Re: OT: USPS "informed delivery"

On Tue, 19 Nov 2024 18:07:51 -0700, Don Y
<blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

I'm trying to figure out the business sense of this.
It obviously costs something to implement.  What is
the expected (long-term?) payback?  Do they expect to
eventually allow people to READ their mail BEFORE it
is delivered?  Simply knowing that <something> is
on its way doesn't really seem to be much in terms
of added value...

Informed Delivery
<https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm>

Informed Delivery can act as proof of delivery in case the mail or
package is stolen.  I've been told (and have not confirmed) that the
USPS photographs and archives everything that is "interesting" which
is delivered to a mailbox.  Because they already do most of the work,
the added cost of giving customers access to the information is very
small. 

I've been using Informed Delivery for the rural mailbox for mail
addressed to my physical home address since the service was announced.
For everything else, including packages, I use my PO Box address.

Guide to Post Office Box Street Addresses (PBSA)
<https://postalpro.usps.com/PBSA>
<https://postalpro.usps.com/storages/2017-02/PBSAGuide.pdf>

Street Addressing Service for Your P.O. Box
<https://postalpro.usps.com/node/2728>
<https://postalpro.usps.com/storages/2016-12/2728_PBSACustomerAgreement.pdf>

Mail theft was a big problem for me until I began renting a PO Box.
Unfortunately, the service costs me $216/year.  My rural mailbox is
located at an inconvenient distance from my house because the letter
carrier will not deliver on my marginal owner maintained dirt road
(even though UPS, FedEx and others do deliver). 

I thought I could survive without the rural mailbox and use my PO Box
for everything, but that didn't work.  There are some companies
(Amazon) and government agencies who refuse to deliver to a PO Box.
When something important is delivered to my rural mailbox, I am
notified via Informed Delivery.  I then rush to the rural mailbox
before the thieves arrive.  Otherwise, I wouldn't know anything had
arrived until I eventually clean out the accumulated junk mail.


--
Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272      http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann      AE6KS    831-336-2558