US Postal Service First Class Mail--Who Is Perfect?
Written: Jul 15 '00 (Updated Sep 13 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: speedy, reasonable prices
Cons: sometimes mail gets lost
The Bottom Line: For the quantity of mail they process, the USPS does a wonderful job of getting our letters and packages to their destinations--all at a reasonable price!
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| CindyJean's Full Review: US Postal Service First Class Mail |
Is the United States Postal Service perfect? No. Is it the best system available? That would have to be a definite YES!
My husband thinks it is my personal mission to finance the USPS. I am an avid writer of letters, I have several pen pals around the world. I have had problems with the USPS over the course of my life, but not many and not very often. Every business has an upside and a downside.
I will start by mentioning the best thing about the USPS—it is the only federal agency that is fully self-supporting. It is not funded by one single tax dollar, only by the income it generates in and of itself. How many other government agencies are that organized?
I use first class mail for almost all of my mailing, and in the last several years I have generated several thousand pieces of mail. Out of all those letters, I could count on my hands the letters that have not reached their destination. Of these letters, most were sent overseas. This leads me to believe that it is highly likely that some other country’s postal service could just as easily be responsible for the problems.
My first class letters usually arrive within two to three days of being sent, which I consider to be pretty quick. If the letter is going to a large city near where I live, it will often arrive the next day!
Even the first class package shipping is pretty quick. If I have something a little heavy to ship and don’t want to spend the extra money for priority shipping (which takes two to three days), first class is the next best thing. It usually takes about five or six days for a first class package to make it from coast to coast, but within a reasonable range of your home it will make it in two to three days.
The prices for mail are very reasonable too. At only $.33 for the first ounce of my letter or package and $.22 per ounce thereafter I feel like I am getting a good deal. The other major delivery services (i.e. Federal Express and UPS) charge much more for package delivery. I have never called them for a quote and had it turn up less than the USPS.
Yes, I know that people have letters lost through the USPS. They even lose important things like bills. I once had a check to my insurance company get lost or misdirected and did not arrive at its proper destination until over a month after it was due (I had to send another check, which arrived promptly).
Think about the massive quantity of mail that goes through this system. They deal with billions of pieces of mail each year. If you had to do so much, don’t you think you might make a mistake now and again?
I know how difficult it can be when mail gets lost, but no system is perfect. The USPS does a fantastic job with their first class mail, letters and packages. I will use them for my letters because they are not only the only real option, but also the best option. I have several options for package shipping, but my #1 choice will always be the USPS.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CindyJean
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Location: Oregon
Reviews written: 684
Trusted by: 286 members
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