Category: News&Update

Using your first name on a package is like rolling the dice, especially if you live in an apartment complex.  Let’s say that your on vacation, and you decide to order a package online through amazon.com, and you enter your first name, Jeff, and the address that you enter is 14370 Pickle Valley Way, but you forget to enter your apartment number, and you confirm your order by hitting the submit button, and the package has a two day delivery window that states that Amazon should be delivering your package in two days to your apartment complex.  The very next day you arrive back into town, and you wait for the arrival of your package, and you receive a message stating that your package has been delayed, because your address is undeliverable.  You wonder why this has happened, and the answer is quite simple.

1. You only entered your first name, no last name, and at the new luxury apartment complex, where you reside at  has 25 individuals with the first name of Jeff, so who is Amazon going to deliver the package to, when there are so many people with the first name of Jeff living at this new luxury apartment complex.

2. When you live in an apartment complex, it’s always important to put your apartment number on your package, when you order items online, because if delivery merchants have to play the guessing game, then more than likely your package will be returned to the sender.

3. Putting your last name inside of your mailbox, can be a lifesaver for you if you order a package with no apartment number, then sometimes your mail carrier can figure out where you live, by having your name in your mailbox, the regular carrier might know, but someone covering the route when the regular carrier is on vacation, might be unfamiliar with the residents who live at the apartment complex.

4.  Relatives don’t always keep in touch, and people will address packages with names like, Uncle Mike, Aunt Shirley, Grandma Emma, Grandpa Roy, and unfortunately these names will not be able to get a package forwarded if you don’t include a last name, and it hasn’t been more than a year since they moved.

Using your first name on a package, should always include a last name, unless one likes to gamble on the package being returned to the sender.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Having packages sent to your job, a good idea, or a bad idea?   With porch piracy being on the rise, and consumers continuing to shop more from their smart devices, and actually sending the package to their places of employment is actually really a good idea.  Why is this such a good idea?  Well this is actually your place of employment, normally you work there for an average of 5 days a week, and normally 40 hours a week, so normally during your business hours most delivery merchants will deliver your packages during office hours, however, if your delivery merchant is short-staffed, it could be possible that the delivery of mail, and packages, could occur when the office has closed for the day, and you might have to wait until the next day to receive your package, versus having the package mailed to your home, and when you arrive, hopefully it’s hidden in secure area, that porch pirates can’t see from the street.  Some offices are closed on the weekends, and so weather could also play a factor in your package arriving on time, or being delayed possibly by up to 3-5 days, depending on how bad the weather is, or it could be coming from a foreign country.

Why would leaving a package at a business be a bad idea?  If the office is closed, no packages should be left outside of the facility, but if the package has leave in the event that no one is available, or package doesn’t require a signature, leave at the address.  At this point the delivery driver should use common sense, knowing that if you leave a package unattended at a business, then more than likely there will be potential theft, even with a camera being present, because porch pirates, and potential criminals are still using masks to hide, and shield their identities.

What can help a business to prevent package theft?  Have a sign that says, don’t leave packages if office is closed, and make sure that it’s visible, so that delivery drivers can actually see the sign.  Having a camera is always a good idea to have, often porch pirates don’t want to deal with the potential of being caught by a doorbell camera.  It’s always good to have lighting as well, because porch pirates don’t want to be seen attempting to steal a package, or the contents inside of the package.  If the neighboring business has an agreement with the office that is closed, the delivery driver can leave the package in the business next door.  Having packages sent to your job, a good idea, or a bad idea.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

There has to be communication between the Real Estate Agent, the client, and the new resident that can affect mail, and packages.  Why does the writer make this statement, well because if there’s no communication then mail can be returned as well as packages, if delivery personnel assume that the resident, who is selling the property has moved, when the sign says sold on the real estate sign, when in fact the new resident doesn’t plan on moving  into their new home for 6 months because the previous owner has made an agreement to sub-lease the property until  their new home is finished being built in less than 3 months out of state, and the family is on vacation to visit the job site , where the new home is being built, so mail, and packages begin to accumulate on the porch, so delivery personnel assume that the previous owner has moved so they begin to forward packages, that will eventually end up being returned to the sender, and so the seller will be angry that packages are being  returned as well as mail, but the seller never put in a hold to let the letter carrier know that they were still living in the house until an official change of address has been submitted.

What can be done to prevent this problem from happening?

1. The owner can submit an official hold mail request to let the carrier know that they’re still living in the residence until they submit a change of address.

2.  Put a hold on any auto shipments of packages from Amazon, Target, or any other vendor until they return from out of state, because packages stacking up on a porch can attract porch pirates.

3.  The real estate company can make a note on their sign that says sellers here for another 180 days, and put the effective date of when the new resident is supposed to move into the new property.

4.  When the new tenant moves in have them to put their last name inside of their mailbox so that they can receive the correct mail, if the couple isn’t married. put both names inside of the mailbox, because sometimes mail might come for the wife in their maiden name, even if the couple is married, as well as any business names that the couple might be receiving mail for.

These are just simple tips that can help to save a lot of heartache with a customer receiving mail, and packages, the writer hopes that this might help someone out there.  There has to be communication between the Real Estate Agent, the client, and the new resident that can affect mail, and packages.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Having a barrier to hide packages always helps.  Porch piracy has become an everyday problem across not only America, but across the world.  If a package is left out in the open, in plain site, it has a better chance of being stolen, than being left where the delivery driver left the package, when the delivery was made at your residence.  If your porch has steps, and there isn’t an area where you can hide the package from being seen from the street, a flower pot is a great barrier to shield a package from being seen from the street, if the flower pot is big enough so that the delivery driver can hide the package behind it.  There are items that you can order online that will have an arrow that states that all packages should be left in this corner, so upon delivery of your package, the delivery driver, should make an effort to leave the package out of the site of potential porch pirates, who might be roaming door to door in your neighborhood.

What can be done to help the delivery driver make a safe delivery to your home?   1.  Make sure that your address is visible, this will help the driver feel more comfortable about delivering the package if your house is clearly identified with an address, or you have your address on the curb so that they can match the number with the house.

2.  If you have your name in your mailbox, along with the address of your house, this can help in the event that the package has been rained on, and the letter’s have become hard to read, sometimes this can make a difference.

3.  Taking your address off of your house, or door could lead to a misdelivery, especially if you live in a duplex, and the driver has to play the guessing game to try to figure out which home is yours, so if you want your package, it’s important to have an address that is visible to not only the delivery driver, but Doordash, and other delivery services as well that deliver groceries, and food to your front door.

Having a barrier to hide packages always helps.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Paying attention to your doorbell can save your packages from porch pirates.  Normally, when the doorbell is rung, most people if they’re not expecting company, will simply not go to the door to see who the person ringing the doorbell is, they will normally assume that someone is trying to solicit something that they want to sell, when it could be a USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, DHL driver, and etc., trying to notify you that you have a package that has been left at your residence, or it requires a signature to verify that you have received something that is valuable, and the merchant wants to ensure that you have signed for the accountable item.  Normally if you don’t come to the door, and the item requires a signature, the delivery driver will leave a notice for you to pick-up the item the next day, or you can sign the item leaving the driver authorization to leave the item the next day if they’re required to attempt the delivery a second time.  Why don’t people come to the door when the doorbell is rung?

1. They’re watching t.v., and don’t want to answer the door.

2.  They’re not expecting company, and they figure it’s someone trying to solicit, or sell something.

3. They’re talking on the phone, or working on their computer, or could be attending a Zoom meeting, and don’t want to be disturbed.

There are several other factors that could be listed, but often when a package is left, and the package is scanned by the delivery driver, your cellphone is pinged notifying you that an item has been left at your residence, and if you ignore the message, there could be a porch pirate in your neighborhood waiting for the delivery driver to leave so that they can walk up, and grab your package with no issues.  Wearing masks has made porch pirates theft even easier because of COVID-19 most people will assume that they’re being safe, when it’s your package that they want.  Paying attention to your doorbell can save your packages from porch pirates.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

An easy way for your package to get returned to the sender.  What do you mean by that, you might ask, and the answer is quite simple, but there are various ways that your package can get returned to the sender.  If you live in an apartment complex, where there are over 500 residents, and you title the package, as to my son, with no apartment number, then it’s more than likely that no one is going to be able to figure out, who the item is being mailed to, the only exception, might be if you have your name inside of your mailbox, and the sender of the package puts their last name on the package, and the resident, who is receiving the package, tells the carrier that they’re expecting a package from their mom, that might have the title as being only son on the package as the recipient with no apartment number on the package, and the Letter Carrier catches, the package before the item will be returned to the sender.  If you live in an apartment complex, and you decide to cover up, or even remove your apartment number from your door, and the logistics driver can’t find your apartment , and the office will not accept any deliveries inside of the office, then this can cause your package to be returned to the sender, and this could also cause problems with food deliveries as well, because drivers might decide to leave your food at another residents apartment, if they can’t find your door that you have removed the numbers from.  Sometimes property management companies purchase apartment complexes, and they decide to change the numbering system that their residents previously received their mail from so building numbers are changed, as well as apartment numbers without contacting the Postal Service, can contribute to not only getting a residents packages being returned, but mail as well, which can result in late fees, water being turned off, as well as electricity, and a host of other problems.  An easy way for your package to get returned to the sender.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Leaving a package out in the open.  Why would any delivery employee want to do that?  Despite the overload of the Christmas season, no one should have to endure having a package left out in the open for porch pirates to steal.  If it takes an extra two steps to put the package in a secure location so that it can’t be seen from the street, then take the time out for the customer to do it, treat the package as if you were delivering it  to your very own house, if the package has fragile labeled on it, please don’t toss the package onto the porch, gently place the package on the customer’s porch out of the site of the street, because a package has a better chance of being successfully delivered if it’s hidden from the visibility of people walking by on the sidewalk, versus being left out in the open to attract the interest of a possible porch pirate.  What can a customer do to help so that packages aren’t left out in the open?  Customer’s can have a sign that isn’t visible from the street that could state, leave all packages behind the wall, or behind the flower pot, and normally delivery personnel will comply with what the customer wants, but not always, one must realize that Christmas helpers, or temporary employees don’t always read signs that customer’s leave on their porches.  Have your address visible, so that this can protect your house from a misdelivery, so if you have a reef on your door that shows your address, it could cause a problem especially if it’s late at night, and delivery personnel don’t see your address on the curb leading up to your house, or you don’t have your address visible on your house.  How long does a customer have to receive their package once their doorbell is rang?  Normally during this season, and with the rise in porch piracy, a package can be gone in less than one minute, porch pirates will sometimes ring your doorbell to see if you will actually will come to the door, and sometimes some people think that there are solicitors trying to sell something, when it’s actually a porch pirate waiting to steal your Christmas gifts, so if you see a delivery truck outside of your residence, and your doorbell is rung, normally it could be a package for you, or a package that requires your signature.  Don’t let the grinch, steal your Christmas!  Leaving a package out in the open.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Domestic disputes can have an impact on your mail, and packages.  Why would the writer say something like that?  Well, if you decide to move out, and you don’t submit a change of address through the United States Postal Service, after 10 days, your mail, and packages will be returned to the sender.  If you don’t have a regular postal carrier, and temporary employees are carrying the route where you formerly lived on a daily basis, until your break-up, and separation occurred, then guess what is going to more than likely happen?  Your mail, and packages will continue to go to the address of your former spouse, until you take action to correct your address, and if there are children involved you have to change their address as well, if you have a different last name than your child, for example if your last name is Jones, and your child has the last name of Smith, and they’re going with you, when you move out, then you must submit a change of address in the name of the child as well, just in case they might receive mail from their school, or their grandparent might decide to send them a  package for Christmas, and depending on the relationship that you might have with your ex spouse, it might not be safe to go back to your former residence to retrieve a package, that’s why it’s important to submit a change of address.

The boomerang, sometimes some couples decide to reconcile, and if this happens, depending on which individual initially moved out, they will need to go to their local post office to cancel their forwarding order so that their mail can be re-routed to their former address where they previously lived at until the domestic dispute occurred.  If you happen to know your letter carrier, it would be wise to inform them that you have moved back into your previous residence, just in case they might be holding your mail at the post office if you never submitted a change of address, and 10 days haven’t passed, and there’s a possibility that your mail, and packages could still be at the station where you receive your mail delivery from.

Keys to receiving your mail, and packages in the event of a domestic dispute.

1.   Spell your name correctly when you fill out the change of address form.

2.  Spell your street name correctly, as well as have your address correct, because if one number is off, it could have an impact on you receiving your mail, and packages in a timely manner.

3.  If you receive items every two weeks via a drop shipment, log into your account, and correct your address credentials.

4.  Maiden name, if you move, and you also receive items in your maiden name, don’t forget to include it on a change of address, because if  you don’t submit one, all of your mail  with your maiden name could potentially be returned to the sender.

5.  If things get so bad leave, your life could depend on it, mail, and packages can be replaced, but the human life can’t be , call the the Postal Service customer service number to hold your mail, or speak to someone in customer service who can assist you with your problems.  (800)275-8777

Domestic disputes can have an impact on your mail, and packages.  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog.

If I move will my packages automatically be forwarded to my new address?  The answer to this question is simple, no, you have to submit a change of address, through the United States Postal Service, in order for your mail, and packages to be forwarded.  Normally if you know that you’re going to be moving, it’s wise to give yourself at least 10 days before you move to your new residence to submit your change of address so that there will be no delays with your mail, so that you can avoid late charges on bills that come to your home on a monthly basis.

What about auto-shipping?  If you have items that come to your home every two weeks via Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, and etc., you the user have to log into your account to update your address credentials, because if you don’t update your address credentials, items will continue to be shipped to your last address that you entered when you set-up the auto-shipment feature on your online account.

Sometimes relationships don’t always workout, and people decide to move on from that relationship.  A question that is often asked is, if I submitted a change of address, and my mail is being forwarded to my new address, and there has been a breakup, do I need to submit another change of address?  The answer to that question is yes you will need to submit another change of address, if you’re the one who is moving,  because if you don’t your mail, and packages  will continue to go to the current address where you have your mail being forwarded to.  If your letter carrier gives you a change of address, and you never submit it, or you never log onto the Postal Service’s website to submit your change of address online, after 10 days your mail will be returned to the sender, and besides who wants their mail, or packages being delivered to a residence where your ex lives, which in some cases could be a safety issue, for one, or both parties.

Have a safe week, and remember to keep your porch lights on for delivery personnel, they’re working hard, and sometimes working late to deliver your mail, and packages.  If I move will my packages automatically be forwarded to my new address?  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!

Using your porch to hide packages can make a difference with a sign.  With the holiday season fast approaching more people than ever will continue to order items off of the internet instead of going into the traditional brick and mortar stores to shop for gifts.  When the Amazon truck, USPS mail truck, FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other logistical companies drive up to your house to drop off packages that you have ordered, all personnel tend to leave packages in different locations, having a sign can make a difference such as leave all packages in this corner, normally if a delivery person sees a sign that relates to where a package should be left, they will normally cater to where you want the package left, and the key thing is that if a package is left out in the open it can be stolen, but if the package is left in a secure area where it can’t be seen from the street, then normally you’ll have a better chance of getting your package, when you come home from work.  If you have a large porch, with barriers that can hide a package from the street, then leave a sign that might read, delivery personnel please leave all packages behind this barrier, thank you, and normally if the sign is legible, and in the view of the delivery personnel, they will normally leave the item behind the porch where packages can be safely hidden from the street.

What are some things that can be used to deter porch pirates?  A huge porch, can make a difference, if it has barriers that prevent packages from being seen from the street.  A camera that records when someone steps onto your residence, normally porch pirates don’t want to be seen on camera, and having a camera gives the homeowner a better chance of receiving their package, versus someone who might not have a camera.  A porch light can make a difference especially with the time change that has just occurred, if it’s late, and you haven’t received your package, a porch light can deter porch pirates, because they don’t want to be seen in the light, and if delivery personnel are working late, they will appreciate your porch light being on.  For moving, improving, and everything in between a great resource for everyone is located at porch.com  www.iwantmymail.com  More than just a blog!