United States Postal Service [USPS]

I mailed a letter on a Monday from a Post Office in Indiana to a business about 4 miles away in Highland, Indiana. I used Priority Mail 2-Day with Certified Mail and Restricted Delivery. Certified Mail gives the piece a tracking number. Restricted Delivery requires the person to which the mail is addressed to receive it-nobody else is allowed to receive it.

If the mail carrier gets to the destination and the person in the addressee space is not there, the carrier needs to leave a notice (yellow or orange card) to notify the addressee that the carrier attempted to deliver a piece of mail directly to that person.

2 days after I mailed it, in the evening the tracking information showed that the attempt was made at about 9 AM, while the business opens at 4 PM. The business hours are on its door, and the carrier should know this, especially if it is the regular carrier. The tracking also shows “Your item is being held at the Post Office In HIGHLAND…..because the business was closed. The item will be delivered the net delivery day. If this item is unclaimed after 15 days then it will be returned to the sender. …”

4 days after I mailed it, I checked the tracking info again. It stated that the carrier made the attempt in the morning again, many hours before the business opened. I figured that at least a notice should have been left at the business to tell the addressee that the letter is sitting at the U.S.P.O., but probably was not left.

9 days after I mailed it, I went into the USPO where the letter is stored. I talked to a manager. I stated that over a week went by and this letter had not been received. I showed him how the carrier tried to deliver it twice when the carrier probably knows the business is closed. In addition, I said a card should have been left. Then the manager got the actual letter. On the front was written “NL 12/1”, which the manager stated meant “Notice Left”. I then learned that a card was left 7 days after I mailed it! Why wasn’t the notice left with the first attempt 2 days after I sent it? No clear answer was given.

He stated that a carrier supervisor will make an attempt this day at a time when the business is open: after 4 PM. I asked him to have the carrier leave another card and judging by his reaction I could not count on it.

The next day, 10 days after mailing the tracking info stated the previous day’s date and “4:16 PM AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP”. There was no indication given to me that a notice was left this second time, and he would not let me see the letter. So it is possible the carrier didn’t leave a second notice, but maybe the business was open and the addressee was not there.

14 days after the letter was sent I went to the same PO. The supervisor indicated the letter was still sitting in the Post Office. He said that if by the deadline (15 days), there’s no pick up, it will be returned to me.

Keep in mind, “If this item is unclaimed after 15 days then it will be returned”. 21 days after the mailing, which is 20 days after the 1st attempt, there was no attempt to return the letter to me. In total at least 2, but possibly 3 of the 4 faults were caused by a USPS person: 1) the carrier delayed by 5 days leaving the notice card; 2) the addressee MAY have ignored that notice; 3) a possible second attempt the carrier may not have left a card; and 4) the tracking shows no indication the letter was returned within 15 days of the first attempt (17 days after I mailed it). Even if it’s on its way back, it’s 2 Day Priority-it should have been in my mail on day 19, maybe 20 at worst. Now it’s 21 days! These multiple errors were brought to you by the US Post Office for a letter for which I paid about $14. I’m using UPS next time.