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Mail Call?

Just an observation merging with suspicion (with a dash of paranoia and a dollop of impatience), but have any of you been having problems with how long some supposedly First Class mail has been taking to get from place to place?

It's become almost regular this year, seeing items sent via First Class that are supposed to be travelling somewhere in 3-5 days taking instead two to three times as long. Part of it could be increased security protocols, though deep down inside I know that's not much more than a pale excuse. I can't help but wonder if there's not also an interest in trying to get people to stop depending on "mere" First Class mail anymore and instead, when one has to be sure something's arrived in 3-5 days, to pay the considerable premium for Priority mail.

"Educating" people via this system could be a financial boom for the USPS, since on the low end of the cost scale that have no competition. How much better than a simple First Class rate increase is it for their bottom line if people simply become accustomed to thinking "well, I could send this 6 oz. box First Class for $1.59 -- but it could take two weeks to get there even if though their website tells me 3 days -- or just pay $4.05 so it actually will get there in the two days they claim?"

Just yesterday a small box I'd been waiting for arrived. It was postmarked September 6th. Twelve days, via First Class mail, to come from Georgia to Pennsylvania. Remember how back in April, a small package I'd sent off with delivery confirmation (so I have a record of when it was accepted by the post office and when it was delivered) something I mailed March 24th wasn't delivered to Oklahoma until April 6th?

What's bringing all this to mind is that I'm waiting for another package to be delivered, and while currently it could be reasonably well on track for a three business days delivery, I'm bothered that I'm left so unsure it'll arrive even this week. Like the one back in March/April it has a Delivery Confirmation number on it, so I'll have a record.

So... what's your experience been this year?

[Update: As is the way of the universe, the one package I was tracking, mailed this past Saturday, was delivered today. So, sometimes it still works fine.]

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