USPS Forwarding Problems

[SpeakEasy]

First of all, this isn't specifically an RVing issue, but I am looking for your experiences and expertise.

We spent the month of February renting an apartment in Raleigh, NC. We had our mail forwarded. (Home address is in NYS.) My understanding was that all first class mail and magazine subscriptions were supposed to be forwarded. We got very little mail. We got NO magazines. I was supposed to receive a check for some consulting I had done, and it never arrived. I learned yesterday that a piece of mail from my bank was returned to them, and I was charged a fee for this.

My question is, to whom do I issue a complaint? Is there a specific person at my local post office who can be held responsible? Or am I totally wasting my time thinking that this can be addressed? Soon we'll be heading out on a 6-week RV trip, and I have to figure out what to do about mail. Mrs. S says we should just have them hold our mail, but I'm not sure.

Any advice?

Thanks,
-Speak

[Dance_Chick]

We use the forwarding service to have our mail forwarded to our son's house when we are gone for 10 weeks or so. We have never had any real issues, however we did find out the first time that our bank's mail won't forward. So, as the OP experienced, some checks were returned to the bank. We don't have any magazine subscriptions to worry about.

I really think you'll be wasting your time complaining to anyone. I suspect the good or bad service received is dependent on which town you're in and the particular post office management.

[naturist]

I suspect you'll find that those prescription drug services do not allow forwarding of mailed drugs. You would have to change the mailing address with the service instead of using PO forwarding. I'll bet a lot of financial things are the same way.

If you know you are going to be spending time away from your regular address, it is usually best if you change your address with each of the mailers you want to send you stuff. I used to work for the Post Office, and employees there were always instructed to do their best to get you your stuff, BUT there are rules that must be followed, too. And if somebody sends you something with "do not forward" on the envelope, or it is a class of mail that is not forwarded, then they won't do so.

[Janss]

Even though the official hold mail rule is a 30 day limit, I think you'll find local post offices will grant you their own take on that rule. In other words, my local post office might be more strict about it than your local post office.

A temporary forward will forward first class and periodicals. Some magazines are sent in the "periodical" mail class and some are sent in the "Standard" mail class (the old "third class").

[charlysmom_dad]

We ran into this problem when we started snowbirding about ten years ago. If you use the free mail forwarding, you'll get 1st class. If it says "return service requested" (or words to that effect) or"do not forward" , you won't get it. It will be returned to sender. You should ask your post office about this.
We missed some doctor bills and some tax documents. You should have received 2 months of magazines, though.

The second year, we did the premium mail forwarding. There's an application fee and a weekly fee. It's pricy, but we got everything. We only use this when we stay in one place.

[K_Charles]

Our post office said they could only hold the mail for 30 days. I asked if we could fill out 2 forms 30 days each and was told sure.

[wildtoad]

On a side note, I think PO only holds mail for 30 days.

[BarbaraOK]

bdpreece wrote:
Not sure you have much recourse. We experienced (are experiencing) much the same problem.

We put in our mail forwarding request with start and stop dates way in advance of our winter trip to Yuma AZ. My wife uses mail order prescriptions which are sent automatically. We kept waiting but they never arrived.

When we went to the Yuma post office to follow up we found a large pile of mail there that had never been delivered. Their comment was " You need to stop by and let us know you are here" Gee I thought that was what the date on mail forwarding is for.

Been here since September and have only received one magazine. Don't know who is reading our subscriptions but it isn't us.

All snowbird areas require you to go in and tell them you are there. Or in our case, each mailbox has a green sheet in the box, which you fill out and deposit in the outgoing mail when you arrive. Until that green sheet is removed, no mail is delivered to that box. That is really the only way they can handle it because saying you are going to be here on November 1st can't be guaranteed in stone - especially with RVers.

Barb

[EV2]

They prefer that you use the extra cost option of paying for the weekly priority box forwarding program, but it is costly and works for everything. One method that works very well for no cost forwarding requires someone to get your mail from your box and select items for you. In advance of departure print a few sheets of stick-on labels with your PLEASE FORWARD TO: Name and address and include the postal bar code on the label. Your back home helper must blackout the original bar code on the item and stick on your label before dropping back in the mail. It is as reliable as standard mail - no more and no less.

[Sam_Spade]

It seems like the total amount of common sense in the world is going DOWN....and at the same time the amount of incompetence is going UP.

Putting in your request WAY ahead of time might have been a mistake.

In addition to the card or online form, make sure that the person who actually delivers your mail is also informed.

Putting a copy of the form in your mailbox is a good way to do that.

By all means talk to the Postmaster.....not an assistant. And if you suspect that any of your mail is missing, then talk to the Postal Inspector.

There are two levels of forwarding. The free one does only 1st class. If you want magazines, you have to PAY for that. And I believe that there is a time limit too.

[bdpreece]

Not sure you have much recourse. We experienced (are experiencing) much the same problem.

We put in our mail forwarding request with start and stop dates way in advance of our winter trip to Yuma AZ. My wife uses mail order prescriptions which are sent automatically. We kept waiting but they never arrived.

When we went to the Yuma post office to follow up we found a large pile of mail there that had never been delivered. Their comment was " You need to stop by and let us know you are here" Gee I thought that was what the date on mail forwarding is for.

Been here since September and have only received one magazine. Don't know who is reading our subscriptions but it isn't us.

[riven1950]

We use both services depending on length of visit.

I prefer having them hold the mail. It seems more really gets to you. But I think there is a 30 day limit on mail holding.

Forwarding works but it is more likely to lose stuff in the USPS " cloud ". Plus it seems to take longer to get it actually started and stopped. We had a couple of pieces sitting in our box from Dec to Feb that should have been forwarded.

I would think you would complain to the postmaster, which one I'm not sure. Good luck with that!

[dons2346]

Talk to the post master at the post office you are complaining about.

I think the PO doesn't forward magazines as they are not first class mail