Re: OT: USPS "informed delivery"

On 11/20/2024 2:30 AM, Martin Brown wrote:

On 20/11/2024 01:07, Don Y 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...

 I'm surprised that they don't offer it already. Typically used for serving legal documents or ship smaller valuable items in the UK. It is marginally cheaper than most proper couriers.

Typically, here, a process server has to PHYSICALLY interact with
a "responsible person" (i.e., not a minor) for papers to have
been considered "served".
E.g., we used to have photo traffic enforcement, here (cameras
to snap photos of drivers running stop lights, speeding, etc.).
The document is mailed to the vehicle owner's (! not necessarily
the driver, right?) residence.
The "scoflaw" is expected to endorse the document and remit
the necessary fine (or, appear in court on the prescribed day/time).
PART OF THIS ENDORSEMENT is to waive your right to being "served",
properly.
This leaves an interesting loophole:  if you simply ignore the mailing,
there is no way for the court to PROVE you received the notice.  So,
they will dispatch a process server to those addresses that did not
respond to the paper notification.
Of course, if you simply don't answer the door, then there is no way
to be verifiably "served" and the offense is dropped!  (you can't
APPEAR to be ignoring the process server so the house needs to seem
unoccupied)
To confound folks who might do this, the documents include thumbnails
of the offender -- which are too small to see in any detail.  And,
a convenient link to a web page THAT APPEARS TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY
by having a unique, hard to randomly synthesize address:
    <scoflaws.com/offenders/2309235089374058734857348720397>
One wouldn't want The Public to be able to browse folks ACCUSED of
crimes, right?
Of course, the fact that someone was able to specify that long,
pseudo-random URL is argued as evidence that the only person
LIKELY to have accessed it is the person who was able to read it
off of the NOTICE mailed to him!  I.e., proof that you were
notified -- without requiring the post office to be involved
(paid!) for that service!
People instinctively want to SEE the photos so seal their own fate.
[We adopted a citizen's initiative to ban the use of phot-enforcement,
here -- largely because the cameras were set too restrictively
and nitpicked about violations that a uniformed officer would
likely have dismissed as "not worth the trouble".  E.g., if your
rear wheels have not ENTERED the intersection -- which often
BEGINS some distance beyond the "stop line" -- then you are
considered to have run the light.  Even if you had been sitting
at the light (left turn lane?) waiting for the intersection to clear.]

Most normal UK stamps now have unique potentially traceable QR style codes on them. The forged ones do too (it was supposed to prevent that).
 They charge a premium price for signed for and tracked postal services. It is about the only thing they make money on now. You can see where the your parcel is sat rotting away due to their incompetence.

There are several ways to obtain traceability as well as certification
of delivery (up to requiring the receiving party to SIGN for the item).

UK PO have priced themselves out of the market for letter post with most people and businesses using email instead. Virtual eCards at Xmas.

Businesses would LIKE customers to switch to email.  But, email is not
secure (eavesdropping, counterfeiting) and the idea of any computer
that your mail passes through (think gmail) READING the contents of
your medical, financial transactions doesn't sit well with many people.
[One of the firms we use THINKS they treat email securely -- by not
disclosing your SSN, account number, etc.  But, if the content is
"This is to acknowledge your recent transfer of $XXXXXX to YYYYYY",
don't they realize THAT leaks information, as well?  Even "please
log in to our secure portal to view an important message" indicates
that you've "done something worth acknowledgment"]

The only reason I have surface mail delivered is for utility bills and council tax to be able to prove who I am at banks (trivial to forge). UK doesn't have any coherent proof of ID system - it is a monumental joke.

Using a single address present on two such (different) accounts
is often used as proof of residence.  But, we now have IDs that
also purport to indicate our proof of LEGAL residence.  And,
passports (as well as passport CARDS).