[Dx-qsl] Advice Please

Wed Aug 2 18:59:08 EDT 2006

Below is my experience. I seek advice and comments.
July 10th sent QSL by registered air mail to Egypt.
Yesterday attempted to trace envelope via USPS website
and found the registered number as not found.
Today called local post office and was told that
registered mail is not trackable. There was no record
of my letter. It was not scanned at the local PO. They called a
larger post office and the larger post office could
not confirm receipt of the registered letter in July.
I was told to call the USPS and make a claim.
Called the 1-800 blah blah blah and spoke with
someone who told me the system was down and
had been for over a week. Call back later. Asked
for a supervisor.
The supervisor told me that the system was indeed
down but she took my information. Told me they
would "investigate for 60 days" and then I could
make a claim.
She also told me that once the article leaves the
US Postal System their responsibility ends. Foreign
mail services may not have the capability to scan
the US registered barcode, etc. blah blah blah.
The bottom line seems to be that registered mail
is not trackable or traceable. There is no accountability
from one post office to another. I had thought that
when the article is received at a postal facility it
was scanned; not so I am told.
So, the bottom line seems to be that registered mail
and particularly registered mail sent to a foreign
country is not nearly as secure as I had thought.
I was told the letter could be lost, in customs,
or already delivered. That certainly put my mind
at rest.
Would appreciate the thoughts of the mail gurus
out there.
Thanks in anticipation,
Cheers,
Bob (KD1CT)