SWharton Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 After checking with the Surprise USPS we had our mail forwarded to General Delivery. We received confirmation that our package had arrived so went to pick it up. Then the fun started. First question was did I fill out the form to request General Delivery. Of course my answer was no. Surprise will only accept General Delivery if form is filled out. Did I have a tracking number? While we were looking for the tracking number I asked what happened to the mail if I didn't have a form filled out. I was told the mail would be returned to sender. Once she had a tracking number she found my mail. Wow, this was a big shock to me. We have encountered several Post Offices that will not accept General Delivery for Fedex and UPS. But not accepting General Delivery from themselves doesn't seem right. I am going to forward this info to our mail service as an FYI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 (edited) Send an inquiry to USPS asking for an investigation, and indicate you are sending copy of inquiry to your Congressional representative. Congressional offices love to do things for constituents. Edited April 2, 2019 by Barbaraok IPad self correcting! Quote Barb & Dave O'Keeffe 2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 I've had one instance where the tiny Post Office in Medina, Texas required me to fill out a form requesting General Delivery, and questioned me closely regarding how long I'd be in the area, how many parcels I intended to receive, etc. When I asked the reason for the questions I was told that I'd be required to rent a PO Box after a certain amount of time/number of parcels. Long story short, this particular Postmaster was a known "hard case" and once she was gone the questions stopped as did the requirement to fill out the form. It appears that individual PO's can impose requirements based on the wishes of their management. Quote Mark & Teri 2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350 Mark & Teri's Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 Yes, each post office is its little fiefdom. When I queried about General Delivery from Fedex or UPS, several have said no problem at all as long as it says General Delivery. Others outright refuse the package and send it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyboots Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 For the past 3 years I've filled out the form for General Delivery at the Post Office I use in Eastern Washington. They also ask for ID when signed and when I pick up USPS mail. The form is good for 30 days. FedEx and UPS deliver to my camp site. Figured it was SOP and wasn't offended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 The problem I see is that many of us use General Delivery on the road and will have our mail sent to a USPS facility where we will be in a week or two. General Delivery is suppose to be held for 30 days and we depend on that. If our mail is received and refused, then sent back to Livingston we are up a creek. Defeats the purpose of General Delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2gypsies Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 We always avoided big city post offices like Surprise/Sun City area which are really busy. We always picked a smaller post office and didn't have issues. For Surprise we would have picked Buckeye or waited until our next move. Quote Full-timed for 16 YearsTraveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted April 2, 2019 Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 I wonder if there's differences in the General Delivery service at direct US Postal Service facilities and Contract Postal Units operated by private businesses. I have no idea how much autonomy the CPU's have with features like that... Quote Dutch 2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS 2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2019 We generally try to use small town USPS but have had problems in Deming and Lordsburg with General Delivery from UPS and Fedex. We are going to be in Surprise for a month and since I checked with them I thought all was good. We have a CPU on site and the paperwork says to use Surprise USPS for General Delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjstough Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 1 hour ago, SWharton said: Yes, each post office is its little fiefdom. When I queried about General Delivery from Fedex or UPS, several have said no problem at all as long as it says General Delivery. Others outright refuse the package and send it back. Are you expecting to have UPS and FedEX deliver to General Delivery USPS? Quote 2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 Not in this case but a majority of USPS that we have used accept anything addressed to General Delivery an actually have asked us why we asked if they accept General Delivery from US and Fedex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjstough Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 2 minutes ago, SWharton said: Not in this case but a majority of USPS that we have used accept anything addressed to General Delivery an actually have asked us why we asked if they accept General Delivery from US and Fedex. I know of a post office that will accept FedEX and USPS, and I dont understand why they do it as the USPS gets no income from these parcels unless they are "last mile" deliveries. Quote 2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 Well, this got turned around. I filled out the form on the USPS website about the Surprise USPS. Guess who called me this morning? The Surprise USPS!!! The person claimed that this form is "normal" procedure and if on the road to call the USPS facility and they will fill it out on the phone I pointed out in 40 years of RVing and using the USPS I had never heard of this before. He had no answer. While having a person on the line I asked about the UPS and FEDEX General Delivery. As long as I have the form filled out, no problem. I think I will test that out for a small Amazon order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 I just had a response from the Escapees Mail Service. Apparently, they are aware of this newish procedure. Here is the response: Yes, USPS started doing that several years ago. Most of them will not accept General Delivery mail without filling out a form to do so. It is always best to check with that particular post office first before scheduling your mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 9 minutes ago, SWharton said: I just had a response from the Escapees Mail Service. Apparently, they are aware of this newish procedure. Here is the response: Yes, USPS started doing that several years ago. Most of them will not accept General Delivery mail without filling out a form to do so. It is always best to check with that particular post office first before scheduling your mail. Would be damn nice if they told everyone about this! Quote Barb & Dave O'Keeffe 2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 I agree but I think it a pick and choose by USPS location, like many things with USPS. This is the first time I have encountered this and no one else seems to know about it. Just another question to ask when you call up a USPS to check on General Delivery. Sigh........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermilye Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 (edited) 18 hours ago, SWharton said: After checking with the Surprise USPS we had our mail forwarded to General Delivery. We received confirmation that our package had arrived so went to pick it up. Then the fun started. First question was did I fill out the form to request General Delivery. Of course my answer was no. Surprise will only accept General Delivery if form is filled out. Did I have a tracking number? While we were looking for the tracking number I asked what happened to the mail if I didn't have a form filled out. I was told the mail would be returned to sender. Once she had a tracking number she found my mail. Wow, this was a big shock to me. We have encountered several Post Offices that will not accept General Delivery for Fedex and UPS. But not accepting General Delivery from themselves doesn't seem right. I am going to forward this info to our mail service as an FYI. I discovered the same problem at the Matagorda post office in Texas (a small PO), luckily, before I had something delivered. I called to ask it they did general delivery, and the post master (well, mistress) said I would have to come in and fill out a form. I explained that I only wanted one letter delivered, and that I was only going to be in the area for a day or two in a week, but she said it didn't matter, filling out the form was the only way they would accept a delivery. I had the letter sent general delivery at the near by Bay City post office without problems. Edited April 3, 2019 by vermilye Quote Travel photos RV Blogs Journals & Travelogues at:http://www.lakeshoreimages.com My Travel Blog - Jon's Journeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 I don’t call. I go to the USPS web site and type in General Delivery, XYZ town and ask for zip code and location. The website tells me if they accept General Delivery, and the location of that post office. I think it is time for a Escapees to send a letter to our Congressional delegation asking why their constituents are being hassled by Post Offices across the country. Quote Barb & Dave O'Keeffe 2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 I agree. Anyone know who to contact? and how to contact? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjstough Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 1 minute ago, SWharton said: I agree. Anyone know who to contact? and how to contact? Start with the Postmaster in Surprise. Also, I believe that the USPS has a "consumer complaint" form. Quote 2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWharton Posted April 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 I did all that(see previous note). The Consumer Complaint just gets forwarded to the Surprise PO. One big circle................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 That’s why you need to lodge a complaint with your congressional delegation. Quote Barb & Dave O'Keeffe 2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjstough Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 10 minutes ago, SWharton said: I did all that(see previous note). The Consumer Complaint just gets forwarded to the Surprise PO. One big circle................. I would think that would be reasonable to ask the post office in question first about the issue, and if you get no satisfaction, then move the complaint up the chain. In regards to the having to sign up for General Delivery, I would ask the Postmaster if the is USPS policy or local policy, and if USPS policy, ask them to site the Domestic Mail Manual or the Postal Operations Manual. Quote 2005 Winnebago Voyage 38J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twotoes Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 A few years ago I spent the winter at the Escapees Co-Op in Benson AZ. As directed by the office at the Co-Op I went to the local Post Office to set up General Delivery. The P.O. advised me that they would only accept General Delivery for a maximum of 30 days and I would have to pay for a P.O.Box. The Co- Op knowing that it was the Escapees in TX forwarding my mail gave me a free postal box in the Park and TX addressed my mail to my space #. A thumbs up to the Co-Op. Quote 2015 Itasca Ellipse 42QD 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock Edition 2021 Harley Street Glide Special Fulltimer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsaplenty Posted April 3, 2019 Report Share Posted April 3, 2019 My 2 cents - the web page is NOT always correct. I start there to see which ones are listed as allowing General Delivery. But I still call to check, having found some listed as allowing this,that really do not. I always tell them I am trying to set up a one time mail drop for when I pass thru. I have found that the 30 days they will hold it is not universal either. Some it is 15 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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