STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
stylethread site home page -> stylethread forum -> general chat -> post office mess up -- how to handle
Post Info TOPIC: post office mess up -- how to handle
e_doli


Dooney & Bourke

Status: Offline
Posts: 834
Date:
post office mess up -- how to handle
Permalink Closed

I'm so pissed at my post office and i don't know how to handle it.


when i picked up the mail today, there was one of those yellow cards in with the mail.  usually this means a package, so pranced up to the counter, expecting to get something fun.  the guy hands me a HUGE pile of mail.  i didn't think about it too much, since i hadn't gotten the mail in  a few days -- although we usually don't get that much in a few days, and if we do they usually cram it all into the box ... but whatever, there was a thick InStyle in the pile and i just assumed they didn't want to hurt it.


so as i began opening this pile, i found my credit card bill.  the balance was totally off, so i looked closer, and realized that it was my AUGUST statement.  all of the stuff was from mid-august, based on statement dates and postmarks.  we were away for 10 days in mid-august, so this was obviously mail from then.  but there was a ton of important stuff in this pile:  4 credit card bill, home equity loan statement/bill, new car insurance policy, student loan bill, a bank statement, september InStyle ...


luckily, i pay all my bills online and am usually on top of when things are due whether i get a statement or not.  however, the statement from the one credit card that is in my name (which i have b/c i'm trying to rebuild my credit) was in there and i ended up missing that payment b/c i hadn't signed up for email reminders for that account.  so that cost me $38 plus a hike in my APR.  i also missed my studen loan payment (it's quarterly and i have not yet gotten used to when it is due), and am in one of those stupid cookbook-of-the-month clubs and missed replying to that and got sent 2 books i had to return ($5 to mail).


i am going to go into the PO and complain tomorrow, but the thing is that i live in a really small town (like they know my box # w/o asking when i bring the yellow card up) so i have to be delicate in the way i handle the situation.  i don't know if i can or should ask for them to pay for the expenses i incurred (i tried searching the usps website for policy on this but couldn't find anything) or just let them know what happened and let it go. 


the thing i don't understand is that this pile of mail has been sitting there for over a month.  in the past when i have had a package and not picked it up the day i got the yellow card, i had another yellow card in my box the next day, until i picked it up.  and i do not ignore the yellow cards.  (yellow card = fun new thing for me). 



__________________
erin


Chanel

Status: Offline
Posts: 3274
Date:
Permalink Closed

this really sucks, but i have a feeling the post office is going to say it isn't their problem.

did you pick up your mail after your vacation?

__________________
greca


BCBG

Status: Offline
Posts: 231
Date:
Permalink Closed

Ugh. The same thing happened to us. We were in Italy for ten days and my DH forgot to put a hold on the mail, so the PO stopped delivering it when the box got to full and then neglected to tell us that they had it on hold at the PO. When we got back, there were only two pieces of mail in the box, which tipped us off that something was wrong because we should've had way more mail than that...Anyway, after filing a complaint w/them, they resent us the missing mail after ten days (including my beat up Sept. Vogue- ack) and we are still getting stuff from mid-August.


Long story short- we didn't miss any payments, and it was definitely frusterating trying to track down what was missing,  but I doubt they'll reimburse you for anything because they made it pretty clear that it's our responsibility to make arrangements to stop mail, etc. if the mail can't be picked up for an extended period.


Btw- we're in Chicago.


Good luck!



__________________
Cortney1982


Chanel

Status: Offline
Posts: 3178
Date:
Permalink Closed

I don't think there is anything you can do.   I'm sure there is something somewhere that says the post office isn't liable for these types of things and that it is your responsibility to check to see if you have mail if you have been on vacation.


Why did you have to pay for $5 to send books back?  You didn't open it did you?  I'm in a crafters book club and once in a while something gets missed and they send me one.  I just write "refused" on the package and they send it back, no cost.


 



__________________
e_doli


Dooney & Bourke

Status: Offline
Posts: 834
Date:
Permalink Closed

erin -- yes, i did pick up mail after vacation.  we only have a PO box (at the post office -- they don't deliver mail on our street), so i'm there every day or two picking up my mail.  which is why they know me so well.  i guess i thought that i didn't need to do a stop mail thing b/c it's a PO box.  i figured it's just like if you have a ton of mail one day and it won't fit in your box -- they put it aside and give you a yellow card.  and we have gone away for that long or longer many times and never had an issue with the mail.


Courtney -- yeah, i didn't know about the refused thing.  when i went to send them back the guy asked if they were something i wanted and told me that i could do that.  i only opened them to put the return form into the package.


i'm pretty sure the post office has clauses and policies everywhere covering their butts, so i'm sure there's nothing i can do and they won't reimburse my expenses.  but, i guess the question is whether or not i need to stop delivery to my po box if we go away.  and, should i just let it go, or should i let them know what happened when i go in?



__________________
shopgirl


Kenneth Cole

Status: Offline
Posts: 457
Date:
Permalink Closed

if you call the 800-number or fo on usps.com you can make an official complaint. Their service with you might be indicative of a larger problem at the post office... or it could be a one-off event.

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
stylethread site home page -> stylethread forum -> general chat -> post office mess up -- how to handle
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard