Outgoing snail mail problems

I don't send snail mail often, but I recently (2 weeks ago) gave 2 things to my mail carrier (on different days) - a Netflix DVD (in the red envelope) and bill remittance with a check (biller only takes checks, nothing over the web like ACH etc).  Now two weeks later, neither has been received.  Has anyone else noticed problems?

I had this happen a few years ago and since then,  I always mail my few snail mail things right at the post office. I don't even trust the mailboxes in front of the old post office.

In the past I have been told by several South Orange Letter Carriers that it is not part of a Letter Carrier's job to take outgoing mail. I bring outgoing mail to the drop slots inside a Post Office. 

truth said:

In the past I have been told by several South Orange Letter Carriers that it is not part of a Letter Carrier's job to take outgoing mail. I bring outgoing mail to the drop slots inside a Post Office. 

I agree with this, they have a hard job and have plenty of items to carry, including packages.

I never, EVER mail anything from South Orange.  I have problems when I do.  I don' have problems when I drive to Maplewood to mail letters.

The S.O. Post Office has been legenday in its poor service.  Shouldn't be hard to find other peoples' opinions using the search tool here.

I have a mail slot in my door.  I used to be able to just leave outgoing mail and the carrier would take it.  Now they just push it back in.

truth said:

In the past I have been told by several South Orange Letter Carriers that it is not part of a Letter Carrier's job to take outgoing mail. I bring outgoing mail to the drop slots inside a Post Office. 

That explains it - ours has never picked things up from our mailbox. We often get mail for other addresses and/or people who don't live here but they won't take them. 

I get others' mail too.  I just put it back in a mail box at the post office. 

TarheelsInNj said:

truth said:

In the past I have been told by several South Orange Letter Carriers that it is not part of a Letter Carrier's job to take outgoing mail. I bring outgoing mail to the drop slots inside a Post Office. 

That explains it - ours has never picked things up from our mailbox. We often get mail for other addresses and/or people who don't live here but they won't take them. 

This is from the USPS's web site:

Sending Mail
You can send mail by:
Dropping it into a blue collection box.
Leaving it in your home mailbox.
Scheduling a pickup.
Taking it to a Post Office.

So it would seem that you can leave outgoing mail in your mailbox or where the mail is usually dropped and it should be taken by the mail carrier.

Well, my bill check was finally cashed.  Still no sign of the Netflix dvd.  Maybe I should check ebay for a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 70s BBC series disc 2 for sale....

I'm not going to tempt fate by lecturing my letter carrier on the USPS official policy.

of course it's part of their job to pick up mail.  They're mailmen/women/people.

I counted 29 pieces of mail in my most recent mailbox, accumulated over about a week.  28 were junk mail.  What we have is a federal subsidy system for junk mail delivery.

cody said:

This is from the USPS's web site:

Sending Mail
You can send mail by:
Dropping it into a blue collection box.
Leaving it in your home mailbox.
Scheduling a pickup.
Taking it to a Post Office.

So it would seem that you can leave outgoing mail in your mailbox or where the mail is usually dropped and it should be taken by the mail carrier.

I put my out going mail in my mailbox (sticking up so it is visible as the carrier approaches the box.)  I've never had a problem.  I grew up in an area with rural boxes that had a flag you put up when there was outgoing mail in the box.

I don't know where the idea came from that taking outgoing mail is not the carrier's responsibility (but if my carrier said that, I guess I wouldn't try it with them.)

The fact that you can get this info from the USPS official site,

cody said:

This is from the USPS's web site:

Sending Mail
You can send mail by:
Dropping it into a blue collection box.
Leaving it in your home mailbox.
Scheduling a pickup.
Taking it to a Post Office.

and this info from you local mail carrier....

truth said:

In the past I have been told by several South Orange Letter Carriers that it is not part of a Letter Carrier's job to take outgoing mail...

... Along with the frequency that my mail gets delivered to my neighbors, and theirs to me.... (nearly every day) ... reinforces my commitment to mailing everything out of Maplewood.  

I used to leave my mail in my Maplewood mail slot for delivery by my favorite mailmen, but after new ones started substituting frequently and key letters never reached their destination, I stopped.

I used to leave my mail in my Maplewood mail slot for delivery by my favorite mailmen, but after new ones started substituting frequently and key letters never reached their destination, I lost faith in the system and stopped.

My memory may be faulty, but I think that when many of the mailboxes were removed, customers were told they could leave outgoing mail in their mailbox for pick up by their mail carrier.

I leave outgoing mail in my door slot al the time and it gets where it is supposed to me

The only time I get neighbors mail is when my regular carrier is off  thank you, Michael !!

I sent an email to USPS asking whether or not it is ok to leave outgoing mail in our mailbox for pickup by our mail carrier.  Here is their response:

-------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for contacting the United States Postal Service.
You may put outgoing mail in your mailbox for pickup.  Below are the guidelines for doing so.

Rural Carriers are required to lower the regular signal flag after collecting mail from the box, but they are not permitted to operate any other signal device.  Under these circumstances, customers would know that outgoing mail had been collected but would not know if mail had been delivered.

I understand your concern that our carriers do not check each customer mail receptacle every day for outgoing mail.  However, since 1929, Postal Service policy has required a city delivery carrier to collect mail from a mailbox on the house only when he/she has mail to deliver to that box. 

This policy is necessary because mailboxes located at a customer’s door do not have a red signal flag, and are often located well off of the street.  Without this policy Carriers would be required to walk to each door even if there was no mail to be delivered or picked up.  Route delivery times are calculated based on how much actual mail is to be delivered, not total possible deliveries, so to check every box would also add overtime costs or additional employee salaries to our payrolls affecting all customers and potentially affecting postage prices.  We will of course continue to collect mail from your mail receptacle when making delivery to your door. 
 
Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter with you.
 
Sincerely,
Consumer and Industry Contact

What about the ones that DO have a red signal flag.

It would appear that location of the mail box is key (rural vs urban).