Attempted Delivery
I ordered something online that I needed fairly quickly and so was anticipating getting it just in time one day a couple weeks back when text messages revealed that it was "out for delivery." I was home all day working on various projects so I anticipated no problems with the delivery.
But at 1:33 pm, I got a text message on my phone saying that the delivery had been attempted but had an issue. A quick trip out to the mailbox revealed that the package needed my signature for some reason but the mail person had apparently not attempted to get a signature as I was home at that time and my doorbell never rang.
So I checked the security camera and sure enough, the mailman pulled up to the mailbox, sat in his vehicle two minutes to fill out the form saying they "attempted" to get my signature and failed before driving off.
I have signed the slip and told them to leave the package at my front door. I have refrained from showing them the video clip of their "attempt" to get my signature. I'm not even sure why I have to sign for the package as the contents aren't particularly valuable, just needed.
So the following day, my slip with my signature and note to deliver it to my front door was removed from the mailbox but there was no package again. A review of video footage shows the postman stopping for a few seconds to collect the signed delivery attempt notice before proceeding on down the street.
I ended up calling the post office who told me that while the postman should have at least attempted to get my signature by knocking on my door, they typically do not carry the package the second day but with my now collected signature, they should request the package tomorrow and attempt to redeliver it. The nice lady said she would pass on my displeasure about the postman not attempting to collect my signature which probably means the package will be tossed in the street or kicked to my door step, now three days later.
As promised, it did arrive the following day and it wasn't kicked all the way down the sidewalk as one might have imagined. But it wasn't the same person because this one drove a bright orange jeep. She carried it up to the door as requested, dropped it off nicely and drove off. But when I retrieved the package upon returning home, it was nearly split in two and there was a note written on it that it had been damaged upon receipt. Fortunately the item was packaged well and not damaged so there should be no problems returning it.
I hate to say it, but this is typical. Back when I lived in an apartment, they would never attempt to get my signature, just leave me a notice to come pick the package up at the post office. I was a city dweller at the time with two toddlers, so it was no easy task to load them up and drive through heavy traffic to pick up the package. All my complaints fell on deaf ears, however. I would get a polite smile and promise they'd look into it, but nothing ever changed.
ReplyDeleteI have had to sign for a package before, not often, but they generally have always come to the door and rang the doorbell. Lately however, I quite often get email notifications saying something happened and they would try again the next day. I always assume they just ran out of time. But this is the first to have both of those sort of combined.
DeleteEd, I have had the same experience from time to time. UPS/DHL/Fed Ex are always very clear about what requires signature and what does not and allow you to refuse signature. My least success has been with the post office.
ReplyDeleteIt still puzzles me why a signature was required. It wasn't valuable. I wonder if it wasn't just some sort of ploy so they didn't have to carry it around with them all day and take the time to walk it up when they could "punt" and get the weekend carrier to do it.
DeleteMy niece showed a picture of a package sitting on the sidewalk in the rain, just one step away from a covered front porch with porch furniture and a swing.
ReplyDeleteI try to find a reason to be sympathetic in situations like that but sometimes they make it so darn difficult.
DeleteThat sounds very suspicious. Can you see from the video whether it was already damaged when it was dropped at your door? (I guess it must have been if there was a note.) Sounds to me like someone's retaliating against you because of your complaints.
ReplyDeleteSimilar things have happened to me here. I think postal workers and couriers have time constraints (i.e. they must make so many deliveries in a given period of time) and if you're not basically standing on your front steps they'll often say they attempted delivery even if they really didn't.
The video isn't nearly good enough quality wise to make the determination and it could have been retaliation as I haven't seen that vehicle since. It has been the orange jeep. Perhaps they pulled a Catholic stunt and just shuffled them off to another route. (I'm Catholic by the way and that was said very tongue in cheek.)
DeleteOur biggest problem with mail service is getting our neighbors' mail and them getting ours. There is also a street that runs parallel to ours that starts with the same letter and has the same address numbers, and our mail gets mixed up regularly. We all help each other out and just put misdelivered mail in the right boxes. Like you, I try to be sympathetic but after a few times you would think they would learn?
ReplyDeleteSigh, we have that happen quite regularly. Our road and the road that tees into is are the same except for an added descriptive term. Ours has one additional word in the middle of it. The house with the same number on the different street is literally a 100 yards from our house and we are used to redelivering misdelivered mail. Unfortunately for me, it was sold a month ago and I haven't met the new neighbor. Hopefully they don't toss any misdelivered mail of mine.
DeleteI have had similar issues with USPS, FedEx, and UPS. I've complained when I felt it was necessary, but with the latter two it's not always easy to find someone local to talk with. Plus... there's always that fear of retaliation (isn't that a sad state of affairs!?). I rarely complain and normally go out of my way to make it easier on them, but you know what? They're getting paid to deliver my packages. I shouldn't have to go to extremes.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I've ever complained. Always before, I just chalk it up as life as long as it doesn't become the new normal, which it hasn't... yet.
DeleteThat would have been frustrating! Especially since you needed the item and it would have been so easy just to drop it off. Arghhh!
ReplyDeleteYes, but of course they had no idea so I don't blame them for that part. Fortunately other than it being late and returning it which was a half mile of driving out of my way, the experience didn't cause me a lot of grief. I just hope in the future they at least attempt to get my signature instead of going through this whole thing again.
DeleteThat's terrible! I once saw a postal clerk take in a package that was well sealed and printed with "FRAGILE! Eggs inside." And she purposefully threw it in the bin.
ReplyDeleteHowever, most of them are great. It is just a few bad eggs (ha ha) that spoil it.
I've had fairly good luck with our mail carriers overall. Since our houses out here are far apart, they always drive which means our packages are usually in good shape when they arrive. But being on the end of the day's route, has it's disadvantages if the deliverer is anxious to be somewhere else.
DeleteThis seems very odd.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't the first time I've had the no knock delivery of a form asking for my signature. But it is the first time it wasn't stuck to my door to make it attempt to look like they tried to obtain it.
DeleteWow! That is pretty darn pathetic. That would really p--- me off. Thank goodness we have/had a truly excellent mail carrier named Wendy here. If there's a big package, she'll even bring it to the side of the house next to the kitchen door so it's out of sight and out of the weather. We give her a little tip during the holidays and she actually writes us a thank you letter. Unfortunately, lately someone else does her route occasionally so we miss Wendy, but this carrier is OK too.
ReplyDeleteI suspect my old carrier retired or left for another job. She always did a great job. Lately we seem to have a rotating cast of different deliverers so I suspect that has a lot to do with the problem.
DeleteHmmm... I left a comment yesterday and I don't see it. I wonder if it went to your spam box.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't in my spam. I don't often log onto my computer during the weekend because I'm busy with my family or if home, my kids are on my office computer. I have an ipad but don't like typing out comments on it and prefer my office computer with regulation keyboard, when the kids aren't on it. We only allow them to use electronics on weekends and so they try to make up for lost time so to speak.
DeleteThe same thing happened to us, I complained...they don't bring it out again here you have to go into the Post Office to get it. It used to be the Postal jobs were hard to get not so much anymore ours has people who keep quitting because they don't want to work on Saturdays:)
ReplyDelete