Mailbox Centers in Erie, PA

“When I have an Amazon return, it's very convenient to have this UPS Store on the east side of Erie, near where I live. Dropping things off is quick and easy. Considering that shipping is there primary business, they do that well. I'll give them 5 stars for this.

However, they also offer passport photos as an extra service. It's not a priority and they do not do it well. So, I have to take off one star. If you need a passport photo, however, go elsewhere. I wanted to renew my passport online, so I needed digital photos. After 3 trips to the store, I never got a useable photo. (To be fair, my wife got a useable photo on her first attempt.) What concerns me is that UPS sells this as a professional service, but acts like amateurs.

Passport photos have to meet very picky standards. On my first attempt, they put me against a textured wall. This is not allowed. I questioned it, but the person taking the picture told me they did it all the time. My photo was rejected because of the background. As for equipment, the woman used her own cellphone to take the picture and sent me copies using her own email account. She offered to text them to me, but I had to tell her that the passport site specifically says to NOT text photos since it can compress the images. I let her know by email that the photo was rejected, so she said she had a better one and emailed it. But it was PNG file. She didn't realize that you can only submit JPG images. (I converted it, but it was rejected for composition issues.) I went by again today and had her take photos against the the better backdrop my wife had used (using my phone). But when I tried to submit it, the passport site didn't like the contrast on my face because they have you stand sideways to the front window, creating harsh facial shadows if it's bright out.

I expect more from UPS. If you're going to offer passport photos, invest in a camera, good lighting, and an appropriate backdrop that ensures you meet passport requirements. Otherwise, stick to what you do well, shipping. Note that this isn't the woman's fault. She was doing what management trained her to do. My criticism is of management not treating this service as worthy of proper equipment and staff training. Do it right or don't do it.

After failing several times, I worked hard and found a light enough wall in my house, put light on the wall to avoid shadows, and had my wife take photos of me. I finally got a photo that was accepted. I should have done that to begin with and saved at least the price on my (useless) passport photos from UPS.”

“I had an outstanding experience at this UPS Store thanks to Bella and her incredible team. Bella went above and beyond to help me get all the information I needed to successfully update my passport. Thanks to her guidance, my new passport arrived without a hitch — and I’ve already got a trip to Mexico booked! The whole crew is friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. Highly recommend this store for any mailing, printing, or passport-related needs!”

“Staff and service are acceptable but the parking at this location is terrible. Lot not wide enough to have cars in both sides. Can't get into a spot without an extra back up. Very frustrating”