Houston-area homeowner captures USPS carrier throwing packages into driveway during rainstorm, report filed
Postal worker caught throwing packages from truck
A Houston-area homeowner shared security camera footage of a postal worker tossing his wife's packages on the couple's front yard. FOX 26's Leslie DelasBour shares the homeowner's intentions for sharing the video and contacted USPS for a response.
HOUSTON - A Houston-area homeowner is speaking out after he says a USPS carrier threw multiple packages into his driveway during a rainstorm, an incident that was captured on home surveillance video.
Houston-area homeowner's camera captures USPS carrier throw packages into driveway during rainstorm
What they're saying:
Chris Dunkin says the delivery happened while his wife was inside caring for their three-week-old son. According to the family, she heard the packages hit the driveway, but was unable to immediately go outside because the baby was asleep on her chest.
As a result, the packages remained outside in the rain until they could be retrieved.
Fortunately, the homeowner says the contents were clothing and were not permanently damaged. However, he says his concern goes beyond the value of the items.
"It's that this is how customers' mail is being handled," he said.
Following the incident, the homeowner contacted the United States Postal Service and filed a formal complaint. During that conversation, he says he asked what would happen if the contents of the packages had been damaged.
According to the homeowner, he was told he would need to contact the sender to determine whether the packages were insured. He says he was further informed that if no insurance had been purchased, USPS would not be responsible for reimbursing the damaged contents.
The homeowner says that answer was more surprising to him than the delivery itself. He later filed a service request and provided video evidence of the incident.
The other side:
In response to FOX 26's inquiry, USPS confirmed it reviewed the video and contacted the customer directly:
USPS Response:
"The United States Postal Service strives to provide exceptional service each day to its customers. In this instance, the local management team at the Eastwood Post Office has reviewed the video footage provided as part of our investigation into this incident and communicated directly with this customer to ensure a satisfactory resolution was made. We apologize to our customers for the actions seen in the video, which are clearly unacceptable behavior that does not reflect the efforts of the thousands of professional, dedicated carriers in our workforce. Although the Postal Service does not comment on specific personnel matters, residents can be assured we are taking all appropriate actions to resolve the issue and prevent a recurrence. Regarding uninsured packages, the Postal Service cannot reimburse claims for lost or mishandled mail unless insurance was purchased or included with the postage, as exempted by federal law 28 U.S.C. 2680(b). Customers are reminded that, if they need assistance with delivery, mailing, or shipping concerns, there are a variety of options for reaching us, including contacting their local Post Office, calling our Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), or visiting our website at www.usps.com/help. We appreciate our customers and thank them for their patience as we continue our focus on service improvement."
The Source: Interview with Chris Dunkin and statement from USPS.