Last night, on the way out of the office, I put my stack of holiday cards in my briefcase to drop in the mailbox on the corner.
Just before I dropped the cards in, I noticed that a memo from my office had somehow snuck itself into the stack of cards. Chuckling to myself about how amusing it would be if I missed the next staff meeting because I accidentally “mailed” the memo, I dropped the holiday cards in the box.
Then, a great fear came over me. The other item in my briefcase was a plain envelope containing a fairly large sum of cash. What if that had also been mixed in with the cards? Thankfully it wasn’t, it was still in the briefcase where it was supposed to be.
But it got me thinking. What are the steps to take if something valuable or important is dropped into the mailbox by mistake?
If you mail a letter or package and immediately regret it, you may fill out a form to have that item retrieved from the box for you. I’m not sure that that extends to non-mail items, but the penalties for messing with mail apply to messing with other items in the box
Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post
office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein… )
“Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain,
from or out of any mail, post
office, or station thereof, letter box”
Yeah, right. At ours there are a few trashcans full of people’s mail. Just reach in & take some.
Here you go:
Make note of the exact location of the box.
Call the Post Office.
Ask to speak to the delivery supervisor.
Explain your situation.
It happens. We get these calls a few times a year.
I’ve seen notes on the carrier door to the effect of
“Carrier on Route 32, DO NOT DUMP YOUR MAIL. See the Supervisor”
Easy!!!
Several years ago, during a particularly bleak period in the life of my business, we received The Check. The one that arrived just barely in time and was going to allow us to go on when all else seemed for naught. My partner fixed up a deposit slip and put it, along with the check, back in the envelope in which it had arrived. Then we wrote checks to pay all those bills that were threatening to stuff us.
She left to go to the bank, and on the way mailed all the bills. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, when she got to the bank there was no check to be found. Ack!
We called the P.O. and told them the problem and the check arrived, in its original, opened envelope with our next day’s mail.
The Better Half, who is a letter carrier, would like me to mention that the following scenario gives letter carriers gray hairs, especially in these parlous and heavily-armed times:
Person accidentally drops foreign object in mailbox. Person hangs around mailbox waiting for letter carrier to “make collection”, i.e. open the box and take out the mail.
Person asks the letter carrier to give him back his foreign object. Letter carrier, following the rules, refuses.
Person gets very hostile.
DragonLady has the Straight Dope on this: if you’ve dropped your car keys, or checkbook, or pet hamster in the mailbox, the letter carrier who comes to open the box and collect the mail will be very sorry, but he can’t give you the car keys/checkbook/hamster. Suck it up, Chuck, call the Post Office, and be more careful with the hamster next time.
From: CUSTOMER_RESPONSE [CUSTOMER@email.usps.gov]
To: [ME]
Subject: Re: Accidental Mailing
You would report the incident to the closest post office and advise the manager who can have the box opened.
dvb
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Accidental Mailing
Author: [ME] at INTERNET
Date: 12/12/00 4:47 PM
From: [ME]
To: customer@email.usps.gov
Subject: Accidental Mailing
[MY PERSONAL INFO REMOVED]
Subject: Accidental Mailing
Inquiry: Information
Category: Delivery
Comments: I was wondering what the proper procedure is if one was to accidentally drop something in a USPS Mail Box (those blue boxes) while mailing some letters (say a paycheck or something that is not a letter to be mailed).
I almost did such a thing, and was wondering what would have had to be done if I actually did it.
I think I’m developing an irrational fear of dropping things in mailboxes now, but this information is great.
If my local post office is closed for the night (that would have been the closest post office), would I wait until they open, leave a message, or contact the large 24 hour post office that serves my city?
Maybe Mr. Potter took the check?