USPS nightmare

Have you ever been the victim of a lost or misdelivered or damaged package sent via the US Govt Postal Service?

I have. What follows is a detailed letter to Postal Service for an insured package lost by destination postal service branch.

My goal was to have the right balance of pithy treatment yet with adequate detail; threatening yet sensible suggestion for resolving this matter; formal yet the sense that a forceful, persistant human being has written the letter.

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November 2, 2009


CLAIM APPLEALSACCOUNTING SERVICES
PO BOX 80141
ST LOUIS, MO 63180-0141

Subject: Package not delivered
Claim ID: 1321187
Case number: CA100142347
Insurance label number is 13080370000098523759

I, [deleted], am the shipper of the package that was presumably delivered. This letter is in response to your denial of my claim. I write to demand immediate payment of the $90.00 for the insured package that was never delivered.

On September 23, 2009 I mailed a 19.6 lb package containing birthday presents for my niece and nephews and my sister-in-law, [deleted]. Per your records this package was delivered on Monday, September 28, 2009 at 12:44 p.m. However, this package, was in fact, not delivered to the recipients I shipped the package to.

Accordingly, I made a claim with the 1800 clerk to investigate why the package was not delivered and the clerk said they will forward to the Snapper Creek Postal Service Branch in Miami, Florida. According to a clerk at the above mentioned branch, the package was scanned by another mail carrier not the carrier that delivers to my sister-in-laws address [deleted], Miami, FL 33176-1799. The carrier that delivers to that address is Route 42.

This matter was handled very poorly by this branch. First, the service provided by this branch has been nothing efficient. I was given evasive excuses, made to wait for hours on the phone, and even experienced rudeness. Who is in a better position to solve this problem—your office?

Furthermore, I called the 1(800) number again on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. and the clerk advised, I call the Snapper Creek Branch and ask them to advocate for me. I called the branch at 7:20 a.m. after hanging up with the 1800 clerk. A lady by the name of Izabel answered the phone, she said she would investigate the problem placed me on hold for nearly two hours. I called again, and a George answered and said no Izabel worked there. He claimed to be a supervisor and then handed the call to a clerk by the name of Suzanne. Suzanne was very nice and took down the information and said, “I don’t know why supervisor gave me this call, I don’t think I can solve this problem. This should be the supervisor's duty.” Then she placed me on hold for a few seconds and returned to the phone saying, “John supervisor is in a meeting. Give me the Insurance label number and I will have him call you back.” No one ever called back.

Understand that I bought insurance for just this reason and USPS should indemnify me for the loss of the package. USPS defected in the delivery of the package to a different address (or it was stolen). The actual recipient did not receive this package.

Additionally, I have included [deleted] affidavit as proof that the package was not delivered to the address I shipped it to. You may contact [deleted] at [deleted].

These are reasonable demands. If I don’t hear from you by November 16, I will assess what legal recourse I should take against the US Postal Service.

Very Truly Yours,

Marla F. Benavides

Copy to Ms. Autria Finley, Supervisor, Domestic Claims (by certified and regular mail)

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USPS Results from demand letter

I sent a demand letter in October of 2009 to the Postal Service and I received a response. The postal service wrote a check out to me for the full amount of the insured package plus some extra cash. Yea!

I guess my letter was so effective, Postal Service wanted to reward me for a job well done.