When's the last time you received one of these from USPS?

Goldbully

For me, it's pre-Covid....early 2020.

Up to now, the USPS mail carrier was leaving my signature confirmation packages at my door or in the mailbox.

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WQuarterFreddie

Got 2 two weeks ago

Barberian

@Goldbully said:
For me, it's pre-Covid....early 2020.

Up to now, the USPS mail carrier was leaving my signature confirmation packages at my door or in the mailbox.

I don't EVER want the Post Office to leave something at my door that requires signature confirmation! Too easy for people to steal. I tell the postal workers to hold on to the package in the mailroom and then remind them that they need to check my identification carefully before handing the package to me.

There are too many horror stories of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of coins being stolen because of porch theft.

jmlanzaf

UPS left two 4 piece gold proof sets on my doorstep the other day.

MWallace

@Goldbully said:
For me, it's pre-Covid....early 2020.

Up to now, the USPS mail carrier was leaving my signature confirmation packages at my door or in the mailbox.

This issue has been discussed here many times. I retired last November from the PO after 31 years. During the Covid period, the carrier IS NOT supposed to just sign and leave in mailbox or at door. They ARE REQUIRED to hand it directly to a resident. At the moment I am drawing a blank as to exactly what the carrier is to write in the signature box but it's something like C19 (Rt#) and maybe their initials. Then in the PRINTED NAME box they are to write the name of the person that they HANDED IT TO. If your carrier is not doing that they are opening themselves up to discipline.

MWallace

@Tomthemailcarrier What goes in the signature line? I'm not sure I remember correctly.

jesbroken

I was told that face to face was no longer required due to the pandemic. I even thought that had been discussed here. Maybe I'm wrong. Where is @Tomthemailcarrier? There is today, a statement from Postal Service found on:
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Coronavirus-Updates-for-Residential-Customers
So it appears I was wrong.

"To reduce health risks, we also are temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures. While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, employees will request the customer’s first initial and last name so that the employee can enter the information on electronic screen or hard copy items such as return receipts, and PS Forms 3811 (Domestic Return Receipt) and 3829 (Registered Dispatch Follow-Up). For increased safety, employees will politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that items may be left in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door."

I read that the mail carrier is to maintain a 6 foot separation even to telling the person to keep their door closed. How does that allow for handing a signature device to be signed by the customer?
Jim

HashTag

Yolo

Tomthemailcarrier

March 2020 USPS policy.
I’m retired now but think that some carriers are not following procedure on signature required items. It clearly states that carriers DO make contact with the customer BUT the postal employee initials the form. Then they “politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance......so you may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.”

To reduce health risks, USPS is temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures for the MDD sign-on-glass feature, PS Form 3811 (Domestic Return Receipt), PS Form 3849 (We ReDeliver for You), and any hard-copy receipt items usually signed by customers. Effective immediately and until further notice, follow the temporary process below for signature service items. This process applies to all letter carriers.
* While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, request the customer’s first initial and last name.

• Using the MDD, scan the mail piece barcode, select Delivered and answer the prompted questions. Enter the customer’s first initial and last name when prompted for name.
• When prompted for the customer to sign the MDD’s screen, employees are to print their own initials (not a signature), route number and notate C19 on the screen in lieu of the customer’s signature.
• For Return Receipts and other hard copy items, enter the customer’s first initial and last name in the Signature box of the form.
• For PS Forms 3811 and 3849, employees are to print their own initials (not a signature), route number and notate C19 in the “Received by” or “Printed Name” section, dependent on the form. With the PS Form 3849, scan the completed form following the normal process to finalize the delivery.
  ***** For increased safety, politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so you may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.*
  If there is no response, follow the normal Notice Left process.

JeffM

I got one of those slips about a week ago. I'm usually home, but that day I had a doctor's appointment. I went online and rescheduled delivery for the next day.

ricko

The Postal workers here simply leave the package and take a picture of the package on the porch or in the mailbox... No contact at all, not even a knock or bell ring. Of course, we are in a small village. Either my wife or I are usually at home when deliveries come, so they do not sit on the porch for long. Not sure when they may resume 'signature required' formalities. Cheers, RickO

JeffM

It seems like it's up to the mail carrier. Back when we had our regular carrier, he would always sign for me and leave the package (during the COVID pandemic). Our new carrier asks me to sign on the device.

MWallace

@ricko said:
The Postal workers here simply leave the package and take a picture of the package on the porch or in the mailbox... No contact at all, not even a knock or bell ring. Of course, we are in a small village. Either my wife or I are usually at home when deliveries come, so they do not sit on the porch for long. Not sure when they may resume 'signature required' formalities. Cheers, RickO

You can be texted and/or emailed when package is scanned delivered. That way you'll know to go out and get it out of box or off the porch. 99% of the time you'll receive the text within seconds of it being scanned. Often I receive the text and am on my way out the door before the carrier even pulls off.

ricko

@MWallace... I do get an email, from USPS... Also from Fedex or UPS when they deliver. Last week I got the email, but no package.... An hour later, my neighbor knocked on my door with the package. Cheers, RickO

MWallace

@JeffM said:
It seems like it's up to the mail carrier. Back when we had our regular carrier, he would always sign for me and leave the package (during the COVID pandemic). Our new carrier asks me to sign on the device.

It may "seem" that way, but it's NOT UP TO THE CARRIER. It does no good to complain here. Talk to the Postmaster, not a clerk or supervisor. If that doesn't work, fill out a complaint online. The Postmasters boss will see it and they hate getting them. At least that is true in the district I worked in.

MWallace

@ricko said:
@MWallace... I do get an email, from USPS... Also from Fedex or UPS when they deliver. Last week I got the email, but no package.... An hour later, my neighbor knocked on my door with the package. Cheers, RickO

The scanners have GPS. Call the PO immediately, they'll look it up and send the carrier back to retrieve it.

MWallace

@MWallace said:

@ricko said:
@MWallace... I do get an email, from USPS... Also from Fedex or UPS when they deliver. Last week I got the email, but no package.... An hour later, my neighbor knocked on my door with the package. Cheers, RickO

The scanners have GPS. Call the PO immediately, they'll look it up and send the carrier back to retrieve it.

P. S. There is NO EXCUSE for the carrier not doing their job correctly. I'm not saying I never made a mistake, but I followed the rules and rarely had a problem.

Edited to add the word "not".

ricko

@MWallace .... True, especially here in this little town.... House numbers and streets clearly marked. Though the package delivery people are different than the mail carriers who walk the routes. Occasionally a new one shows up. I can usually tell when they park either across the street or a house or two away.... I know the carriers have rules to follow, and I can say that, although I have had a few deliveries to neighbors, never yet a lost package. One is pending though, but still in the system according to the sender. Cheers, RickO

Tomthemailcarrier

@MWallace said:

P. S. There is NO EXCUSE for the carrier not doing their job correctly. I'm not saying I never made a mistake, but I followed the rules and rarely had a problem.

@Tomthemailcarrier agrees completely with this. I took good care of my customers and they appreciated me. NO EXCUSE for being careless with Signature Required mail. The customer paid for it.....Honor their request.

MetroD

The current USPS procedure for a delivery that requires a signature in a video format.

Source: "Mail carriers" video @ https://about.usps.com/newsroom/covid-19/

HalfDimeDude

@jesbroken said:
I was told that face to face was no longer required due to the pandemic. I even thought that had been discussed here. Maybe I'm wrong. Where is @Tomthemailcarrier? There is today, a statement from Postal Service found on:
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Coronavirus-Updates-for-Residential-Customers
So it appears I was wrong.

"To reduce health risks, we also are temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures. While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, employees will request the customer’s first initial and last name so that the employee can enter the information on electronic screen or hard copy items such as return receipts, and PS Forms 3811 (Domestic Return Receipt) and 3829 (Registered Dispatch Follow-Up). For increased safety, employees will politely ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that items may be left in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door."

I read that the mail carrier is to maintain a 6 foot separation even to telling the person to keep their door closed. How does that allow for handing a signature device to be signed by the customer?
Jim

Jim
I was told and understand that durring the pandemic no one was required to sign ! Being post surgery I have placed a sign under my door bell...stating we won't answer the door....and if you"re on my property and not masked as my mail man isnt 90% of the time....theres a chance you maybe be shot for trespassing! My mailman is a nice guy I like him very much....but dont disrespect me or my family.....durring this pandemic. Not going to get into any politics here....everyone deals with this on a personal level. However we burried a family member in February who only made 1 mistake he went to visit his girlfriend family at Christmas....her mom had a caretaker who's daughter did not follow the guide lines....Steven only lasted 1 week after testing positive. As a guest on my property you will follow my wishes or the next voice you'll hear will be St. Peter's.

I don't play ....last week a home cleaning service went through the neighborhood placing hand bills on the doors of houses.
The entrances and exits in my neighborhood are posted against such .a huge red and white sign telling you not to tresspass...my door has a fairly larger sign also stating no solicitation allowed! Well they came on my property posted their trash and I registered a complaint with the local law in forcement....charged them with tresspassing as well littering my property.
I am not the neighborhood crank....I am a person who is respectful of others and follow the law.
I only expect the same esspecially durring this time.
I do also understand people want to work...as do I, but not at your expense.

Another issue I had with our local post office.... was on two Sunday morning in a row the USPS mail person smoking while delivering packages, in the mail truck as well walking up to the home.
I smoked for over 45 years....now smoke free.....sorry if I can't light up at the post office waiting to post or pick up a package you're not smoking on my property.
And I would believe a goverment truck ,car etc....are federal government property so how come they can smoke in a goverment truck?..... and I don't want your second hand smoke on my mail.
And again its not about being a royal PIA its about rule of law and respect of the people they serve.

WAYNEAS

I have my front porched alarmed with one of those driveway alarms available from Harbor Freight for about 10 bucks. When any one comes onto the porch ( mailman) or a package being shoved onto the porch, it sounds. I go immediately to get the mail or package. No chance for theft or the mysterious "no one home to receive or sign for the package". Funny that the alarm does not sound when I track a delivery and it states that it was delivered at the mailbox. Seriously this has happened to me at least 5 times. Immediate calls to the post office usually gets the item delivered several hours later.
Wayne

HalfDimeDude

The mail service has been a mess for sometime now! While I was working a team member who lived in Va. Came down with covid. Mary is older than i am and worried about her I sent her a card. This was the week before Thanksgiving, as myself and 2 other team members had traveled to Va. To help with a food store grand opening. We also got a 2 week sit down....due to covid exposed.
I sent Mary a card... and never heard anything like a TY . The first week of April our mail comes...in the box the card I sent her Thanksgiving week! So less than 100 miles from me that card bounced around Northern Va. And like a boomerang came back to me in 12 +/- weeks later.
Now explain that????

Hydrant

Around here the official policy seems to be that no signature is required for signature required items. It make things simple that way. Less complicated. What could possibly go wrong? 📬

JeffM

I had a package that was lost or stolen (I thought) by DHL in Germany in November. DHL admitted that the package was lost. The package ended up being delivered by USPS - 4 months later.

BuffaloIronTail

@WAYNEAS said:
I have my front porched alarmed with one of those driveway alarms available from Harbor Freight for about 10 bucks. When any one comes onto the porch ( mailman) or a package being shoved onto the porch, it sounds. I go immediately to get the mail or package. No chance for theft or the mysterious "no one home to receive or sign for the package". Funny that the alarm does not sound when I track a delivery and it states that it was delivered at the mailbox. Seriously this has happened to me at least 5 times. Immediate calls to the post office usually gets the item delivered several hours later.
Wayne

This......................................Is totally unacceptable delivery service! The way Management harasses Letter Carriers nowadays is part of the reason. It's not an excuse, but one REASON why things are so screwed up.

Mailmen are no more than "Pack Mules" to an unconcerned and cost-cutting management.

Pete

WAYNEAS

@BuffaloIronTail said:

@WAYNEAS said:

This......................................Is totally unacceptable delivery service! The way Management harasses Letter Carriers nowadays is part of the reason. It's not an excuse, but one REASON why things are so screwed up.

Mailmen are no more than "Pack Mules" to an unconcerned and cost-cutting management.

Pete

>
I feel your pain but here is what has happened to me.
My regular mail person takes a little well deserved time off: vacation, long weekend, etc...
They send out a current mail delivery person who has his / her own route to complete and then put them on overtime to delivery our mail. The problem is that they only allow an hour to deliver our mail. No way in hell that they can complete this task in that allotted time so they only deliver the mail on the opposite side of my street and don't deliver to my side of the street. I watch them doing this and wait for my "coin packages" to be delivered.
When they do not delivery it, I go and re-track my delivery and it states that it has been delivered to my mailbox!
My regular mailman ( good guy) tells me that they do this so that the post office's rating stays at a high rate. They leave the undelivered / "delivered" mail in a drop box down the street. They forge their records. Just recently the PO found that a certain drop box had not been opened in over a month but records showed that all mail was delivered.
I have had several packages delivered that weren't. They were delivered to the wrong house. My regular man uses his GPS and finds out whose house it was delivered to. Luckily for me, all my packages have been found and delivered. When I question the head guy at the local post office, he tells me that the item inadvertently had been left on the truck in direct contradiction to the GPS location. Many, many days we do not get mail at all. I am not talking about me but the entire street. There are over 40 homes on my street. I live in a town, north of Boston, Ma with a pop of 57,341. I have been in contact with the federal post office general. We will see what happens next.
It only takes a few to make a mess for all by not doing what they are paid to do. I do feel so bad about the good guys having to bear the brunt.
Wayne

HashTag

Yolo

CalifornianKing

@Barberian said:

@Goldbully said:
For me, it's pre-Covid....early 2020.

Up to now, the USPS mail carrier was leaving my signature confirmation packages at my door or in the mailbox.

I don't EVER want the Post Office to leave something at my door that requires signature confirmation! Too easy for people to steal. I tell the postal workers to hold on to the package in the mailroom and then remind them that they need to check my identification carefully before handing the package to me.

There are too many horror stories of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of coins being stolen because of porch theft.

Had a item that I paid for signature confirmation, item was left on the porch and they forged my signature. Oh, and the item was not in the package.. got a fudging brick.. At least the insurance covered it.