MailmanDave
17 Years Experience
Long Island, NY
Male, 43
I am a City Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service in NY. I've been a city letter carrier for over 17 years and it is the best job I've ever had. I mostly work 5 days per week (sometimes includes a Saturday) and often have the opportunity for overtime, which is usually voluntary. The route I deliver has about 350 homes and I walk to each of their doors to deliver the mail. Please keep in mind that I don't have authority to speak for the USPS, so all opinions are solely mine, not my employer.
As far as I know, there is no other PO besides the one that delivers your mail that could do anything with the information whether you have moved or not. Other mail processing facilities just sort the mail according to ZIP code to get it on its way to your local PO. They aren't concerned with the name on the mail. Do you live with anybody else who may write that on the mail and put it back in the outgoing mail? As long as your local PO knows you haven't moved, nobody should be having your mail returned to the sender. You could also put a note and tape it inside your mailbox saying "(your name) is a valid name to deliver here".
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Some%20of%20my%20mail%20gets%20%22this%20person%20has%20moved%22%20and%20returned.%20My%20local%20post%20office%20said%20they%20straightened%20it%20out.%20But%20it%20is%20still%20happening.%20Do%20some%20post%20offices%20still%20have%20me%20listed%20as%20%22moved%22%2C%20if%20yes%3A%20How%20do%20I%20tell%20all%20post%20offices%20I%20haven%27t%20moved%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/14458)
I have never heard of this happening and wouldn't think that a carrier should be doing that. I think a unit owner should be allowed to accept mail at their address for whomever they want. I have no legal education in this matter so I can't tell you if i's legal or not, just that it comes across to me as inappropriate. I just have very little faith how far you would get in a complaint about this to the letter carrier, your HOA, or building management or your local PO.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=my%20HOA%20just%20notified%20us%20that%20the%20postal%20carrier%20%22monitors%20the%20mail%20received%20and%20notifies%20%5Bbuilding%5D%20management%20if%20mail%20addressed%20to%20an%20unfamiliar%20name%20is%20received%22.%20%20Don%27t%20I%20have%20a%20reasonable%20expectation%20of%20privacy%3F%20%20Is%20this%20legal%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/10646)
Andrew, it is likely that the item will be returned to the shipper saying "invalid address" or "no such street or number". I'd recommend emailing or calling the company you ordered the item from (customer service department) and advising them of your error. Maybe they could put a note on your order that if the item is returned to the shipper that it should be reshipped to your correct city and ZIP code which you will have advised them of. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20ordered%20something%20online%20and%20they%20accidentally%20put%20my%20delivery%20street%20address%20but%20the%20billing%20city%20and%20zip%20code%20as%20my%20shipping%20address.%20So%20I%20have%20the%20right%20street%20address%20but%20wrong%20city%20and%20zip%20code.%20What%20can%20I%20do%3F%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12028)
i don't know anything about package intercept, but I would suspect that any international mailing would be hard to do it for. It is true that it isnt on the top of the list of services offered due to the shear volume of packages processed. I don't know if eBay would be of any help getting you paid for the item either. Some African countries have a very poor track record when it comes to fraudulent transactions.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20wanted%20to%20know%20how%20effective%20the%20package%20intercept%20is%3F%20After%20reading%20some%20reviews%20I%20have%20found%20that%20it%20is%20not%20something%20that%20is%20at%20the%20top%20of%20USPS%27%20to%20do%20list.%20Please%20give%20me%20your%20input.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8727)
Football Official
Were the replacement refs actually worse than the regular refs?
Forensic Scientist
When did you know you wanted to work with the dead?
Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
How much am I supposed to tip my hairstylist?
Cynthia, that is a good question and I don't know the legal requirements (if any) to return any mail that is errantly delivered to your address, whether it is for a former resident or just delivered by mistake to the wrong address. Anyone who tells you otherwise I would question where they get that information. Most people I know aren't versed in the law when it comes to the US Mail. I do read that tampering with the US Mail is a federal offense but I don't interpret that discarding mail that was errantly given to you to be tampering with it. On the flip side, as much as that person has been a sore spot to you, would it be so hard to just write on the outside of the mail "person doesn't live here" and leave it in the mailbox for the letter carrier to have sent back to the sender? In theory, the letter may find its way back to the sender who may update their records and you won't get any mail from them anymore addressed to the former tenant. Just a thought. Thanks for writing.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=What%20are%20my%20legal%20%28legal%20not%20ethical%29%20obligations%20when%20the%20mailman%20delivers%20mail%20to%20my%20address%20that%20the%20person%20no%20longer%20%28and%20has%20not%20for%20years%29%20lives%20here%3F%20The%20person%20is%20a%20real%20sore%20spot%20and%20was%20evicted%20so%20the%20less%20I%20have%20to%20do...the%20better.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12107)
Great question. Since it has been many years since I have been trained to be a letter carrier, I don't remember if I was trained to make sure the box is closed. Personally, it is just common sense to close any mailbox if you can. What I mean is that sometimes the mail is too "tall" and would prevent a lid from closing completely, but I would still close the lid as much as I can. To be honest, I don't think training is that thorough when it comes to being a letter carrier. I have seen carriers just put the mail on the ground in front of a house (not even rubber-banded) because they couldn't find a mailbox or doorslot. I have also seen the mail delivered but hanging out of the mailbox in a very messy fashion when there was clearly enough room to fit it all in. Granted some mailboxes are quite small and it is impossible to fit the mail entirely inside, but I've never heard a customer complain about the mail hanging out of those small boxes. My suggestion would be either to call the PO and speak to a delivery supervisor about this or put a note on the mailbox saying "please close lid after delivering the mail". By the way, I am presuming that your mailbox is deep enough to fit even catalogs and magazines. If this isn't the case, then I do understand the mailbox lid not being closed.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20was%20wondering%20if%20letter%20carriers%20are%20trained%20to%20close%20the%20hinged%20lids%20on%20vertical%20wall%20mounted%20mailboxes%3F%20I%27ve%20had%20many%20carriers%20over%20the%20years%20and%20none%20of%20them%20has%20ever%20closed%20the%20lid.%20As%20a%20result%2C%20whenever%20it%20rains%20my%20mail%20gets%20drenched.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12316)
I am not exactly sure what you mean by this but I'll give it a crack. I am also copying and pasting this answer as you seem to have asked the same question twice. With regards to advertising mail, or any mail, the letter carrier should only be delivering mail to your residence that has your name OR has another name plus "or current resident" on the address label. If it just has the previous occupants name and doesn't say "or current resident", you certainly have the option to leave it in the mailbox with a note on it saying "addressee doesn't live here. please return to sender". Depending on the class of mail there is a chance we don't actually return the ad to the sender, but we do discard it at the Post Office. It is called NOVM (No Obvious Value Mail). Mail that would fall in that category is in the class of Presorted Standard Mail. Most mail that is Presorted Standard and doesn't say "or current resident" and has a previous occupants name could be discarded into the NOVM at the PO. I don't know that I would call your letter carrier lazy, but maybe they aren't paying attention to the name on the mail. You absolutey have the right to put the ad back in the mail if you wish.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Are%20mailmen%20allowed%20to%20return%20ads%20from%20previous%20occupants%20to%20sender%20or%20is%20mine%20just%20lazy%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11896)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
