Please Mr. Postman

Happy Wednesday! ...otherwise known as "Hump Day." It's still not Spring yet but the sun is shining in my neck of the woods. We're expecting highs in the upper 50s today. It definitely feels like Spring is on its way. Spring is such a great revitalizer. Just the idea of it puts you in a better mood after dealing with a cold, harsh winter. It brings about new life and beautiful weather. The weather is perfect for kite flying, picnics, and other outdoor activities. It's even great for walks.

I bet Letter Carriers from the United States Postal Service (USPS) enjoy the Spring because they no longer have to worry about sleet or snow when delivering the mail everyday. After all, the USPS's infamous (unofficial) creed is "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." By now, you're probably wondering: Where is this going? Well, I'll tell you. I've been snubbed by the USPS! Overlooked! Given the cold-shoulder! Slighted!

My situation really isn't that serious but I tend to get a little dramatic sometimes. Danielle and I have been living in our high rise since June. When moving in, we covered all the bases of moving: security deposits, renter's insurance, rent, transferring our driver's licenses and voter registrations, and we completed a change of address form with the USPS. Danielle did her's via mail and I did mine online. To do it via mail, you simply fill out a change of address form/card, which you can pick up at any Post Office, and drop it in any USPS Mail Box. To complete a change of address online, you need to go to https://moversguide.usps.com/icoa/icoa-main-flow.do?execution=e1s1 and follow the simple directions.

The advantage of doing it online is the speedy processing of your request. However, the slight disadvantage of doing it online is the $1.00 fee you are charged. To verify the legitimacy of your change of address and to avoid fraud, the USPS requires people who are changing their address online to input their credit or debit card information. The credit/debit card is then charged $1.00. Thus, if a random $1.00 fee from the USPS ever shows up on your credit card or bank statement, A.) someone submitted a change of address for you B.) your identity has been stolen (you might want to take care of that ASAP).

After having been through the "Change of Address" process, I figured it would be a piece of cake when I had to do it again at the beginning of February. Danielle and I moved into a new (bigger) apartment in our building and we took on a boarder (a.k.a. my brother, Wayne). I submitted both my change of address and Danielle's change of address online. I was able to do Danielle's online because we have a joint bank account so using my debit card didn't throw up any red flags for the USPS. I submitted the changes of address four days before we were scheduled to move into our new apartment and indicated the date on which I would like my mail to begin being forwarded to my new address. I immediately received an e-mail confirmation that the USPS had received my change of address form. About three days later, (one day before my scheduled move in date), I received a packet from the USPS, at my old address, confirming my change of address.

For about two weeks, I realized I wasn't receiving any mail. I don't know why it took me so long to realize that but that's how long it took so that's that. Thus, I went to the front desk in the lobby of my high rise and asked if I could have the key to my old mailbox. After explaining my situation to the front desk worker, she gave me the key only because no one has moved into my old apartment yet. When I checked my old mailbox, there was two weeks worth of mail inside. Because it was a Saturday (this past Saturday to be exact), I did not call the Post Office or USPS Customer Service right away, although I should have.

On Monday, I went through the same process and discovered that there was mail for me in my old mailbox.Then yesterday, I had the same issue yet again. Finally, I called USPS Customer Service yesterday. They apologized for the issue and promised to resolve it. However, I have to wait two to three business days before they get back to me with a resolution to my problem. Needless to say, I was super annoyed. My frustration lead me to call my local Post Office. When I called my local Post Office, I immediately explained my issue and they put me on hold for about two minutes.

The woman who had put me on hold came back to the phone and apologized for the inconvenience. She told me that she had not seen my usual Letter Carrier this week and is under the assumption that he is not in this week. I'm not sure how that affects the past two weeks that my mail hasn't be forwarded but I let her continue what she was saying. She explained that whoever is his back up must not have realized there was an address change. Thus, she put a note on my "account" (whatever that is supposed to mean; I didn't realize that I had an account with the Postal Service) and the Back up Carrier will begin forwarding my mail today. Hopefully, there will be no issues with my mail today. However, I am going to ask the front desk for the key to my old mailbox again just to make sure.

I thought I was being proactive by filling out my change of address form four days before moving but it turns out there was more that I could have done to avoid the situation. This is what else I could've done and what you could do to avoid a situation like mine:

1. Be MORE Proactive
• It turns out that it can take 7-10 business days for the USPS to actually process your change of address request. I confirmation I received was a confirmation that they had received my request. I waited four days before moving to submit a change of address form. In the future, I will submit a change of address form at least 10 business days prior to my scheduled move in date.
2. Update All of your Account Information
• No, I am not talking about this mysterious "account" you may have with the USPS. I am referring to any credit card accounts, bank accounts, magazine subscriptions, cell phone services, Netflix subscriptions, student loan accounts, etc. that you may have. I remembered to update a few accounts but forgot to update some others. So I was receiving mail to my new address from the accounts that I had updated but, for the accounts I hadn't updated, that mail was going to my old address.
3. Report Any and All Problems as they Arise
• It took me about two weeks to realize my mail wasn't being forwarded. Then, it took my three days to report it. Don't do what I did. If there is a problem, address it immediately. You could lose important mail if you wait to confront the problem. Luckily, I was able to retrieve the mail I had lost but not everyone will be as lucky.

With these tips, you can avoid being overlooked by your Letter Carrier and the United Stated Postal Service. This may not solve all of your mail or postal-related woes but at least you'll know where to start when confronting or trying to resolve your issue(s) with the USPS. As Vernon Sanders Law once said, and my little brother @shaneburgo tweeted this morning, "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards."

Until next time, show some appreciation for your Letter Carrier and have a Happy Humpday!

Sincerely,

J.A.B.