*sigh*

[PepperElf]

sucky but good too.

I ordered my boyfriend an item back in august and it finally shipped in november. That part itself wasn't really sucky cos it's normally a 2-month turnaround on orders for regular merchandise, and this was a new item. (Granted I hadn't intended it to be a christmas gift, but the timing worked out so now it's one of his christmas gifts"

the part that has me all was that he finally got the item... and it was addressed to his address, but with my name. He and I have similar last names (both start with the same letter and are rather long, so i'm thinking that's what happened).

But because it's technically addressed to me, the post office wouldn't let him have it. They even said, "We believe you... but no you still can't have your christmas gift," and then said they were sending it back to the company on the next mail truck out.

so yeah. my boyfriend loves this company and it really frustrated him to be soooo close to getting a new "shiny" (that's what he calls new items) from them, only to not be allowed to have it.

On the good side... I already contacted the company and was told that they'll send the item out to him today (with the correct name on it). I just hope it gets to him soon. (I think he's still kinda upset)

and yeah, i know legally the post clerk couldn't have given him the item, but... it doesn't stop me from being annoyed. It's a long way for packages to travel from the US to Japan... the fastest i've ever gotten anything (back when i was there) was 8 days... and usually it takes at least 2 weeks.

[bainsidhe]

Weird. Back in college I ordered some magazines under my name and my dorm room (floor 5). My sister at the time was also receiving different magazines (floor 8) when suddenly she started receiving my magazines addressed to her name and address. Meaning someone at the magazine company messed up. Okay, well I can uderstand. Our names are similar and we're in the same building, I get it. But wait, what about TIME magazine? I find out later that my mother who lives in a completely different city was receiving them (they apparently had her name and address on record). Now I get that we share the same last name and I understand how the confusion with my sister took place, but how do you mess up going to the wrong city? My family has an uncommon last name and only 3 of us has ordered magazines ever. Yet you can't get the name/address right? What the heck do these companies do when the last name is Jones or Martin? No problem, they changed the address so my TIME magazines would start coming to me, then my sister starts bringing them over since guess who's address and name they used?

[One-Fang]

I've heard of postal rules like that. Strange.

Here, it matters not what you put on a thing as the addressee. As long as the address is legible, it goes to that address. Whoever might be there to get it, is the lucky recipient. The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there.

Which is how it should be.

[Kogarashi]

One-Fang's situation is how it is over here in CT as well, at least in our city. The postal worker never actually checks that the person receiving the package is the addressee, so long as the address itself is correct. The USPS guy leaves our packages in the back stairwell (he has a key to our complex's rear stairwells so packages are left safe inside the building). The UPS guys check occasionally, but only when the package needs to be signed for.

So technically, I could receive mail for people who lived here years ago, and the mailman wouldn't bother to make sure I'm actually them. If I weren't honest, I could even open my neighbors' packages, since we share the stairwell.

[ta2ooed1]

I've heard of postal rules like that. Strange.

Here, it matters not what you put on a thing as the addressee. As long as the address is legible, it goes to that address. Whoever might be there to get it, is the lucky recipient. The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there.

Which is how it should be.

I would assume that the package in question had to be signed for since it was merchandise.

[wagegoth]

If I weren't honest, I could even open my neighbors' packages, since we share the stairwell.

For the USPS packages, that's a federal offense. Unless my neighbor was Donald Trump, I don't think it would be worth it.

[Bella_Vixen]

I've heard of postal rules like that. Strange.

Here, it matters not what you put on a thing as the addressee. As long as the address is legible, it goes to that address. Whoever might be there to get it, is the lucky recipient. The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there.

Which is how it should be.

So...you'd have absolutely no problem with a complete stranger signing for the most awesome thing that you've ever wanted?

[siead_lietrathua]

So...you'd have absolutely no problem with a complete stranger signing for the most awesome thing that you've ever wanted?

well, they would probably be living with you if they shared your address, so i doubt it would be a stranger.

man, i hate my post office. my fiancee and i are sharing a p.o. box, but they still wont let him take packages for me. or visa versa. even if we go down together we have to do it in separate transactions rather than handing them the cards for both of us at the same time.

[Pagan]

People have been bitching around here about the USPS taking weeks to deliver packages, complaining about what time the mail is delivered , blargle, blargle, moanpisswhine, etc....

Well, I ordered a couple of things from Rosslyn Chapel before Christmas and after a couple of e-mails back and forth (the website needs some tweaking, but very nice people), the package shipped on 22 Dec. I got it yesterday (31 Dec). Now, when you throw in Christmas and a Sunday, that's about 6-7 days.....through 2 separate mail systems. And that's how it always happens when I order from Scotland!

I would assume that the package in question had to be signed for since it was merchandise.

That's what I was thinking, too.

For the USPS packages, that's a federal offense. Unless my neighbor was Donald Trump, I don't think it would be worth it.

I was gonna say....

man, i hate my post office. my fiancee and i are sharing a p.o. box, but they still wont let him take packages for me. or visa versa. even if we go down together we have to do it in separate transactions rather than handing them the cards for both of us at the same time.

Now that just sounds like someone being an asshole.

[Bella_Vixen]

well, they would probably be living with you if they shared your address, so i doubt it would be a stranger.

I have no problem with that scenario.

BUT--

The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there.

Which is how it should be. [/QUOTE]

Which for people who live in buildings where there are known package theives...or places where packages are taken to neighbors and signed for there...this can be bad, because "The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there."

[Chromatix]

If I may weigh in...

Over here, in apartment blocks, every flat has it's own mailbox. Also, letterboxes are usually slots in or beside the front door, not out on the pavement or in a communal area - and this is still true of flats. So a building with package thieves in it is not inherently a problem, because the package is delivered by ringing the doorbell.

On the flip side, if a package is left with a neighbour, that *can* be a problem, because the postman has to trust the neighbour on the addressee's behalf. It's normal for the postman to leave a delivery note, however, so the addressee knows to ask the neighbour for it. It's also common for the postman to take the package back to the delivery office, leaving a note explaining where and when it can be picked up, and a reference number to use.

[It shouldn't]

Oooohhhh........ post office stories:

Years ago we lived in an apparment building. We were very good friends with the guy above us and the guy next to us. Both ended up working for the same Co. as my DH.
The time came for us to buy a house, which we did, then we moved. Upstairs guy and next door guy ended up moving with us to the new house. We all put in change of address cards and our mail was promptly forwarded.
Problem was they started forwarding everybody elses mail that ever moved out of that 50 unit building to us also. I started tagging them all "return to sender" "does not live here"

Then we started getting calls from collection places for some of these people.
I went rounds with the post office for a good 3 months before I could get them to only forward the pieces with our names on them.

Took another couple of months to get it through the collections agencys heads.

[Dreamstalker]

Which for people who live in buildings where there are known package theives...or places where packages are taken to neighbors and signed for there...this can be bad, because "The post office doesn't give a damn who it's going to, only that it gets there."

A year ago, I had ordered some fairly specified propbuilding parts from an individual on a prop forum. The dollar amount was high, so I got it insured, DC, etc.

Cue a week after it was supposed to get to me, I look up the DC# online and it shows as delivered No, it obviously was not. Head to post office with printout. Postmaster says the carrier "rang the doorbell"...no doorbell was rung, I was home at the time.

The only conclusions to reach were that it was scanned and not delivered (isn't that an automatic firing if you're caught?), or delivered and someone stole it (which is unlikely in my mom's building). Either way, the PO refused to accept the insurance claim as the package scanned as "delivered".

My stepfather will typically address cards/packages with name, city, and nothing else and for some reason, it arrives. On the flip side of this, any typo in mailings from my temp job will come back from the PO in need of correction.

[Kogarashi]

For the USPS packages, that's a federal offense. Unless my neighbor was Donald Trump, I don't think it would be worth it.

Oh, I understand that. I'm not about to open my neighbors' packages. As I said, I'm honest. I'm also glad all three neighbor families are honest as well. It's not difficult, though, in these apartments. They're University apartments, which means that at least one resident of each and every apartment is a student or employee of the University. I wouldn't feel quite so safe living in an apartment building just a few blocks away.

[PepperElf]

yeah my new place is like that... one post box per apartment by the main entrance to the property, set up to avoid leaving packages by the door...

if something's too big for the box, they give you a key on a stick to one of the larger boxes & put it in there. if it's too big for that, they leave you a slip and keep it at the post office (which is like 5 minutes away so that's cool).

only sucky part was getting mail for the previous tenant.
even wrote on it, as per the online instructions, "Return to sender for reasons given"
and listed that the addressee no longer resides at address.

they sent it back to me. O_o. Luckily the post lady was there inside the mail box hut. I knocked on the door and gave her the mail back and explained that he was the previous tenant. so hopefully they'll stop giving me his mail. cos i really dont want his bank statements. O_o


and yay... boyfriend got the new package from the store.

he was also was worried that the woman in charge of the post where he was had a grudge against him cos he had been mad at her... cos the christmas package sent on the 18th hadn't shown up... and it had been over 3 weeks (and after the new years)...but it finally showed up. so now he has the rest of his christmas gifts... (including battery operated sox!)