You guys sure do sound as if you're down on the postal service. I don't know what all the frustration is about. Look at it this way...50 years ago, you could send a letter for a nickel, and it would get to where it was going the next day. Today, it costs 39 cents, and it takes about 8 days. That still averages about a nickel a day.

Big Ox
(What's half of two plus two?)

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It seems as though with the automated machines and sometimes with those who do postage at home, that the USPS will not scan the package in until it reaches its destination.

You know, I had an interesting thought while contemplating your post; we are paying for Delivery Confirmation, not Proof-that-we-sent-it Confirmation. Unless I am missing something, it seems to me that we are getting what we are paying for: confirmation when the package is delivered. If it doesn't get delivered, for whatever reason, they confirm that, too. Is the post office supposed to track the package if you purchase DC (like UPS)?

Just a thought. Sorry you lost a plb. You never know, though... it may still turn up!
~SHH :-)

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Look at it this way...50 years ago, you could send a letter for a nickel, and it would get to where it was going the next day. Today, it costs 39 cents, and it takes about 8 days. That still averages about a nickel a day.

ROFL

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I had an interesting thought while contemplating your post; we are paying for Delivery Confirmation, not Proof-that-we-sent-it Confirmation.

That's funny, I was just thinking the same thing. =)

I just went to the USPS website looking around to see if they do have a "Proof-that-it-was-sent" option. Sounds like what you want is a "Certificate of Mailing" which the website describes thusly:

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Certificate of Mailing provides evidence of mailing and must be purchased at time of mailing. It’s available for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Post, Bound Printed Matter, and Media Mail. For an additional fee, a certificate of mailing may be combined with parcel airlift service (PAL) or special handling. Items with a certificate of mailing must be presented to a retail employee at a Post Office or to a rural carrier.

Certified Mailing sounds like it does the job of both the Certificate of Mailing and Delivery Confirmation:

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Certified Mail provides proof of mailing at the time of mailing and date and time of delivery or attempted delivery. A delivery record is maintained by the USPS. Certified mail is available with First-Class Mail and Priority Mail. For an additional fee, Certified Mail may be combined with restricted delivery or return receipt.

Registered mail also seems to work for proof-of-mailing:

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Registered Mail provides maximum protection and security for valuables. It provides the sender with mailing receipt and a delivery record is maintained by the USPS. A record of mailing is maintained at the mailing post office.

For Delivery Confirmation, as expected, says nothing about proof of mailing:

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Delivery Confirmation provides the date and time of delivery or attempted delivery.

Of course, all those other options cost more than delivery confirmation. =) I think I heard somewhere they they recommend the Certified Mail option if you're sending tax returns to the IRS. The thought being that you don't care so much that they actually receive your tax return as much as you want proof that you sent it to them on time.

All those options obvious have different purposes. You just have to choose the one that best fits your needs. =)

On another note, I think they're all rip-offs for a postal box. Even if you can prove you sent a postal box, what's going to happen if the package is lost anyhow? It's not like they can replace it for you. Just allows you to point your fingers and blame the post office for your woes, and they collect perfect good money for THAT?! Ha! =)

Packages get lost occasionally, but all things considered, it's not that common. There are over 5,000 postal letterboxes listed on Atlas Quest. Even if you assume each of them get mailed an average of 10 times before they retire, that's 50,000 mailings! (At even a measly $3 per box, that's $150,000 spent on postal boxes. Jumpin' junipers! They should pay me for supporting postals on this site! But I digress....) Will some of them go missing? Undoubtedly? But I bet ten times that number disappear into black holes that don't involve the post office.

Keep your money in your pocket. *nodding*

Of course, you're free to disregard my suggestion. It's not my money so I won't get worked up about the subject either way. *shrug* =)

-- Ryan

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On another note, I think they're all rip-offs for a postal box. Even if you can prove you sent a postal box, what's going to happen if the package is lost anyhow? It's not like they can replace it for you. Just allows you to point your fingers and blame the post office for your woes, and they collect perfect good money for THAT?! Ha! =)

I have to agree with Ryan. DC says someone received it or not. My word should be good enough that I mailed it. I know that I am a virtual person to most of you... I'm willing to accept that. It seems to just be a matter of trust.

I have receipts, at least for the boxes that I take to the post office. No need for them though, all arrived safely. Those that I've dropped in the mail with stamps have also arrived, but I had no proof of mailing. Who would check my proof if a package was lost anyway?

Note that none of this is typed with malice, frustration, annoyance, or even an attitude. Just curiosity about this need for proof, especially when I honestly don't see what good it would do.

Tee

My thoughts on Delivery Confirmation:

I've swapped all kinds of things through the mail with people from all over the world and no one has ever asked me to confirm I sent something (until Postal Letterboxes). It is required in the ring I'm in now, so I did it to follow the rules. But, I also don't think it's going to solve any problems or add any benefit... other than possibly making people think they have to hurry up and send it on because someone will KNOW how long they've had it. :)

As for what the post office is required to do, no they are not required to scan Delivery Confirmation when you drop it off. Ryan calculated the number of postal letterboxes in circulation right now, and the final focus was on the money, not on how long it actually takes to scan each one of those packages. Also add in the mix all the businesses that use delivery confirmation. That's a lot of scanning.

Also, as Ryan stated, the post office has other ways of proving you sent something AND proving it was received, but it costs more because there's more involved in handling it. But, you certainly wouldn't want to send a postal letterbox by Registered Mail. That service is for times when you want top security for your item. There is never a hand that touches a Registered piece of mail which also hasn't held a pen to sign saying they did so (unless they're touching it with their left hand and write with their right.) :)

Certified Mail is your best bet for proof of both sending and receiving, IF you want to pay that and IF it matters if it was sent and/or received.

As for competition, the only reason certain delivery companies make such huge profits is because they do not have to drive 70 miles to deliver a Wal-mart ad. The post office delivers to just about everywhere, and that can't be said for ~other~ companies. In fact, some of those beloved ~other~ delivery companies actually re-mail packages through the post office because they are too far out to be profitable to deliver them on their own. So, sometimes a customer will pay the ~other~ company and the post office is the one to deliver the package at a cheaper rate than the customer paid the ~other~ company.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that there are services offered for what you want to do.
AND, the postal service may not be the best at everything, but they do a lot more than most people realize.

-QP

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My word should be good enough that I mailed it. I know that I am a virtual person to most of you... I'm willing to accept that. It seems to just be a matter of trust.

Very reasonable, and I agree wholeheartedly!

I have received and sent over 350 postals, and none of them have been lost by the post office. I do not do DC except when required and on a few other rare occasions. I just did the math,and if I had done DC on each of those postals, it would have added up to $210 by now.

Hooray to the postal service for almost always getting it right!

8-)
Booknut