Today I received one of those orange cards telling me that certified mail is waiting for me at the post office.
I don’t want it, whatever it is.
What would be the consequences if I never, ever went to pick it up? What is the chain reaction caused by my inaction?
Many thanks.
The Post Office couldn’t care less. Eventually, they’ll return it to the sender. Consequences and chain reaction would depend on who sent it, and what it is. You probably have a better idea of that than we do.
After a couple weeks, they’ll send it back, with a note saying it was undeliverable.
You should go pick it up, though. People rarely go through the trouble of sending a certified letter if it’s not important.
Not much I think. They’ll just send it back to the sender. I got a few myself I think are from bill collectors. Nothings happened yet.
not your’s or anybody’s lawer and all that cover my butt jazz.
The short answer is that the letter will be returned to the sender, annotated to the effect that delivery was attempted, but was unsuccessful.
The longer answer is, obviously, that it depends upon what the letter is. If it’s a notification from the manufacturer of your car, telling you about a recall, you’ll never know about it, your car will catch fire, and you’ll die in a massive ball of flame. If it’s a notification from your homeowner association that, if you don’t pay your dues within the next 30 days, they’re going to put a lien on your property, and then foreclose, you’ll end up homeless.
Certified mail is rarely junk mail, since it costs an extra $2.30 to send it (beyond the 37 cents postage). There are some things that must, by law, be sent by certified mail.
So, how do you know you don’t want it, if you don’t know what it is?
It could be something you need to know about.
Take the card to the P. O. and give the clerk the orange card.
Take a look at the return address or otherwise identify sender or nature of package.
If you don’t want to accept delivery, refuse to sign for it and forget it.
“Beware of The Cog.”
Damn hamsters, let me try this again:
Just because you sign for a certified mail item, doesn’t mean that you necessarily agree to whatever it is. There’s no reason not to see.
And if you are getting evicted, it’s better that you know now than when the sheriff shows up.