Mail delivery...and an old friend

Shorty2U · ‎03-09-2010

A month ago we never got our cable bill. I waited until days before it was due, and called them and ended up sending it on time, in my own envelope. 2 days later the cable bill came and it had been torn open! (so it was taped shut), with an apology on it from the USPS.

Fast forward to now. We JUST TODAY got a Christmas card BACK I had sent to one of my best friends (from school) in California.

I mailed that card over 2 weeks before Christmas! Well it came back as undeliverable and the bottom of the envelope/card looks like it started to go through a paper shredder and was pulled out.

Anyway never had any problems with the USPS service before, so I don't get whats going on now?

With the cable bill, DH thinks someone else got it by accident, opened it (neighbors) and gave it back to get RE-delivered. (IF that's the case, why they couldn't walk it to our door or mailbox is beyond me but the people here are not friendly, so whatever).

But I have no clue what happened with the Christmas card and where it was all this time! (Caught in a mail machine maybe? lol)

To add- It then dawned on me that I haven't heard from my friend in CA for over 2 years since she was in the area for a wedding and stopped by to see us. I have her on my Facebook but she is never ON Facebook but her daughters tag her with family pictures and I see she has 2 more grandkids since I saw her! :-)

So anyway even though I believe this is a mail error (and she is fine), I now i have to find her number (which I misplaced!), and call her and see how she is. Im sure she is fine, she is just very busy so its not odd for her to go 2 to 3 years without talking. She has a husband (they run a business) and a huge famiily and they alll travel a lot. But I feel bad she didnt get our card. (I had hand written a nice letter with it). IF I cant find her number, I will try to send one of her daughters a message on Facebook (even though her daughters are not one of my Facebook friends). Hopefully they will read it and answer.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make~ The Beatles

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

Years ago, I got a bill late and all torn. It was inside another envelope and a note from the PO saying it was destroyed in a machine

Considering the volume of mail they get each day, I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often

Plaid Pants2 · ‎03-14-2015

I pay my bills on line, that way I don't have to worry about the bill getting to me late, or not at all.

A few clicks, and it's paid.

Easy-peasy.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

On the cable bill, I think your husband is right. It was mis-delivered originally. The recipient opened it without noticing it wasn't theirs. Once realizing the mistake, they returned it to USPS. That's what I do anyway, when I get misdelivered mail. As far as the shredded card, I've seen that before too - a couple months ago, my monthly payment to the HOA was mangled and returned to me.

VenturaHighway · ‎12-10-2016

@Shorty2UMy husband worked for USPS. He said that some envelopes have trouble going through the machines. A few years ago, Dollar General had a bad batch of envelopes and caused the machines to tear up all of it. They were Christmas cards and I guess it was quite a mess.

I agree, if someone else gets a bill, they need to put it back in the mailbox with a note to be sent to the right person.

Lapdog · ‎12-18-2012

Ahhh the mail service. Last week I received my neighbors ATT bill, I ripped it open and studied it before I realized it was not mine, Taped it and put back in the box.

Happens quite a bit.

Today I rec'd a letter from a lawyer for my address only I am west and the real sendee is east.(incorrectly addressed) I will call them.

One day last year the east lady came to my door with all my mail. Nice lady!

I used to get letters from court and while the address was close, still......I did call them to let them know they weren't being purposefully ignored.

I also got a Christmas card back, 3 weeks later and it was only sent across town.

The carrier leaves the door open so the mail gets wet and blows out.

Skips days and brings a big pile the next day.

I won't complain because (as a partner in a business) we complained and the letter carrier threatened us saying they would just not deliver our bills.

Such is life sometimes.

One time a hospital was sending a bill to my old address and the (fire chief) that lived there must have just thrown them out because the first notice I rec'd was from the collection agency! oops!!

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@Shorty2U,

Early last February I mailed a get well card to a cousin who had emergency surgery, and who lives about 30 miles away. At the end of April, I received that chewed up card back with numerous USPS hand stampings on it, explaining that it was found jammed in a postal sorting machine.

clangle · ‎11-06-2013

My favorite mis-delivery story-a few years ago, I pulled our mail out of the mailbox, and in the middle of the stack of mail there was a letter addressed to someone in ENGLAND.

(I live in New York).

I had to go in to the Post Office anyway so I figured I would just drop it off at the desk. I went up and the clerk looked at me like I had two heads when I explained to her what had happened. It's like she thought I was trying to pull a fast one on her. She eventually took it back.

Should have just dropped it in a mailbox, but the stamp was already cancelled and I was concerned it would not get to its rightful recipient. We get mis-delivered mail for houses in our neighborhood with some regularity, but this was pretty strange!

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I get neighbors mail for a couple days in a row, then it stops for a long period. I put it back in the mailbox and put the flag up. Sometimes they take it, sometimes they don't and I write a note. I've been scolded by the mail lady before for leaving notes. Sometimes it's tough getting them to take it. I put it in the mailbox, so they are aware there was an issue.

mac116 · ‎03-26-2010

We have also had problems with the mail delivery, especially this year. We sent a letter certified mail to Cincinnati. We checked to see if it was received via the USPS tracking on their website. It went from one address to another in Cincinnati, then was sent to Columbus, Ohio. What? It eventually came back to us...three weeks later. So much for certified mail. Unfortunately, that was only one of four delivery foul ups.