MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — A Trenton, Tennessee man says the United States Postal Service in Memphis has turned into the Bermuda Triangle of sorts.
Gordon Raistrick says 38 packages he has mailed over the last two months have gone missing in Memphis.
“I’ve been doing online sales for almost twenty years. I ship every day,” said Raistrick. “Maybe one here or there slows down, but it eventually shows up. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Raistrick carves and sells coins on eBay and Etsy to customers all over the country. He said the packages picked up by the USPS in Trenton appear to be in limbo in Memphis.
“They are headed to the Memphis distribution center, and they stop. After that, they have never gone anywhere else,” Raistrick said. “Just this week, three more got stuck. Some were sent first class, some priority, and others were flat mailers.”
Raistrick provided WREG with tracking numbers of the 38 missing packages.
The tracking history shows his problems with the mail began in late September. It shows all the parcels departed the post office in Trenton, but weeks later, they are still moving through the network.
We contacted an inspector with the USPS to find out if this was Trenton or a Memphis problem, but we are still waiting for a response.
Raistrick said two weeks ago he contacted the consumer affairs division of the USPS in Nashville and was told an investigator would be looking into it, but he still doesn’t know what happened to his mail.
“The bad part about this is the system works against you. Even if you report it to their investigating arm that investigates theft, they look at the tracking dates and say ok, it’s been ten days. We are sorry your item must be lost,” he said.
Raistrick said he doesn’t know if someone is stealing the mail or it’s just being mishandled, but he can longer absorb the cost.
“I’ve already told my customers if your coin never shows up. I’ll carve it again, and I’ll make sure get it by sending it by UPS, and I plan to use the postal claims to at least ship that stuff,” said Raistrick.
Raistrick said right now, he has no faith in the USPS this holiday season.
“If my problem is this bad right now, I can’t imagine what it is going to look like come the first, second week of December,” said Raistrik.
Raistrick said he’s probably out around $1,000.
