Why a postcard traveling 300 miles would take over 4 weeks

Language & Geographical Communities North America
1

For you more experienced postcrossers, would you be so kind as to let me know common reasons that a postcard traveling 300 miles within the same U.S. state would still not be received after 28 days? Im thinking the obvious, that it is lost or stolen.

2

Some possible reasons:

  • Covid pandemic and many many many people who have became ill.
  • The mail delivery system in your state (?) and everywhere in the world (also suffering in these times).
  • The receiver has not registered your card in time.
  • The ID-number was missing or the cancellation has destroyed a part of it. (You can ask it by sending a message to her/him and giving the right ID-number in your message.)
  • Your card is lost (but it can be found later).
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3

I have a sense because of the service cuts & staffing issues due to COVID that the USPS has downgraded the handling/delivery of postcards.

In the last 6 months, I’ve had so many expired cards to the US from Canada which has never happened before.

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4

Thanks so much for your reply. Your answers all make sense. I appreciate you taking the time. :slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face:

5

Thanks very much! Ive been looking forward to sending more postcards. Hard to wait sometimes. Pateince is a virtue, right? :slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face::slightly_smiling_face:

6

Actually, it wouldn’t make sense for the U.S.P.S. to “downgrade” the delivery of postcards, because all first class letter-sized mail, including postcards, are sorted at the same time, by the same machinery. Letters are not processed separately from postcards. (Post office video attached). Of course, the pandemic may well have slowed the processing and delivery of postcards, but no more so than any other first class letter sized mail.

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7

Lewis DeJoy. He’s the number one answer. Ever since he was appointed, service has been disrupted.

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8

It could be anything including :

  1. The recipient isn’t home to receive card.
  2. The card was lost and never received.
  3. Recipient is sick or someone is sick.
  4. It was mid-delivered.
  5. The post isn’t reliable.
    .

What I’ve done in the past.

  1. Checked their last login. Could give some clues.
  2. Send them a kind and thoughtful message inquiring about the card.

I just received a card dated Oct. 22, 2021. One of my lottery winners never received the card and she lives close by!

9

Absolutely. He made sorting centers remove their biggest sorting machines and I believe outright closed other centers. It had (partly) to do with our 2020 elections and Republicans not wanting mail in ballots to be counted since many of them would be votes for Democrats.

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10

My nephew sent an official to a woman in Florida. Her profile describes how they sold everything and just travel the world. She registers about 50 cards at a time every few months. His card was sent a month ago and nothing…

11

Why would someone have to be home to receive a postcard?

12

I think the idea is that they need to physically have the postcard to register it. So if they’re on vacation or something, they won’t be home to receive and register the card.

13

Stolen
Lost
or, sent to the wrong address and they decided to keep it.

14

Ohhhhh. Ok. That makes more sense. Thank you.

1 Like