I contacted my mothers congressman about her missing marriage license and suddenly it was found and returned to her within three days. As for my package: originally it arrived in OK on Dec 7th and never left. Checking a few days ago, it now showed that it arrived AND left OK on Dec 7th (weeks later, it updated that it left the same day?). Checking today, it says that it has left OK on Dec 7th AND Dec 24th. At least it keeps leaving OK but it sounds like it wants to stay. Still hasn't shown up anywhere else (yet).
Well here is the result of my packages... 3 of 4 made it on time and were ready to go. 2/4 were to be presents for my son and of those 1 showed up on time, and one has been chillin in Kansas City Missouri since the day after it shipped last week. I need to send a Tram back to Kato, but I wanted to wait till after the new year to send it, as I don't want it to get lost or not delivered because they were not there for the holiday.
One package I expected must have used the Spore Drive (cf "Star Trek: Discovery") as it went from "awaiting receipt at receiving post office" on December 15 to "out for delivery" today, the 28th according to the tracking. That Internet Auction Community we all know and love (hah!) is now quoting two week delivery for many items. They are also not providing any tracking information at all on some items including three that I am waiting for. Happy Fourth Day of Christmas Everyone!
Well the Christmas packages we were waiting for arrived today after taking two weeks to travel 160 miles. A part order made 3 weeks ago made it as far as 60 miles away where it has been hung up there for four days. Christmas order I made for the Missus in November is still not on the radar. And two orders from Europe made three weeks ago made it as far as the shipping centers only to vanish into never never land.
Strange enough looks like the overseas military postage (you HAVE to ship USPS to APO addresses) runs quite reasonably. I got a couple of packages in December and it took them the usual 10 days to go all the way to Germany. These normally go through Chicago for air forwarding, if they take the boat at Jersey City it takes 6 to 8 weeks to get here. The base post office got quite a lot of volunteers to help, but I did not hear of big delays. But looks like the Xmas present for my the Master and Commander of the Home forces is lost somewhere between China and Germany (that is China post not USPS) since 6 weeks. Anyway I hope you all get your packages (better late than never). Let me also put my 2 cents: in 99% of the cases the employees put their best into it so these (normally hard working) guys deserve our support. Management is another thing (I am an officer and when something goes wrong my first question is to myself: how could I have prevented or mitigated the issue. That is before thinking of what did the rest of the team I lead), and if the issue is systemic, well IT IS management to blame.
As I recall, the reason you MUST use USPS for APO/FPO mailboxes is that the USPS and the Federal Government have a deal/contract regarding them. You are, essentially, paying to mail you package to a US Post Office box in the continental United States and, once there, the US Government pays for that mail to be forwarded to overseas military post offices. That way, military families are not burdened with having to pay overseas shipping or air mail prices every time someone wants to send something to a loved one. If little Suzie wants to send a picture to her daddy or mommy overseas, she pays only the cost of the US mail and Uncle Sam pays the rest.
Pastor john, that is exactly how it works, and makes sense, that the country takes care of own servicemen. Only a few other nations have something similar, I can recall UK and Canada, maybe France.
Well I have a good story to share, I ordered some items from San Diego with USPS Priority ordered on 12/23 that the site said would be delivered on 12/29, but it was actually delivered on 12/26. All I can say was that I was shocked to see it earlier than predicted. If only my Train stuff ever showed up. Still looking/waiting for the Peco Switch machines.......... Seems like everything else does.
My son's package, mailed 12/9/20 in Delaware, arrived in Atlanta at 1004 EST this morning, 12/29/20. I just received a text, 1727 CST, 12/29/20, "In Transit. Arriving Late." (I refrain from my initial knee jerk comment involving Sherlock, this being a family channel.) Due to the extensive quantity of daily "In Transit" posts, I feel the USPS has an excellent grasp of the obvious, or else one helluva sense of humor.
FYI. I shipped three packages USPS Priority Mail four days before Christmas. They all show nothing on the USPS tracking system (just "information available soon.") One of the buyers informed me yesterday that his package arrived on New Year's eve in fine condition. Still nothing in the USPS system.
Got my package yesterday and it wasn't crushed at all! It enjoyed the Detroit Mi Distribution Center for 16 days before leaving. Thats 23 days from Queens NY, averaging 28 miles per day. OTOH something I ordered from Amazon Prime two days before Christmas arrived the following day.
Since early December, I have experienced this (as the recipient in my case). A package shipped entirely in state, took two weeks to arrive, and per the USPS tracking, it was never even picked up! Nevertheless, I did receive it. I was relieved just yesterday to get an update on a package that was shipped to me on December 2nd. Picked up on December 2nd at Mansfield OH, and on 1/2/21 it finally updated the tracking - yes, it reached................. Cleveland OH. One month. It has now departed Cleveland - I guess it will reach me........... eventually.
Latest update on my package (Kato SP A & B set): Ebay still shows it leaving OK on Dec 7 AND Dec 24th. Dec 26, 2020 2:33am PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY TULSA, OK 74141 Dec 7, 2020 9:12pm DEPART USPS FACILITY TULSA, OK 74141 Dec 7, 2020 12:57pm PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY TULSA, OK 74141 Dec 7, 2020 12:55pm PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY TULSA, OK 74141 Dec 5, 2020 10:11am DEPART POST OFFICE MERIDIAN, TX 76665 Dec 5, 2020 9:09am USPS IN POSSESSION OF ITEM MERIDIAN, TX 76665 USPS used to show it leaving OK on Dec 24th (but no longer shows that) but it does show it was in transit to SOMEWHERE on Dec 30th only to have it finally leave OK (AGAIN as in the second or third time) on Jan 3rd. Tomorrow is a MONTH since it has shipped and they don't seem to know WHERE my package really is! And good luck getting in touch with anyone at the USPS to inquire about a package. On line requests only including a disclaimer about how it's taking longer to ship packages due to Covid... January 3, 2021, 8:53 pm Departed USPS Regional Facility TULSA OK DISTRIBUTION CENTER Your item departed our USPS facility in TULSA OK DISTRIBUTION CENTER on January 3, 2021 at 8:53 pm. The item is currently in transit to the destination. December 30, 2020 In Transit to Next Facility December 7, 2020, 12:55 pm Arrived at USPS Regional Facility TULSA OK DISTRIBUTION CENTER December 5, 2020, 10:11 am Departed Post Office MERIDIAN, TX 76665 December 5, 2020, 9:09 am USPS in possession of item MERIDIAN, TX 76665
Argh. I am still watching this situation, (as noted earlier), wanting to sell some stuff. But I will not take any chances of becoming entangled in such a mess!
Well still waiting on a Christmas present ordered in November. My order from Europe arrived in the US customs and then was handed off to the Post Office where it has vanished without a trace for over a week now in New York. A order from Ohio has managed to vanish also. Amazon has stopped giving out tracking numbers for the USPS.
My order, which sat in Illinois for a week, is now on it's way to Pennsylvania...i live in Minnesota ?