USPS Has Issued An Apology After Losing Florida Woman’s $1,000 Winning Lottery Ticket

The United States Postal Service is catching some serious heat after losing a $1,000 lottery ticket belonging to a Florida woman.

Sue Burgess, of Hernando County, Florida, has been forced to forfeit her prize money after placing the winning ticket in certified mail. While she could have left her ticket in a dropbox at a local lottery office, the woman believed that certified mail was the most secure option to claim her prize.

“That’s why you choose certified mail,” Burgess said. “With COVID, I understand the mail is a little bit slow. But for safety sake, certified mail usually has priority.”

Burgess’s tracking information last showed the ticket being in transit on August 12th at a Tallahassee post office.

“They said, ‘We have not received this ticket. ‘No ticket, no prize,’” Burgess added. Her prize money ultimately went to an alternate winner.

USPS issued an apology to Burgess, which read, “The Postal Service strives to always provide the best possible service to our customers. We apologize to this specific customer for any inconvenience they may have experienced. In this specific instance, we are continuing to work with the lottery office to confirm receipt of the mailpiece.”

However, that apology cannot do anything to get the $1,000 rightfully owed to her. The Florida Lottery has a strict policy that allows only seven days for a prize to be claimed. While they are not willing to hand over the cash right now, a spokeswoman for the Florida Lottery said that they would be happy to award Burgess if the ticket does turn up in their office at some point.

“Because the Lottery did not receive Ms. Burgess’ ticket within the seven-day claim period, an alternate winner was selected and paid. However, if Ms. Burgess’ package arrives at Florida Lottery Headquarters with a date stamp prior to the original expiration date, our Claims Processing department will process and pay her claim,” she said.