General Forum

It's called blackmail $.

I keep telling everybody....use Paypal ship now, easy and cheap. International, Canada, Domestic never a proplem. Try it.

Wow!! Thanks BOB, I went in and did some research and its even available in Canada with Canada Post OR UPS Canada. There are even possible discounts. Who knew ................... BOB did!!

https://www.paypal.com/ca/smarthelp/article/canada-post-label-faq3481

I also just signed up for a Canadaian Small Business Account at Canada Post, it is free and it comes with instant discounts for the $0-$2499 yearly mail cost bracket (the lowest of course). Was given the info today by the postie working the counter.

Canadian customs rejected the last name only package. They don't allow that in Canada. 

Most of the problems in the many, many whiny posts about the postal system on every message board are from people trying to beat the system...maybe if you did it right instead of trying to sneak something through you wouldn't have so many problems, eh? 

Postal employees are NOT government employees. Have not been since the 1970s. The postal system is a private company contracted with the government. The government changed it so that (essentially, very simplifed) they could tax the USPS. It directly affected my family then, and still does today.

I'm getting really tired of all the constant whining I see about the post office everywhere I go. Although all retired now, my family worked for the USPS from wwii era through within a decade ago. Most of the stuff people are saying is either entirely made up or from people who are trying to beat the system. I'm not saying there's not some doofuses working there, but complaining about the system when YOU are doing wrong is getting old. 

I know that constantly complaining about everything is the new fad, and yes, I realize the hypocrisy of my complaining about the complaining, but it's getting to the point where I just don't want to go online anymore. It's just not much fun anymore. And now it's starting to show up here, the one sight where that wasn't the case. 

While there is some truth in your post, I take exception to your statements. I have complained about the Post Office and will continue to complain about it. I have never tried to "beat the system" or "tried to sneak something through". I take packages/envelopes to the PO so I can make sure It is weighed and I pay the proper amount. When 3 visits result in 3 different clerks telling me that I owe 3 different amounts for 3 different envelopes, each containing the same numbers of cards packed the same way.... then they are doofuses and need to learn their job OR the organization needs better standards. 

I'll stop here before I dig the hole any deeper.

Billy I understand your feelings. My wife is a good woman and I love her for that. Her job she does with the utmost respect for everyone she deals with on a daily basis. She prices the requests from her clients, makes sure that nothing is missed, prices what she feels is adequete and is the best possible product for you. People all want to see her in an office of over 20.

BUT ..................

every single day I hear about the shitty insurance industry and how they are all nothing more than criminals and theifs. It is hard to take when they are putting your wife in the group. Sometimes I even complain about our insurance and it makes her feel very small. In life when things do not go as they "should" or as "expected" we get frustrated and in this case postal workers (which would number in the 100,000s in the US) just sometimes do not do their jobs and then the good ones get put in the bundle. Sad but true. Nobody is dissing your family tree directly, I am sure of that.

In the 1960s and 1970s, post office was excellent and extremely professional.  They started to slack off in the 80s.   My parents would send Valentine's or Easter cards to my two sons.   Mailed at same post office.   One arrives, one doesn't?   I am not the only one who has this happened to them.   Oh yes they had return addresses on them.     My buddy's brother worked for the USPs and he says, "oh yeah, some guys walk out or open anything that looks like it might have cash, never send cash".    1990s  it progressively got worse until we reach the point where we are today.      Same item handed to different clerks and you get different rates, that is totally unacceptable.     Train them, then retrain them.   Have a good Saturday.

I’m with Bob...

Use PayPal to print postage, then drop off at the post office. I found it’s the most cost efficient  and less strenuous way to ship.

Yes!!!   we all have had issues with the USPS.  My main one is cost.  PWE cost more then some cards.  Then too few people working the windows at times. (just like the other stores)

Over all I have had very little problems that really matter.  All packages I have sent have been received. Only one package I ordered did not get to me. Long story short it was a scam not the USPS issue.  All damaged packages got paid for. I'm not a big time player but do trade a lot over a year.

The USPS may not be a part of the Government BUT it is completely controlled by the Government.  Years ago an employee of the USPS who moved to the government side can use his time at the USPS as time with the government.  (Do not know if the is the truth now)   I know a lot of people working for the USPS from the guys who drops off the mail to one of the top dogs in my area.  They all say the some thing the USPS is top heavy and controlled too tightly.

Like all companies the most of the people are hard workers but a few bad apples.  I think it was in the 70s when they had all the shootings.  That is where we get the phrase "Going postal"  Here in CO they say it is hard to hire because of the drug test so now it appears they are hiring people they normally would not hire.

I got hooked on eBay last year and it seemed like most of the postage due packages came from those printing their own postage. Maybe it was due to the changes they made in September but there seems to be a lot of subjectivity now in determining postage due. I usually go to the post office for my trades but I decided to use the postal service at my local Meijer store to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and of course at least one arrived to someone with a couple of bucks of postage due.