how to save the post office

[oneflyfisher]

Soup,
That is another advantage of the post office; they will cash a USPS money order. On the subject of who is cheaper, I received a small package from a business who sent it by UPS at a cost of about $12. The next time I ordered the same thing, from the same company, they sent it by USPS (without me asking) and it cost about $5. With the computer it is easy to check the USPS, FEDEX, UPS, etc and see who is the cheapest. The only package I have ever had lost, was shipped by UPS. In fairness, I once received a rod, in a metal tube, packed inside a long cardboard box, shipped by the USPS arrive in a L shape.

Standard disclosure, I am not employed by the USPS, FEDEX, UPS, etc.

[flyguy66]

Just curious, not trying to pick on you, but what would possess you to go to the Post Office to cash a money order before your bank? It's not their area of expertise. My bank will send mail out for me, but I would never expect them to deliver it. It's not their area of expertise. I pass several stores that will sell/make/offer money orders on my way to work (must be at least 30, I have a 50 mile drive), but I would NEVER expect them to cash the darn things. Again, not trying to defend the USPS, or start a flame war with you, but I can't understand the purpose, unless to avoid a service fee of some sort? Peace.

Well, to quote TWO VP's of TWO highly respected banks with whom I spoke about exactly this:

Banks do not cash US Postal Service Money Orders anymore for 2 reasons. First, there are scads upon scads of fraudulent ones floating around and the banks have all been burned by them too many times. Second, they're afraid that if they take real ones, the USPS won't be able to pay them.

One of those bank VP's told me, "Tell everyone you know never to send Post Office money orders. Use a bank cashier's check or even take a personal check from someone before accepting a Post Office money order. You can cash a third party check easier than you can one of those money orders."

This was after I had taken it to the THIRD post office and tried about five banks just to make sure. Finally, I took it to a bank where I had worked as a teenager in the town where I grew up and where my mother still lives. That bank VP is one of my best school friend's mom and a friend of my mother's. And she cashed it for me while lecturing me on the subject in great detail.

So...believe or think what you will. Make excuses for the USPS all you want to. But the bottom line is that the old red-white-and-blue eagle that once stood for the full faith of credit of the US gov't and the ultimate in convenient, reliable service is now a far riskier way to transact business than by taking a stranger's personal check. FACT.

[Muskrat]

Wow trusting a banker who's institution probably took tarp money, that is tax payer dollars, over the USPS. Now that is the pot calling the kettle black! Banking must be really tough in your area. I can take a USPS Money Order to any bank, credit union I belong to and several retailers in our state and get it cashed with no problem. Quite possibly your trusted banker friend was trying to get your money and really played to your dislike of the USPS. By the way I have a lot of retail management experience. Want to loose your shirt? Just keep trusting those bankers and taking third party checks. Most bankers are just like most salesmen. They are great at telling what you want to hear.

[flyguy66]

Muskrat,

I doubt very seriously that the First National Bank of Mineola, Texas was offered TARP money. LMAO The First Mineola Corp is one of the most conservative lenders in the country and has always had a very high reserve ratio. If you know anything at all about banking and what led to the financial crisis we are currently in, you will realize that 1) small independent local banks that make only prime loans aren't in trouble, and 2) banks that small weren't offered TARP money. Furthermore, why don't you try the USPS money order thing and get back to us...not just any money order, a US Postal money order. This lady had no idea that I had an issue with this. I haven't seen or spoken to her in a decade or more. And I just walked in and told her the local post office couldn't cash it and asked if she would.

Like I said before: keep drinking the Koolaid if you want to. I don't care.

[Betty Hiner]

flgy,
You may want to be very careful in your assumptions pertaining to those banks, money orders, and banking personnel. You may want to quit while your at least even, though not ahead. Just sayin'
It is, after all, your Koolaid.

[JohnScott]

97495 is a great PO too.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

..... and friendly employees at 83442 and 59847, too !!

Maybe its a small town thing ??

John

[Muskrat]

flyguy66,
Yeah I am just a dumb bumpkin from Pennsylvania so I don't know nothing about nothing. Except that I don't drink Koolaid. Koolaid is for kids. BTW who holds the bonds and notes for any of our little financial institutions? Be careful, that is a rhetorical question. I already know the answer. So if you think the post office is so bad why don't you put your hat in the ring for Post Master General of the United states of America and fix it. Perhaps it is just easier to criticize and be bossy than it is to be the boss.

Don't get the mistaken idea in your head that you can lecture me. Lets just say that you and I will never agree on this and let it drop.

Excellent service at 17045, 17020, 17070, 16127!

[kbproctor]

If you get something from me, it comes to you via USPS. Who can beat the rates and free boxes for 'most anything including many 4pc rods? That is HUGE for someone like me right now. They will even pick it up next day with a phone call, FREE. If you are paying the freight, I don't care how you spend your money.

I will not take a Postal Money Order, however. There has been too much fraud with them. If you are too stuck in the past to use PayPal, which I prefer, I may take your check, but I won't take a PO Money Order. If your check is bad, I can send it to the sheriff in the county you live in and he will come to your door and tell you to pay it or go to jail in many parts of the country.

Over the last 25 years, the post office at 80123 has been both surly and friendly depending on how the current Postmaster treated his/her team.

All in all, I wish the rest of the Federal Government was run like the Post Office. We wouldn't be in as much of a hole as we are now.

[Backcastwards]

how can you fix an instutution that allows sick days to accumulate for years. A postal worker can retire earlier using his/her accumulated sick days to discount their retirement date. GREAT deal if you can get it. Whatever happened to common sense ?

You are mistaken. Yes postal workers can accumulate sick leave. No, it does not discount their retirement date. Some will use up whatever they have on the books if they can find a doctor to write them a long term illness note. Otherwise the accumulated sick leave will just be added to the total service time when they retire. My wife added 18 months to her time in service and I added 9 months with accumulated sick leave.
As for common sense, what do you think it costs to pay someone to stay home and burn up their sick leave while you pay someone else time and a half to cover that vacant position? Compare that with the extra .02% for each year of a accumulated leave. Before federal employees retirement system got wise and changed from use it or lose it sick leave, everyone was calling in sick just for a play day.

[Backcastwards]

The Post Office is a money looser because it has unlimited money resourses-the tax payer- I still say restructure it like a private business or sell it. Their will always be a delivery souce for the military personnel and others.

Time to wake up. Your taxes have not supported the Postal Service since 1971.
1971 - United States Postal Service began operations. Prior to that it was subsidized by taxes.