USPS Horror -- how do I get my package?

[GaijinPunch]

Long story short

-I'm in the bay area, preparing for Burning Man. Plan on heading out Saturday.
-My moms sent me a box of the very few things I could afford to buy this year on Monday. It was supposed to arrive on Wednesday.
-It arrived in Flordai on Wednesday. :-/
-It's presumably on it's way here (left Florida about 7 hours ago).

I could pick it up somewhere around here Saturday, although even that will be a total ball ache. Anyone ever had to intercept a package? The internet says the public generally can't pick up at a sorting station. Obviously, calling them is the first step... I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get to wear that jumpsuit this year though. Pretty fucking pissed. I've been out of work for a few months, so deciding to buy that shit was a big deal.

Fuck those assholes.

[Pretas]

Burning Man stopped being a relevant or genuinely countercultural event years ago.

[GaijinPunch]

Good thing I don't give two fucks about something being relevant (or counter culture for that matter)... like playing 25 year old video games on a 25 year old monitor.

Next....

[cools]

Depends who you get on the phone. Companies in the UK can stop packages in transit at their nearest depot if you're really nice about it or the package is causing a risk to other packages (poorly drained engine parts, for example).

Put on your most polite and pleasant demeanor and cross your fingers.

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah... was afraid I've have to do that.

[cools]

Perhaps its for a burial or bride? If you get the awkward treatment, that is.

[GaijinPunch]

Perhaps its for a burial or bride? If you get the awkward treatment, that is.

I could say it's my brides dress...
My mother will do the talking as she sent it though. She's not really into the white lies. She's a saint.

[Ed Oscuro]

You probably need the sender to redirect the package. FedEx makes this easier - assuming it's going FedEx the whole way, the recipient should be able to have it held at the nearest facility. But USPS (and FedEx shipments which go through USPS, apparently) need the sender's action.

[GaijinPunch]

It's "on it's way to the destination".

[Skykid]

So you're no longer a Japan resident, officially?

Feels weird. It's like you've been there so long you're part of the experience.

You better update your location in your profile.

[GaijinPunch]

I will once I find a home.

It was a bizarre, sobering ride to Narita. One of the hardest things I've done in my life, and I gave my father's eulogy. A lot of emotions... some good... some bad... it was just hard not imagining not coming back as a resident. Even when I left the last time for a 2 year hiatus, I knew I'd come back. This time, I knew I wouldn't. I devoted a piece of my life to that place... whether I am a better man having lived in Japan rather than the US or somewhere else, who knows. It's a vague feeling, at best. Reflecting back on all of those years is a hard thing to face, and I totally underestimated it.

I made the right decision. No question. Doesn't mean it wasn't painfully difficult. One day I might write something about it. Maybe not. You hear about people missing Japan all the time, but mostly they just miss their friends. For me it was more of a communion with the city of Tokyo that I was missing.

[Stevens]

Sorry to hear that GP. Didn't know what you were going through.

As to your original question? Good luck. USPS is awful. Just be happy you don't live in Brooklyn:)

Enjoy BM. I've got some friends headed out that way too.

[Skykid]

I will once I find a home.

It was a bizarre, sobering ride to Narita. One of the hardest things I've done in my life, and I gave my father's eulogy. A lot of emotions... some good... some bad... it was just hard not imagining not coming back as a resident. Even when I left the last time for a 2 year hiatus, I knew I'd come back. This time, I knew I wouldn't. I devoted a piece of my life to that place... whether I am a better man having lived in Japan rather than the US or somewhere else, who knows. It's a vague feeling, at best. Reflecting back on all of those years is a hard thing to face, and I totally underestimated it.

I made the right decision. No question. Doesn't mean it wasn't painfully difficult. One day I might write something about it. Maybe not. You hear about people missing Japan all the time, but mostly they just miss their friends. For me it was more of a communion with the city of Tokyo that I was missing.

In time clarity always comes through to resolve doubts. I'm confident you won't regret anything. Just look back on it as a chapter in life with plenty of fond memories, and at the same time start creating some new ones.

[chempop]

I hope you get you package in time, but regardless, enjoy burning man!
About leaving Japan, it’s never easy ending one chapter and starting a new. I remember when I left a school I taught at for nearly a decade it felt more or less traumatic. Took a solid year to get back on my feet, but in the end I found a new job that I’m much happier at. The transition from Tokyo to the USA, well I can imagine that’s ten fold what I went through, so best of luck making the adjustment.

I could say it's my brides dress...

Tell em it’s your skin tight body suit with easy access zippers and you need to NOW for giant desert party!!!

[jepjepjep]

Pretty much you're F'd Gaijinpunch. There's no way to get anywhere with USPS, they pretty much have no customer service.

I few months ago I bought a pcb from Japan. EMS shipping, so USPS was the deliverer. They left a notice that my package had arrived on a Thursday (didn't bother to check if my wife was home, which she was). Went to pick it up on Saturday since the pickup counter closes at 5pm so couldn't make it there after work on Fri. I was told that they couldn't find it so the guy must be trying to redeliver it. Turns out that they marked it refused and it was on it's way back to Japan. I tried to call everyone and anyone at USPS to get it redirected back to me but no one could do anything. So in the end after dozens of calls, hours of time on hold, I ended up getting screwed, having to pay for shipping from Japan twice for the same package, and not getting reimbursed for the first failure. Everyone that I talked to at USPS admitted that they made a mistake, yet no one could do anything to try to resolve the situation. It's like a big ship is sailing with no one at the helm.

A lot of it comes down to the fact that all of the postal centers are understaffed due to Congress not funding them. It's become a political game since they want to move towards privatization of the post office. USPS gets no funding --> mail goes to shit --> customers/citizens get angry --> resentment makes privatization easier --> profit!!!

[EmperorIng]

You can try calling them and seeing if the package is not in fact actually at the nearest post office. If it is sitting there you can show up with your ID and tracking number and pick it up.

If not, I am not sure. like you said, the best is to just talk with them and see if you can't work something out. I've been lucky in that my experiences with my local USPS have been mostly pleasant (except for when I lived in a shitty neighborhood). If your USPS is in a shitty neighborhood though, expect no real help.

[GaijinPunch]

Enjoy BM. I've got some friends headed out that way too.

That's the idea!
I got some friends from NYC there as well, so I'll be in good hands.

it’s never easy ending one chapter and starting a new.

Something about this. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is. I sat there at Narita w/ the GF and just stared out the window thinking, "I've spent so much of my life here..." When I came in, I know it was hard on my parents, but I was so excited to start my life. Now, it's less exciting and more of an obligation as I have a child to take care of. It also crept up on me, but I have friends in Japan as close as I had the first time. It took a while the second time, but sure enough happened.

It's a very temporary city... hard to embrace though.

It's become a political game since they want to move towards privatization of the post office.

Japan actually did this and it went through in 2007. It didn't automatically become better, but it basically worked. The difference is the Japanese work ethic (especially in the lower-paying jobs area). Now there's a dissertation.

[Ed Oscuro]

It's become a political game since they want to move towards privatization of the post office.

The PO employees sure don't. That work ethic thing doesn't really favor privatization in the US, either.

Sounds like the larger the PO the worse the service is - if you have the fortune to deal with employees of a small PO you've known for years, outcomes seem to be better.

I've actually never had anything lost over USPS - had one thing get slightly damaged once, but outcomes wouldn't have likely been much better with other carriers (and it might not have been the domestic system that did it anyways).

Lately there has been some stuff appearing in the local PO that I don't quite understand - "no mail can be handed over the counter" and my inquiries about redirecting a shipment (that went to the wrong address - why don't they allow address forwarding past one year of a move, especially as a for-pay service?) seemed to get two totally different answers from different people (which might be marginally relevant to this topic). But, overall, things have not been bad at all.

[alamone]

I just want to also chime in that USPS sucks... I had an EMS package come in but they never gave me that pink slip that
said they attempted delivery. I'm wondering where my package is and go to the post office and they returned it to sender.
So I had to pay for EMS shipping TWICE.

[Ed Oscuro]

I'm wondering where my package is and go to the post office and they returned it to sender.

There has to be more to the story than that. If they fucked up you should have made them pay the shipping cost, really. I'd complain to the manager for sure.

[alamone]

Nope. They would not do jack shit.

[drauch]

Nope. They would not do jack shit.

Yeah, USPS customer service is basically dog shit. They don't give a shit about your package and they aren't (and will let you know) responsible for it.

[jepjepjep]

Nope. They would not do jack shit.

Exact same thing happened to me. Returned to Japan after 1.5 days. Not only would they not do jack shit, they marked the package as "refused" so that the sender in Japan couldn't request a refund.

There has to be more to the story than that. If they fucked up you should have made them pay the shipping cost, really. I'd complain to the manager for sure.

LOL, the manager admitted they fucked up but couldn't do anything about it. It's similar to making a complaint about a police officer, the complaint goes nowhere and nothing happens except you waste your own time.

[Lordstar]

Good thing I don't give two fucks about something being relevant (or counter culture for that matter)... like playing 25 year old video games on a 25 year old monitor.

Next....

BAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!

[GaijinPunch]

Package is "out for delivery" and there are instructions on the mailbox of the "now vacant" home to leave it there. I got the neighbors number to check and make sure it's there, so I can swing by and get it. Not exactly on the way. About 30 minutes north when I need to be heading west. I think I"ll live though. Fingers crossed... it's looking a bit better.

[SuperGrafx]

Good luck.
Hopefully it all works out in the end

[GaijinPunch]

Good luck.
Hopefully it all works out in the end

Hope so too. You'd go out of your way to pick this up, wouldn't you?

[brentsg]

Good luck.
Hopefully it all works out in the end

Hope so too. You'd go out of your way to pick this up, wouldn't you?

Yeah, she's hot.

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, she's hot.

Didn't cost much extra, either.

[quash]

As you discover how awful US postal service has become, I'm discovering just how amazing Japan's is.

I ended up splurging on a U2413 and G27, which Amazon JP said they could ship to the nearest post office. I figured it'd just be assumed that it'd be for general delivery since I didn't put a PO box in the address, but it ended up getting stuck at Yamato. Which was actually a good thing, since they're closer to me than the post office is. I didn't even have to pay anything when I picked them up.