Informed Delivery

[caryc]

Who uses the USPS Informed Delivery? This is a pretty great thing I just found out about. I live in the hills on a dirt road off of a paved road. They don't deliver mail to my residence. I have a secure box in one of those roadside mail stations. I don't check my mail that often since I have to drive down to the mail box or walk down there 20 minutes each way.

Anyway what this informed delivery does is take a photo of any letter size piece of mail that is not junk mail. They will also take a picture of the shipping label on any packages that might arrive.

So, now whenever I get a legitimate piece of mail, I get an email like the one you see below that shows me what will be delivered to my box that day. There are two pieces of mail in the picture but the screen shot only captured one. This is great since I now know if it's worth me going out to check the mail or let it ride.

I can also go to the informed delivery screen on the USPS site to check what's there. It's very simple to set up informed delivery and it starts working the very next day. The informed delivery site on USPS.com shows a full week of my mail received by each day.

Hoorah for the post office. This is a good thing.

 

[Pistolero]

I have used this service for over a year and like it.

 

[Gator89]

My wife is signed up for it, but I check the mail everyday.

 

[Colonialgirl]

UPS has a delivery notice service and apparently there is another that works from the USPS; We always get a "ping" when we have a package delivered to our mail box.

 

[Mobuck]

I simply don't see where there's any interest in such a "service". I know folks who have to drive miles to their mail box AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
I have my own version of "informed delivery". The rural carrier usually arrives about my lunchtime and I hear him coming in time to look out the front window to see what he's stuffing into the mailbox.

 

[Kanook]

I simply don't see where there's any interest in such a "service". I know folks who have to drive miles to their mail box AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
I have my own version of "informed delivery". The rural carrier usually arrives about my lunchtime and I hear him coming in time to look out the front window to see what he's stuffing into the mailbox.

My informed delivery said I was to receive 2 cheques, they weren't in the box but all the other mail was. I hit the missing mail button. They magically appeared the next day.

Your system is nice but it'll never tell you what you didn't get.

 

[redhawker]

I've used it and it is kind of nice to know if something important (or at least something that looks important) is coming that day, however, I'm a little dubious of the value of the missing mail reporting on it. There's been a few time I've reported missing mail and it shows up the next day or so (as kanook said) but there have been a couple times I've reported missing mail and it's never shown up. Fortunately, it hasn't been anything that appears important so I haven't pursued it further. In either case (found or never shows up) there is no followup contact from the post office nor instructions on what to do if the mail piece never shows up.

 

[Fox Mike]

I am RFD and only about 100' from my mailbox, however, I can see how that service would be great for anyone far from their delivery point. The only negative I see is any people will not ship certain things to a PO box number.

 

[caryc]

I am RFD and only about 100' from my mailbox, however, I can see how that service would be great for anyone far from their delivery point. The only negative I see is any people will not ship certain things to a PO box number.

I like the informed delivery. I live up in the hills on dirt roads where the carriers don't go so they deliver to a gang box down on the paved road. It's not a P.O. box. I still use my regular street address and they put it in the box number designated for my street address. There are also a couple parcel lockers there for packages. They stick the package in the locker and put the key in my mail box.

If there is a package too big for the parcel locker, they will leave a notice in my mail box for me to come to the post office and pick up the package.

 

[Fox Mike]

I've used it and it is kind of nice to know if something important (or at least something that looks important) is coming that day, however, I'm a little dubious of the value of the missing mail reporting on it. There's been a few time I've reported missing mail and it shows up the next day or so (as kanook said) but there have been a couple times I've reported missing mail and it's never shown up. Fortunately, it hasn't been anything that appears important so I haven't pursued it further. In either case (found or never shows up) there is no followup contact from the post office nor instructions on what to do if the mail piece never shows up.

OK You said "box" and I thought you were referring to a physical "box. I am also set up on a gang box. We have four on one mount and the delivery is to our street address.

 

[exavid]

I don't think it would help me. If I let more than a couple days go by without checking my mailbox the damn thing will be stuffed full with junk mail so tight it's hard to get anything out of it. There should be a requirement for the USPS to have a dumpster next to each residential mailbox.

 

[pete44ru]

.

I signed up (free) for the USPS Mail notification emails about a year ago, and like it - especially when I'm awaiting a particular delivery of goods ordered.

It also allows my CFO (aka: wife) a little time to get her head around what's coming up that will need to be taken care of (like a payment due invoice) - which CFO also likes the casino deals

(We've paid for several casino mirrors over the past 20-odd years. )

.

 

[redhawker]

Interestingly enough today my Informed Delivery showed a bank statement that didn't show up in the mail today. Went to the website and it wouldn't let me report it and although it showed that there was supposed to be 5 mailpieces for today's delivery but it didn't "show" any of them on the website. No pictures of the mail, nothing to click on to report anything missing, just a blank page. Less and less impressed all the time.

 

[exavid]

Gee... I thought informed delivery just meant knowing what sex of child one was going to have.