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| Using Our Customer Services (Pub 201) |
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If your insured, registered, COD, or Express Mail article is lost or damaged, you can file a claim for indemnity. Claim forms can be picked up at your local post office. You must present the packaging, mailing container, and the article(s) (if received) to the Postal Service for inspection when filing a claim for missing or damaged contents. When filing a claim, you will also need to provide certain documents such as the original mailing receipt and evidence of value. Specific procedures that must be followed can be explained to you by your local post office. Also, you can get a copy of Publication 122, Customer Guide to Filing Domestic Claims or Registered Mail Inquiries, and Publication 122-A, Customer Guide to Filing Inquiries and Claims on International Mail, from your post office. Employees of the Postal Service try to provide accurate and efficient service 100 percent of the time. When we fail in our mission and you need to speak to someone about it, or if you have a suggestion to improve service, contact your local post office. If you choose, you may complete a consumer service card available in your local post office lobby. You can also contact the Postal Service Consumer Affairs and Claims Office in your area to help resolve problems or obtain information that your local postmaster may be unable to provide to you. The telephone number for your local Consumer Affairs and Claims Office is listed in the telephone book with other Postal Service telephone numbers. The Consumer Advocate represents consumers to top management in the Postal Service. The Consumer Advocate collects and reviews customer satisfaction, service performance, and problem data. This information is used by the highest levels of management within the Postal Service to initiate changes in policies and operating procedures. Inquiries about this function may be addressed to:
CONSUMER ADVOCATE Many post offices have established Customer Advisory Councils to provide a forum for customers to present ideas, concerns, and suggestions about postal services to local postal managers. Input and suggestions from Customer Advisory Council members have resulted in improved customer service and communication to the community in many locations. Council membership is voluntary. For more information and to find out if a Customer Advisory Council has been established in your area, contact your local post office. You may inquire about domestic mail at any post office. Form 1000, Domestic Claim or Registered Mail Inquiry, is used to report lost or damaged mail that was insured, registered, or sent by Express Mail. Form 1510, Mail Loss/Rifling Report, is used for ordinary and certified mail. You may use Form 3811-A, Domestic Return Receipt (After Mailing), to request a duplicate return receipt if, for some reason, the original return receipt has not been returned to you. Your local post office can help you decide when it is appropriate to file a report and assist you in completing these forms. Mail Fraud and Mail Order Problems You can save time and money by ordering merchandise and conducting business through the mail. However, if you are not aware of a company's reputation, you may check with the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, or state or local consumer protection office before placing an order. If you later experience difficulty with the company or suspect that you have been the victim of fraud, fill out the Mail Fraud Complaint Form online, contact your local postal inspector, or complete Form 8165, Mail Fraud Complaint Questionnaire, which is available at all post offices or online here. You may also fill out and return the completed form to the postmaster or mail to the following address:
CHIEF POSTAL INSPECTOR Information pamphlets on mail fraud are available at your local post office. Or visit the Postal Inspectors Website for more info. The Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement and investigative arm of the Postal Service. You can report postal crimes such as mail theft, drugs in the mail, or mail fraud to the local postmaster or nearest office of the postal inspector. Pornographic and Undesirable Mail Certain unsolicited or undesirable mail is prohibited from the mailstream. This includes obscene materials, violence-inciting materials, and some types of mail relating to lotteries. You can place your name and those of your minor children on a list of persons who do not want to receive unsolicited sexually oriented advertisements through the mail. Just ask for Form 1500, Application for Listing and/or Prohibitory Order, at your local post office. After completing the form, you may submit it to any postal manager or mail it directly to:
PROHIBITORY ORDER PROCESSING CENTER Thirty days after your name has been added to the Postal Service reference list, any mailer who sends you sexually oriented advertisements may be subject to civil and criminal sanctions. Your name will remain on the list for 5 years unless you ask to have it removed. At the end of 5 years, you must file again to have your name reinstated. Express Mail - The Postal Service issues a 100 percent postage refund to the mailer if an Express Mail article is not delivered on time, delivery is not attempted, or the article did not arrive at the pickup point for delivery to a post office box by the day and time noted on the mailing label. Complete Form 3533, Application and Voucher for Refund of Postage and Fees, at your local post office. Contact the local Express Mail manager for more details. Stamps and Postal Stationery - Stamps damaged by moisture, humidity, or other causes while in your possession may be exchanged at full value. Unserviceable postal stationery and unused precanceled stamps may also be exchanged or refunded. Federal law prohibits the shipment of unordered merchandise. Such a practice may constitute an unfair trade practice. Merchandise mailed in violation of United States Code may be treated as a gift by the recipient without any obligation to the sender. The laws governing this practice are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. If you believe that you have received unordered merchandise in violation of federal law, contact the Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection at: BUREAU OF CONSUMER PROTECTION
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