Post office stories

[Bassmaster96]

Okay, I'm sure everyone has got some post office stories. Clerks stroking out when your label won't scan etc. Does anyone not tape over the barcode on your labels?

I have been dropping some things at a college post office. Now, in their defense, they normally only do letters and stuff. I had to explain to them about the weight limit on a regional rate box a before and things like that. Well, today I had a SFR box, and it was taped pretty good because it had a pitman arm in it. (You vehicle guys will know what that is) It had a very small bulge on the outside of the box, and the clerk like to have lost it. They said see, the thing is, if it fits it ships. I said correct. I'm still really not sure what the issue was, but I think it boiled down to, I had too much tape on the box, and that little bulge. They suggested that I put it in a flat rate envelope instead. However, they said that they would send it if I wanted to take the risk at paying weight price. So, I told them that I had literally done it that way for years, and that I would send it like that. If the bulge was the problem, then I have sent them much worse than that and they have been fine.

Has there been new limits on flat rate boxes that I haven't heard?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[mugsisme]

None that I know of. The medium box can have up to 70 pounds. I cover the whole thing in tape when it's heavy. I had one split open along the side. Sounds like bored workers looking for something to do.

 

[Beachkid23]

Our post office has these carts that are like the sizable Volkswagen beetle with the tops cut off. You just walk inside the building drop them in the box and walk away. There's no one there to scan anything. No one to talk to you just a box full of crap from everybody else in town selling stuff on eBay too. When we do have stuff that's expensive I open up the door on the wall throw all of my stuff in it close it and walk away. Or my mail carrier pick that up on my porch every other day if they feel like it. Sometimes they don't feel like getting it so they just leave it. Which I hate when I go out there the next morning to put something in it and my packages from the day before are still inside!!!

The only problem I have here with the post office is not really me however when I walk in with 10 to 30 boxes and drop them in the box and there's 35 people waiting to get postage on their box, they give you this look like are you kidding me!!

I felt bad, one day the line was out the door and the door was open. It was September in South Florida and no air-conditioning inside of there people were soaking wet from sweat. I just walked in and said holy cow it's hot, drop my stuff in the box and walked away... I don't know why no one uses the click and print online or there's a kiosk right inside the door that no one uses as well.

 

[Bassmaster96]

I wish mine had that option BeachKid. That would really be nice. I don't know if it is bored workers, or just workers that took everything they read way too far mugsisme.

 

[2Minnesota]

The flat rate boxes can't have bulges. I've been told a couple times when I've overstuffed them. My sister got charged extra when her flat rate box bulged. Probably has to do with the way they are stacked during shipping? Don't know.

 

[Bassmaster96]

The flat rate boxes can't have bulges. I've been told a couple times when I've overstuffed them. My sister got charged extra when her flat rate box bulged. Probably has to do with the way they are stacked during shipping? Don't know.

The woman said that it was for stacking during shipping, but I really don't know about that. You would think they just dump them all in a bag instead of taking the time to stack them.

Either way, that was only a minor issue compared to the one that I couldn't figure out.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I purchased a silver dollar on eBay, and the seller mailed it in a plain envelope. I received it and no dollar in it. I could clearly see the imprint of both sides of the Morgan - but the envelope was torn just past the imprint, and long enough to remove the dollar.

Even the post office employs perfect citizens.....

The seller sent a replacement in a better padded envelope.

 

[jerseyben]

I purchased a silver dollar on eBay, and the seller mailed it in a plain envelope. I received it and no dollar in it. I could clearly see the imprint of both sides of the Morgan - but the envelope was torn just past the imprint, and long enough to remove the dollar.

Even the post office employs perfect citizens.....

The seller sent a replacement in a better padded envelope.

I blame the seller for sending in a plain envelope.

 

[lastleg]

This problem usually originates at what was once called the Bulk Mail Center where
trained apes toss all outsized mail across the building sometimes hitting the target tub.
A friend once sent me a MD that had gone sailing breaking the meter. I got it fixed from
an outfit in Iowa for around $50 which the PO refused to pay for.

 

[dieselram94]

Hmm, my local post office employs one guy who I swear is bipolar, and I'm not kidding. He is very up and down, also parking is limited and I have seen some near fist fights breakout over the parking situation. I do live in a rough coastal maine village though. I usually try to combine trips to the next town over and drop my packages their instead.
I have overstuffed flat rate boxes many, many times and not had any problems, but I have heard of others having problems about it.
I think some of the biggest issues with the post office can be traced back to the employees know they will not be terminated...period.


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!

 

[Bassmaster96]

I think that plays a part DieselRam. I have also overstuffed many times. I've shipped several power steering boxes in large flat rates, and never had a problem. If this woman thought the SFR had a lot of tape, try that box.

 

[NJcigarman]

As I have posted before the best kept secret in the PO is the FR Regional A and B boxes. So with that being said I had to hit a different PO one day and the clerk never saw the Regional A box before. She made me wait while she broke out the PO manual and read about them. The entire time she kept giving me the evil eye like I was running a scam.

 

[dieselram94]

As I have posted before the best kept secret in the PO is the FR Regional A and B boxes. So with that being said I had to hit a different PO one day and the clerk never saw the Regional A box before. She made me wait while she broke out the PO manual and read about them. The entire time she kept giving me the evil eye like I was running a scam.

Yup. Po workers hate having to do anything extra


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!

 

[firemac]

My dad worked 35 years for the post office, and everyone pretty much summed up why he got fed up with the personnel and retired!

 

[Simon1]

I purchased a silver dollar on eBay, and the seller mailed it in a plain envelope. I received it and no dollar in it. I could clearly see the imprint of both sides of the Morgan - but the envelope was torn just past the imprint, and long enough to remove the dollar.

Even the post office employs perfect citizens.....

The seller sent a replacement in a better padded envelope.

The letter could have gone on the conveyor belt into a sorting machine and this "possibly" caused the area around the coin to tear enough that the coin eventually worked its way out. We receive 6 shipments a week going to the Atlanta Mail Recovery Center. Most are honest workers. I have seen 30 and 40 # canvas bags of coins, sealed with a lead seal, go through because the address was gone, or the box it was sent in had broke open and the items were separated. I see many coins in cards,( and graded ), go through because, again, they became separated from their shipping box. A lot of these are due to improper packing. You can't just throw a loose coin in an envelope and expect it to not tear its way out. Affix it to a piece of thin cardboard or index card to help reduce movement. It could have been the Post Office, or the sender.

 

[Simon1]

My dad worked 35 years for the post office, and everyone pretty much summed up why he got fed up with the personnel and retired!

The Post Office does have so many rules and regulations that it is confusing. What one area allows, another may not. And it usually is the upper management which works with you and agrees. It is the lower tier that makes most of these bad judgement calls and because they are union, they fear nothing. It is a frustrating, never ending, battle.

 

[mugsisme]

again, they became separated from their shipping box. A lot of these are due to improper packing. You can't just throw a loose coin in an envelope and expect it to not tear its way out. Affix it to a piece of thin cardboard or index card to help reduce.

This is exactly why I print a packing slip, put the jewelry into a Ziploc bag, staple it to the packing slip, and then put all that into another Ziploc bag.
If the envelope tears open, which it shouldn't, name and addresses are still attached to the item.

 

[Bassmaster96]

This is exactly why I print a packing slip, put the jewelry into a Ziploc bag, staple it to the packing slip, and then put all that into another Ziploc bag.
If the envelope tears open, which it shouldn't, name and addresses are still attached to the item.