Your mailbox is going to feel a bit empty starting next summer, as the United States Postal Service is going to cut Saturday delivery in a move designed to save the agency $2 billion a year. Partly because it didn’t want to continue waiting around for Congress to do something to help dig it out of its financial hole, beginning Aug. 1 the weekends will be mail-free, although packages will still be delivered on Saturdays. [More]
United States Postal Service Dropping Saturday Mail Delivery Starting Aug. 1
By February 6, 2013
My Landlord Raises Rent 1 Penny To Make Up For Postage Increases, Sends Letter To Tell Me
By February 5, 2013
As you may have noticed, the price of stamps went up last week by an entire penny. Overall, the nation seems to be coping pretty well, unless they’re small businesses who have a lot of overseas customers. (Air mail prices went up, too. A lot.) One entity that isn’t coping well is reader Layla’s apartment complex. They’ve raised everyone’s rent one penny to compensate for the postage change, and chose to notify everyone by… delivering a letter to their doors. [More]
The U.S. Postal Service Doesn't Want Night Owl Business
By August 20, 2012
Most people occasionally need to mail packages. Most people also have jobs. The U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble, and desperately needs our package-mailing funds. They’re not about to expand the hours that post offices are open to accommodate office workers, though, so they compromise: post office lobbies are open 24/7 and Automated Postal Centers are ready for your package-mailing needs. Blue mailboxes can only accommodate parcels up to 13 ounces, but you can drop much larger boxes in the package drop at your local post office. In theory. Dan found that this was trickier in practice, when every post office nearby had an operational postage machine, but the package drops were all locked. [More]
We're Sorry, Your Delicious Package Of Treats Was Intercepted By Post Office Rats
By December 20, 2011
Rodents make the worst postal workers, especially when delicious, edible holiday treats are involved. One post office in Manhattan had a few rats and/or mice working over packages before they reached their intended destinations, resulting in a holiday surprise of a different kind. [More]
My USPS Package Took A California Vacation, Didn't Invite Me Along
By September 22, 2011
Using the U.S. Postal Service’s Priority Mail, Justin mailed a gift from his home in New York City to a friend in Georgia. Package tracking meant that he was able to follow the gift’s journey and make sure it arrived safely. He was baffled, though, when the tracking information stated that it first traveled out to California for no reason, then made its way back to Georgia, eleven days later than anticipated. Where it was then delivered to the wrong person. In a different town. No one knows where the package actually ended up. [More]
USPS: We'll Be Out Of Money By October
By March 3, 2011
USPS is in crisis mode, stuck in an unsustainable business model that threatens to run the service into the ground by the end of the fiscal year in October. [More]
Watch Out For FedEx SmartPost
By December 23, 2009
Cristiana says beware the trap of sending things via FedEx SmartPost: the USPS handles the local part of delivery, and “since you now have two shipping companies involved, nobody wants to take responsibility for the package” when it never arrives. [More]
Kill Slightly Fewer Trees By Leaving Junk Mail Lists
By December 13, 2009
Thanks to e-mail and online bill payments, mailboxes are a lot less personal than they used to be. According to WalletPop, each week, the average American receives 1.5 pieces of mail they might actually be interested in (yes, including bills), but 16 pieces of junk mail. Evidently, “OCCUPANT” is a pretty popular guy. But when unwanted solicitations are 90% of what’s in our mailboxes, why do they keep on coming? How can you make them stop? [More]
North Pole, Alaska Will Answer Letters To Santa After All
By December 3, 2009
Letters that children mail to “Santa Claus, North Pole” will be destined for North Pole, Alaska after all, and the letters personally answered by dedicated volunteers. The program was initially shut down for logistical reasons, but restored after Rudolph paid a visit to Fairbanks and taught everyone the true meaning of Christmas. Or something like that. [More]
U.S. Postal Service Tests Post Office Greeting Card Sales
By October 29, 2009
One of the few things that people still use the U.S. Postal Service to do is send greeting cards. Americans receive an average of 20 greeting cards per year, and they have to come from somewhere. So why not save a trip and buy those cards right at your local post office?
USPS: No Stamp Price Increases In 2010
By October 17, 2009
You can rest easy and stock up on booklets of Simpsons stamps instead of boring old Forever stamps. The United States Postal Service assures us that it is not planning any stamp price increases in 2010.
US Postal Service Redefines "Contiguous" United States
By October 2, 2009
Steve was mailing some packages from his home in Virgina to various points in the country, and noticed something strange on his receipt. The packages destined for Pennsylvania and Washington state are leaving the contiguous United States. What?
Ask The Consumerists: Should I Report My Package-Rolling Mailman?
By September 9, 2009
Jeff has a quandary. He spotted his neighborhood mail carrier delivering his package in a way he didn’t like. Jeff wants to know whether he should report his friendly, package-tossing mailman to the post office, or whether he should expect retribution.
Postal Service Gettin' It On With eBay
By June 17, 2009
The USPS is getting all modern-like, hooking up with eBay to let sellers be billed later for postal services rather than pay immediately. Also, a new tool will let sellers roll streamline the shipping process by letting them buy and print labels without having to juggle accounts or wait in line at the post office.
Reminder: Don't Pay Private Companies For Postal Jobs
By May 27, 2009
For those readers who are job-hunting for the first time, or for the first time in a long time, let this serve as a reminder: you do not need to pay a private company to get a job with the post office. No study guides. No sample exams. As T.J. learned, these companies will be happy to sell you all kinds of unnecessary exam-taking supplies…whether there are any postal jobs available or exams planned near where you live, or not. Multiple companies are masquerading as hiring for the post office.
UPDATE: USPS Agrees To Pay Insurance Claim On Lost Laptops
By May 8, 2009
After our story about USPS losing a reader’s five insured computers then only valuing them at $74 generated a lot of response (and turned into a vowel-less debate on health care), a couple readers sent us the contact info for the insurance agent who denied our reader’s request.
USPS: Your Five New, Insured Laptops That We Lost Are Worth $74
By May 7, 2009
The US Postal Service lost five new Lenovo laptops that Pedro’s friend bought and shipped to him. Pedro expected that this might happen, so he wisely insured the package for $3,000. After stalling for about two months, USPS finally agreed to pay his insurance claim, but reduced the payment, claiming his merchandise was only worth $74.
It's Tax Day! Here Are Some Post Offices That Are Open Late…
By April 15, 2009
Today is the day, folks. You’ll need to finish up your taxes and send them on their way to the IRS.
