Our USPS... Sunday, May 13, 2007 |
Good true story. I'm 26, so what use do I have for the USPS? Basically none. They fill my mailbox with mortgage opportunities and life insurance offerings, and not much else. I can't remember the last time I used a stamp. Anyway, not too long ago I left my watch in Columbus at my parent's house. Mom calls, says she's put it in the mail and insured it, so I should get it in a few days. Cool. Thanks Mom. So I wait. Columbus is about 2 hours from Cincy. A week passes. No package. Hmmm...USPS, where is my watch? A second week passes. Wow! Had I known how long this would take, I'd have driven up myself. Finally I receive a little card in my mailbox alerting me I have a package and to come to the post office to pick it up. Great! My watch has arrived.So Rachel heads over to pick it up one day...the lady brings the package out and hands it to her...Rachel gives pause, and asks "Are you sure this is it?" See, the package was empty. Rachel turns it over a the package has been torn open with a perfect little hole that my watch conveniently fit through. Yea! My watch got stolen. But have no fear, 'cause my sweet mom bought insurance! Hurray! Since we file a claim at that post office, we go the main branch. It's there the story gets really good. See, when you buy insurance for your package, it doesn't really matter. That's just a way to prop up our dying mail carrier system. The lady at the counter (who was SOOO excited to be working for the USPS) informed me the white package WRAPPED IN SHIPPING TAPE was the wrong type of package to mail my watch in...and the receipt I had from the internet purchase may not WORK because it wasn't a REAL receipt.
What! Are you kidding? Am I being filmed right now? So let me get this straight...not only do you not make a decision right now, but I have to fill out paperwork, then you write on my paperwork that in your opinion is the packing wasn't "secure enough," then you tell me my printout from Overstock.com verifying the purchase date and value of the watch may not work because it's not a "real" receipt? And now you're going to mail all this information to St. Louis, where someone in a cubicle somewhere will make a decision on my claim within 6-8 WEEKS and then may or may not fulfill the claim.
Don't worry...lest you wonder whether I can check to see how this decision is going...there's no tracking number or claim ticket that I can follow up with to verify what the decision is...it'll just be like Christmas someday if a random check shows up in the mail.
Guess what...Christmas comes once a year, and it's not in June. So thank you USPS...I rest in peace understanding the myriad of ways your bureaucracy wastes billions every year. Good luck with your next rate increase...I'm sure it'll bolster you for at least 6 months. Good riddance. I'm using FedEx.
Labels: Ineptitude of the USPS