FYI: USPS new rules for postmark stamping

[Jersey mike]

This is just something to keep in mind if you're sending stuff out snail mail but need a same day postmark.

It basically says if something you're mailing MUST HAVE "today's" postmark, you have to get to the post office on that day otherwise there will be a 1-2 day delay if you just put in your out going mail or mailbox.



" USPS Postmarks Now Stamped 1-2 Days After USPS Takes Possession. 47% Of Population Affected, Mostly Republican Areas (Ballots, Taxes, Legal Docs)"

USPS quietly changed when postmarks are applied to mail. It's part of their overall "Delivering for America" plan. Instead of same day, your 1st class and similar mail might now get the postmark stamp 1 to 2 days after they took possession of the mail piece. If you want to ensure a same-day postmark, USPS recommends going to a retail counter at any USPS post office.


https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/usps-postmarks-now-stamped-1-2-days-after/

[carolinarider09]

I can not type what came to mind when I read the above post since this is in the "General Board" and not the VRCC Pam board.

Our USPS no longer has my respect. 

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I worked as a mechanic for the Postal Service for about six months a few years ago. It was literally the most frustrating job I've ever had in my life. The incompetency all the way up the ranks was insane, and was only topped by the apathy. I was convinced by someone that it was the best plan for my "last job heading to retirement", because of the Federal benefits (TSP), the Union, etc. I couldn't get out of that nuthouse fast enough.

[Rams]

I worked as a mechanic for the Postal Service for about six months a few years ago. It was literally the most frustrating job I've ever had in my life. The incompetency all the way up the ranks was insane, and was only topped by the apathy. I was convinced by someone that it was the best plan for my "last job heading to retirement", because of the Federal benefits (TSP), the Union, etc. I couldn't get out of that nuthouse fast enough.

Over the last decade I have lost a large portion of any confidence I may have had in the USPS.  But it's now becoming alarming.  Last Christmas I mailed a Christmas card to a friend about 2 December containing some very important documentation.  It was delivered the day before Christmas.  Being Christmas time frame I accepted the heavy mailing of Christmas cards and gifts as the reason.  But that mailing caused me to start monitoring the mail received and sent.

A couple weeks ago I sent some very important legal documents via certified mail because for these documents I had to have proof of both mailing and receipt of those documents.

The documents were taken to the post office, the additional fees paid and I was assured the documents would be delivered two days later.   They weren't.  Six days later I scanned the little block with my phone to discover that the documents had actually been delivered on day six.  I then followed up with the recipient of that mail and delivery was affirmed.

Now with certified mail the recipient must sign for the mail and the the signature card is separated from the mail and sent back to the original mailer.   It's now been almost a full week since the mail was received and still no verification has been received.

Yes, I'm frustrated and angered by this, I can not moved forward with the legal process without that signed signature card.  

A few weeks ago my rural delivery mail carrier delivered a a small package to us I met the carrier at the end of our driveway.  As I walked up to her USPS vehicle I noticed the tires on her USPS vehicle had three very bald tires.  When I say bald, I mean no tread on those tires at all.   I asked her to get the those tires replaced.  She said she would fill out a work order.   A week later I saw her and she was still running on this same bald tires.   Three days later her USPS vehicle had an engine fire and while she was on her route completely destroying the vehicle and a lot of the mail on board.   My mail carrier was injured/burned trying to save that mail.

Pretty obvious to me some new management is needed within USPS.

Rams

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I sent out a package yesterday. I brought it in at 8:35AM, as my local PO opens at 8:30AM. AS of an hour ago, the tracking still said "accepted by Post Office". It finally says in transit. It was Tuesday, not Saturday or Sunday, so it sat there all day??? A couple months ago, I was waiting for Certified documents, and I knew what day they were supposed to arrive, as I have "Informed delivery". I watched for my driver, and watched them throw my mail in the box and drive away before I could even get out the door. With the rest of my mail, there was a card that said "Sorry we missed you", and that I could pick up my Certified mail at the Post Office after 3:00. They made no attempt to deliver it, and had obviously made the card in advance so they wouldn't have to try.

We used to have an older, grizzly guy named Fred who ran our PO. When he retired, our branch went swirling down the bowl at lightning speed.

[Oss]

welcome to my hell

We must mail countless docs by cert and reg mail

Notices sent by snail mail to me BY THE COURT to advise of a court (Order to show cause by tenant for more free time) date often come AFTER the court date
meaning I must waste many hours to restore my dismissed case

It sucks as I had to give a 90 day notice myself to start the matter (predicate notice 5 copies of 17 pages per person) the process server has only a 7 day window to serve and file his affidavit once I buy the index number and it is usually another 8 months before trial plus 6 for a warrant

It is disgusting all around and I hate it with a passion

[F6Dave]

For years businesses asked me to 'go paperless'. I generally ignored them until a few financial statements were mis-delivered. I didn't want some random person having my account numbers and such delivered to their mailbox, so I've now switched most everything to paperless. The same goes for mailed payments, since those that are late or missing can generate late fees, and postage has become expensive. My CPA told me the IRS no longer accepts or makes refunds with checks.

Physical magazines are disappearing too. The American Motorcyclist Association recently switched, though I think you can still get a paper copy for an extra charge. Same thing happened with the NRA.

So it looks like it won't be long before the USPS delivers nothing but packages and junk mail. Without first class mail to subsidize junk mail, that might disappear too. I've noticed that some of my UPS/FedEx/Amazon packages now get transferred to USPS for delivery. Maybe that business will keep them afloat. One thing's for sure: The USPS will look very different in just a few years.

[Jess from VA]

My semiannual house tax payment to the County was lost in the mail (or possibly at the County Bldg, which I doubt).  The house being paid off for 10 years, it's not part of a mortgage payment.

I have the carbon copy of the check, and three other bills paid that same day all cleared in ordinary course of business.  

I got a delinquent notice with a 10 percent penalty and interest charge.  I keep an eye on my checkbook balance, but missed this one (and that's on me).  It won't happen again.  There is a process to appeal/contest a late payment, but it was not worth $300 to fight that uphill battle.

If I've ever in my lifetime made a late or non payment of a bill, I cannot remember it.

All kinds of mail coming and going is taking a week or two and not days to get delivered.

My mailman of a decade who routinely delivered my mail long after dark daily has been replaced with a nice lady I have befriended, and the mail now arrives midday.  It's a miracle.  

EDIT:

Oh yeah..... I had to pay $30 to stop payment on the first $3K check, or sure as sh!t if the County got it (eventually), they'd cash that one too.   

[HayHauler]

Miracles never cease, or something like that.  My mail carrier, not so much.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[bassman]

A couple of years ago I mailed in my tax forms - Fed and State.  Fed got theirs but to this date the State has not arrived at the required destination.  I asked the clerk what recourse I had and was told to "simply" complete the required forms again and send them in - again.  The originals were sent Certified and that seemed to have no importance to the clerk.  All taxes are now filed electronically.

A couple of months ago I had a stock certificate I wanted to cash in and was advised by the company to mail it Certified to insure safe and prompt delivery- approximately 2-3 days at most.  3 weeks later the Cert had still not arrived and the tracking indicated it was in the local PO distribution station - about 8 miles from where I originally mailed it.  The local PO clerk said there was nothing she could do except file a complaint.  Did so and within 24 hours the PO Supervisor emailed me stating he would look into it and get back to me.  A couple of days later the Cert arrived at the required destination but never received any follow up from the PO Supervisor.

To a lesser degree - the last 3 digits of my house number are the same as a house around the corner and on a different street.  Can't tell you how many times our mail is mis-delivered every month despite countless complaints from both of us to the Post Office.   

[Hook#3287]

My office is required to send letters at times.

My understanding is the courts recognize Certified Return Receipt and Standard mail as proof.  If the recipient does not pick up the Certified and it's returned, as long as the Standard Mail does not come back, it's considered as a notification.

Idk if that's true cause I haven't had to test it in court, yet.

I've upgraded to getting a Certificate of Mailing on the Standard Mail, showing the letter has been mailed.

It's part of doing business.

If I need to show I've mailed some personal mail by a certain date, I'd visit the office.

Inconvenient? Sure. But I rarely need to do so.

It's sucks we can't rely on the USPS we grew up with, but it still is the cheapest way to get some docs across the country, just don't send the really important stuff, I guess.

[carolinarider09]

It's sucks we can't rely on the USPS we grew up with, but it still is the cheapest way to get some docs across the country, just don't send the really important stuff, I guess.

I agree with the first sentence above. 

However, on the news yesterday, I saw a statement where the US Postal Service is ready to set the price for First Class stamps at $1.00 each. 

But I do not know of any other way to communicate or shall I say "share" hard copy documents, except the USPS. 

[F6Dave]

It's sucks we can't rely on the USPS we grew up with, but it still is the cheapest way to get some docs across the country, just don't send the really important stuff, I guess.

I agree with the first sentence above. 

However, on the news yesterday, I saw a statement where the US Postal Service is ready to set the price for First Class stamps at $1.00 each. 

But I do not know of any other way to communicate or shall I say "share" hard copy documents, except the USPS. 

I've had enough negative experiences with the USPS (including certified with tracking) that if I had a really important document to send I'd use FedEx. Their 2nd day letter envelope is expensive (about $12) but at least I'd have confidence it would arrive on time at the correct address.

[bassman]

I might be looking into FedEx or UPS for any future important document mailings.  Probably cost more but it might be worth it to have the docs get to their intended destination and avoid duplicating lost USPS efforts.

[Rams]

Over the last decade I have lost a large portion of any confidence I may have had in the USPS.  But it's now becoming alarming.  Last Christmas I mailed a Christmas card to a friend about 2 December containing some very important documentation.  It was delivered the day before Christmas.  Being Christmas time frame I accepted the heavy mailing of Christmas cards and gifts as the reason.  But that mailing caused me to start monitoring the mail received and sent.

A couple weeks ago I sent some very important legal documents via certified mail because for these documents I had to have proof of both mailing and receipt of those documents.

The documents were taken to the post office, the additional fees paid and I was assured the documents would be delivered two days later.   They weren't.  Six days later I scanned the little block with my phone to discover that the documents had actually been delivered on day six.  I then followed up with the recipient of that mail and delivery was affirmed.

Now with certified mail the recipient must sign for the mail and the the signature card is separated from the mail and sent back to the original mailer.   It's now been almost a full week since the mail was received and still no verification has been received.

Yes, I'm frustrated and angered by this, I can not moved forward with the legal process without that signed signature card.  

Rams

Just an update on my Certified Mail.

This process started on 5 March.   Today I finally received the signature card in today's mail.  The signature  card was signed and put right back into the system when the original envelope was received by the mail carrier.

This as been a very frustrating process.  Yes, I long for the days of yesterday year!

Rams

[Jess from VA]

This process started on 5 March.   Today I finally received the signature card in today's mail.


The wheels grind slowly, but the plan is coming together.    

[Jersey mike]

Over the last decade I have lost a large portion of any confidence I may have had in the USPS.  But it's now becoming alarming.  Last Christmas I mailed a Christmas card to a friend about 2 December containing some very important documentation.  It was delivered the day before Christmas.  Being Christmas time frame I accepted the heavy mailing of Christmas cards and gifts as the reason.  But that mailing caused me to start monitoring the mail received and sent.

A couple weeks ago I sent some very important legal documents via certified mail because for these documents I had to have proof of both mailing and receipt of those documents.

The documents were taken to the post office, the additional fees paid and I was assured the documents would be delivered two days later.   They weren't.  Six days later I scanned the little block with my phone to discover that the documents had actually been delivered on day six.  I then followed up with the recipient of that mail and delivery was affirmed.

Now with certified mail the recipient must sign for the mail and the the signature card is separated from the mail and sent back to the original mailer.   It's now been almost a full week since the mail was received and still no verification has been received.

Yes, I'm frustrated and angered by this, I can not moved forward with the legal process without that signed signature card.  

Rams

Just an update on my Certified Mail.

This process started on 5 March.   Today I finally received the signature card in today's mail.  The signature  card was signed and put right back into the system when the original envelope was received by the mail carrier.

This as been a very frustrating process.  Yes, I long for the days of yesterday year!

Rams

Well you can now breath easy and remember they call it snail mail for a reason.

I guess better late than never.


Had to fix what was up above, now it reads like it should. My auto correct/spelling has been a little loopy lately.

[Rams]

Understood and I know you're right.    My problem seems to be I still remember when it only took less than a week to have the whole process completed.

What is now the standard is definitely not progress.

Rams

[Jersey mike]

Understood and I know you're right.    My problem seems to be I still remember when it only took less than a week to have the whole process completed.

What is now the standard is definitely not progress.

Rams

Yeah back when it was basically the only game in town it was speedy and efficient. Now it's seems like well if and when you get your mail just be thankful the process really worked.