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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2011-02 > 1297194996


From: "Lawrence Mayka" <>
Subject: [DNA] Postal employee fraud in Houston?
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 13:58:06 -0600


On January 26, a project member in Australia sent his WTY kit of samples
back to FTDNA by Express Mail International. According to USPS tracking,
the carrier attempted delivery last Friday (February 4), but found "no
authorized recipient available," and thus "a notice was left."

I was surprised that FTDNA had not yet picked up the kit or arranged for
redelivery by today, so I called the company. They explained that their
local post office often doesn't bother delivering kits the day they arrive,
even in good weather (much less the bad weather Houston reportedly
experienced on Friday). Instead, FTDNA says, the post office fraudulently
marks such parcels exactly as described above, but actually just waits until
a large enough number have arrived before bothering to deliver them. Last
Friday, FTDNA says, the office was indeed staffed, but no such parcel was
delivered and no such notice was left.

So here's the bottom line:

- If FTDNA did receive a notice but mishandled it by mistake, the kit will
be sent back to Australia in a couple of days, because in FTDNA's view,
nothing can be done.

- If FTDNA's account is correct--i.e., if its local post office routinely
commits fraud--the kit will eventually be delivered to FTDNA, whenever some
postal employee finally gets around to it.

I went to the USPS web site and myself requested redelivery of the kit via
online form. This may or may not encourage the post office to deliver the
kit tomorrow.

The USPS web site provides a phone number to call (800-ASK-USPS), but it is
entirely automated. In its extensive touch-tone menu, I did not hear any
option to speak to a human.

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