We have a great local USPS office, but once your items leave there there's no telling what's going to happen. I've been sending USPS money orders priority mail so both parties would have a tracking number. $7.45 wasted but at least you know what's kind of going on.
Same here, I always send payment for gunbroker purchases via Priority Mail for the tracking even though a first class envelope sometimes might have arrived the same day. Sent a certified check in a Priority Mail 2 Day window envelope on Monday, 12/7 and it just arrived at the destination distribution center today, 12/17. 10 days. Since Saturday the tracking update kept showing 12/12 "In transit". I've seen "2 day" priority mail take 3 days before but this was the first time it's ever been in limbo like this for so long. It was payment for a gunbroker purchase and I was getting pretty worried that it had been lost.
If you want to save money when mailing payments but need tracking, I have learned a trick. I take one of the padded envelopes I have gotten from Amazon, etc. and reuse it, In that the item is a 'package' and can be shipped first class parcel with free tracking for $3 and some change at 1 ounce. Normally not as fast, but how things are working now, it might get there quicker since it seems first class is going while priority is sitting. Also, I usually cut the envelope to remove extra weight, but it still needs enough space to attach the tracking # sticker. I have done this dozens of times. The only thing that you cannot do it print the postage online at the USPS site. It will not let you do First Class. So you have to do this in person at the post office. That is the only extra you get doing Priority is that you can do it online and drop it in your box for pickup.
That's pretty neat, I'm going to try that. You think that Priority Mail is like "Super Special Expedite Through Rain, Sleet, Snow and Dark of Night", but it ain't.
