Sunday, December 30, 2007

Government Mail

I ordered a roll of 100 postal stamps by mail in early December. The US Postal Service cashed my check, but the stamps were lost in the mail. I'm out $41.00.

UPDATE: The Christmas card my mother mailed my son, postmarked December 8, just arrived yesterday, December 31.

UPDATE: An online retailer shipped a package to me on Dec 18 via the US Post Office. It had not yet arrived as of Jan 3. I used the tracking number to look at the shipping status. I found out that the package sat in their L.A. "Sortation Center" for about a week after spending 11 days in their Dallas center. They claim it will be delivered on Jan 4 after more than 2-1/2 weeks in transit. I've found UPS and FedEx ground services take only 2 - 7 days.

UPDATE: I am pleased to report that a friend of mine explained the problem with the late package: "It's because Postal rates are too low."

UPDATE: On January 7, I received the following response to my lost stamps:
According to our information, We make every effort to ensure our orders are processed and received within 2-3 weeks. However, due to the rate increase as well as the release of some very popular stamps, orders are taking longer to process. You can expect to receive your order in 1-2 weeks. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

UPDATE: On February 2, I went to the Post Office to ask about the missing stamps. I was told I need to go to a different Post Office.

UPDATE: The week of Feb 4-8, I made a few calls to the local PO mail order number, after which I got a message recorder where I was "allowed" to leave a message with my complaint. Hearing nothing, I left another message on another day. No reply. No stamps yet.

UPDATE: On Feb 12, Monica at the PO called me to say she found out the problem. They were looking for "Bob" Giramma rather than "Robert" Giramma. Good thing my last name is not Smith or Jones. Having finally determined that some people named Robert are nicknamed Bob (and totally ignoring that the family name "Giramma" is extremely rare), they could look up the sale information. They claim to have sent me the stamps on Dec 12. They will send a replacement order by certified mail soon. Can I tell the IRS my taxes are late because the Post Office hasn't been able to sell me stamps? Good thing I didn't order those "Forever Stamps."

A friend reassures me that "There's hope."
Postcard penned in 1929 arrives in Boston mailbox from Seattle

SUCCESS: After a mere two months or so since ordering my "stamps by mail" from the US Postal Service, today (Feb 13, 2008) I hold in my hands A COIL OF 100 US POSTAL STAMPS! There's a "Mail Theft and Vandalism Complaint" form (PS 2016) to complete, but why should buying stamps be any easier than filing your federal tax return?

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