postal service...small town VA (house, taxes, live) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

arielmina · 04-09-2010, 09:50 AM

hi all - question, where we live we are close to the center of a small NOVA town, only a mile or so from the post office. We were told when we moved into our house that they wouldn't deliver mail to us and that they were "trying" to eliminate mail delivery for our whole area due to its proximity to the post office and the fact that the roads are narrow and they claimed difficult to traverse in the winter (one part of the road is not state maintained - but this is NOT the portion we are on).

Net net, I'm annoyed because they deliver mail to all of our neighbors, yet just drive by our house. They had even took to turning arond in our driveway, all the while not delivering a speck of mail to us. Now I don't mind the exercise of walking to the post office but it is really inconvenient when we're expecting packages and it's just not fair that we are the only house on our road who doesn't get mail delivered.

Question is, who could we complain about this too? we've already spoken to our local postmaster who is the one who told us we couldn't have delivery. To whom could we escalate it to?

oneasterisk · 04-09-2010, 11:51 AM

USPS - Customer Service

Go straight to the top. Seems ridiculous that you pay taxes and can't get mail delivery...

DC Oldtimer · 04-10-2010, 01:30 PM

Two questions:

1. Do you live on a public street (sounds like you do, but it's not 100% clear).

2. Do you have a regulation mailbox?

If the answers are yes, I believe you are most likely being jerked around. A reliable source tells me you are entitled to mail delivery under such circumstances, unless you live where rural mail regulations apply (sounds unlikely given delivery to your neighbors).

Sorry to say my experience with USPS Customer Service has been a joke. Totally nonresponsive.

My recommendation is to call your Congresscritter. Ask for someone who can assist you with a problem with the Postal Service. Ideally, they will ask you to put the problem in writing in a letter addressed to the Congresscritter, which they will forward to the USPS.

Don't be surprised if the people you have been dealing with have a completely different story and attitude when they learn of your problem from a Person of Congress.

arielmina · 04-10-2010, 01:41 PM

Thanks DC Oldtimer, in answer:

1. yes it's a public street. It turns into a different street which has a sign that says "not maintained by State" but the road I sit on is a town road with every other house getting mail delivery
2. I don't have a mailbox because it was a new build and before we could even put up the mailbox, which we had ready to go on day 1, they told us no mail delivery so we returned it

I do truly like the post master, she's a very sweet woman and I don't want to get her in trouble, however I think its BS and not fair. I will take your suggestion to contact our "congresscritter"

Thanks!

Yankeesfan · 04-10-2010, 03:22 PM

Call the district office of your member of Congress and ask for the constituent services staff member.

DC Oldtimer · 04-10-2010, 03:44 PM

Arielmina,

It's very considerate of you to worry about getting the postmistress in trouble, but it's only a slight exaggeration to say she would have to all but murder someone to lose her job. Or steal Christmas cookies from someone's package.

It's dang hard to fire anyone covered by civil service rules.

Margery · 04-11-2010, 07:13 AM

Put a mailbox up. They are delivering to your neighbors (I am assuming they have mailboxes) and they should be delivering to you. Right now they can say they can't deliver because there is no mailbox. Tell the local office you now have a mailbox and expect delivery. If still no mail delivery after this, then complain to your congressional representative. I have always found it is better to start at the bottom to resolve a problem and then work your way up.