Return To Sender: A Job with the U.S. Post Office Goes Nowhere

A Bronx woman's dreams of working for the Post Office get lost in the mail.

Mallory Ramos thought she was paying money to attend a prep class that was the first step toward getting a civil service job with the U.S. Post Office. Last year she signed up with American Career Center in Manhattan, whose agreement promised her they would be there to instruct her and provide training until she got her job.

To help her out, her parents paid for the classes, which ran $570 for the three-week course.

After attending classes, which Mallory says involved memorizing addresses and zip codes, she was told by the instructors that they would call her and tell her where and when she was to take the final exam for the position.
Months went by and she never heard anything. She began calling them every few months and every time they told her to be patient, either now wasn't a good time or they would get back to her.

By January 2009, she began getting voice mail, no one was picking up the phone anymore, so she and her step-mother called Help Me Howard. Howard and they went over to the offices of American Career Center, located on 8th Avenue in Manhattan, near the large post office. When they got there they found out the company had disappeared and left no forwarding address. Mallory had paid $570 for a class that went nowhere.

Before paying money for a class that "guarantees" you a job, do your homework first. Research them by going to the Better Business Bureau's website at and the online site www.ripoffreport.com. Talk to someone who has already taken the class and get their honest opinion before giving your money away. In this difficult economy, a lot of people are looking for work and willing to pay money for questionable training or other "guarantees" of employment. That doesn't mean you will get a job, situations can change and there are people out there willing to take your money and promise something they can't deliver.

If you are interested in a job with the U.S. Postal Service, you can find out if an examination is open or sign up for a postal exam and receive the free study materials by logging onto www.usps.com. The examination materials are FREE and are your first stop in pursuing a postal career.

If you have been taken by a phony job scheme and the U.S. Mail System was used in any way, report your experience to your local postmaster at the nearest Postal Inspector.