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May 2017, sent a certified letter and followed its journey online. Took only three days to reach the post office that served the addressee.
But then the progress chart showed that it stayed at the post office of the addressee for three days. No movement. I sent an online request referring to this problem, giving all the information about the certified letter. USPS sent an email saying that they would open up a ticket.
Two days later, the addressee received the mail, and I got the hard copy of the receipt returned to me as requested, but the online tracking still showed it at the post office. This was no skin off my nose; the letter was delivered. That's the main thing.
About four weeks later, USPS said via email that they're still searching for the letter. Huh??!? Same thing happened in July ... in August ... in September!
And now this month, they said that they tried their best but could not find the letter. They included the typical generic advice that people should be sure to include their return address on all mail. What? This was a certified letter and was properly addressed and approved by the mailing agent from whom I purchased it.
This experience proves to me that they don't even bother to search for letters that are lost.
They don't bother looking for lost packages either - Mom sent me something for Christmas from a catalog company - it never arrived. The USPS said their records showed delivered (of course it wasn't) and left somewhere (don't recall exactly where now) - I live in a SFH, very safe area and was home - called them a couple times but they never did follow up on it. Fortunately, the company refunded Mom the money.
Not here - I was here the day it was supposedly delivered - I have a mail slot through the door and I also open my door because some mail carriers don't close the outside glass/screen door so I would have seen it.
They don't bother looking for lost packages either - Mom sent me something for Christmas from a catalog company - it never arrived. The USPS said their records showed delivered (of course it wasn't) and left somewhere (don't recall exactly where now) - I live in a SFH, very safe area and was home - called them a couple times but they never did follow up on it. Fortunately, the company refunded Mom the money.
If you call they will look it up on the computer and get the GPS lock and Google Earth picture of where the carrier pushed enter saying it was delivered. If it showed within a couple of houses of yours the phone rep will assume it was stolen by the burglar class that follows delivery trucks. There is literally nothing left to follow up on, the post office doesn't have it and it shows up as delivered within a margin of error distance of your delivery point. I suppose the Inspector General can obtain a search warrant and look through the carrier's home for the item if there was a federal judge in the IG's pocket. If the scan shows on another street or having a number inverted then they will send the carrier to attempt to retrieve the item. However they won't give you that information out of fear that you will try to retrieve it yourself and violence occurs..
I quit using certified mail and switched to USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation. It gets scanned when it's put into their mailbox, so you have proof of delivery. Not sure if you are sending notices based on some legal notification, but that's what I was doing - sending tenants notices. I like the USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation, because the tenants couldn't avoid getting the certified letter. And I have proof that it was delivered to their address. That's all I ever really needed. So, maybe you could switch? I never had problems with this option.
Well, this was last Christmas so it's way too late now. I had already spoken to the main office, the 800# which I guess is the whole "overall" in charge whatever, the postmaster of the local branch, etc. - they were worthless.
Was the green Return Receipt card signed by the recipient?? Because there's your answer as to whether the letter got where it was supposed to go.
Yes. See below. I knew early on that the letter was received but the point is that their online tracking is worthless. For several months they said that they're still tracking and then finally concluded that they couldn't find it. Frankly, I don't think that they even try to track it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvert Hall '62
Two days later, the addressee received the mail, and I got the hard copy of the receipt returned to me as requested, but the online tracking still showed it at the post office. This was no skin off my nose; the letter was delivered. That's the main thing.
I quit using certified mail and switched to USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation. It gets scanned when it's put into their mailbox, so you have proof of delivery. Not sure if you are sending notices based on some legal notification, but that's what I was doing - sending tenants notices. I like the USPS priority mail with delivery confirmation, because the tenants couldn't avoid getting the certified letter. And I have proof that it was delivered to their address. That's all I ever really needed. So, maybe you could switch? I never had problems with this option.
I've used that sometimes, as well as sending via Fedex or UPS. Certified with return receipt gives written proof of recipient signature though. UPS and Fedex will sometimes fudge and just enter in a name or something like "manager."
FWIW, a friend was getting re-certified at a firing range, and one in the group of people getting certified was a postal inspector. Her gun safety was so bad that the rangemaster took to standing behind her and everyone else cleared out when she had a gun in her hand. After the fact, a few noted that they had extra holes in their targets. Not good.
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