This is a huge problem, especially with refrigerated drugs. Despite working with the sender to specify UPS home delivery, sometimes these packages end up in SurePost and sit, and sit, and sit in the back of the Ketchum Post Office until they are no longer usable. Also, UPS MyChoice, an optional fee service intended to insure that UPS does not push packages to USPS is hit or miss.
I totally agree with this issue. I have had packages returned and the post box rental fees go up with no additional service. And would like to add that the physical interior condition of the Ketchum Post Office is disgusting. The floors have not been cleaned and there is trash everywhere. Walking in yesterday, it felt like I was walking into a NY Subway station. Why hasn’t it been cleaned in over a week?
I thought I was the only one with this issue,,,,I’ve resorted to renting an additional box at the UPS store, who are able receive everything, and are the best people!! Who is the end game in this mess??
Also, on advise of our new postmaster, I now address packages by appending my PO Box as a Suite Number in my shipping address. As an accommodation, she told me, they will put a yellow slip in the correct box of they see a suite number.
Also, Ketchum USPS only holds packages for two weeks. This creates a challenge for part-time residents who might be happy with having the package placed on doorstep. Currently we have to send someone to check our box at least every two weeks.
I've written to Crapo's office about this and received a boilerplate response.
I've been complaining about the Sun Valley PO for the same reason for 10 years. The USPS postmaster general just kicks the complaint to the local post office which makes up lies. First they said it was because we are a resort community they don't have to provide free PO Boxes or delivery. Then when I showed that wasn't true they said there was a city ordinance preventing them from delivering. I called the city for a copy of the ordinance and it didn't exist. Then they told me to talk to the Ketchum postmaster because he knew the history, and he didn't come up with anything better.
Ketchum post office is actually much better at not returning things than Sun Valley po. I write my physical address, then another line that says "or if PO then Box X". Ketchum has yet to return one in the 9 months since I moved. SV returned half of them.
I agree that suing the post office is the only answer; they have been hosing us for years. And remember we're not hurting local people, the USPS is run and funded by the federal government. So we pay for the services through our income taxes, which we are allowed by law, but aren't receiving. But don't you need permission to sue the federal government?
The growth of the area in recent years has caused the very real issues with the local PO. Even the facility is now too small to service the area. What now, City Council? The roads are in greater disrepair each year, is the sewer system adequate? The school district? The water supply? Why hasn't the infrastructure kept pace with all the building? Why haven't all the developers been forced to pay for all the needed infrastructure?
Thanks for the comment. It’s actually somewhat worse than that. There are myriads of subsidies from locals to developers as I outlined in the posts on corporate welfare and KURA.
But there’s even another one. The Planning department can set its fees to recover the costs of providing its services to developers. But it doesn’t. a couple of years ago the Troika raised the fees, which they hadn’t looked at in years, to recover only 75% of the costs. But they promised to review it annually. Have they done that? Ha!
I googled "troika" and see that your use is perfect for our City government style. Some questions: What is the PO's incentive to charge so much for boxes? How much is the total revenue from boxes?Should this information be public? How does this relate to the cost of the operation? The charge for PO boxes is clearly a tax on the community and should be addressed by the City troika.
This is a huge problem, especially with refrigerated drugs. Despite working with the sender to specify UPS home delivery, sometimes these packages end up in SurePost and sit, and sit, and sit in the back of the Ketchum Post Office until they are no longer usable. Also, UPS MyChoice, an optional fee service intended to insure that UPS does not push packages to USPS is hit or miss.
100 percent agree. It’s insane! Thanks for bringing it up
I totally agree with this issue. I have had packages returned and the post box rental fees go up with no additional service. And would like to add that the physical interior condition of the Ketchum Post Office is disgusting. The floors have not been cleaned and there is trash everywhere. Walking in yesterday, it felt like I was walking into a NY Subway station. Why hasn’t it been cleaned in over a week?
I thought I was the only one with this issue,,,,I’ve resorted to renting an additional box at the UPS store, who are able receive everything, and are the best people!! Who is the end game in this mess??
Also, on advise of our new postmaster, I now address packages by appending my PO Box as a Suite Number in my shipping address. As an accommodation, she told me, they will put a yellow slip in the correct box of they see a suite number.
Also, Ketchum USPS only holds packages for two weeks. This creates a challenge for part-time residents who might be happy with having the package placed on doorstep. Currently we have to send someone to check our box at least every two weeks.
I've written to Crapo's office about this and received a boilerplate response.
I've been complaining about the Sun Valley PO for the same reason for 10 years. The USPS postmaster general just kicks the complaint to the local post office which makes up lies. First they said it was because we are a resort community they don't have to provide free PO Boxes or delivery. Then when I showed that wasn't true they said there was a city ordinance preventing them from delivering. I called the city for a copy of the ordinance and it didn't exist. Then they told me to talk to the Ketchum postmaster because he knew the history, and he didn't come up with anything better.
Ketchum post office is actually much better at not returning things than Sun Valley po. I write my physical address, then another line that says "or if PO then Box X". Ketchum has yet to return one in the 9 months since I moved. SV returned half of them.
I agree that suing the post office is the only answer; they have been hosing us for years. And remember we're not hurting local people, the USPS is run and funded by the federal government. So we pay for the services through our income taxes, which we are allowed by law, but aren't receiving. But don't you need permission to sue the federal government?
You can sue the USPS for some things. Like not adhering to its own regulations. They even say so.
https://about.usps.com/publications/pub133/pub133_029.htm
The growth of the area in recent years has caused the very real issues with the local PO. Even the facility is now too small to service the area. What now, City Council? The roads are in greater disrepair each year, is the sewer system adequate? The school district? The water supply? Why hasn't the infrastructure kept pace with all the building? Why haven't all the developers been forced to pay for all the needed infrastructure?
Thanks for the comment. It’s actually somewhat worse than that. There are myriads of subsidies from locals to developers as I outlined in the posts on corporate welfare and KURA.
But there’s even another one. The Planning department can set its fees to recover the costs of providing its services to developers. But it doesn’t. a couple of years ago the Troika raised the fees, which they hadn’t looked at in years, to recover only 75% of the costs. But they promised to review it annually. Have they done that? Ha!
Keep up the important work of raising issues on behalf of all of us Perry!
I googled "troika" and see that your use is perfect for our City government style. Some questions: What is the PO's incentive to charge so much for boxes? How much is the total revenue from boxes?Should this information be public? How does this relate to the cost of the operation? The charge for PO boxes is clearly a tax on the community and should be addressed by the City troika.