Lost Mail

[Marie78]

I sent my father a birthday card with a little money (I know, dumb) out in the mail on Thursday night. I put it in the post box right next to the post office in town and I made sure all my mail fell to the bottom and wasn't hanging out near the mail slot entrance. It gets picked up early at 5-6am and should have arrived at my Dad's house by Friday or Saturday at the latest. It's now Wednesday and he said he hasn't gotten it yet. I am concerned that the "woman" he lives with might have had a hand in why it's missing. (I would never say that to him though, it would just upset him.) My other thought is it might be lost in the mail. I figured if the postage had fallen off or they couldn't read the address on the envelope they would have just sent it back to my post box by now. Anyone know what I should do? I have never had a problem sending mail before, ever. I know it can happen, I just haven't heard of anyone I know having lost mail before. Any advice?

[Telephus44]

Usually if it gets lost, it's because it didn't get processed correctly (they have uber high speed sorting machines at the post office, but sometimes they jam up or malfunction). They normally make an effort to deliver the mail as damaged if they are still able to determine a sender or recipient address, although they aren't always able to. If they can, it usually takes about 2 weeks.

[autumnlynn]

I'm hoping Sara is right and he still may get it. The mail people out here often give me other peoples' mail and vice versa. Someone could have gotten it by mistake. I sent cash to some missionaries once and they received the card, which had been opened, the money was stolen, but the card was delivered!

I really hope your dad gets it.

[Marie78]

Thank you for making me feel better. My dad just called me and said he got the card and the money. I thought he was just saying this to make me feel better, because I felt bad when I found out he hadn't received the card in almost a week. I asked him what the front of the card looked like, he told me he coudln't tell me that, but he could tell me what the inside said, then he quoted what I had written to him. I laughed and asked him what the back of the card said, and he told me "tender thoughts" it came from the dollar store and that's their brand. He didn't know I got it there so I was convinced he would have said Hallmark or American Greetings if he was kidding me.

The reason he didn't know what the front of the card said is because it had been burned off. The mail truck that was supposed to deliever my dad's mail caught fire on Saturday in the town he lives. The envelope burned on one side, but not the side of the address, so they cut off the burned part the front and they even included the money, which my father said only suffered minor burns. What a story! I wouldn't have ever imagined that happening in a million years. I imagined the money being stolen, but not involved in a fire! What a blessing that no one was hurt in the fire and that my father's card still made it to him, even if it was a little charred. Even though the money still made it to my dad, this the first and last time I ever send cash through the mail again.

[autumnlynn]

That is such a strange story!! Imagine, the mail truck catching on fire!! I'm really happy your dad got his card and money!

[acidcookie]

Wow, that is strange! It makes me happy to know they made such an effort to get it delivered.

[MamaBear209]

Yay! for the post office. I'm glad your dad got his birthday card

[dcompton]

My best friend works for the post office. I may send her this one!

[Missy]

we had a card get destroyed by a sorting machine too. Mom had sent money in it, two weeks later an plastic baggy envelope came in the mail with the card and the money in it too.