Letter: News about poor service at post office isn't surprising

Posted

I'm writing about my experience with the United States Post Office in the Sumter Area.

The worst experience goes back to Jan. 17, 2018. About Jan. 5, I had ordered computer ink from Ink2go. I should have received those cartridges within several days. On Jan. 5, I also ordered four boxes of checks. On Jan. 17, I had not received either of them. I called Ink2go. They said I should have received them the week before. They would mail me another order with a tracking number. I finally received the second order but never received the first order. What happened to that order?

I also called the check company on Jan. 17. They claimed that I had received my checks on the 16th. They gave me the tracking number. I didn't sleep all night. I was at the P.O. before they opened the next morning, the 18th. A supervisor finally found out that they indeed were delivered on the 16th. I saw where they were delivered. I went to that address, which was two blocks away from where I live. I had gotten that person's mail many times. They were in their mailbox with the flag up. Can you imagine what someone could have done with four boxes of checks?

My neighborhood has always had a problem with all of us getting each other's mail.

Now, let's go to 2019. I didn't get a bill, so I didn't pay it. After a month, I found out that I was late paying the bill. It took me about three weeks to get that cleared up. I also received a late charge. I continued getting other people's mail, and my neighbors brought mail to me that they had gotten.

I found out about Informed Delivery notifications. You get a notification about your mail for the day. It's nice to see what you are supposed to be getting.

Now to 2020. Sometime in December 2019, my mail started getting worse. I finally went to the P.O. and complained. No need to call because it's hard to get them by phone. I even took a map of my neighborhood with people's names and the location of our mailboxes. I went to complain about three to four times before I finally gave up.

On March 6, I decided to call 800-275-8777. I talked to Linda for 41 minutes, which included waiting to get to someone. My case number was 07174423. Nothing really happened. So, on March 11, I called 800-275-8777 again. This time, I talked to Molly for 53 minutes, which included waiting to get to someone. My case number was 07285716. I threatened to call my representative in Washington next. Finally, my mail has been almost perfect since the middle of March until the week of Aug. 10-15.

Then, the week of the 17th, I started hearing about how bad the P.O. is. It was even in The Item and on the news. I wasn't surprised.

JACKIE HUGHES

Sumter