"For your convenience..." Yeah, right!

donna723

Well-Known Member
Has anybody tried to buy stamps lately? :thumbsdown: What's with the post office?

Ordinarily I use very few postage stamps ... I always use email when I can, I pay most of my bills online or drop off the ones that are local because they're only a block from my house. But sometimes you've just gotta have a stamp! I usually keep some around but discovered that I was out when I had some insurance papers that absolutely HAD to go out in the mail ASAP. I live in a very small town, and the only other town in this county is even smaller, but each has their own post office - I go by both on my way to work. Both post offices open at 8:30 and close at 3:00 -and if you work out of town (like most people here do) they're not open yet when you leave for work and closed by the time you get home. They're open on Saturdays but you have to be quick because it's only for 2-1/2 hours!

But always before you could purchase stamps from a vending machine in the lobby - they'd be tempermental and sometimes would run out, but usually they'd work. THEN, they purposely disabled the almost brand new stamp machine in the P.O. in the smaller town. Who knows why, but they did. THEN, the one in the post office near my house started being "broken" all the time and almost never worked. THEN today ... I go in the post office and there's a sign taped to the machine ... it says that by March 19th, this machine would be removed. The U.S.P.S. in their infinite wisdom has decided that "... THIS TYPE OF MACHINE NO LONGER MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMERS OR THE POSTAL SERVICE"! It would meet the "needs" of the customers just fine if it worked! What I "NEEDED" was one lousy postage stamp! And how hard is it for them to put stamps in a vending machine so people could buy them! Is that some big financial burden for the post office? It goes on to say that you can come in during the hours they're open or buy stamps online (and wait for them to be delivered). Hey folks, I have to take an hour off work to come in when you're open! Thanks a lot!

I was only mildly annoyed before, but that sign just burned me up! Is that some type of "government speak" that translates to "We're the Post Office and we don't give a rat's rear!" Yeah, I'll go on Saturday and buy a little book of stamps so I have some on hand. But some day I may run out again, just when I need one, and then I'll get mad all over again!

Just my little vent for the day ... I feel better now!
 

nvts

Active Member
I know how you feel! Lately though, the local supermarkets and drug store chains are selling stamps. You might want to check there and see if you can get them!

Good luck!

Beth
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
Get together with your neighbors and put a sign on your mailbox that reads:

EFFECTIVE MARCH 19th, THIS MAIL RECEPTACLE NO LONGER MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENT. PLEASE DELIVER ALL MAIL TO THE DOOR.

You can get stamps from most bank ATM's, too, though they usually cost more.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
About 18 months ago, Canada Post came out with a very cool invention called "Permanent Stamps". They don't have a specific value printed on the stamps, and even if the postal rate goes up the stamps are still valid.

They are sold in rolls of 50. I buy them by the roll, which they sell at the local Costco.

I'm not sure what motivated them, but about 7 years ago Canada Post became heavily customer-focused. I guess they were losing too much business from couriers and the internet. They used to be horrible to deal with, but over the last few years they have been great.

I wonder if it would be possible to lobby the U.S. Postal Service to adopt a similar idea...
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
We're too little to have "chain" drug stores and the only ATM I know of is INSIDE the bank and they close even earlier than the post office!

Just part of the "charm" of liivng in a really small town!
 

mom_to_3

Active Member
It's not going to help you right now, but trinityroyal mentioned that in Canada they have the "Permanent Stamps". In the U.S. we have the "Forever" stamps. You buy them at today's prices and they are good forever, at whatever the current price of stamps are. Check it out. It would be a good idea to have a book or roll of "Forever" stamps on hand. Might cut back on your aggrevation. by the way, there will be a price increase on stamps May 12.
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
I can't tell you how long it has been since I have actually gone to the post office to buy stamps, or even used snail mail for anything cept a magazine subscription, and that comes with postage on it.

I do know though you can buy a book of stamps when you go thru the checkout line at the grocery store and if you use Wells Fargos ATM, you can get a book of stamps as well as money. Problem is everytime I buy a book of stamps, I only need like one stamp then find my self eventually having to buy penny stamps cause I have kept that book so darn long postage has gone up a few times

Marcie
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
My DF is from ND - a quaint little town.....when he lost his birth certificate -I had to send for another - and it was in the bottom 1/2 of someones house which is also the post office and the ticket taker for the grain silos. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? nope.

And the post office is open - there is a nice waiting area with plexiglass windows and behind that - it's a parlor room with an old wooden desk and it looks like the living room of the Baldwin Sisters from Waltons Mountain. And the nicest lady comes down the stairs in back when you tinkle the bell for service.

So yeah - I got ya. www.usps.com Buy stamps on line - pay the mail to have them send you stamps (redundant) and then you won't have to worry again....it takes 8-10 days via mail but it's trackable.

Hugs
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
I do the forever stamps through our mailbox. I send in a flyer and they bring them the next day to my mailbox.

Abbey
 
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