United States Postal Service [USPS]
Reviews and Complaints

The worst delivery service I've ever used in my whole life!

Stupid seller used USPS to send me the goods (international shipping), and absolutely no progress have been updated on their website for the past 4 days!

I don't even know if my item has left USA.

And whenever I tried to call them (mind you, I am making expensive‘International phone calls’ here), the stupid auto-voice-recognition answers it, and I never get to speak to any of real people.

I've tried to email them and of course, they are saying 'email is temporality unavailable'. What am I suppose to do with this horrible service?

Definite the worst!

Only 1 very slow clerk "DONNA" working the counter out of 5 available, only saw 3 other employees slowly walking around once in awhile.

The line was to the door (about 25 people) this is UNACCEPTABLE! especially for a large major city. I waited about 1/2 hour just to send a small package.

I POLITELY asked the clerk if it was like this every day about this time, she said it was.

I said that your manager really should have more staff at the counters to service these waiting customers, at least til the line goes down.. she actually told me "do not complain" I said excuse me? I cant complain? i then informed this woman I would make a formal complaint and notify her supervisors (who should better know the busy times of his branch!

If you would like any more information
my name is Marc gwilliam
call me at [protected]

I live in Northern California near Sacramento. I sold a book through Amazon.com to someone in San Diego. I shipped it to her the next day via Media Mail with delivery confirmation service attached. This is what I saw in the tracking update this morning:

Acceptance, March 19, 2010, 5:04 pm, Grass Valley, CA 95945 (keep in mind, Grass Valley/Sacramento are about 6-7 hours north of Los Angeles via the I-5 freeway)
Processed through Sort Facility, March 21, 2010, 1:30 am, BELL, CA 90201 (keep in mind, Bell is in the Los Angeles metro area, about 2 hours north of San Diego)
Processed through Sort Facility, March 23, 2010, 1:51 am, DES MOINES, IA 50395

Another book I sold was sent from the same post office to Palm Springs, CA-about 2 hours east of Bell/Los Angeles. Guess where THAT is right now? You got it. Des Moines.

DES MOINES? IOWA? Nearly 2, 000 miles and two days to the east? WTF? And to think there are a lot of packages making that excursion and other similarly ridiculous diversions across the country! Talk about a waste of fuel, time and money! How about THIS idea: Why not put a major regional sorting facility somewhere even remotely NEAR the West Coast, in the same time zone, even?

This is on top of the fact that the Postal Service:

1) Yanked out all of the stamp machines nationwide. The result? Now folks have to go to the post office during business hours and get in line or go to a busy supermarket or an ATM somewhere in town just to buy STAMPS.

2) Has developed the most convoluted, confusing and tricky postage and shipping rate structure, which is a huge turn-off.

3) Removed 24-hour self-service postal shipping stations from the lobbies of smaller but still-busy post offices. The result? See #1 above.

4) Decided to shut down the Olivehurst, CA sorting facility -which consistently gets excellent scores for efficiency- in favor of moving their resources south to the West Sacramento, CA (45 miles south) sorting facility-which consistently gets poor scores for efficiency. The result? Increased delays in mail for everyone in the Foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada and more burden of work on an already poorly functioning facility.

And the Postal Service still feels the need to cry "woe is me" and jack up rates on an annual basis to make up for their lack of common sense? They need to make a serious overhaul, starting from the top on down, or else the Postal Service will die a slow, painful death.

I moved here 4+ years ago.After 2 years of some packages being stolen, "I live in a 6 unit apartment building with my unit being 27 stairs up from mailboxes.I asked USPS to simply "hold my packages there" and leave a package pickup note.You would think this would make their job easier considering they don't have to carry them.Not the case here.One simple request.They were holding "some" packages, "the samples I receive".When it comes to expensive packages, they decide to deliver them to the doorway downstairs.I placed the "hold package order" 2 years ago.Depending on who my mail carrier is that day is whether my packages will be held for pickup.I have been lucky enough to make it to mailboxes to retreive packages until last Friday.I had yet another package "with a tracking number" stolen.I had called USPS office when I saw it arrived at the office that morning as tracking number stated.I called to see if I could just come pick up my package that has the hold order on it, meaning, don't deliver it, leave a note.It should never have left USPS office that morning.The male voice said that I had to wait for the pickup slip to arrive in my box.I waited and "no slip".Later in the day, I went into the office where the desk clerk looked and couldn't find it, said it was probably yet to be delivered.I came home, went online to check tracking number.IT WAS DELIVERED TO THE BOTTOM FLOOR AGAIN.I had been checking this tracking number all day.Come to find out, it was delivered at 9:53am, about the time I originally called and before I went in.I called USPS office and asked to speak with supervisor who took my number and stated "he" a male would call me back with more information from the carrier.That call never came.The next day I called again and asked to speak with a supervisor AGAIN.This time I got a female.2 supervisors but can't get it right.This lady stated that "by law", they are "required" to deliver packages even with hold order.This left me stupified.I asked the usual common sense question of "what can I do to keep my packages safe"?She stated basically nothing.She told me that I was upset and diddn't want to speak with me.I stated "of course I am" I had to pay for a package that I will never see, let alone the time I waited and will have to wait for a new order.She diddn't care.it was "my problem".After all of this I called customer service at the 1-800-ask-usps number.They took my complaint, gave me a complaint number and stated that somebody would call within 2 days.That was 5 days ago and still no call.USPS does not care what happens to you and unless everybody complains about the cruelty and carelessness they have experienced, they never will care.If anybody else in the country acted in this manner "THEY WOULD BE FIRED".Maybe this is why we all see the shipping rate hikes, because people don't want to lose their purchased items.I have learned from this to ask the people I order from and am forced to deal with USPS to send with signature confirmation with cost at my expense to ensure I get the items.I got my first notice today.A slip telling me that I can pick up my package in 2 days, "the carrier doesn't even know the date"lol.I called and asked if by chance my package was at the usps office and of course, "it's on the truck".Why is a package with a signature confirmation left at the office when the carrier REFUSES to come up the stairs and knock at my door?Now it just seems like punishment, it doesn't make sense.I am going to do the useless protocal of sending a letter to postmaster general but really don't expect anything more than what I have been getting because "THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU OR YOUR PACKAGES".Even the mail comes when they feel like it.I know this because when their are 6 boxes without mail, somebody got mail that day.I hope the people get wise and make a stand to FORCE their tax dollars to work for them.In fact, they should give me the route here.I can do this job without even thinking and I would even know the date.lol.It really isn't funny though when you work for your money and buy things by doing your job and they flush your hard earned money down the drain.Oh, and to the person who stole my package, enjoy because what comes around goes around.I just want to make sure that you enjoy my hard earned money.In the meantime, the punishment from my local office, I am certain, has just begun because I complained.What can you do?There is nobody at USPS who cares.

Prepaid services via website or Paypal
I use this service and pay over $400 weekly in postage for items shipped from my business, but for the past 4 or 5 months I have been have problems with items not scanned and no tracking information shown on website, it's like i pay for the items to be shipped, i take them and drop them at the post office and they just disappear, nobody at usps know anything about these packages because they don't scan them when u handle them to the agent. So My customers think I don't ship their packages and I end up losing my merchandise and my money because I have to refund the buyer. Plus the hassle of wasting time and money... Its frustrating. If you ship items via USPS take them directly to the post office and but insurance. If you are a company you better take your business elsewhere (UPS FedEx) because USPS don't care about your packages delivered, they are city employees, they don't care about doing the job right, they just do it and get their paycheck. TRUST ME, DONT USE USPS IF YOU REALLY WANT YOUR PACKAGES DELIVERED

I live in a gated apartment community. When we moved in, we were informed that the office does not accept/sign for, packages, certified mail, etc. What we weren't told is that the postal carrier does not even deliver to the door and there are no package boxes available. Therefore, every item requiring a signature or that is too large for the box means that one has to physically go to the Post Office. The lines here are endlessly long, there are never enough clerks and line-jumping is a given.

I spoke to the supervisor about the delivery issues. He is definitely a government employee - all I got was a lot of double-talk about how the carrier was not allowed beyond the gate, was not allowed to buzz the resident, etc. What?!? I've lived in gated communities where the mailboxes themselves were inside the gate and we always got mail. I still have no clear idea as to why this situation exists. I had to walk away before I said something totally rude.

To add to the insult, postage just went up again.

The post master Mr. Bruce Dennis was very rude and try to defend his carrier for not delivering mail to my house. The carrier and Mr. Dennis think they are above the law because they work for the FEderal government.

I mailed my husband a computer and carrying case from Austin TX to North Hollywood CA with a return receipt, Signature requested and insured for $400. When I called my husband a few days later to see if he got it, he said no. I said well on the website it said it was delivered so check around the office and see if anyone got it. He never got it and so I called the NH Post Office and got three different stories they said that Willie delivered it and then scanned the package 2 hours later, that Willie forgot what he did with it and that oh yeah, he delivered it but forgot to get a signature. George acknowledged that Willie never delivered it to the correct place or that he "misdelivered it". So for the past 8 months I've been filing claims to both the North Hollywood Post Office and the one where one is suppose to file the claim in Missouri. The NH PO sent it 3 times I sent it three times and each time they said they never got it. I called 6 or 7 times and they never give you the same incident number so there is no "record" of what has been going on with any claim. Finally after 8 months I fax it to Tammy and she forwards it on. A couple of days later I get a letter from St.Louis MO that says after their investigation they see it was delivered and I have no Claim. Their investigation was to look at the USPS website that said it was delivered. Big investigation! I did that and the NHPO even acknowledged that it didn't get delivered and to file a claim. I said where is the signature that is required for insured and return receipt and they said we don't know, Willie doesn't either...It has been the most frustrating experience I have ever been through and there is no number you can call to get a resolution. Boy Two cheers for our Federal Gov't employees. No wonder it's such a mess in Washington! I guess I'll go to court. What a bunch of lugheads and I'm paying them to act this way! Jeez.

This has happened on four separate occasions. I frequent online purchases and each comes with tracking codes to verify where and when your package is and arrives. The tracking states Arrival At Unit, mail carrier comes, and no package. Finally this last time I decided to call to the Post and see what I could figure out. The gentleman who answers phone checks my tracking number that I relay to him and states that the package is out on delivery. I assured him that he was correct but I did not receive it. He put me on hold and went to find out information, a few minutes later he informs me that my package is still there. He said the carrier couldn't deliver it. I was flabbergasted because both me and my fiance were home at the time and witnessed the mail carrier not even have the package in her hand, nor make an attempt to deliver it. I told him that this was at least the fourth time that this has happened. He said he would see what he could do and hung up.

I'm writing this because this is absurd. I deliver goods for a living and if that was my reply, I would probably lose my job. SOMETHING has to be done and this cannot keep happening. People wonder why the Postal Service is being put out of business by UPS/FedEX and E-mail, this is why I assume.

I have been a target of internal mail theft and also pilfering by USPS workers at my post office box. I am in San Francisco. Last summer, I was told that if I wanted any mail to arrive at my PO Box (located in the lobby at a post office station) it had better be sent certified or priority, that I shouldn't expect them to deliver it for the mere price of a first-class stamp (which had just gone up, incidentally).

Mail was removed from my box by a postal worker, and withheld for over a month. They claimed none of it existed. I don't get much mail, and don't need to go every day or even every week. I got when I know the few pieces are due. I don't waste my time unless I know something is due. The box is never "too full" so they had no business removing the three or 4 small pieces of mail in it. The worker "hid" them. After a month of grief and worry (two of the pieces were very important and confidential) I mentioned that I'd go to the USPS Inspector General's Office. Well, suddenly the postal worker went to the back, and returned within 60 seconds with all the missing, allegedly non-existent mail.

In January 2010, someone sent some mail to a secondary person I've authorized (for years allowed) to receive mail at my box. It was "lost" allegedly. I made inquiries about that. After about 3 weeks, it was returned to the sender, with a label saying that the addressee was unknown. (Their's was the mail stolen and returned, pilfered and clumsily re-taped by the postal worker/s last summer.)

After the first piece hadn't arrived in 6 days (it was mailed from LA to SF, so that's a one or two day job usually) duplicates of the contents were re-sent Certified Mail. In 2 days, the website said it was scanned in as having been received by that postal station "Notice left" but in fact no notice was left in my box.

I went to the window the following Monday and asked for it, showing a print-out from the USPS website which indicated the mail should be there. They claimed it wasn't. I've been trying to get it out of them, and they refuse to produce it. The supervisor is "phishing" and "pretexting" for additional personal ID information that the PO already has or doesn't need, and is basically trying to extort it out of me or no mail, and she's also threatening to close the box I've had for almost 14 years.

SF is a "sanctuary city" which means it is a haven for illegals, and there is a very extensive network which harvests identity information from citizens for them to use for collecting public benefits (which they haven't earned) and for working illegally and obtaining credit. Some of the people harvesting it work in places like the PO, banks, medical facilities, and other places where the info is supposed to be kept confidential.

I don't want to give the info demanded suddenly after all these years. I've had very ordinary mail activity. There is no legitimate reason for the P.O. supervisor to be demanding the particular info she is, especially on the secondary person. I wish to protect myself from identity and benefits theft and credit card fraud etc.. I've met other box holders there who said they've found themselves being subjected to that.

Also, this hostile postal worker makes me very uncomfortable. She's also made some anti-white remarks to me in the past (she's African-American and unfortunately very hostile about it). I don't want to close my box; I need the stability of it, and the postal workers come and go. Hopefully this one will go to...

I asked the P.O. box clerks at 4 different stations if the info demanded, especially after nearly 14 years of ordinary mail, was legit, and they said no, it was not, it was suspicious, and that they were aware of that identity theft scam within the SF PO going on, and not to do it.

When I asked the station manager to look into this, and try to help locate the missing certified mail, instead of doing so and getting back to me as he promised to do. I'd given him an email address to use and I asked him to keep it confidential, and specifically NOT give to anyone of the hostile psychos at the station. He failed to do so, and though he told me to call him the following Monday, he instead avoided my return calls for a week, and I was then told he turned it over to the "Postal Inspector" who turned it over to Consumer Affairs, who turned it over to the prime suspect, the station supervisor, confidential email address included. She wrote a note which smacked of extortion. No info, no mail and no more PO box!

What kind of an investigative process is that? Turning the complaint of mail theft, extortion, abuse of authority and so forth over to the mail suspect, and letting them take revenge against the complainant? There is really something wrong with that!

I am devastated and don't know where to turn.

The US mail was supposed to be inviolate. They advertise PO boxes with the inviting concepts of "security, privacy, convenience" on their ads. They don’t delivery though. Literally.

Have problems with the N Quincy usps on hancock?
I bought a $120.00 item on ebay and the mail carrier left it on my doorstep. I live above a laundromat and it got stolen. They could have left a note and had us pick it up but they were to lazy to bring the item back for us to pick it up at the station. They are ###ed. Use any other delivery service but the usps because they dont care about your stuff. especially the north quincy, ma branch. They are the worst!

While I realize that media mail is subject to inspection, media mail boxes I sent December 31st, 2009 were cut open, and ransacked. Many books were removed and replaced with books I have never seen before. In this replacement, there was a travel size pack of tissues ("taschentucher solo talent") that looked like it was from another country along with the list of books below:
Beyond Horizons by David N. Spires
Engineering the space age by Bruille
Sherman Air Warfare by
Aerospace power in the 21st century
conflict culture and history regional dimensions
Volume I ideas, concepts, doctrine by Futrell

The largest box with the best of my books disappeared and I have yet to hear from the "Atlanta Mail Recovery Unit". I suspect someone will pocket the cash for the books stolen during their "auctions".

Many of my books had KStrait written on them. They were in a box labeled "small 16 3/4 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/2". It was also labeled "pratt" and "recyclable" There were several expensive science, math & engineering books I had hoped to use to prepare for an exam I must take in the spring. Instead I have a pile of books I have never seen before to remind me how foolish I was to think that USPS was safe and responsible.

I mailed the Parcel Search Request form January 11th, 2010 to the Atlanta Mail Recovery Unit with a list of my missing books. I believe the auctions this center has with stolen books/articles is inappropriate for a government run agency.

a female mail delivery person won't deliver the mail! Checks don't come, medication does not come, bills etc etc. This is the northest there will be snow, the boxes where I live are shoveled out and the only person that has a problem with getting to the boxes is the mail delivery person. People in vans, compact cars and trucks can all get to the mail boxes just fine. I walk up to mine.

She is in a vehicle, I think it is time to make this route a foot one. This town is no longer as rural as it was. This person is being paid very good money for NOT doing her job. There are plenty of people who would be happy to do it.

This is not acceptable and talking to the MIlton post master does nothing, it would seem that this person does not have do to her job and it is OK.

I would get a box but I work long hours and would not be able to get to the post office in time.
Time to stop giving money to the postal service when they ask again and again!

My name is Wilma Smith. My mailing address is 494 Harlee Vista Road Pikeville TN 37367. We are new residents to Tennessee having moved here from Coconut Creek FL approximately three months ago. We've had to drive 20 miles to pick up our mail from the Post Office in Pikeville because our mailing address is not recognized by the USPS and therefore it's deemed invalid.
After complaining to the postman Timmy Hatfield that our neighbors get mail service and we are but 1/2 mile further down the road Timmy was kind enough to begin delivery but officially it is still an invalid address. We were members of Netflix and put our account on hold. We wish to reactivate our account and I tried but Netflix responded with this information. "We are sorry but there is no such address as 494 Harlee Vista Road in the zip code you have entered". The Post office in Pikeville is recognizing our address as viable for forwarding all incoming mail to us. I thought that was enough to enable is to reactivate our Netflix account but as I've already related for all intents and purposes our address doesn't exist.

Priority Mail isn't priority with USPS. After repeated mailings of boxes sent priority with USPS during the holidays the past 2 years, I ve found that boxes will sit in the point of shipment office for 48 or more hours before being shipped, delivery being after the appointed holiday, Christmas, being delivered on the 6th and 7th days...not 72 or even 96 hours after I present them at the counter of the main post office (which totes its packages directly to the airport only 2 miles away). I've been able to find this out by calling USPS Track and Confirm on the day before the holiday. Pretty sure USPS used to give you track and confirm info on which post office/post office receiving center it had gotten to. I can see why the post office now only gives you the delivery time and day of final delivery. That is not tracking! That is only confirming. What a hoax. You get all the tracking info from FedEx and UPS. What's more, I mailed from this same post office (in city of greater than 1 million population) this last week on Sat evening Dec 19 at 5:04 PM, (a box weighing 8 pounds, with size 8"x 8"x14") and paid $24 bucks for sending Priority Mail to the adjacent USPS region. After mailing it, I found I could have sent it by UPS or FedEx for around $14 plus nominal charge for track and confirm (a buck or so), with guarantee of 3 business days. What a sham the USPS has become with Priority Mail. Prices have escalated, size of boxes have decreased to so small that you can't send anything priority, in any reasonably sized box for less than $20 to $25 bucks! I just checked USPS track and confirm, here at 7 PM 12/23/09 and info shows the package was received at mailing counter at point of origin (here in Nashville) on 12/19 Sat nite. Means, still not received by the local post office where it is to be home delivered, meaning it won't be delivered by Christmas. What a farce! $24 bucks for 7 day delivery by USPS...now the rule, rather than the exception. Believe me...changing to UPS or FedEx is the only way to mail. 2010 Christmas on Sat, so, mail on Mon, guaranteed 3 day, with UPS or FedEx and package will be delivered BEFORE CHRISTMAS!. You used to be great, USPS, but I won't be taken for a ride any more! Ron in Nashville

I went in for a Passport renewal to the good 'ol USPS today. All that is necessary to renew is your old passport book, 2 passport photos, 2 pieces of paperwork, and a $75.00 check. I collected all these items prior to my visit to the post office.

I could have easily mailed it myself using any other service such as UPS or FedEx, but chose to use USPS this time because I was close to their place. I sat in line for probably 10 minutes. I got to the clerk, she placed the items I had prepared into a priority mail envelope. I also paid .70 cents for a delivery confirmation.

After signing the receipt (which I didn't review at the time) I walked out of the office and to my vehicle. As I reviewed the charges in my car, I noticed an additional $25 charge on there for a "Passport Fee". I thought WTF is that! I was utterly ticked off to tell you the truth. I marched back in there (waited in line again), and asked what the $25 charge was for.

She immediately became sheepish and apologetic, and began to apologize pretending she "accidentally" put the charge there. The fee should only be applied to "new passport applications" she tells me. I felt completely taken for $25. Obviously it's not that much money, but I couldn't lose the battle. It's FRAUD in my mind. She was trying to get her sales quota up obviously.

Thanks for reading. Alan

I ordered a package from ebay, everything was going okay until the day it was delivered... i received an email saying that my package was scanned as delivered due to the delivery conformation, except for the fact that my package wasn't delivered... i went to the post office to see what the deal was but all they gave me was the number for the postmaster... when i called the postmaster he said that my normal post carrier scanned my package as delivered and that's all he could do... so essentially they said "screw you, we don't believe you"

The Cypress Texas U.S Post Office branch and particularly our mail person is the worst in the country. WE have lived here for 3 months and have not gotten our mail 2- 3 days per week every week, oh but we do get many different neighbors mail many times. Several days a week some of our mail gets dropped off to us by different neighbors who received our mail . Sometimes two different neighbors bring us mail on the same day . Several complaints have gotten us nowhere. How can anyone be so confused.

Enviamos un paquete a Cuba por medio del correo, U.S. Postal Service, el 30 de noviembre del 2008. El paquete nunca llego a su destino a Cuba. Cuando llamamos al correo en U.S. nos digeron que algun reclamo sobre ese envio es cancelado en 3 meses. Resulta que conosco otras personas que los paquetes se le han demorado 9 meses en llegar a Cuba. Donde estan los ladrones entonces si aqui dicen que en 3 meses no hay derecho a reclamo y los paquetes en actualidad no los entregan a veces hasta 9 meses o mas.