Opened mail

[shijing]

I have an interesting situation going on with the postal system right now, and I wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing anything similar:

My mom usually mails a letter to my family once every one or two weeks, including clippings of news articles and various things she finds interesting. About 18 months ago, I noticed that nearly every time the letter arrived, it would be opened up along at least one of the sides -- sometimes only an inch, sometimes completely. We asked the US Postal Service about it, and they first suggested that it may just be that letters were getting caught in the automatic sorting machines, but when I brought samples in to my local post office, they agreed that in most cases the cuts were too clean to be accidental. They flagged us in the system and said they would try to look for suspicious activity en route (employees trying to snoop or steal, that kind of thing), but never discovered anything amiss. I talked with my mom this morning, and she said that a letter that my aunt had recently sent to her had also been opened en route in the same way. This doesn't happen with any other mail, i.e. bank statements, bills, etc. The most recent letter I received myself was completely open at both ends.

Has this happened with anyone else? Its not particularly unnerving, but it is very irritating.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

This kind of thing used to happen to us all the time in Iran.

Everyone who received letters from the 'outside' got their letters opened. If they were sent pictures or nice things, they would be stolen. At least you got a bit of help from your post office, there- they would laugh at you if you complained. I'm not sure how bad it is now, but this was what it was like when I was a kid (15 years a go)

A lot of things are becoming more fascist in the US, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have begun to do this kind of thing.

 

[Peam]

I've noticed that the gum on a lot of envelopes don't seem as sticky as they used to be, but what you say does sound fishy.
I sometimes put a length of sellotape across the flap when I think the stickyness is weak. Maybe your mom can try that and see what state it's in when you get it.

On a similar note. I've noticed that since joining facebook and signing up for the FOTCM my phone sometimes clicks. The sound you get when someone's just put the phone down at their end.
This used to happen when I first joined the forum.

 

[Brewer]

Maybe try and find some envelopes that are hard to tamper with without leaving any noticeable marks and see if this still happens.

It aint nice.

Take care

 

[Jacques]

Maybe try and find some envelopes that are hard to tamper with without leaving any noticeable marks and see if this still happens.

It aint nice.

Take care

Or you could put some scotch-tape on each side of the envelope and see what it is going to happen.

 

[shijing]

A lot of things are becoming more fascist in the US, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have begun to do this kind of thing.

Sadly, neither would I -- if this is what's happening, I'm just a bit surprised about the brazenness of the whole thing.

I sometimes put a length of sellotape across the flap when I think the stickyness is weak. Maybe your mom can try that and see what state it's in when you get it.

Maybe try and find some envelopes that are hard to tamper with without leaving any noticeable marks and see if this still happens.

Or you could put some scotch-tape on each side of the envelope and see what it is going to happen.

Thanks for the suggestions, and actually we've already been there, done that. My mom first started taping all of the edges, and when it continued to happen, she started taping across the entire surface -- I would have to open the letters with scissors to cut through the tape. This seemed to discourage the phenomenon, but only temporarily -- it continued to occur through the tape eventually.

 

[mabar]

As Deedlet in Iran, here in Mexico is somehow similar...but they dont do it with all the letters or packages, they choose them randomly, although the last 2 pckages I recieved from Pilule Rouge arrived open. It dont happend neither with other bills or from banks.

I think it will continue to occur with or without the tape.

 

[dant]

Maybe one can get a signature ring and wax seal
the letter like in the old days? If enough people did
this, would it gum up the postal system auto-machines
and force manual handling and hire more people, thus
solving the no-job crisis?

Just a thought :D

 

[Gonzo]

When it is just a small opening, that is usually a thief, probing for cash, etc. which, if found, is followed by inserting a thin tool (sometimes as simple as a pencil with chewing gum or something sticky) to attach to the object and twirled around until it fits the small opening and removed. These openings, however, sound much larger.

Just for curiosity to see what would happen, I would feel like filing an official complaint and see if that puts and end to it.

Might be a good idea to document or photograph to collect evidence.

And then there's alwa)s the chance a local or print news agency is having a slow enough news day to be sufficiently curious to follw the story.

This is just nasty.

Regards,
Gonzo

 

[RyanX]

I'm not sure so much about letters (since I send so few of them these days), but this happened a few years ago when a friend of mine tried to send me a Xmas package. The package contained a tape and a few CDs. Nothing suspicious, just old music he wanted me to have. Some of it was music he had personally recorded and the rest was old albums he wanted to give away.

Anyways, when I received the package, the package had my friend's handwriting on it, but the CDs it contained were not his. There was no cassette tape either. I told this to my friend and he claimed that he had the same problem with music he was sending to another friend of his.

Needless to say he hasn't used USPS anymore for packages. I've stopped using them as well. I wouldn't doubt that they've started opening all personal letters and packages as a matter of policy.

 

[truth seeker]

My father just sent some money to a relative and it never arrived. I've noticed these cuts as well. Maybe it's the thickness of the envelope that attracts attention. I think it's either someone on the route looking for something to steal or they're getting antsy about terrorism through the mail.

 

[Johnno]

I look after Red Pill Press down here in Australia and sometimes have books go missing or are late in getting delivered. The one that sticks out was a copy of High Strangeness sent to to a person on the forum (now a moderator) in the Pacific region.

The first copy I sent airmail didn't arrive, so I promptly sent a second copy airmail again. That didn't arrive. So I sent a THIRD copy with certified stickers, registered stickers, stickers on top of stickers, the whole deal. That one made it. Then the second copy mysteriously manifested in the customer (now a moderator's) mailbox a couple of days later. He sent that one back and that took around two months. I just had a look at my PM message box and 15 out of my 28 messages are getting the book there and getting the other book back.

In any case, he was polite, reasonable and measured during the whole ordeal. I had a look through his posts and he seemed pretty good. When mention was made of suggesting forum members to become moderators, I threw his name in the ring and it was agreed. Turned out to be a good choice.

So I'm not sure if there malevolent or benign forces working on this one. If they were malevolent, it backfired....if they were benign, it worked out well! In any case we got a good moderator in exchange for some postage hassle and a missing copy of High Strangeness.

I'll let him/her identify them self .....or may he/she forever hold their peace!

 

[shijing]

My father just sent some money to a relative and it never arrived. I've noticed these cuts as well. Maybe it's the thickness of the envelope that attracts attention. I think it's either someone on the route looking for something to steal or they're getting antsy about terrorism through the mail.

When it is just a small opening, that is usually a thief, probing for cash, etc. which, if found, is followed by inserting a thin tool (sometimes as simple as a pencil with chewing gum or something sticky) to attach to the object and twirled around until it fits the small opening and removed. These openings, however, sound much larger.

There has actually been a mix -- my mom's envelopes are sometimes pretty thick, and these are the ones there have been smaller holes in. We thought (and USPS originally thought) that this might be the entire explanation, but although some of this might be going on, its not the whole deal. It is entirely possible the smaller holes are merely caused by would-be thieves, though.

Just for curiosity to see what would happen, I would feel like filing an official complaint and see if that puts and end to it.

Might be a good idea to document or photograph to collect evidence.

I did the latter -- we asked USPS to look into it twice and showed them the evidence on both ends, but I don't think we ever filed an official complaint, so that is probably a good suggestion.

Needless to say he hasn't used USPS anymore for packages. I've stopped using them as well. I wouldn't doubt that they've started opening all personal letters and packages as a matter of policy.

Yeah, maybe -- that's one of the reasons I wanted to ask about this here, just to see if anyone else is experiencing this (in the US, anyway) to see if this is more widespread than I had first thought.

 

[Keit]

Yeah, maybe -- that's one of the reasons I wanted to ask about this here, just to see if anyone else is experiencing this (in the US, anyway) to see if this is more widespread than I had first thought.

Actually, right now RPP Canada deals with a curious case of its own that involves USPS.

One of our customers ordered Waves 1-7 and the books were sent in the end of January. In the middle of February he contacted us and said that he still didn't receive his books. We checked the tracking number and saw that they arrived to New Jersey, US on February 3, and for some reason were stuck there, and there was no further information available. So we initiated tracking investigation with Canada Post, but since it was supposed to take up to 30 days to receive an answer (including filling lot of paperwork on our side) we contacted our other distributor and asked them to send him the books again.

Yesterday this person contacted us again. And said that he received the books that were sent by a distributor, and he also received a notice from his post office to pick up the package that was sent from RPP Canada. But when he went to pick up the box, he said that even if the box was shut with a clear tape (not USPS or customs tape), he could see through the open corners that the box was empty. It also felt empty. He refused to sign, and now the box is returned and on the way to us. He also adviced us to initiate an inquiry and himself will try to do something on his side.

It's not unusual for our packages to get lost or arrive after a very long time, but taking the books out and sending a sealed empty box to a customer, that's new!

Also, we were in the post office today and asked the women who works there if they heard about any problems with US mail. We described our problems to her, including all the mail being delivered to New Jersey hub. And she told several interesting things.

She said that one of the customers shared with her that USPS right now is going through a very difficult time. That they have problems with huge debt and thinking about laying off 30,000 people. That they are in a deep hole economically wise.

Another thing she said after we shared with her about our books taken out and empty box being sent to a customer, and she said that she heard stories, and even she can't say for sure, it is possible that someone in US customs didn't like our books and took them out. She said that she heard about stuff like this happening even in Calgary, Canada. Calgary is one of the postal hubs to US, so she heard that they just open boxes and take out stuff they don't like. But she said that in this case they usually leave a note.

Well, our customer didn't open the box, and since it is on its way back to us, will see if and when we'll receive it, if there will be any notes there.

Anyway, it doesn't sound good at all.

 

[shijing]

She said that one of the customers shared with her that USPS right now is going through a very difficult time. That they have problems with huge debt and thinking about laying off 30,000 people. That they are in a deep hole economically wise.

It's been in the news recently that discussion is underway about whether or not USPS will end Saturday service.

Another thing happened later today after I initially started this thread -- a couple books I had ordered from Amazon (Detoxification and Healing, and Fulcanelli's Le Mystere de les Cathedrales) showed up, and the top flap had been opened up halfway. Nothing was missing or damaged, but it didn't really seem like something that would just happen due to rough handling.