The USPS Restricted Delivery Service is not worth paying for!!!*

I am still holding on to several receipts from way back in May, when I was attempting to verbally joust with the Chairman of the GOP.

I decided that I would send the man a certified letter, with a return-receipt, and... at the suggestion of the local mail-clerk, opted to purchase the so-called "Restricted Delivery" service.

Now, the clerk had already afixed the return-receipt to the envelope, and he had to remove the certification-number from my receipt and attach it to the green return-receipt card. When he did so, he never did put a little check in box 4, indicating that this was a restricted delivery, but he sure did highlight the name of the addressee.

A few days later, I received the return-receipt, indicating that the letter, which was supposed to be delivered only to Mr. Michael Steele, was instead turned over to one Terrell J. Lewis.

When I complained to the local post-office about the deficiency with their "service" I was told that they would first have to investigate the matter with the DC Post Office.

Now, that Michael Steele had been ignoring me all along, so I figured that this latest letter would not cause him to change his ways. Besides, I had proof, from the U.S. Postal Service, that he had not, in fact, directly received my correspondence. So, I asked my local post-master for a refund of the Restricted Delivery Fee.

I was told that the letter had been found to have been delivered, and that there would be no refund.

Just what sort of service did I purchase? According to the USPS, they define it thusly:


But where is the 'evidence' that Terrell Lewis is 'authorized' to sign for anybody?????



Here it is, 4 months later, and I am still pissed over the USPS' misappropriation of my $4.50, and I want it back!!!!

* - Since TFS Postings can be located via a Google-search, I figured that this was one way to piss-off a couple of USPS supervisors while demonstrating just one of the myriad ways in which the government can and will politely steal from you at every opportunity.

If the letter went to the proper address, any adult can sign for the letter at that address.

If the letter was signed for by antoher person at another address, then they need to enter a trace on the package and what happens is they try to retrieve it from the man who signed for it and deliver it to the proper address.

You only get a refund if it was delievered past the proper delivery day, delivered to the wrong address, damage etc.

It didn't get delivered properly because you didn't check to make sure the box marked 'restricted delivery' on the green PS Form 3811 was checked - so this is your fault and you don't deserve a refund on the 'misappropriated fee'. Next time pay closer attention.

I'm pretty sure the OP has moved on from his loss of $4.50 seven years ago.

I'm pretty sure that Michael Steele doesn't have that job any longer.