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A few months ago, I started a small business. While we wait to move into our location (still a few months away) I rented a PO Box at a Raleigh Post Office.
I have spent about $1000 on the box itself and print materials that bear the PO Box number.
Unfortunately, a very high percentage of our mail gets returned to sender. I have visited the post office several times and brought this to the attention of employees and the Postmaster. Where possible, I have had people mail their returned mail to my home, so that I may bring it in to show the PO employees. Each time, I am told that the problem will be resolved, but it is not. The Postmaster told me that my PO Box is in a new area of the facility, and that employees "do not know that it is there."
I have also called and emailed the USPS to try to resolve it that way. My calls are not returned, and the only emails I get are surveys to ask me to evaluate my experience.
My jaw is on the floor!! The business is at a point where a burst of a few hundreds pieces of mail are about to come in.
How do I 1) get this problem fixed and/or 2) get my money back?
I would just go in and tell the postmaster at that location that since your mail is not being delivered properly to your box you want your money back. You signed a contrat with them to provide a service, they aren't providing it - just be nice but firm and act like you expect them to do it.
My DH has his own business and he uses a physical address through HQ.com - it looks nicer for a business because the mail is going to a building in an office park, which makes your business look bigger, more professional and definitely less shady than a PO Box since people will think your business is in the building. If anyone calls, they can take a message, and if he needs office, space, they provide it. He can even bring a name plate and slide it onto the conference room door.
I work for the federal govt and it seems to me that once a congress person gets involved the problem gets solved pretty quickly. I am recommending this route because it sounds like you have tried everything else. Good luck!
I work for the federal govt and it seems to me that once a congress person gets involved the problem gets solved pretty quickly. I am recommending this route because it sounds like you have tried everything else. Good luck!
Second that. As a retired Fed from the executive branch, congressional inquires get tracked from start to finish with time deadlines.
yowsa. sorry to hear that. I'd cancel the box and change the address -- that is unacceptable.
We had an address in CT that was 'notorious' for not delivering mail and it was never resolved.
my DH owns a business and we have a box at a local UPS store (the one on the corner of strickland/six forks if looking for a good one in 27615). It provides a somewhat real address, and the nice thing is that they accept packages so we don't have to worry about something arriving when out of town -- nor do we need to stand in a PO line to get our packages when slips are in. It also provides a business address as far as fedex/UPS is concerned so we get slightly better ship rates when things sent to us.
You could put stickers over the print materials indicating your new address until you do a reprint? Not sure of what the materials are to know how 'unprofessional' that might look but I've seen it done.
The Postal Service has been run poorly for the last decade or more and that's all coming to a head now. It's plagued by poor management that seem to be purposely running it into the ground. I get to hear about this every time I talk to my mother who works there and is trying to just make it a few more years so she can retire.
I'd find one of the private companies that you can either lease a mailbox off or something like WeLuvNC said. USPS will be given it's final death knell soon and fully privatized.
This doesn't help you with your current situation, but if you do get your refund then UPS offers mailbox services with a real street address and 24 hour access. We've used them in the past for our small business, and it worked well.
Just thought I'd let everyone know that I contacted my local congressman late last week, and just got a call from the higher-ups at the USPS. I was told that the USPS was referred to me by local congressman's office. IT WORKED!!!!
Thank you for the suggestion!
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Second that. As a retired Fed from the executive branch, congressional inquires get tracked from start to finish with time deadlines.
