My last post office shop?

I just did a post office shop today. And also today I read that the Post Office execs are meeting with the people who are determining what to keep and what to not keep tomorrow. Suddenly I am wondering if it was a good idea to do a shop for them today as tomorrow they may be shuttered.
Is anyone else concerned about the immediate future of our pay regarding any government agencies. I am thinking if it gets shut down tomorrow my package may not ever turn up again. This is not a political statement!

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More About Post Office/Shipping

Not concerned in the slightest about getting paid.

Could the mystery shopping company lose the contract? Maybe?

I'm not familiar with what's going on with post offices. But been interested in the IRS hiring freeze. Cross paths with individuals in that industry.

Okie, it would involve talking about politics.. it's all about Trumps trade wars and random tariffs against our allies. And that is the end of my discussion on this subject.

I actually wondered if these changes would affect FDA and CDC, thereby reducing the number of recalled products we can work on.

If the Post Office drops the program, it would have no bearing on whether you get paid for the shop. Your fee is not contingent on whether USPS ultimately decides to drop the program this week, delays a decision, or decides to continue it. Your payment relies on if you followed all the requirements of the shop - picture of the package, receipt, etc. Same thing goes for your package, its delivery does not hinge on the decision of what to do with the mystery shop program or if that is even on the agenda. I am not sure why you would think that.

Track the package to see the status. It should show that it was scanned at the post office you went to and probably a few more showing it was at a regional distribution center.. Let's say it does not arrive, you are entitled to a refund.

I hope that they decide to continue the program. More work is better for all of us. The pay rate is another matter.

Can you share the article you read? Not clear who is meeting with who? Like who are the "people who are determining what to keep..." Are these politicians? The MSC? Sorry, would love to understand what you learned!

@sandyf wrote:

I just did a post office shop today. And also today I read that the Post Office execs are meeting with the people who are determining what to keep and what to not keep tomorrow. Suddenly I am wondering if it was a good idea to do a shop for them today as tomorrow they may be shuttered.
Is anyone else concerned about the immediate future of our pay regarding any government agencies. I am thinking if it gets shut down tomorrow my package may not ever turn up again. This is not a political statement!

Politicians. But trying to keep that kind of discussion away from the forum.

PS. You can check news sources. I heard stuff on NPR.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2025 05:34PM by sestrahelena.

I am trying to keep this discussion away from the political and just on the side of the practical implications of any decisions the government may make on a mystery shop program. So my answer to Cassiepark is please look it up to find who attended the meetings regarding the fate of the post office. It will not be difficult to find.
To Momomomo , I have been around for a very long time in life and in mystery shopping and have seen many times where people did not get paid due to some issue with the msc. So I would not bet on a msc company paying if they do not ultimately get the funds owed them by their clients. And in the past few weeks have read of government agencies or parts thereof completely shuttered with the immediate stroke of a pen. . If this happens, who do you suppose will deliver my package I sent yesterday? I have not heard the outcome of yesterday's meeting and this is the only mystery shop I currently do which is funded by a government agency but my question would go for any mystery shop where payment is coming from the government.

@sandyf wrote:

I am trying to keep this discussion away from the political and just on the side of the practical implications of any decisions the government may make on a mystery shop program. So my answer to Cassiepark is please look it up to find who attended the meetings regarding the fate of the post office. It will not be difficult to find.
To Momomomo , I have been around for a very long time in life and in mystery shopping and have seen many times where people did not get paid due to some issue with the msc. So I would not bet on a msc company paying if they do not ultimately get the funds owed them by their clients. And in the past few weeks have read of government agencies or parts thereof completely shuttered with the immediate stroke of a pen. . If this happens, who do you suppose will deliver my package I sent yesterday? I have not heard the outcome of yesterday's meeting and this is the only mystery shop I currently do which is funded by a government agency but my question would go for any mystery shop where payment is coming from the government.

No one is closing the Post Office down. If they were to privatize it, the Post Office would still be obligated to honor the mail in the system and its obligations. Did you try tracking your package to see that it is moving in the system. I didn't hear you comment on that. I don't know where you sent the package, but it should be delivered by Monday.

Regardless of what is decided in this meeting, mail is getting delivered. Even if they say, we're closing it down, the billion in uncashed postal money orders would still need to be honored as well.

I am glad you've been around for a long time and hope you stay around even longer, but you're getting worked over this for no reason.

You might be right that it could be the last mystery shop you do at the post office. I am pretty sure you will get paid for your shop, unless you messed up some detail.

I did check and the only news, all over the place, was about a stop ship to/from China (also the only story NPR had was about this).

Well, that and an article announcing that the Post Office made money in Q1 - first time since 2022. So thats good!

Since there are zero articles about USPS shutting down or a meeting to decide if they should shut down, I wouldn't sweat it. They seem fine. And they are shipping to/from China - there was a meeting about that, and its business as usual again.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Politicians. But trying to keep that kind of discussion away from the forum.

PS. You can check news sources. I heard stuff on NPR.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2025 03:54AM by Cassiespark.

I wrote this question prior to the meeting so obviously I had no idea of what the outcome would be and in addition the government did not disclose to me what the meeting was going to be about but I do know there has been talk of shutting the post office for quite a long time. Unless your head has been in the sand this past few weeks, you may have noticed many programs have been severely cut back. Actual people are getting laid off or given the choice to resign. I have no "in" with the government to know which one is next. But it is refreshing to know the post office finally made a profit. And since I have not heard news the post office is on the chopping block right after the meeting I suppose closing it is not happening today.

@Cassiespark wrote:

I did check and the only news, all over the place, was about a stop ship to/from China (also the only story NPR had was about this).

Well, that and an article announcing that the Post Office made money in Q1 - first time since 2022. So thats good!

Since there are zero articles about USPS shutting down or a meeting to decide if they should shut down, I wouldn't sweat it. They seem fine. And they are shipping to/from China - there was a meeting about that, and its business as usual again.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Politicians. But trying to keep that kind of discussion away from the forum.

PS. You can check news sources. I heard stuff on NPR.

That’s the only news I’ve heard as well. They were having issues with Shein & TEMU regarding tariffs.

I will add that the MSC that currently has this contact is about as good as it gets when it comes to paying shoppers the correct amount on time. A few months ago I screwed up and submitted an airport lounge shop without the receipt, and screwed up again by not checking the log that showed the reimbursement and payment. Despite the fact that the client had already been billed the MSC still reimbursed me in full. (These shops are somewhat unique in that some people are accessing the lounge via a credit card or ticket and others are buying a day pass, so the shop can be submitted without a receipt.)

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