From:  Jim White [Never sent as an actual message.]

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

I find that the Japanese Postal Service is good.  One day delivery between Tokyo and Osaka is an example.  I also find it is cheaper, at least as far as international mail is concerned.  I trade video tapes with a Japanese-American friend in Sacramento.   He sends me PBS and similar programs and I send him Japanese Samurai dramas, etc.  He sends two at a time for $25.00 or so.  I send them one at a time for 510 Yen or $5.60.  You can figure the difference for yourself but in short he is paying more than twice what I pay.  I also had a bad experience with registered mail going to the U.S.  I used registered mail to send a fairly large check to my niece last December.   I could track it from my computer.   It got as far as "delivered to the U.S. Postal Service" and then disappeared.   Tried to have it traced, no luck.   Put a "stop-payment" order on it but as far as I know no one tried to cash it.  The checks, letter and envelope simply disappeared.

Jim


    From:  Charles Park Seward

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

I use PayPal to get paid immediately. I think the charge is around 3% of the transfer amount.

Best,

Park


    From:  Ron Turner

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

About ten days ago I sent a priority letter to relatively nearby west Florida, an easy 48-hour delivery (a one day drive). Sixty hours later it tracked to Portland Oregon - it was delivered on the 5th day.  Never again!! 

Regards,

Ron


    From:  John Thomas

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

I am disappointed with the USPS.  My local office is great but the handling of mail by the other areas???

I had an order for some books, the order had tracking, number and everything.  The order got sent to one of their dead offices because the address was damaged.  However the tracking number must not have been damaged since it was tracked to this office.  The shipper and I tried to get the order out of the office.  The local post office even went into their system while I was there and tried to get the package released to no avail.

The system has problems!

John


    From:  Marty Engleman

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

Suggest you contact Postal Inspectors in your area.  The local post office can tell you a phone number and address; suggest call and followup with a letter.


    From:  Ann Kelsey

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

I will second Bob's experience.  I tried to send my invoices for consulting services via priority mail paying extra for tracking and signature.  The second time the invoice vanished into the USPS black hole (the tracking emails said it was at local post office for delivery--local post office had no idea where it was), I gave up and went back to Fed Ex.  The cost is significantly more, but the package gets delivered and I get paid.

Ann


    From:  Randy Kafka

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

Steve, don't want to be Mister Negative but ... Tried this... Only took 11 days - Minus the final delivery -  debacle.  Much sweat, researching and "Uh, I don't know."

Bob


    From:  Randy Kafka

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

Thanks for the info Steve


    From:  Steve Sevits

     Date:  June 2, 2014

Subject:  Postal Service

Recently I was in a hurry to get a check to someone and used Priority Mail through the USPS.  There is no longer any need to pay extra for a delivery receipt, as a tracking number is assigned to all Priority Mail and progress of the mail piece can be tracked from your home computer.

As an extra bonus, while tracking the progress of the item mailed, the USPS asks if you want reports on the progress of the item sent to you be email.  Answering yes will result in multiple emails from USPS each time the item changes location and when it is delivered.  Great idea and convenience and well worth the $5.60 spent.

Sorry if this is old news to some, but this was such good news it seemed to be something worthy of sharing for those not already [aware ]of it.

Steve


Postal Service

June 2014

AFVN Group Conversations