United States Postal Service FAIL!!!

[David Morris]

Would love to get some feedback from some folks.

Background: I got married on March 31st (I am a very blessed husband!) My fiancé (at the time) sent out invitations on Feb. 17th.

After arriving home from our honeymoon, my wife went to her apartment to gather some things and check her mail. She had a notice that she had received a package, and picked it up from the office at her apartment complex.

Inside the package was a letter from the Atlanta Mail Recovery Center, along with 73 non-mailed wedding invitations. The form letter stated "The enclosed was found loose in the mail or was damaged in handling and processing at one of our facilities."

When Kati dropped the invitations off, she had them in 4 boxes. She handed them to the postal worker, and asked if they needed to be taken out of the boxes. The worker replied that they didn't. We sent out roughly 300 invitations.

Interesting to me was that in the Priority Box that the USPS used to return our invitations, they came in the original box that Kati had used when she dropped them off almost 2 months ago. The box itself had a fine cut through the top of it, but the mail itself was not harmed (aside from one envelope that had been opened, which I can only assume was done by a postal worker...which I don't know why they would do that).

Three boxes of invitations were mailed. One box wasn't, which accounted for over 200 people that should have been invited to our wedding. Since we had two receptions, a cake and punch immediately following the ceremony, and a dinner reception with much fewer guests, we only did an RSVP for the dinner reception (in hindsight, we should have done differently).

My opinion is that the post office we dropped them off at failed to mail them, and they are trying to cover their tracks. I can't find any other reason to know why they would still have the box we dropped them off in, especially in a letter coming from Atlanta.

On Monday, I am going to go to the post office they were mailed from to talk with the highest person on the totem poll that I can find. I realize that our wedding is over, and I am grateful for those who came to support us...but I am very disappointed in what appears to me an attempt by the USPS to cover their tracks.

MY QUESTION: Should I expect/demand any sort of compensation? The stamps themselves were not postmarked, but after being on the envelope for two months, they aren't coming off.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Susan Unger]

That is nuts... [what the PO did]. For the amount of postage lost, I would say that you should at least get reimbursed for the postage.

[Peggy Gray]

My educated guess is that this is what happened: The employee who accepted the mail had every intention of taking the invitations out of the boxes you had them in and putting them in a tub of uncanceled outgoing mail. One of the three boxes was mistakenly tossed into a sack of outgoing parcels--probably by another employee while the first employee was interupted or whatever. When the box showed up in a processing center with no postage or address, it was forwarded to the MRC (formerly "dead letter office") where it was opened and someone determined to whom it should be returned. A goof-up, in other words.

As far as compensation, I have no idea how the system works these days. I hope the employee who accepted the invitations by some chance remembers the incident. Perhaps (PERHAPS) the stamps could be redeemed for face value at least, assuming you still have the original box and letter from the MRC to show what happened, and that the stamps were not in fact postally used.

[Jim Chabot]

Be prepared to face the worst, and hopefully it will be better than you expect.

My guess is that the highest person on the totem pole will say that the invitations should have been brought either loose or in an open top carton. I'm guessing that the explanation will be that this is your fault and that you were lucky to have the rest of the invitations mailed. Hopefully I'm wrong, but be prepared.

My guess is that the worker who said that they were ok in the boxes spoke out of turn. I'm guessing that the official policy requires each individual mailing to be loose, and that the worker being nice and doing you a favor. I'm guessing further that somehow one box escaped attention and ended up in a bin where it was sent out on a truck to who knows where, eventually landing in Atlanta. The small slit in the box was to examine the contents to determine what could still be done, one envelope was removed and opened. I'm guessing that if it was discovered in time, they would have mailed them out, since the date was already past, they sent the box back to you. Just guessing.

Don't get me wrong, I feel for you, what a mess. Hopefully the postal folks will be helpful, just be prepared.

If nothing can be done, I believe that you can cut the stamps off of the envelopes and still use them by taping them in place.

Another idea would be to cut each envelope open and insert a letter explaining what went wrong, then seal them all up and mail them out. At least the folks will finally receive an invitation and be aware of the mix up.

[Susan Unger]

Another idea would be to cut each envelope open and insert a letter explaining what went wrong, then seal them all up and mail them out. At least the folks will finally receive an invitation and be aware of the mix up.

Good idea.

[Peggy Gray]

Check with current postal regulations before you try cutting the stamps off the envelopes and/or taping them on. Both used to be no-no's.

[John Reilly]

So frustrating!!!! So difficult to find reliable help these days. For the sake of those who were invited to your wedding send the invitations now. Perhaps plan a summer cook out or some other fun event for these 73+ to share in your happiness. Call it the "Post Office Shuffle."

[Gary Condon]

Have another wedding ceremony for those who didn't get notified. My kids had two weddings. One in Iowa and the next week in Mexico for their Mexican friends and relatives.

[Wanda VanWinkle]

I would type an explanation and print it on large peel-off address labels to stick to the back of the envelope rather than opening each envelope and taping shut.

[Scott Moseley]

David congrats btw ! Hopefully the same process doesn't happen when you send out your thank you notes! Please talk with the postmaster and allow him to apologize and to even to refund you for the stamps not used. Stuff happens and sometimes for reasons we don't understand.

Not to be too pragmatic but often invitations translate into much needed gifts for the newly weds whether the invitee goes or not. You may have lost more than the postage so you should resend. I suggest you resend the wedding invites with a special note explaining the USPS fail together with a wedding pic. Let them know they have a standing invite to your diamond and golden anniversaries down the road !

[David Morris]

I would type an explanation and print it on large peel-off address labels to stick to the back of the envelope rather than opening each envelope and taping shut.

David congrats btw ! Hopefully the same process doesn't happen when you send out your thank you notes! Please talk with the postmaster and allow him to apologize and to even to refund you for the stamps not used. Stuff happens and sometimes for reasons we don't understand.

Not to be too pragmatic but often invitations translate into much needed gifts for the newly weds whether the invitee goes or not. You may have lost more than the postage so you should resend. I suggest you resend the wedding invites with a special note explaining the USPS fail together with a wedding pic. Let them know they have a standing invite to your diamond and golden anniversaries down the road !

This is along the lines with what my dad suggested. We will use a large sticker, place it on the back of the envelope, and explain what happened. Interestingly, a majority of the invitations were folks from my church whose last names start with A-L. Oops!

[Dennis M. Scott]

T Interestingly, a majority of the invitations were folks from my church whose last names start with A-L. Oops!

I am disappointed again. For the first time in a couple months, I was relieved to discover why my invitation had not arrived: but my last name does not begin with A-L.

A little more seriously, what I would do is to pray extra long and hard, asking the Lord to somehow prevent me from reacting as a human being. Another thing you could do woud be first go to the police station and ask for an armed escort to protect the postal service.

Question: Did anyone mention to you their disappointment at not being invited?

I don't think I know anyone else who has had to deal with something like this the second week of their honeymoon. Linda and I were dealing with other stuff.

Congratulations!

[David Morris]

I am disappointed again. For the first time in a couple months, I was relieved to discover why my invitation had not arrived: but my last name does not begin with A-L.

A little more seriously, what I would do is to pray extra long and hard, asking the Lord to somehow prevent me from reacting as a human being. Another thing you could do woud be first go to the police station and ask for an armed escort to protect the postal service.

Question: Did anyone mention to you their disappointment at not being invited?

I don't think I know anyone else who has had to deal with something like this the second week of their honeymoon. Linda and I were dealing with other stuff.

Congratulations!

Thanks! I was thankful that the post office had already closed by the time we picked up the package on Saturday. I went in this morning and spoke (calm and cool) with the highest ranking person there, who then instructed me to call Consumer Affairs. This was around 10am. I did that and a case was entered. A few minutes ago I received a call back that they would reimburse me for the cost of the postage. Still bummed that this happened, but what more could they do in regards to this? Nothing that I can think of. I appreciate how quickly they dealt with this matter.

[Gina Stevenson]

Well, perhaps the "what else?" could be at least half the cost of those invitations that did not get mailed? After all, outdated items usually have a reduced value when a store is unloading them. How many saddened people may have even missed the chance to celebrate your wedding with you and Kati b/c of this snafu?

(hopefully there might be some video, and not just pictures, that those who missed it can now see?)

[Bud Pugh]

David,
Gina brings up a good idea. On the sticker you're going to put on the envelope as you re-mail the invitations, you could include a photo/video/Facebook page link so they can get a taste of the wedding they may have missed because of the invitation snafu.

[Ryan Scott]

My experience in dealing with the post office, it's generally best to make things as easy as possible. If you have to ask about processing (ie - should I take these out of the box), just assume the answer is what amounts to the most work for you and the least work for them.

Also, whenever possible, avoid human interaction - the automated services of the postal service work much better than the human services, on average.

[Gina Stevenson]

Perhaps, reading about making it easier on them, you could bring the printing bill along, with the amount in question already figured? This is not to be nasty, or vindictive, but just more pragmatism (as aforementioned) . . . some partial remuneration for wasted invitations providing some $$$ towards that "make-up party" someone else mentioned.

[Pete Vecchi]

MY QUESTION: Should I expect/demand any sort of compensation? The stamps themselves were not postmarked, but after being on the envelope for two months, they aren't coming off.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

In answer to the question, I would not expect any sort of compensation from the Post Office. My understanding is that there are no refunds from the Post Office, unless you have paid for specific services such as insurance. An unused roll or book of stamps cannot be returned for a refund. All sales are final.

The idea posted by some to re-send the invitations with a note of explanation may be a good one--especially if you want to avoid people having hurt feelings for not being invited. It may also be the best way to use the stamps that have already been placed on the letters.