USPS Tampered With My Christmas

[cwilliamsws6]

A couple of months ago I moved from Ohio to Idaho, so for Christmas this year I had to mail a lot of presents back home.

I did a video call with my cousins this morning and the box I sent them got tampered with somewhere in transit.

All the gift bags inside the box had been ripped open, MULTIPLE ITEMS were missing, and there was a wrapped gift inside the box, and the to/from names were some Hispanic people that none of us have ever heard of.

Welp... Merry Christmas I guess? I'm absolutely livid right now.

 

[pbm]

I know several people who have foolishly put gift cards in the mail only to have the letter/card arrive without the gift card inside.
I guess there are some thieves working for the USPS these days.

 

[Tkonrr]

I sent a manila envelope with my artwork to a friend. I spent countless hours around my very busy schedule to create the art. She received an empty manila envelope that was sloppily taped closed. I did not put any tape on my envelope. Thanks USPS. The rural service is normally good. The big cities are staffed with lots of counterproductive staff who clearly have no accountability and have no f**** to give to anyone.

 

[PWMDMD]

I currently have a fuse for the truck that was sent from Australia via Austrian Post that made it to Los Angles 5 weeks ago and it has seemingly disappeared with no further tracking. Go USPS!

 

[208vette]

In my area in AZ, USPS is using part time subcontractors to deliver mail and packages. They will come by 2 to 3 times a day, in personal vehicles. They all have access to the large cluster unit mailboxes, and the mail is usually mixed up in the wrong boxes. Neighbors out walking around to re-deliver the mail...

 

[frankbee3]

Wow! What a sad state of affairs for the USPS.

 

[PimTac]

In my area in AZ, USPS is using part time subcontractors to deliver mail and packages. They will come by 2 to 3 times a day, in personal vehicles. They all have access to the large cluster unit mailboxes, and the mail is usually mixed up in the wrong boxes. Neighbors out walking around to re-deliver the mail...

It’s the same here in WA and we are seeing the same thing.

 

[skyactiv]

UPS is always a wiser option.

 

[JHZR2]

UPS is always a wiser option.

For tons more money. If people paid ups rates for
USPS there may not be the same issues.

 

[Owen Lucas]

File a claim, mail should be easily tracked internally. Issue is will anyone ever do anything about it? Maybe a call to the postal inspectors, though I am sure they are overworked and understaffed.

 

[FowVay]

I currently have a fuse for the truck that was sent from Australia via Austrian Post

Well there's your problem! sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[PWMDMD]

Well there's your problem! sorry, I couldn't resist.

That's what I thought too except it was officially accepted and processed by USPS.

 

[Hall]

That's what I thought too except it was officially accepted and processed by USPS.

Australia and Austria are two different countries, very far apart from one another.

 

[Hall]

In all seriousness, how/when/where do postal carriers have the chance to snoop through and open people's mail and what are the odds of them getting lucky ? I know it happens but it just seems too risky for the minimal, rare reward.

 

[PWMDMD]

Australia and Austria are two different countries, very far apart from one another.

That's what happens when you're two glasses of red in and trying to multitask! Lol...

 

[cwilliamsws6]

I highly doubt that what happened to my package was accidental. I buy/sell/trade on eBay and Marketplace all the time and I know what I'm doing when it comes to shipping things.

The box was densely packed and I used tons of packing paper to ensure nothing would shift around or break. I used multiple layers of tape on the outside of the box going in multiple directions. The box would not have been opened unless somebody used a box cutter to do so.

Not to mention the gift bags inside the box, which were buried under multiple layers of packing paper, had been torn open, and items which were in the bottom of the bags had ended up missing entirely.

Plus, how in the hell would a wrapped present from somebody that isn't us, end up inside the package?

 

[Astro14]

I sent a lot of presents this year since all six kids are in six different places. So, several big boxes, one or more to each to each of them. A box to my Mom and my Step Dad. A box to a buddy in Colorado. A couple boxes to my kid brother (with things for him, his wife, and his kids). About a dozen big boxes in all. Gifts ranging from tools, to outdoor gear, to a new iPhone 13 Pro. A lot of value and expense in those gifts.

No problems, whatsoever.

I used FedEx. Despite all the threads on BITOG complaining about FedEx, they still do a consistently good job.

By the way, when the crew at FedEx got done wrapping all those presents in all those shipping boxes, I went to Starbucks, got some gift cards, and brought them back to the manager. They were very professional, treated me and my packages well, and earned my thanks.

I paid more than I would have at USPS. There was also value in that extra expense because I was able to rack and see my packages get delivered on time.

By the way, all the shipping was done before December 6th. Even with a delay or two for severe weather, everything arrived with plenty of time.

I also exercised the option of gift wrap and ship direct from merchants like LL Bean. It only looks expensive until you add up the cost of wrapping them yourself, the crazy cost of shipping right now and the cost of standing in line and getting the shipping done. Depending on what you're buying, and where it's going, it might be a lot cheaper to let the Merchant wrap and ship it for you. Amazon, for example, is an extraordinary bargain in that regard. Their wrapping is nowhere near as nice as my wife's but on the balance, getting the present there securely, cheaply, and on time might be worth that compromise.

 

[PimTac]

In all seriousness, how/when/where do postal carriers have the chance to snoop through and open people's mail and what are the odds of them getting lucky ? I know it happens but it just seems too risky for the minimal, rare reward.

I would venture to say it’s more likely the subcontractors that are doing it but then again who knows. I’ve been used to seeing the mail carrier in a official uniform but this past year we have a young guy who wears regular clothes and wears them sloppily I might add driving the USPS truck and filling the community mailboxes. That’s where we started to get others mail fairly regularly. I would say I get someone else’s mail at least once a week.

 

[eljefino]

Australia and Austria are two different countries, very far apart from one another.

 

[walterjay]

I don't ship anything USPS. Everything goes UPS.