Post Office and hatchery deliveries...can they do this?

[lizareny]

I've lived in small Texas towns most of my life. A person might live in a tiny town with a post office for the town, but it's so small everyone gets mail delivered from the next biggest town, because the small one doesn't have a route.....no big deal, right?
Went to my post office 2 days ago to buy some stamps, and mentioned to the postal worker I would be having a small batch of geese and ducks delivered in 2-3 weeks. The look on her face when I said that was so weird!and then she said 'Oh no no, we don't do that.'


After giving her the 3rd degree, here's the result.

THEY don't WANT hatchery orders coming to their post office because baby chicks and ducks smell bad, and it attracts snakes (seriously! that was the first thing she said). The only way THEY might do it for you is if you're a customer of the post office......you could only imagine my bafflement, yeah?

I didn't argue with her, but I kept asking questions having her explain these 'rules' to me, aaaaaaand eventually she just said OK OK, we'll call you when they get here, but you have to promise to come pick them up...I said 'Ma'am, I live 1 mile down the road, I'm a stay at home mom. Call me at 6am and I'll be here in 2 minutes to get them.'

"OHHH, well, we don't open til 8am" she said. I told her call me, I'll come right up.

--------------------------------

Alright, what the heck is going on with this post office???!!! Now I'm all paranoid about my new babies not being treated well. I'm going to be very very vigilant about the delivery date, and I'm going to haunt that lady til my babies get here.

Can a United States Post Office refuse to take a hatchery delivery?

 

[yotetrapper]

Doesn't surprise me. POs, especially small town ones, think they can get away with anything. A note to the postmaster general usually gets them hopping though, but since she aggred to accept them, guess you're all set.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I don't know if they can refuse anything that is mailed within the USPS when a customer pays. JMO
Anyway, you don't want to tick her off and be on her bad side. She may not be cooperative.

Good luck.

 

[wyliefarms]

Our post office doesn't open til later either. But they call and let us know at 5:30-6am when the truck comes in to pick them up at the back door and knock since the door is locked.

Good Luck!

 

[lizareny]

Yeah! That's what I'm used to also...them calling between 6 - 6:45am to come get your stuff. I've never had a post office tell me NO, for personal reasons! So odd. Also, I think I will try the post master, not to complain, but to ask if this is normal procedure.

 

[hipeatall]

Yes... I think a chat with your postmaster is in order. Hopefully the postmaster will have a nice little chat with the employee that gave you this misinformation, attitude and worse - now has you worried about your geese and ducks safety.
I live in a rural area in Central Texas and my post office is really great. Many of them keep chickens and so they are almost as excited as I am when I get a package delivered. One time a sender forgot to put my address on my package of eggs... yikes! The package only had my business name, city, state and zip... oh my. Well, thankfully I had left a note at the post office earlier that week letting them know that I was expecting eggs that week and they very quickly figured out it was mine and called me - I was most appreciative that they put the business name with my name on the note and that my package didn't just get shelved.
Sorry you had this experience... but I betcha it'll all be okay

. I honestly think that the vast majority of the people that work at the post office want to do the best job they can.

 

[smallcitychick]

I live in a super small town too. Our post office is tiny (one postal worker) and there is no mail route here either. Everyone is required to have a post office box and pick up their mail, and the mail truck comes from the town an hour away. So sounds pretty similiar to your situation.

The big difference would be that my postal worker said no problem when I told her I had baby chicks coming. There's a game farm not far from here and they get quail, ducks and chicks ALL the time in the mail, so she knew exactly what to expect. I didn't get the call to come and pick them up until after 8:00 am (mail isn't available for pick up until after 10:00 am) but I ran right over and got them.

I was under the impression that if it's sent in the mail they can't refuse it because it's live animals?

 

[jerseygirl1]

Sounds like your post office is being fussy - I also would chat with the postmaster about rules and regulations concerning picking up live animals in you area.

 

[SunnyChic]

Talk to the postmaster and find out when the mail truck comes in the morning with all of the mail, then tell him/her you will be getting an order of goslings and ducklings and request that they call you as soon as they come in so that you can come to the back door to pick them up, and that you'll come immediately.

 

[lizareny]

Did a phone call to the USPS. The rules are No....a post office cannot refuse a live chick/duckling/guinea/etc delivery. Although! The person to whom the order is addressed has the right to refuse the order, and not accept it....Ta-Daaa! thanks for the suggestions and personal stories !!! Thank you!