Do I have any recourse against the Post Office?  The mailman left a box of books at my front door and it rained and now I have a box of waterlogged books. 

thanks

jackie

I don't know about recourse, but maybe in the future you could leave a plastic bag or box out for deliveries so it doesn't happen again. Sorry to hear about your books. :(

I don't know for sure but I don't think they can leave them out in the weather at all.  If they don't fit in your box and you aren't home to take them in I think they have to leave you a package marker.

Oops, sorry for the duplicate post.

I leave an ice chest on my front porch mostly for stuff other people will pick up.  If you had something simliar, you could ask the PO guy to place them in the icechest.  Bummer about your books :  (

I was told by my postmaster, who BTW is my cousin, that under no circumstances should a package be left outside where there is no shelter from the elements.

I've had problems in the past with our mail delivery person. We live in a rural area, and if a package doesn't fit in the mailbox, she is supposed to drive up to the house and personally deliver it. If there is no one home she has the option of leaving it in the garage or taking it back to the PO and leaving a notice in the mailbox that we have a package to pick up there. She's left packages sitting outside our garage on many occasions and I call every time she does this.

She doesn't like me very much.

I would take everything that was left out in the rain to the PO and show it to them.  Probably nothing will be done about it, but they should see it.

Well, I'm going to take the packaging and the books to the Post Office tomorrow and complain.  It's six books and they are not waterlogged and unpostable....I'm pretty ticked....

Oops..I meant that they are NOW waterlogged!!  : )

Awhile ago I got a request from a member in New Orleans who said it rains there (at that season, anyway) almost every day and she really needed books to be wrapped in plastic.  I have been doing this for quite awhile anyway, and if I have a bunch of booksI put them all in a plastic grocery sack taped shut, then in a box or wrapped in brown paper before sending them off.  I don't know if the packages I send would actually stand immersion, but rain or snow on them probably (!) wouldn't get to the books.  If you live in a very wet area of the country or your books get left where they might get wet, I would recommend this condition to you .  What does everybody think about this??

I use plastic all the time anyway. I'd rather be safe then sorry.  If books can't fit IN your mail box, what would you think of them putting them inside, in the vestubule.  We live in a duplex and that is a neutral area, and not in either of our personal livng spaces.

I had 4 books ruined when the mail man left them in the rain.   The PO basically said "rough luck."   Said if there wasn't insurance on the books, there was NOTHING they would do.      

Ouch that totally sucks! I would be steamed! I doubt the post office will do anything about it but they need to know your postman is leaving things out exposed to the weather. Let us know how it goes!

My carrier has plastic bags that he puts my packages in when it is raining and I am not home.  He frequently delivers right to my door even though I live in an apartment complex with hundreds of units and centralized mailboxes.   I must be lucky because it seems like it would be an easy thing for the carriers to put a package in a plastic bag.

I agree with everyone above. My mailman wraps everything in a plastic bag if they dont fit in my mailbox. I would complain to the PO so it doesnt happen again.

This is the very reason why I love, love, love PBSers who pre-wrap in cling wrap.

Try posting this on the USPS board.  Postal employees often reply to the questions posed. 

That sucks.  I'd call the post office, and complain--and tell them you'd prefer they not leave your packages outside in the rain(of course, they'll probably make you pick them up at the post office then)--but I don't know if they'll do anything about the water damage--they'll probably say it should have been protected from the elements.  Sorry that happened;(

I too wrap all my books in plastic before in the wrapper so that hopefully books survive the trip. 

if it doesn't fit in our mailbox our mail carrier will usually put it right by the front door under the porch so it doesn't get wet.  this is always appreciated!

you should contact your post master and let them know of the situation.  I had my childrens school pictures riuned when my lab puppy took off withj them when they were left on the front porch.  you need to let post master know not to leave things on front porch unless you ok it.  If it doesnot fit in you mail box they should leave a note and try to deliver at later date.  hope this helps

This happened months ago.    I asked on the PO board and they said it was a local problem.    My PO said it was the mail carriers 'judgement" on if a package could be left or not.        I just have a cranky, mean person as a mail carrier and there isn't much I can do about it.   lol         However, I DO complain anything I have a valid reason to do so.

This is why I get my books shipped to my work address. There's always someone there to take packages. We have a covered porch at home, but if it were windy....I wouldn't want to take the chance.

I started wrapping in plastic wrap after reading a few of these threads....

I just got an order from someone who had as a condition that the books be wrapped in plastic, which i accepted.  As a new member, I had not been wrapping any of my books in plastic, but it did make me think about doing it in the future.  I think it is a good idea to put it as a condition if you are concerned about this happening again.

I wrap everything I send in some sort of plastic inner liner in an effort to keep books nice and dry and personally think it should be a requirement.  Being as it isn't however,  I have a gentle  condition request on my account asking that everyone who sends to me wrap in some plastic - I have received too many packages that weren't in plastic and have got wet somewhere along the line, either en route or from my own letter carrier leaving the package exposed to the elements. Having the condition request seems to have solved the problem and I have not had any requests turned down.

This is my condition request - if anyone would like to use it as their own, feel free:

When shipping books to me, please wrap the book in some sort of plastic inner wrap to lessen the chance of water damage from rain or snow.   I am not particular as to what the inner wrap is made of - Saran wrap, a zippered bag, an old bag from Target, whatever. Just something, please!  I reuse and recycle so you can use the plastic with a clear conscious  :)

Thanks a million! 

LOL - I just ordered from Nicole last night.  So see, it works!  :)