Editorial: Mail problems at Chicago Post Office are not over yet
A number of readers called us in mid-April to say that their April Substance had arrived by mail. One of the reasons for the call was that they had also received their March Substance — either at the same time or later.
One reader called us April 18 to say that his April Substance had arrived on April 16 — one day before the March issue arrived!
We first brought the crisis in mail delivery in Chicago to our readers’ attention back in November, after our October issue was illegally dumped behind the mass mailings USPS was handling for the November election. We’ve continued to track the problem since and appreciate our subscribers’ staying on top of this massive problem.
Continue to let us know, by phone or e-mail, when you receive your Substance each month. Although we believe that the USPS will improve its Chicago delivery, we will not be able to rest assured until Substance has been delivered on time every month. That means it is delivered within seven days after we mail it, as the law requires for Periodicals Rate publications such as this one.
We’ve also urged our readers to keep track of the arrival date of their other mail. Some people have been hit with hefty late fees for credit card bills that they didn’t receive in the mail until after the due date had passed. You can wind up paying a “Late Fee” of $39 on a balance of less than $100 if Chicago’s post office screws up delivery.
One of the most dramatic examples of these problems took place with the Chicago White Sox teacher night ticket information. The White Sox mailed it to one of our staff on February 24. He received it April 10.
Chicago may be solving these problems. By June, we may know.
