Handling mail

[rbell]

We are getting ready to go to Florida for 2 or 3 months. In the past we've had our mail held but they only do that for 1 month. I also had one of our neighbors pick it up for a while but having her get it in the cold and snow doesn't seem right. Besides things still need to be attended to. We have reservations for 1 month but the rest of the time we are not sure where we'll be. Maybe a big garbage can next to the mail box would work.
So being the clever bunch that hangs out on this forum I'm looking for info on how other people handle this issue.

 

[N Smock]

The poastal service will allow you file a tempory change of address if you are roosting at the same place for the whole time and have a fixed cut off date. Otherwise you need to use a forwaring service like Escapee.

Nelson

 

[Clay L]

Nelson is right.
The Post Office has a new service designed for snowbirding type situations.
As I recall, it's good for up to six months with a six month extension available if you wish.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If your neighbor is willing to help with the mail, simply have the PO forward it to her address while you are gone. That way she simply gets your mail along with hers and no trudging to your mail box.There is no charge for forwarding up to 6 months. Give her $25 for expenses and ask her to periodically stuff it all in a free Priority Mail envelope or box and send to wherever you are. Will cost about $4-6 per mailing, depending on volume/weight.

Otherwise use a forwarding service, e.g. Escapees, FMCA or a local commercial mail service, e.g. The UPS Store or similar. They will do the same sort of thing but with less personal attention.

 

[Jeff]

If your neighbor is willing to help with the mail, simply have the PO forward it to her address while you are gone. That way she simply gets your mail along with hers and no trudging to your mail box.There is no charge for forwarding up to 6 months. Give her $25 for expenses and ask her to periodically stuff it all in a free Priority Mail envelope or box and send to wherever you are. Will cost about $4-6 per mailing, depending on volume/weight.

Otherwise use a forwarding service, e.g. Escapees, FMCA or a local commercial mail service, e.g. The UPS Store or similar. They will do the same sort of thing but with less personal attention.

Gary:

You have to be careful who you forward your mail to if you plan to have it switched back to another address. The USPS cannot forward mail FROM a Mailbox service or a shared address. (They claim they would end up forwarding all mail sent there to your new address.) We ran into that when we sold the house in Washington but were not leaving town for a couple of months. The best is the temp usps mail forwarding discussed above, the second is to use a USPS PO Box, that can be forwarded.

 

[BernieD]

Give her $25 for expenses and ask her to periodically stuff it all in a free Priority Mail envelope or box and send to wherever you are. Will cost about $4-6 per mailing, depending on volume/weight.

Gary

It's $4.05 if you use the right envelope. You stuff as much as you can in it for the same postage.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Dick,

Another option if you have a relative (brother, sister, son, daughter, etc. and it doesn't matter where they live) that is willing to send your mail to where ever you are is to use the U.S. Postal Service's temporary mail forwarding service as others have suggested. Have your mail forwarded to them and have them send it to you and then when you get home cancel the USPS forward.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Gary:

You have to be careful who you forward your mail to if you plan to have it switched back to another address. The USPS cannot forward mail FROM a Mailbox service or a shared address. (They claim they would end up forwarding all mail sent there to your new address.) We ran into that when we sold the house in Washington but were not leaving town for a couple of months. The best is the temp usps mail forwarding discussed above, the second is to use a USPS PO Box, that can be forwarded.

Jeff,

Couldn't you just cancel the forward with the USPS? They're not "forwarding" it back to your address from where you had it sent. Maybe I'm not understanding what you meant.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The best is the temp usps mail forwarding discussed above, the second is to use a USPS PO Box, that can be forwarded.

Yes, by all means do only "temporary" USPS forwarding - not the permanent variety. I'ts the same forwarding form - you just specifyk "temporary" with a time period of no more than six months. Then the forwarding simply ends (or you can cancel) and mail delivery resumes at your old address. There is no "forward back".

 

[Jeff]

Jeff,

Couldn't you just cancel the forward with the USPS? They're not "forwarding" it back to your address from where you had it sent. Maybe I'm not understanding what you meant.

As Gary explained that is what the Temporary Forwarding does. If you simply forward the mail then you must forward it again. We could not use the temp service because we were not going back to our home, we had sold it.

 

[Smoky]

Join the Escapees mail service.  Have your home address forwarded to it while you are gone.  Escapee mail service is flawless and reliable.  They will hold mail and send it to you any time and any where you like.

 

[BernerGran]

Last year, we spent the summer in Colorado and rented a po box. Our kids sent our mail to us using the "all you can shove in one envelope method". It worked fine, except it did become a bit of a pain for them to drive up to the house every day.

Next summer we plan to have it forwarde directly to our PO box.

We're getting ready to go off for nearly a month and plan to have them hold it. I gather they will only hold for a month, but that should be fine for our on this trip. Our  kids can't take care of it this time.

How does one get in touch with the Escapees group? www.escapees.com?

BernerGran

 

[Smoky]

Yes.  and you can get their phone number from the web site.  They offer MUCH more than just mail forwarding, BTW.  And excellent organization with many benefits.

 

[Jackliz]

Join the Escapees mail service.  Have your home address forwarded to it while you are gone.  Escapee mail service is flawless and reliable.  They will hold mail and send it to you any time and any where you like.

Yup, that is what we use. BTW, I sent you an email on Sun, 29 Oct 2006. Did you ever get it? Are you using Escapees email?
It is free.

Regards,
Liz

 

[Smoky]

Liz:

If you sent it to the email I have listed for the forum I might well have missed it.  I get mostly spam on that account.  I will PM you my escapee address.