This situation has me bouncing between laughter and anger…so I share in search of help.

As previously blogged about, I have an obsession with Disney Starbucks mugs.  My dear friend in California agreed to ship me the Disneyland ones to add to my collection.  I 100% trust that if he said he mailed them, then he mailed them.  I’ve known him long enough and trust him beyond measure and he has absolutely no reason to lie.  You will see why this is no important in just a bit.

Here is a look at the package tracking – making it’s way from Glendale, California to Orlando, Florida.

When I return home from work on Monday, I see the package in my mailbox.  I see the return address and know, these are my mugs.

I’m so excited to add them to my display, I open the box and am shocked at what I see.

Let me spell out the EXACT contents of the box for you:

• 4 individual packages of Quaker Oats instant oatmeal – Strawberries & Cream
• 8 individual packages of instant grits.
• 2 individual Snack Pack puddings.
• 1 bag of “Popcorn Indiana” Kettlecorn
• 1 book – Faye Kellerman’s “The Beast” – Clearly Used
• 1 sample size tampons
• 1 can – plain Pringles
• I bag Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice

So i reached out to my friend with a photo, asking what happened? Perhaps did he mean this package for someone else?

His response – what the hell is that stuff??

He mailed the mugs, I ended up with trash.  Somewhere along the way, someone opened the box, stuffed it with this crap, and retaped the box before it arrived at my house.

I mean, you can believe that?

So what to do?

I’ve filed an online complaint of mail fraud.  But that seems to more be addressed at individuals or businesses committing mail fraud.  Not the post office itself.

I have called the USPS and had an interesting run around with these exact quotes:

• “perhaps the box got smashed and they repacked it with random stuff…”
• “We don’t know that’s how the package wasn’t originally sent.”
• “There’s really nothing we can do since you didn’t purchase insurance.”

My response included something to the effect of….. “So you’re telling me that since there’s no insurance, it gives the USPS rights to go through sealed packages??

It’s not the value of the mugs.  We can get new ones.  But you’re telling me you don’t even want to look into the fact that perhaps government employees are committing FEDERAL MAIL FRAUD by opening packages?!”

Well, that at least made the person I was speaking with open an “inspectors report.”  While I’m not sure that will do anything at all it has changed one thing, I will never ship a package using the USPS again.