USPS imploding?

[lars]

I've recently had a USPS priority package disappear into the ether. The more I look into what might of happened, the more it seems the entire USPS network is self-destructing. TubeDepot.com has a warning not to use USPS if you want to receive your items in a timely manner. I've found recent news articles from all over the country of people complaining about lost packages, late deliveries, and no cooperation with tracking information. In fact the TubeDepot article implies their tracking is not working at all anymore. I tried to log in to USPS.com and it said my "account is disabled". I tried to create a new account and it said it's "unable to process the request". The city of Boston has even tried to subpoena USPS to testify in court over why there are so many problems...and they just blew them off!
How can this even be real? I thought USPS was part of the Executive branch of the US federal government. This is more like the behaviour of a drug cartel!

[mauman]

The USPS website has a bad day once every couple of weeks, but it's vastly improved since a couple of years ago, and it's working fine at the moment.  Since 1970, the USPS has been a quasi-governmental agency, established by the Constitution but not funded by the government and not a part of the executive branch.  Revenue comes solely from user fees (postage.)  Since 2020, it's been run by a Postmaster General who's done his darndest to kill it so that the services can be privatized.  So far he's failed, but he has dealt some crippling blows including shutting down several major sorting and distribution centers nationwide, which has slowed down delivery in some locations.  Neither I nor any of my family work for USPS, but I'm on a first-name basis with my route delivery guys and girls, and they tell me stuff.   

[lars]

Since 2020, it's been run by a Postmaster General who's done his darndest to kill it so that the services can be privatized.  So far he's failed, but he has dealt some crippling blows including shutting down several major sorting and distribution centers nationwide. 

This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! Good, grief! Anyway, that package that disappeared on me finally blipped for a short while yesterday. They even claimed it was "out for delivery". But nothing ever happened. Now it says it will most likely be delivered today...or tomorrow...or maybe next year.
Now they're just messing with people!

[mauman]

Hey, I'm sorry to hear about that.  I ship via USPS lot, and I've had some packages do strange things.  One day a substitute carrier picked up an outgoing box at my house, and mistakenly scanned it "delivered" instead of "picked up."  So for the entire trip, I couldn't see the status and had to call the helpline and have them look at it.  It was handled and delivered as usual, I just couldn't see it online.  Another time a package went back and forth between two cities several times, I called the helpdesk and they said yeah, we call that looping, it happens sometimes.  They called the postmaster at one of the cities, who intercepted the package and rerouted it directly to the destination the next day.  Try calling 800-275-8777 first thing in the AM or right after lunch, the USPS national helpdesk is quite customer-focused.  I used to live next door to one of their supervisors, and she was really focused on quality and customer experience.