Heidi Bunch/MCIN
Nathan Farley and Ariel Nelson stand outside the Hawthorne Post Office where they, and many others say weekly problems seem to be occurring with mail service.
Frustrated Mineral County residents are taking to Facebook and various United States Postal Services agencies to complain about problems with the Hawthorne Post Office.
Complaints about mail are nothing new in Hawthorne, of course, but residents are using the “Misplaced Mail in Hawthorne NV’’ Facebook page to vent about mail and packages not being put in proper boxes and about the attitude of postal workers after many complaints to the government agency have not been resolved.
The number one complaint from many residents is the lack of consistency in getting the correct mail to their boxes. Many have repeatedly complained about misplaced mail being placed in the wrong boxes or having a package delivered to the post office only to be told that the package had been delivered to another person.
Dana Tommila, a manager of a large apartment complex in Hawthorne, said a postal worker was unable to verify her signature even though she has had mail delivered to the Hawthorne Post Office her entire life, after a tenant was unable to get a post office box due to having an electronic copy of a rental agreement.
Tommila would go above and beyond her managerial duties to help the tenant to get verification of a post office box (needed for his place of employment). She explained to me that having been raised in Hawthorne, she remembers when you could walk into the post office and were known by name and the employees had your box number memorized.
Nathan Farley, who has had various run-ins with the Hawthorne Post Office, has tried every contact possible to try and correct problems he and his girlfriend Ariel Nelson have encountered with the post office. He finally contacted Suzanney Phillips, with the United States Post Office in Reno, who explain to him how Fed-Ex and UPS packages are to be delivered to the post office. She explained that in larger cities, there is a contact, but in rural counties, they should not be delivering to the post offices. She assured him she will look into the delivery of packages from outside delivery agencies.
Phillips explained to Farley after finding out about the Facebook page that if the customers of the Hawthorne Post Office do not direct their problems and concerns to the post office employees and post master of Hawthorne, the problems can’t get rectified. Farley explained that people took to Facebook after feeling that their complaints were not being heard after calling and emailing any number they could find about the problems or concerns that they had at the post office.
Farley explained to Phillips that he received the same package four different times to his post office box. The package had been addressed to the correct post office box but instead of being delivered to the three-digit box number, it was instead being delivered to the last four numbers of the phone number listed on the outside of the box. Farley would take to the Facebook page and find the owner of the package. Only to find out that they had already purchased a replacement, thinking the package was lost.
Farley explained to Phillips that the people of Hawthorne want one thing and that is: have our mail delivered correctly.
Nelson explained after problems with her and Farley’s mail that the couple was told that their mail “personally delivered by the post master.”
She explained that this delivery agreement came after Nelson had a piece of mail from her financial institution delivered back to her box, after being opened which had her personal information in it. The envelope had been opened and taped back up. The second delivery was made correctly to Nelson and Farley’s box.
“I am not okay with having my financial institution out there. I called the bank, had items set up for security,” Nelson stated.
The complaints in the Misplaced Mail in Hawthorne NV shows many people complaining about everything from packages which were delivered incorrectly and residents trying to find the correct people, pictures of mailing labels which have correct addressing (which should include street address followed by box and then number), phantom locker keys in post office boxes with no package inside to those who have only been in our community less than nine months and have found keys in the lobby.
Farley explained that Phillips from the Reno Distribution will be in town on Friday at the post office. If Hawthorne resident would like to complain they can call her at 775-250-3607.
Many are wary about complaining too much, fearful their mail might not be handled carefully.
The Independent-News reached out to Post Master Karen Duff of the Hawthorne Post Office, who would not comment but instead directed us to David Rupert, who is in corporate communications for the Postal Service out of Denver, Colo.
A phone call with Rupert after discussing only a small amount of complaints from those who have had issues ended in the following emailed public statement:
“The parcel locker key handling is a known issue and we apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. The local post office will be reviewing their procedures with USPS trainers later this week to improve the process and eliminate error. We encourage anyone with any quality issues to bring them to the immediate attention of the Postmaster. If, after doing this you need further guidance, they can be addressed online at usps.com or phoned into 1800ASKUSPS. The issue will be logged, documented and resolved generally within 24 hours.”
