@greatstuff80 wrote:Many small rural areas do not have the equipment to print out a computer receipt. They are referred to as manual offices. In that case, you can ask to see it actually scanned ( they do have hand scanners ) but if you want a receipt, they have to hand write the tracking number on a blank all purpose USPS receipt and then stamp it with their local official stamp.
That's pretty much it, yes, although the assigned tracking number comes off a pad of preprinted labels, and each one includes a little side sticker with the barcode and number on it that is stuck on your payment receipt (see photo), so that no one has to try and hand-write those big long tracking numbers:
This is what I received when mailing a buyer's First Class Package while I was on vacation last month in Union Pier, MI. In the background is the United States Post that serves the town. (It used to be the United States Post Office until the "Office" part fell off the front of the building.) The office occupies one half of a little strip-mall commercial building (I think the other half was vacant), and on Saturdays is open from 9:00 a.m. all the way through until 11:00 a.m. I noticed later that the circular datestamp visible on the lower right corner was actually dated September 10 by mistake, as no one remembered to change its date when opening up in the morning.
To their credit, the package I shipped on Saturday morning was going through Grand Rapids by that evening, and was actually delivered in California on the Monday afternoon following. I think not having to ship it through Chicago probably helped.
P.S. Yes, that is a duck looking over the top of my hand. Our daughter tells us that his name is Laszlow, and he rides in the corner of the dashboard wherever we go.
