Was I a sucky post office customer?

[jayel]

I have a PO Box for business purposes. The majority of what I get are bridal magazines. After having been out of town for seven weeks, I went two nights ago to check my box. I had a note stating that the box was full, and that I had to come inside to get my mail. No problem.

I wait until the day after Thanksgiving (today) and go inside to get my mail. When the lady brought it out to me it was a bundle of about five bridal magazines, and some junk mail. I noticed that on the top magazine, my PO Box numer was written on the cover in large, black permanent marker. When I saw this, I said to myself, "I'm so sure.." Then lady heard me and asked what was wrong. I pointed out that someone had written on the cover of my magazine in very obvious black marker. She told me that's what they do when a box gets full, bundle up all the mail and write the box number on top. I told her that they should use a post-it or something, because some people, (like me) like to keep their things nice and neat. She just looked at me like I was stupid, so i thanked her for getting the mail and left.

I came home and looked up a hotline number on usps.com, and called and left a complaint. I was very nice about it, and I did not ask to be called back by anyone, just wanted it on file that I thought it was disrespectful to write on people's mail-especially something like a magazine or catalogue- when it only takes two seconds to use a post-it or an index card. Anyone agree with me, or am I just being anal?

[Greenday]

I'd be pissed too if someone wrote with large black marker on my magazines. Can't blame you for wanting to complain. When my stepdad gets home later, I'll have to ask them how they handle stuff like that since he's a mailman.

[Misanthropical]

I would be upset if my magazine was marked up when I got it too. You were not a sucky customer.

[Zombi]

Marking the box numbers in permanent marker is SOP at the post office - usually it's not an issue, since magazines come in a plastic bag. Was the marker actually on the magazine itself, or just on the bag?
The reason it's done (at least where I worked) was that the overflow from the boxes is just put on a series of shelves, and having big black numbers makes it easier to find stuff when somebody comes to pick it up. A post-it is no good, because it would just fall off when other stuff gets stacked up against yours.

Everybody at the post office is narky anyway - I think it's part of their hiring procedure. :rolleyes:

[Becks]

Maybe they could've written the box number on a sheet of paper and kept it attatched to the overflow bundle?

[jayel]

[QUOTE=Zombi;53728]Was the marker actually on the magazine itself, or just on the bag?
QUOTE]


The marking was on the magazine cover itself. Looks really out of place on a bridal catalogue.

[BlakeMP]

I'm with you on this one. Even if it is the usual thing they do at the Post Office, writing on someone else's property strikes me as being rude at the least.

As long as YOU weren't rude or out-of-line (and it doesn't sound like you were), complaining about it doesn't make you an SC at all.

[Kiwi]

im pretty sure you can get a cleaner that gets permanent marker off

doesnt make it any less annoying, but it would tidy up the magazine some

[Zombi]

The marking was on the magazine cover itself. Looks really out of place on a bridal catalogue.

Ah. Then your ire is understandable. :) It still strikes me as strange that the magazine would be shipped without the protective cover, though, or at least in an envelope.

[jayel]

Ah. Then your ire is understandable. :) It still strikes me as strange that the magazine would be shipped without the protective cover, though, or at least in an envelope.

I hate that they don't get shipped in covers, but honestly I don't think any magazine I've ever subscribed to used one. I may be OCD about some things, but I could have lived with the writing being on a plastic cover, lol. I really do like to keep my things nice and neat, and it bothered me for someone to just write on it either not caring, or assuming that I wouldn't care. I would have never done that to someone else's stuff.

Thanks for the support everyone! Now I wonder if anything will come of my having filed a complaint :confused: :rolleyes: (jayel begins holding her breath and hopes someone is around when she loses consciousness.)

[Zombi]

Really? In Australia, if it's not in a plastic cover, it's in an envelope. That's weird. :(

[Spiffy McMoron]

Was I a sucky post office customer?

I wouldn't say so-you're alive to tell the tale. Post offices usually have a way of "dealing" with their problems quite quickly.:devil:

Really? In Australia, if it's not in a plastic cover, it's in an envelope. That's weird.

Over here, there are some magazines that get mailed in an envelope-but those types of magazines are not usually something you'd want your neighbours to see anyways...;)

[AFpheonix]

Over here, there are some magazines that get mailed in an envelope-but those types of magazines are not usually something you'd want your neighbours to see anyways...;)

National Geographic? :confused:

[Spiffy McMoron]

National Geographic? :confused:

I was thinking of something more along the lines of Hustler, but National Geographic may come in an envelope...

[Barefootgirl]

I've never seen a magazine (except advertising catalogues) sent through the post without a wrapper. Everything comes in a plastic wrapper these days, including Playboy, which comes in an opaque plastic wrapper. Surely something sent through the post without a wrapper would be creased and tatty by the time it got to you.

[strawbabies]

Cosmo doesn't come in any sort of wrapper. It just comes with an address sticker on it.

I'd imagine the post office doesn't use post-its for mail overflow because they come off rather easily.

[Zombi]

I wouldn't say so-you're alive to tell the tale. Post offices usually have a way of "dealing" with their problems quite quickly

Oh lord, when I worked at the post office, I used to wish I had a shotgun by the door. That's one place which will utterly destroy any faith in humanity you still possessed within a week.

[AFpheonix]

I was thinking of something more along the lines of Hustler, but National Geographic may come in an envelope...

Oh, I knew where you were going with that, I was just playin'. NG does come in a paper wrapper, though.

[Ryu]

I've never gotten a magazine with a wrapper unless a specific issue came with something additional, otherwise it was just the magazine with an address label