Am wondering if it is necessary to use a mail forwarding service if we are away for say 2 months. We have gone paperless for just about everything. At this point our mail mainly consists of flyers and chaities. I wouldn't want to pay to have this forwarded. I'm also aware that USPS will only hold mail for 30 days, but does that mean it has to be picked by then also? Any suggestions? Thanks to any responders.

It is a pain to have mail held for more than 30 days. We were gone 3 months this summer and had to keep placing new mail holds in. Fortunately our daughter lives 2 houses down from us and picked up our mail and submitted the new holds for us when required. She also threw away a lot of junk for us and would let us know if we needed to know about any of the other mail. Hopefully you have someone that can help you with it.

Yes the max is 30 days. If you can find someone to pick up you mail somewhere near the end of thirty days then just renew it for another 30 days. Make sure to do it in person at the post office and put the name of the person picking up the mail on the form. This saves trouble if you get a nit picking person. Take an extra form home with you and fill it out except for the dates to start and stop. The person picking up can then hand this in for you when they pick up the mail.

darsben wrote:Yes the max is 30 days. If you can find someone to pick up you mail somewhere near the end of thirty days then just renew it for another 30 days. Make sure to do it in person at the post office and put the name of the person picking up the mail on the form. This saves trouble if you get a nit picking person. Take an extra form home with you and fill it out except for the dates to start and stop. The person picking up can then hand this in for you when they pick up the mail.I see where you place a hold online. I wonder if you could place another hold again this way without having someone go in person?

bigblueok wrote:darsben wrote:Yes the max is 30 days. If you can find someone to pick up you mail somewhere near the end of thirty days then just renew it for another 30 days. Make sure to do it in person at the post office and put the name of the person picking up the mail on the form. This saves trouble if you get a nit picking person. Take an extra form home with you and fill it out except for the dates to start and stop. The person picking up can then hand this in for you when they pick up the mail.I see where you place a hold online. I wonder if you could place another hold again this way without having someone go in person?You can do it online but they will not hold the mail over 30 days they will either deliver it to you on the 31 day or return the first class to sender (first class is not usually junk mail) hence the need for someone to pickup the mail or receive your mail at your home for a day or two. If someone is going to pickup at PO then the paper form is the only way to put in writing that you want someone else to pick up the mail.I have not had a problem doing it the way I outlined

Go to your post office and talk to them. Tell them what you plan to do, and ask how to handle it. If you know where you are going to be, file a temporary address change. I have had many changes during the winter, each time I went to the PO and asked for guidance. My mail always made it to me. They don't forward junk mail, and magazines after a month or so, you will need to make an address change to the publishers, same with newspapers.I am also paperless for about everything, sure makes things easier when your on the move.

holding mail | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

bigblueok
Explorer
Oct 13, 2013
darsben wrote:
Yes the max is 30 days. If you can find someone to pick up you mail somewhere near the end of thirty days then just renew it for another 30 days.
Make sure to do it in person at the post office and put the name of the person picking up the mail on the form. This saves trouble if you get a nit picking person. Take an extra form home with you and fill it out except for the dates to start and stop. The person picking up can then hand this in for you when they pick up the mail.

I see where you place a hold online. I wonder if you could place another hold again this way without having someone go in person?
darsben
Explorer II
Oct 13, 2013
Yes the max is 30 days. If you can find someone to pick up you mail somewhere near the end of thirty days then just renew it for another 30 days.
Make sure to do it in person at the post office and put the name of the person picking up the mail on the form. This saves trouble if you get a nit picking person. Take an extra form home with you and fill it out except for the dates to start and stop. The person picking up can then hand this in for you when they pick up the mail.
junmy3
Explorer
Oct 13, 2013
It is a pain to have mail held for more than 30 days. We were gone 3 months this summer and had to keep placing new mail holds in. Fortunately our daughter lives 2 houses down from us and picked up our mail and submitted the new holds for us when required. She also threw away a lot of junk for us and would let us know if we needed to know about any of the other mail. Hopefully you have someone that can help you with it.

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holding mail

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