Getting more convenience out of my Post Office

[msmercenary]

I got a postcard in my mailbox the other day from USPS advertising some service or other. The card has a commissioned Cathy comic on it, and has the line "Get more convenience out of your Post Office" printed on it. Cathy hasn't been interesting to me since, oh, when was it first syndicated? But still, points for trying

Comments

[naruvonwilkins]

Um... they are a private company. Technically they're regulated by the government such that they're required to do certain things (like deliver to areas that UPS/FedEx don't serve), but they don't receive tax dollars.

[msmercenary]

If what you say is true, then swap "government agency" for "government-granted monopoly". It really doesn't matter from way down here where I'm standing. I still can't convince my mortgage company to send me statements by any other mechanism, and because USPS is the only game in town, they don't have to care whether I'm happy with their service or not.

[naruvonwilkins]

They have to care if you switch to online billing - and if your mortgage company doesn't offer it, switch mortgages and let them know why. :)

[darthparadox]

They're federally protected from competition, though. Competing letter carriers (with certain exemptions for stuff like express courier delivery and the like) are required by law to charge at least the USPS rate for delivery