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How long would you give for a check to arrive, in this case, for the purchase of a Winchester 1894 carbine, if traveling 1,536 miles, before considering it hopelessly and forever lost?
The letter with check was mailed Saturday 22 March 2025. From this, I’m guessing it went nowhere until that first Monday afternoon:
https://www.savethepostoffice.com/postal-service-slows-down-the-mail-again/
So, technically, this is the 8th business day, maybe, for practical purposes, should consider it the 7th business day. USPS states to count on 1 to 5 days for first class mail and then states (not guaranteed).
Fortunately, the check IS going to an esteemed member of this forum. I hate to stop payment on it only to have it arrive by next Monday, and I can’t physically mail a check until this upcoming Saturday to begin with.
What would you do?
The mail service’s track record isn’t too good lately around here. I got a piece of mail intended for a neighbor a few days ago. That happens at least monthly. I got a piece of mail addressed to someone randomly somewhere, mailed from my same zip code, not postmarked, with my mail last week. About a month ago, a package was stated as being delivered, and it wasn’t here, and, on a hunch I walked over to the house with the same first four digits as my house a block or two away and the owner had the package. He said he gets our mail somewhat regularly and just puts it back in the mailbox as outgoing mail the next day.
What would you do? The esteemed member can chime in if he wants to as well as I would like to actually receive the firearm at some point prior to Halloween.😄
I always send payments ups express 2nd day. Never have problems. Uses is terrible
Ian, I’m not going to ask if the letter has a tracking number; I assume it doesn’t.
1. If you have online access to your bank account, start checking it daily until the check is found. If you don’t have such access, get it ASAP so you don’t have to wait for monthly statements.
2. Call your seller and secure his promise to immediately contact you if he gets the check and BEFORE he deposits the check. So you won’t freak out if you see it clear.
3. The distance traveled is less important than the locations of mailing and final delivery and the class service you bought. Are both points in the Continental U.S.?
4. 7 or 8 business days isnt too long to go coast to coast by First Class Mail if theres bad weather on either end or if the addressee city is in a large metro area with a big distribution center.
5. Go to the USPS Website and read the texts about lost mail and when to ask for a trace.
Going forward: I can’t tell you what to do but I’ll tell you what I do.
A. I never mail purchase money except by Priority Mail, using a mailing service for discounted postage. It let’s me buy and print the label at home and I keep a thick stack of PM cardboard envelopes on hand. The software emails the buyer with the tracking number as soon as I buy the label. Less than eight bucks. That it takes 2 or 3 or more days is not the point. The existence of the tracking number is the point. You may or may not get intermediate scans along the route,depending on the local station manager. But it makes tracing and finding it possible, whereas otherwise you may never know where it went.
More expensive? Maybe, until something goes wrong and you have to devote hours and days.
Stopping payment doesn’t stop.having to deal with the problem. From now until the date of the check makes it stale, you must watch your account to see if it clears anyway. If it does and you don’t tell your bank quickly, you can still lose.
The far better solution is to use trackable mail AND pay with USPS money orders. For several reasons I don’t have time to explain and, yes, I’m aware they are more trouble to buy blah blah — but when they get lost or stolen, the advantages become apparent.
.
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- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Zebulon said
Ian, I’m not going to ask if the letter has a tracking number; I assume it doesn’t.1. If you have online access to your bank account, start checking it daily until the check is found. If you don’t have such access, get it ASAP so you don’t have to wait for monthly statements.
2. Call your seller and secure his promise to immediately contact you if he gets the check and BEFORE he deposits the check. So you won’t freak out if you see it clear.
3. The distance traveled is less important than the locations of mailing and final delivery and the class service you bought. Are both points in the Continental U.S.?
4. 7 or 8 business days isnt too long to go coast to coast by First Class Mail if theres bad weather on either end or if the addressee city is in a large metro area with a big distribution center.
5. Go to the USPS Website and read the texts about lost mail and when to ask for a trace.
Going forward: I can’t tell you what to do but I’ll tell you what I do.
A. I never mail purchase money except by Priority Mail, using a mailing service for discounted postage. It let’s me buy and print the label at home and I keep a thick stack of PM cardboard envelopes on hand. The software emails the buyer with the tracking number as soon as I buy the label. Less than eight bucks. That it takes 2 or 3 or more days is not the point. The existence of the tracking number is the point. You may or may not get intermediate scans along the route,depending on the local station manager. But it makes tracing and finding it possible, whereas otherwise you may never know where it went.
More expensive? Maybe, until something goes wrong and you have to devote hours and days.
Stopping payment doesn’t stop.having to deal with the problem. From now until the date of the check makes it stale, you must watch your account to see if it clears anyway. If it does and you don’t tell your bank quickly, you can still lose.
The far better solution is to use trackable mail AND pay with USPS money orders. For several reasons I don’t have time to explain and, yes, I’m aware they are more trouble to buy blah blah — but when they get lost or stolen, the advantages become apparent.
1. I can access my account daily, and no check has cleared.
2. I am in contact with the seller.
3. Just a stamped letter, no tracking. When one works full time, going to the post office is sometimes inconvenient and mailing from one’s mailbox is the easiest.
4. I’m hoping 7 or 8 days isn’t too long, and it is going to a major Texas city.
5. I sort of glanced at the USPS website, but not too intently, as it’s a non traceable letter.
Hopefully, I’m overreacting, and it arrives in a day or so. I’m just basing it not arriving on the extremely poor results I’ve experienced personally with receiving other folks’ mail lately and knowing some of mine has gone to others.
We used to have a regular carrier and she retired. Part of the problem now here might be we don’t have a regular carrier. I don’t think the younger carriers are as conscientious. One seemed more into his rap music than mail delivery.
November 7, 2015
Offline
I get mail in a couple of locations and I’m not in the habit of checking either more than a couple times a week, if that. If I get a mis-boxed piece of mail it may take awhile before I start it back on its way to the (hopefully) correct box.
Mike
I don’t know about the U.S., but in Canada 10-12 days is about the norm . Like was already said Priority post more than doubles the cost but cuts delivery down to overnite-2 days.
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
And I decided to heed the advice of Zebulon and went to the USPS site. It is just a piece of first class mail but I actually have a photograph of it. Actually a little distinct as I use return envelope for outgoing mail that come with various statements to my residence.
The first option is to check the tracking. Not an option, as it doesn’t have a tracking number.
2.
Complete a Help Request Form
We recommend that you complete our online help request form before you start a missing mail search. Please use a desktop computer to submit your form.
Really user friendly in today’s day and age. Using a desktop computer only. What other site out there is desktop computer only.
3.
Submit a Missing Mail Search Request
You have to log into the site to proceed, which makes sense, but the site locks up when you try and log into here.
In other words, they really don’t care.
FYI.
Online
I’ve seen a mailed check take 7-10 calendar days on multiple occasions, especially to the east coast or remote northwest.
November 7, 2015
Offline
I get mail in a couple of locations and I’m not in the habit of checking either more than a couple times a week, if that. If I get a mis-boxed piece of mail it may take awhile before I start it back on its way to the (hopefully) correct box.
Mike
My son recently bought a firearm from a guy in Missouri. It took over 6 weeks for his certified letter with payment to arrive. I recently bought a small item off of eBay. It was mailed pronto. Took nearly 2 months for it to arrive. Likewise, some loading dies from Dillon Precision took 7 weeks to arrive. They were sent priority mail.
Now, I live in Alaska so I would expect transit to take a few extra days. But, these time frames are ridiculous. I used to praise the USPS. Not any more. I have lost faith in the organization. Perhaps many employees with a strong work ethic have all retired.
The check arrived at the recipient’s address today. Thirteen days for first class mail. Borderline unacceptable, especially when advertised, but not guaranteed to be 1 to 5 business days (today was the 10th business day).
I actually thought it got lost in the junk mail, which has increased tremendously lately.
Given all that has been said and reported here, I am amazed that when my wife orders a package from Amazon (which is very frequent), if it doesn’t arrive the next day, we start to wonder what’s wrong. She never orders it with any special type of shipping. In fact, it’s always free shipping. Most arrive via USPS. The same mail truck/carrier etc. that delivers regular packages and mail. We never have a problem with the package arriving or it not arriving very quickly. Again, the same delivery people are involved 
On another similar Winchester related mail thread recently posted, where several members chimed in. We’ve all had deliveries from the USPS, and taking into account, the daily workload, and the many million’s of successful deliveries in a timely fashion, whatever that may be. I’ve had several successful deliveries, and a couple, long delayed, deliveries, but finally received them. I’ve got lucky and gambled on some I sent and received! I am also not a fan of the current USPS, and feel that there’s room for improvement, that can help all of us, in the long run! IMHO!
My two Cents!
Anthony
If I had to guess, what is really going on is that first class mail is that in name only. It’s really relegated to the bottom of the barrel.
Package delivery has to be prioritized. That’s a given in order to be competitive with UPS and FedEx.
Junk mail, which I researched on line, is a huge moneymaker for the postal service. They don’t want to lose that sort of revenue. It certainly must be cost effective as I feel I’m inundated with junk mail lately.
So, first class becomes last class by default. You can blame the internet for that. Other than perhaps a Christmas card, when is the last time you sent someone a letter?
One thing I really like about the postal service is the convenience. I actually wish there were more post offices out there. MUCH more convenient than UPS or FedEx.
November 7, 2015
Offline
steve004 said
Given all that has been said and reported here, I am amazed that when my wife orders a package from Amazon (which is very frequent), if it doesn’t arrive the next day, we start to wonder what’s wrong. She never orders it with any special type of shipping. In fact, it’s always free shipping. Most arrive via USPS. The same mail truck/carrier etc. that delivers regular packages and mail. We never have a problem with the package arriving or it not arriving very quickly. Again, the same delivery people are involved
I used to wonder why I saw USPS trucks out making deliveries in rural areas on Sunday. I now know they are delivering Amazon packages. Just don’t expect to receive regular mail on Sunday. I figure Amazon delivers to the local post offices and skips the USPS distribution system. I think Amazon has forced USPS, UPS and FEDEX to up their game a little and I’m grateful to them for that. I used to have a very good UPS driver. New guy waded through water and mud to put a package on my front porch this week, just like Amazon. Back porch is easier to get to and better to hide packages from view.
Mike
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