Considering the efficiency of their tracking system lets now introduce a new feature which will enhance your experience. Proof that the USPS is tone deaf.
Here is the story:
http://www.npr.org/sections/al...-before-you-get-home

Very efficient

My tracking for an order from Ozark Holsters shows "Estimated Delivery Date Thursday April 6".

The program doesn't even realize it's now Saturday April 8 (and it wasn't in today's mail either).

Government efficiency at it's best

It's the post office.... what could go wrong

I was one of the pilot users in Virginia in 2014. It worked ok, only images of flat mail showed up in the email. No real need for it unless you suspect your mail is being stolen. Most of the mail I get is junk mail. If you can ID a piece of mail by the return address, and you are waiting for something important, then this gives you a heads up that it's pretty near to being delivered.

I've had this for almost two years as well as a beta I guess. Generally only half the flat mail is scanned for viewing. And in typical USPS fashion occasionally nothing shows as scanned despite the box full of mail. One thing that has changed in the past two weeks is the email has usually came around 0830, but lately it comes in the afternoon, after the mails delivered. Overall I have no real complaints from the USPS service I receive.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
http://www.npr.org/sections/al...-before-you-get-home

quote:

Users will have the option of getting an email with photos of the front of card- and letter-size mail pieces that are due to arrive that day, or a day or two later.

Yeah, that sounds like the USPS. We have it, but can't really predict when it will actually be delivered.

Everyone complains about the USPS. However, if you sit back, take a look at the enormity of it all, how stuff is sorted and delivered...its really a bargain.

Maybe it's just me, but I really don't want every piece of mail I receive to be digitized and probably saved to some enormous database at one of the alphabet soup agencies.

Some people sure do have a lot of time to waste.

quote:

Originally posted by the_sandman_454:
Maybe it's just me, but I really don't want every piece of mail I receive to be digitized and probably saved to some enormous database at one of the alphabet soup agencies.

The USPS had a long time surveillance system in place called "Mail Covers." At the request of law enforcement officials, US Postal Workers record information on the outside of letters and parcels before delivery. Opening US Mail would require a warrant, recording what is on the outside of the item does not.

In 2001 following the Anthrax attacks that killed five, the surveillance program grew in to what is now called the "Mail Isolation and Tracking System." Using high speed cameras, the USPS photographs the outside of every item it it delivers.

quote:

The USPS had a long time surveillance system in place called "Mail Covers." At the request of law enforcement officials, US Postal Workers record information on the outside of letters and parcels before delivery. Opening US Mail would require a warrant, recording what is on the outside of the item does not.

In 2001 following the Anthrax attacks that killed five, the surveillance program grew in to what is now called the "Mail Isolation and Tracking System." Using high speed cameras, the USPS photographs the outside of every item it it delivers.

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea. A guy I know from AT&T told me that pretty much everything is accessible to the government if they want it. He said it went back to the Reagan years. Who knows. Glad I am not paranoid.

I would sincerly hope they would get what they already do right before trying to add something new.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG 229R:
I would sincerly hope they would get what they already do right before trying to add something new.

^^^This.

For example: about half the stamped mail that comes to my house doesn't get cancelled. Been that way for years now. Doesn't matter if they're coming from near or far or in small envelopes or big ones.

And it's not like this mail isn't getting processed - they have the little stickers on the bottom with Zip+4 bar codes, and apparently, according to the above, are probably also getting their pictures taken.

But cancelling while they're in the machines getting processed and photographed? Apparently that's too hard to do all the time. I can't imagine this is random. Maybe they're saving on cancellation ink...maybe they don't like the idea of putting an actual date and location on the mail. Seems very odd.

In the old days, the USPS wanted a used stamp to be very clearly marked and made un-reusable. I guess now they don't care so much.