USPS Shipping Issues

[tomato coffee geek]

Greetings Fellow Gardeners

I wanted to let you know of an issue that I had with USPS shipping/delivery recently. I had ordered some seeds and was patiently awaiting them and then some sections of the country had some snow storms causing shipping delays. I totally understand that as its out of our hands. I also have the USPS Informed Delivery notification app on my phone and email. I was informed my package was out for delivery and was expecting the seeds to delivered NLT 5pm. I was disappointed when later in the evening after 6pm I was alerted that the mail carrier couldn't deliver the package/envelope due to lack of access/area was blocked. I had to control my anger because that information was false. I tried for several hours thru the following morning to send an email message to the folks at USPS about this issue. I even contacted the source that sold me my seeds to let them know of the issue in case the package was sent back. I was able to send a message later in the morning expressing my frustration/disappointment over the receiving of my envelope/package. I heard back from USPS saying that the route had to be split three ways and the carriers must have run out of time for delivery. I was amazed since it left for route delivery around 7:30 am and still couldn't be delivered on time. I was informed that the envelope would be delivered my by normal carrier and they were sorry for any delay in delivering. I was expecting a phone call but they sent an email instead. If you use USPS Informed Delivery look at the various phrases they send out so you'll know the good ole 5W's and How of Reporting. Hopefully by Friday evening I'll have my package.

I would encourage you if you run into these issues with either USPS or the other delivery services that you express yourself in a kind manner and you'll probably hear back from the delivery group. I have filled out several USPS experience surveys in hoping it would help with some of the issues.

Thanks for your time and hope this helps someone in the near future.
Elijah
Tomato coffee geek

[GoDawgs]

Well, hold on to your hats. USPS is "experimenting" with delivering for Amazon, at least in my area. The regular carriers are bringing the envelope sized stuff and other non-descript people in private vehicles (new hires? off duty carriers?) are handling items that don't fit in mailboxes. This will really slow down the carriers especially when they have to take a photo of the delivery spot (porch, steps, etc) for Amazon.

I've already noticed a difference in delivery times. Up to last month we used to get mail in the box somewhere between 11am-1pm. Now it's sometimes 4:00-5:00 and we're not talking about Christmas rush either. The carrier mentioned the Amazon thing.

To add insult to injury, the price of the Forever stamps is going up two cents this Sunday so I'm going to get another roll today since mine is getting low. So we'll be paying .68/stamp. Raises seem to be coming twice a year now.

[tomato coffee geek]

Yes I agree with everything you have said as I have experienced these issues/pains as well. There are so many folks bringing deliveries in cars with small signs identifying who they are these days. I keep an eye out for the delivery folks as there's many porch pirates running around. I try and build a rapport and relationship with our usual normal delivery folks (USPS, FEDEX, UPS) and some are open and receptive but others aren't.

We used to get our mail in a timely manner as well and now its between 5-6pm. I expressed this concern as well and said we aren't even in the holiday timeframe at the moment. When I was at the post office yesterday getting some small bubble mailers there was a line to get stamps before price goes up.

[AKgardener]

We have a 3rd party delivery for our mail and they always give our mail to the same house number different street and we get there mail … it’s why I have every thing shipped to my daughter buuut that being said I order cow poo yes haha because they didn’t have it.. never received it . It’s been months and never got the tractor oil either been months ..

[Cole_Robbie]

Last winter when the mail carrier got his truck stuck in the snow in front of my house and I was helping push him out, he told me that it was his first day, he'd had 4 hours of training total, and when he called and told them he was stuck, they said he was on his own and no one was coming to help him.

[habitat-gardener]

A couple months ago a small package I was expecting was at a post office 10 miles away and was supposed to be delivered the next day, but wasn't, and informed delivery had no more info. Turned out it took a trip all the way across the country to Maine first. I eventually got it a week or two later.

USPS did lose a box of books I ordered a year ago. Again, it was at the post office 10 miles away, supposed to come the next day, and then gone. It never surfaced. Every month I got a notice that they were still trying to track it. In the meantime, I called the publisher to get more info for the claim, and they promptly sent replacements via UPS.

It is pretty amazing that everything else (that I know of) did get here in a timely manner!

[pondgardener]

I had something similar just happen recently as well. I ordered some seeds last week from a New Mexico company and another set from a grower about 60 miles from my area. Both packages were shipped through USPS on the same day and the New Mexico items arrived Tuesday after the MLK holiday. The other package must have wanted to seek a warmer climate as it was initially shipped to Denver, then put on a plane to Los Angeles, sent back to Denver and finally arrived in Southern Colorado today.

Glad that I had informed delivery to track the wayward package.

[Stitchingmom]

I live in such a small town my husband goes half a mile to the post office and brings my stuff home when there's a problem! LOL

[MissS]

@tomato coffee geek I had the exact same thing happen during this past snow storm. It showed up on my notifications as out for delivery and then was not delivered due to "the area was blocked". It was then happened again the next day. My mailbox and driveway were both accessible. I had to go to the PO and retrieve one of them. The other is out there somewhere still.

[tomato coffee geek]

The struggle is real for us gardener folks these days. We gotta fight for our old ways of getting our products via the old stage coach...some humor here.

I did get my seeds by the way and I also filled out a USPS survey experience. We gotta hold the line.

hope everyone gets all their supplies and seeds for this years gardening season.

Elijah
tomato coffee geek

[Paulf]

We are in a small village and all USPS deliveries are made to the Post Office and then put in our mail box or in a large package locker. USPS is picked up at the Main Street post office. There is no home delivery by USPS. UPS and Fed-Ex do home delivery and we have never missed a delivery from any of the three. About the only advantage of small town life is that we have never lost a package.

[AKgardener]

I checked my mail yesterday I got my seed packet with no seeds and a letter saying they were confiscated:(

[Seven Bends]

I checked my mail yesterday I got my seed packet with no seeds and a letter saying they were confiscated:(

Bummer. Were the seeds sent to you from outside the US?

[Vanman]

I am still waiting for seeds that Patti sent a year ago.

[AKgardener]

Yes they were I got them off of Etsy I thought they from the usa but I was wrong was wondering why they took so long

[karstopography]

Major USPS issues here. Been all over the local news. I know I get mailed bills around the time to pay them so that the creditor gets them late, if mailed. Having to redo how we pay bills. Mailed medications coming weeks after ordered. My friend that manages a major Health Care Provider network is officially advising patients to pick up prescriptions rather than relying on USPS.

I needed some stamps today. I talked to the counter clerk/USPS representative about the local USPS issues. Reading between the lines with her response, I’d say there’s some friction between management and the rank and file and a lack of trust from the employees in management to make appropriate decisions. All my post office insiders have recently retired. I would have gotten the real nitty gritty story if they were still on the job.

[MissS]

I am still waiting for seeds that Patti sent a year ago.

I've forgotten what they were. Send me a PM with what you would like and your addy. I will try to send them again. There is someone in Denmark that has been waiting a year now too.

[Vanman]

You resent them a year ago. The first shipment never arrived.

[GoDawgs]

I checked my mail yesterday I got my seed packet with no seeds and a letter saying they were confiscated:(

Any indication of why? Where did the letter originate? I sure hope you get back to them to find out why. If the seeds were coming from another country, there's a permit you can get to allow it. It doesn't cost anything. Now if I can only remember where I stashed the information about it.....

[AKgardener]

It came from the UK and 3 things were marked
Material not authorized entry
Phyto sanitary missing
Other comment - seeds for planting
In comments it said that the seeds were in violation of the plant protection act and was removed and disposed of .