has anyone used informed delivery from the post office

[wabbott]

I've used it for years. Great to know what mail you are getting and will be waiting for you while you're on a road trip. It can be used to schedule the post office to hold your mail for up to 30 days. They will either deliver it your box at the end of the period, or you can pick it up at the PO.

 

[Robber Baron]

We get the email every morning, sometimes I look at it and sometimes I don't.

Seems like unnecessary technology for a department that's always swimming in red ink.

 

[Marrila]

We get the email every morning, sometimes I look at it and sometimes I don't.

Seems like unnecessary technology for a department that's always swimming in red ink.

Sounds like it might not be your cup of tea. It's easy to delete your registration for informed delivery.

 

[HopperFan]

Maybe if I got that ....

... maybe our delivery person might actually come each day instead of a few days a week
... maybe our package will actually get delivered instead of sitting at PO forcing me to pick it up
... maybe the packages that do come and get thrown somewhere on the drive or bushes, I'll know to look
... maybe the packages they deliver to another house on another street, I'll know immediately

 

[wdwfan51]

We have been using it for several years. We are in a condo so I only need to go to the mailroom when I know there is mail. Sometimes things won’t arrive on the day it says which can be worrisome, but it usually arrived within 3 days. Once the mailman put our mail into the neighbors box, who use their unit as their vacation spot. After several days of not receiving our mail (it was fairly important mail) I waited for the mailman and asked about it. He could check their box and give it to me instead of me waiting a month or two till the neighbors came back. Worked great.

 

[DVC-Don]

We use it. Sometimes we don't get a piece of mail until a day or two after. Or, several days if put in a neighbors box.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Doesn't this make it really easy for your correspondence to be hackable since everything is recorded digitally?

Mail is one of the few private things left, not a fan of the idea.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Doesn't this make it really easy for your correspondence to be hackable since everything is recorded digitally?

Mail is one of the few private things left, not a fan of the idea.

"hackable" in what way?

It's just a picture of the envelope. Not what's inside. Best anyone could uncover would be who you're getting mail from.

 

[Meriweather]

I've used it for years too,
Love knowing what's coming. Lets me know if I have to go to the mailbox that day or can wait.

 

[wabbott]

Another thing, weekly sale-papers, some junk mail, and packages aren't scanned. But you are notified that a package is being delivered.

 

[LuvOrlando]

"hackable" in what way?

It's just a picture of the envelope. Not what's inside. Best anyone could uncover would be who you're getting mail from.

People with a controlling partner and such, also abusive. I knew a guy who was stalking his wife's social for credit cards & I know a different guy who screens all his young adult daughters texts. People can be very kooky and for this reason I am just not a fan. Live and let live and all but there are possible issues depending on your situation.

 

[Marrila]

People with a controlling partner and such, also abusive. I knew a guy who was stalking his wife's social for credit cards & I know a different guy who screens all his young adult daughters texts. People can be very kooky and for this reason I am just not a fan. Live and let live and all but there are possible issues depending on your situation.

There will always be some folks with quirky or very concerning relationships.
For the vast majority it's helpful. It's been around a long time.
You have to opt in to get the free service. Easy enough to pass if it's not something you'd like.

 

[focusondisney]

People with a controlling partner and such, also abusive. I knew a guy who was stalking his wife's social for credit cards & I know a different guy who screens all his young adult daughters texts. People can be very kooky and for this reason I am just not a fan. Live and let live and all but there are possible issues depending on your situation.

Abusive & controlling people can just as easily intercept the actual mail when it’s delivered & probably do. Informed delivery might be a benefit to someone in that kind of a relationship. They could sign up with a private email & know what’s coming before the other person gets to the mailbox. Helpful if there’s something they don’t want the abuser to know about.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[LuvOrlando]

Maybe I'm just not seeing the benefit, don't you need to get the mail yourself eventually anyway?

Anyone have a good use case where it made your life substantially better in some way because it just sort of keeps records of your mail and announces what is coming, but like I already know around when I am getting bills and such anyway.

Now if they were to pay the bills that would be a win.

This is up there with premium weather app you pay for, another thing where I just don't see the benefit but maybe I'm missing something important.

 

[tvguy]

Maybe I'm just not seeing the benefit, don't you need to get the mail yourself eventually anyway?

Anyone have a good use case where it made your life substantially better in some way because it just sort of keeps records of your mail and announces what is coming, but like I already know around when I am getting bills and such anyway.

Now if they were to pay the bills that would be a win

That is why I haven't signed up. But at times it might be helpful to know if the mailbox is empty because I have no mail coming that day or if the letter carrier just hasn't come yet. During flu season when they are short staffed, my mail has come as late at 9 pm. I have a locking mailbox, so it should be okay, but normally my mail is here before Noon.

 

[_19disnA]

I check the mail box daily so it isn't a 'benefit' to me. Maybe if your mailbox is part of a group box some distance away from you home, you might only go there every so often. Those boxes I am familiar with are locked so only the person with a key can open them. Occasionally the mail carrier will put something in the mail box that is intended for the person next door or they might get something of ours. I assume the mail carrier isn't paying attention and perhaps just goes from mailbox to mailbox expecting every address to get something daily. The time of day they deliver seems to also change so it works best to wait until later in the day to check the box. Separate post office trucks deliver small packages vs letters.

If a random letter appears intended for someone 3 streets over, I just throw in a local mailbox next time out shopping since I'm not the post office.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I love the service. We’re currently waiting on our passport renewals, and I want to make sure I bring that delivery in as soon as it’s delivered, so it’s nice to know when it’s coming. Occasionally, something is in the email that doesn’t get delivered until a day or two later, but not too often.

 

[Disneefun]

I love having it. I had it for myself for years because we live in a rural area known for mail theft. Helpful to know what's coming and what might be missing.

But the bigger benefit has come now by signing my parents up for it. They are getting to the point where dealing with mail is confusing for them, so I'm able to see what has been delivered and give them a call to tell them to pay specific attention to something, or to set it aside for me to deal with. I've tried to automate as much as I can for them, but there's still always something and it's great for me to be able to go over and say, "Okay, now where's the envelope from so and so."

 

[focusondisney]

We’re currently waiting on our passport renewals, and I want to make sure I bring that delivery in as soon as it’s delivered, so it’s nice to know when it’s coming.

We just renewed ours. Just FYI, the Texas office received ours on September 28, the passports are dated October 16, we received them the 25th. So just a month, I was expecting it to take much longer.