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If you use USPS Priority Mail to document deliveries … be careful

edited May 2021 in Off-Topic
I just had an experience where I wanted to document that some papers I mailed to a fund family’s accounting department January 1 did arrive. Guess what? The USPS only makes that viewable on their website for up to 3 months. If you need proof that something you sent “prio” more than 3 months ago was delivered you’re out luck - unless you want to pay a fee to have them dig into their archives.:(

Comments

  • The USPS Tracking Plus service enables extended tracking history for up to 10 years.
    It's available for packages shipped via Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, and Parcel Select service.
  • The USPS Tracking Plus service enables extended tracking history for up to 10 years.
    It's available for packages shipped via Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, and Parcel Select service.

    Interesting. Thanks.
  • edited June 2021
    Here’s an interesting one ….

    Last week I needed to mail two signed transactions to Fidelity in neighboring Ohio. I mailed them 3 days apart (Tuesday & Friday) because it was important to me that one was acted on before the other. Same post office, same time of day, same postal rate (priority mail) and exact same address.

    Now, a week after mailing the first one the Post Office says it’s “running late.” Meanwhile, the one mailed 3 days later has been delivered. Go figure!

    This is frustrating. Pay an extra $7 for”priority” and they can’t get the d’ thing from Michigan to Ohio in a week’s time. Wondering if UPS or FedX have similar service and at what price. Overnight delivery not necessary.. But 2-3 days would be appreciated.
  • Hi Hank,
    Yes, some mail travel times are strange for the past year, in particular.
    I use 1st class mail, but add "certified" and "request receipt" choices. You can track these too, and also receive a return post card indicating arrive time and a signature or signature stamp.
  • edited June 2021
    Hi Catch,

    Certainly won’t use “priority mail” again. Checked UPS. It does have a ground delivery service that would work which takes 3 days or less. Priced in the in the $15-$20 range. I’ll give it a try next time.

    What’s weird here is that both mailings were showing on the USPS website as having departed their central dispatch center in Cincinnati. From there, one (the second sent) made it to its final destination early today. However the other (sent Tuesday) continues “in transit”.

    I’ll speculate it’s probably sitting there on a loaded truck and that the driver simply hasn’t shown up for work. On the other hand, that driver may have shown up and started out, but got than lost somewhere in the greater Cincinnati area.
  • edited June 2021
    @hank : I think you hit the nail on the head with your last comments. I forgot to mention that the cost to mail a letter is going up AGAIN !!!
  • edited June 2021
    I finally “caved” and resubmitted both documents overnight FedX for $44.00. While I think they received the second mailing, it appears Fido won’t move on that one until the earlier one arrives, as both transfers were initiated online. As of today the set of papers sent “Priority Mail” on May 25 is 9 days in route and not yet delivered. Tracking shows that it’s been in the Greater Cincinnati area for the past 7 days. (So near and yet so far away.)

    What a sham Priority Mail has become. My advice is that if you have something important to mail & track, use either FedX or UPS’s 2nd or 3rd day delivery - both of which appear to cost well under $20 for anywhere in the continental U.S.
  • Or if you're close enough, just drive it there yourself!
  • edited June 2021
    carew388 said:

    Or if you're close enough, just drive it there yourself!

    Yuppers. Almost enough to make me wish I were still downstate working, where I spent nearly 30 years. Their Farmington office would have been practically in my backyard. Now, Grand Rapids is the nearest, roughly a 3 hours drive.

    Fidelity Branch Office Michigan Locations:
    Ann Arbor. 500 E. Eisenhower Parkway. ...
    Detroit Market Center. One Towne Square. Suite 1590. ...
    Farmington Hills. 30200 Northwestern Highway. Farmington Hills, MI 48334. ...
    Grand Blanc. 10811 South Saginaw Street. Suite A. ...
    Grand Rapids. 3480 28th Street SE. ...
    Novi. 43420 Grand River Avenue. ...
    Troy. 778 W.
  • hank said:

    Here’s an interesting one ….

    Last week I needed to mail two signed transactions to Fidelity in neighboring Ohio. I mailed them 3 days apart (Tuesday & Friday) because it was important to me that one was acted on before the other. Same post office, same time of day, same postal rate (priority mail) and exact same address.

    Now, a week after mailing the first one the Post Office says it’s “running late.” Meanwhile, the one mailed 3 days later has been delivered. Go figure!

    This is frustrating. Pay an extra $7 for”priority” and they can’t get the d’ thing from Michigan to Ohio in a week’s time. Wondering if UPS or FedX have similar service and at what price. Overnight delivery not necessary.. But 2-3 days would be appreciated.

    Yes, the mail HAS been less reliable. There's a reason. His name is Louis DeJoy. The Trump-monster appointed him Postmaster. His explicit mission was to sabotage the mail, in order to create a pretext for the Orange Shit-head to claim that mail-in ballots cannot be trusted. Then a judge got hold of the case and ordered a rollback of what DeJoy had done. I don't think the P.O. complied under the judge's deadline, either! ..... I recall last summer: I got a routine, expected monthly bill in the mailbox AFTER the due date for my payment had already passed.

    Uncle Joe has appointed three guys to three vacancies on the Postal Board. Hopefully, the DeJoy fart-bag will be gone soon. Big Trumpster donor. And the emptiest of empty suits.
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