO and spoke with the "nice" clerk who admitted that Dad had requested the package go registered. Then he starts in on me about how much better it is to send the package insured only, how it MIGHT get there quicker.(Register/w/postal ins) Better, more secure coverage at a quarter of the price and he's trying to tell me insured is better at FOUR times the price with less coverage and a slimmer chance it will arrive at it's destination intact. Who's fooling who here? I was livid, they saw a chance to ripoff a senior citizen and took it and GOT CAUGHT. After FOUR trips to the PO, the station manager was never to be found. Don, the supervisor who use to deliver the mail to my store, authorized a refund of the difference. The clerks out front who gave me the refund, had never heard of such a thing. It was to their advantage. I was prepared to contact the local TV stations, AARP and whoever else, who would have listened about the PO ripping off senior citizens. It would have made for a PR nightmare. Poor little senior citizens ripped off by the big bad post office. Try getting your .41 stamp increase. Will keep you advised.

are you calling your local post office and they are the ones who are blowing you off? When I got an insurance claim in when I was working--you didn't need the computer for it. Now I have to say also--I worked in a smaller office. Despite what they say about standardization--all offices don't do things the same. Something I told customers to do was to call the 800 number if you don't get what you need locally. The office that handles complaints through the 800 number keeps track of complaints and comments. Also, In the area I worked in--the head of the area offices gets reports of all of this. In our area (and not all areas are the same), offices would get personal phone calls from the big cheese wanting to know why the problem hadn't been fixed. If there is a large amount of packages disappearing, they turn it over to postal inspectors to investigate. If I were getting blown off--I would be ticked too. Unfortunately, not enough postal employees care about their job. I haven't read your post about the registered/insured package. I've never had a regular insured package cost more than registered. If he registered and insured it--yes that's incredibly expensive. And yes, employees get fired for losing registered packages--because they are signed for every step of the way.--If THEY disappear--inspectors know exactly WHO handled it last. I don't know if it would get you any farther, but I would call the 800 number. Why did they refuse to pay the insurance claim?

When I take a package to the post office I expect that package to get to where I send it without some scumbag crook mailPERSON slicing it open and stealing the merchandise out of the package and sealing it up again. Called yesterday to report the pilferage. On my first attempt, Jenny told me to call back later, the computers were down. On my second attempt, Vennesa said someone would call me back in 24 hours. Here it is 27 hrs later and no call. I'll keep this post up for as long as it takes to get reimbursed for my INSURED package. Like my post of several months ago, where I sent my 75 year old father into the PO to send a package REGISTERED. It was wrapped for registered and he asked for registered. The "nice" clerk at the counter convinced him to send it INSURED. Insured cost FOUR TIMES as much as register. The reason is the PO loses so many MORE insured packages. As I understand it. If a PO employee "loses" a registered package, I understand they are terminated. After 4 visits to see the station manager, who was never there, they finally gave me a refund of the price difference. Hence the insured route. So as you say, KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB.

When it comes to packages and tracing them, it depends on how you send the package--plain and simple. Just because they give you an insurance receipt--this is not tracking and tracing. If you want to be able to trace it--tell your clerk that, so they know what you want. For INTERNATIONAL packages----ALL post offices are not connected in every country. When you package goes to another country--GUESS WHAT!!--They can't track it, BECAUSE its NOT in our system!!! Lets be reasonable here! When it comes to insurance claims---they CAN refuse to pay. If it wasn't packaged properly--this is a reason for them not to pay. If you're talking about an international package--especially if it dissappeared--There's a very good reason, the USPS does not place more than 40.00 insurance on international packages. You mail at your own risk! When it comes to postal rates going up--Guess what--so does everything else. I may not work for the post office anymore, but it's not the only thing that goes up. They will have to get the price approved by an independant commission. There will be a chance for companies to argue the rate hike. And before the postal service submitted this, they didn't just pull the figure out of the air. They can only ask for a raise for what they need. They have to be able to prove they need 41 cents a stamp. They have to be able to PROVE they need to raise PO Box rents (EWxample) If the commission doesn't think they need what they are asking for---IT WILL BE DENIED! It was the last time this happened. I know everybody gives the post office a hard time---but they actually operate a great business. As long as you're not being unreasonable about what they can and cannot do.

Sent a package to Houston from SA on Friday, insured. It arrives today, Monday in 3 days. The only problem is the package is sliced open and the merchandise is gone. Our USPS at work. Oh, by the way, the rates are going up. A stamp is suppose to be .41.

About the package sent to korea the usps probably got it there.If the item had to go through a poor part of korea it was probably stolen by a postal employee.In many countries postal workers will actually steal anything they think is valuble.Also I dont even know how they could track it especially once in another country.

On the first package, what was the reason for refusing to pay the insurance claim? How much insurance did you purchase? I've never seen a claim they haven't paid, although I do work in a small office. On the package to South Korea--what kind of form did you file on that? There is a special form that you can file to check at Customs. The post office has nothing to do with Customs). The reason I say this is the following--I am a postal clerk and I had a customer mail a package to Romania. She said the following happens every time she mails something there. It seems to disappear, so she files the form about Customs. When it gets out of the united states, the post office has absolutely no control over the shipping. Every time she files the form, the package gets delivered. I'm not sure if you have to insure it or if you can do this with all packages. I would have to look up the form number, but that might work.