Prepare Your Mailboxes for Winter

Winter is coming, which makes now the perfect time to repair mailboxes. It’s fairly common for individuals to repair mailboxes after winter, but if you take the time to fix them up now, winter won’t be nearly as tough on them.

A mailbox that is old or damaged needs maintenance before the winter months to avoid extra work in the cold. This is especially true if residents need to perform maintenance on mailbox posts. Mailboxes that are damaged by snow plows are often the result of snow, not the plow itself. Many places have rules regarding replacing a mailbox, and the majority of the time a damaged mailbox does not meet the criteria. For example, many areas require the mailbox to be physically struck by the plow itself, not the snow from the plow.

There are steps you can take to prepare your mailbox for winter. That first step comes with the mailbox post. In general you can choose between a wooden post, a plastic post, or a metal post. A sturdy post made from high-quality wood is recommended. Plastic can also be durable depending on the manufacturer. If you plan to go with a steel post, use caution. Your mailbox must give way in an accident or you will be liable. In addition, before installing a post be sure you meet the USPS standards, which you can find here. If you have a mailbox post that is rotting, damaged, or can be easily shifted, make sure to repair that now before the ground freezes. Once the ground freezes replacing a mailbox post will become very difficult or even impossible.

The post is the most important step for preparing your mailbox for winter, but there are other steps as well. For example, you should check on your mailbox hinge to see if it is rusty or otherwise damaged. If your hinge is damaged mailboxes may fall open exposing your mail to the elements. It’s also important that your address is clear on the mailbox, preferably using reflective numbers so it is easier to see.  

Take these steps to fix your mailbox before the problem is too severe in winter! 

Who Should Have Mailbox Access?

There has been some discussion in recent weeks about who exactly should have access to your mailbox. Should this be exclusively for the USPS? Or should third parties such as UPS have access?

One of the biggest debates is about if allowing others access to your mailbox will be bad for security. Right now, only you and your letter carrier should have access to your mailbox, and inviting others to as well is a security threat. However, those in favor of allowing third parties access argue that most mailboxes do not lock, so they can be access by additional individuals anyway. If that is the case, wouldn’t it make more sense for other companies to place small packages in mailboxes, instead of out for everyone to see on the porch? With all the parcels that are shipped now, mailboxes have gotten bigger. The argument is that allowing parties other than the USPS access will make the larger mailboxes worth the investment, and keep packages safer.

Not surprisingly, the USPS is concerned about how this will affect their profits. Allowing other companies to have access to mailboxes is leading to fear over competition. The USPS has been struggling to turn a profit for years, and anything that may lead to more debt is obviously alarming for the USPS. The main concern is allowing open access will allow other companies to deliver items such as catalogs or ads, taking away a chunk of the Postal Service’s profit.

One of the most compelling arguments for why the USPS should have exclusive access is that additional mail and parcels in a mailbox will cause confusion for letter carriers. As it stands, letter carriers are aware that any mail left in a mailbox is outgoing. If anyone is allowed access, then letter carriers have to sort through the mail to see if it is meant for you or them. This is inefficient and confusing, and is sure to cause issues.

There are compelling reasons to allow third parties access to mailboxes, and compelling reasons not to. At the moment, it does not seem likely that other parties will be using your mailbox any time soon, but that doesn’t make it impossible. This may not be the last time this question is raised.  

CBUs VS Door-to-Door Delivery

Recently, there has been a great deal of discussion regarding which method of delivery is better. On one hand, there is door-to-door and curbside delivery, which has been around for many years. On the other hand, there is cluster box unit delivery, which is already common in apartments, but not in neighborhoods with individual homes. Yet door to door delivery is something that has been phased out in other countries, and could be phased out in America as well. Today we are going to look at the pros and cons of making a switch to CBUs.

Cluster Box Units (CBUs)

A cluster box unit, also known as a CBU, is a single structure that holds multiple individual’s mail. This type of mail delivery is very common with apartments. A letter carrier gets access to the entire unit and is able to deliver multiple people’s mail in one place. This way, a mail carrier can deliver a handful of people’s mail at once instead of walking from door to door. This unit is placed in a centralized location to be accessed by many people.

Door-to-Door and Curbside

Both door-to-door and curbside delivery has been commonplace for a very long time. Door-to-door and curbside both see letter carriers delivering mail to individual homes. The only difference is with door-to-door, they must walk to each door while with curbside, letter carriers can often drive from mailbox to mailbox. Curbside is fairly common in more rural areas with rural letter carriers, but is also in cities.

Pros

The biggest pro to switching to CBUs is that it will save a great deal of money. According to the USPS, CBUs will cost $160 per address a year, versus curbside which is $224 and door-to-door which is $353. That is a huge cost difference. This is because letter carriers are using less gas, their vehicles are lasting longer, and mail delivery takes less time.

Another great pro for CBUs is security. With standard residential mailboxes, there is no type of lock. Mail can easily be accessed by any individual that thinks to open the mailbox. This can lead to stolen mail and sometimes even stolen identity. With a CBU, the only people with a way in are the letter carriers and the individual’s who have a key for their mailbox.

Cons

A big flaw with CBUs is that while many people can walk a block to retrieve their mail, individuals who are elderly or disabled often have a much harder time. This is even truer in inclement weather, such as rain and snow. It could lead to this demographic getting hurt, though some have proposed that if CBUs are installed there should be exceptions for the disabled and elderly.

Another flaw is that CBUs have an initial cost that is fairly expensive. Not only that, but it is not entirely clear who would be responsible for maintaining the CBU. This includes not only keeping snow away from them, but keeping them in working order.

One of the biggest concerns that have arisen in other countries is the actual placement of the CBUs. Many believe that CBUs will end up being placed in areas that are unsafe for individuals to access. This is an issue that has been raised many times in Canada as CBUs are installed. Many people worry about safety from passing cars, or the neighborhood itself.

So as you can see, there are pros and cons to installing CBUs instead of using door-to-door delivery or curbside delivery. If the cons of cluster box units are considered and addressed, they can be a great cost efficient method of handling mail delivery.

Prevent Mail Theft

It happens more often than you’d think. You send a gift card to a relative or friend, but they never get it. You’re waiting for a rebate check in the mail, and it never shows. While it may be tempting to blame the USPS for these annoyances, it likely isn’t their fault at all. There’s all sorts of reports of mail theft in the media, and these thieves might be the ones who are responsible for your missing mail.

So, now you know that mail theft exists, and it’s not a rare occurrence. But what do you do about it? Well, we’ve got some tips for you that may prevent you from becoming a victim.

One big tip is to never send cash though the mail. While that is common with sending birthday and graduation cards, it is an easy way for your money to be stolen and no one to know. You can’t track cash, so always use a check or money order. If you do plan to send money, it is best to warn the receiver in advanced so they’re watching for it.

On the same note, you should also pick up your mail as soon as you can after it’s been delivered. This is especially true if you yourself are expecting money, credit cards, or gifts in the mail. If you cannot get to your mailbox, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to retrieve your mail.

When sending mail, placing mail in your mailbox with the flag up is the least secure way to do it. Instead, mail your items from a public building or, better yet, from the post office itself. It prevents mail from getting into the wrong hands.

Consider paying bills online, and attempting to get personal financial information all delivered digitally. When you receive mail such as credit card offers you do not want, be sure to dispose of them carefully. Shred them or cut them up so they can’t be stolen and taken out in your name.

If you are going out of town, put a hold on your mail or ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail for you. If thieves see an overflowing mailbox, they’ll feel free to take mail from it.

You may also consider investing in a locking mailbox. With these types of mailboxes, you are the only one with access to your mailbox. That way you don’t have to be concerned about thieves approaching your mailbox.

Of course, these tips aren’t foolproof, but they’re a step in the right direction to preventing mail theft.  

Vacation Precautions

We’re right in the middle of June, which is a clear sign that vacation season has started. The next three months are going to be busy in terms of travel. Many people will be headed to vacation hotspots such as Florida, California, Chicago, and more. Others will be heading to visit family and friends. Some will even be leaving for international destinations. No matter where you are going, it is important you protect your home while you are gone.

This goes for everyone, whether you are in an apartment or house. While all of these tips won’t apply to every situation, many of them will. So take some time to read on and get some home security safety tips for while you are away! You’d be surprised at how much your mail can give away!

·         Ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to pick up your mail while you are away. A full mailbox is a clear sign that you aren’t home. This could get your mail stolen, or worse, your home broken into. If you live in an apartment, it may be good to alert your landlord that someone else will be picking up your mail so there’s no confusion.

·         If you don’t want to put your loved ones through the hassle, eliminate the problem by having the post office hold your mail for the duration of your trip. You can do that on the USPS website, HERE. Hold mail has to be for a minimum of 3 days, and the maximum is 30 days. If you need mail to be held longer than 30 days, contact your local post office.

·         Make arrangements to have someone take care of lawn maintenance while you are away. This includes watering plants, mowing the lawn, etc. If your yard looks unkempt, thieves may know you are away and be more likely to target your home.

·         Let neighbors know you will be away, and who you will expect to stop by the house. This way if anyone suspicious approaches your home, there will be people keeping watch.

·         Make sure your home is well protected when you are away with locks on your windows or doors. If they can be easily broken, invest in something better!  

·         If you have lawn decorations and furniture, either move some of it inside, or ask neighbors to keep an eye on it. Weather can blow items around, and if no one is there to pick up your yard, it is an alert to thieves.

·         Don’t leave a key on the premises! If you want to let someone in to check on your home or apartment, leave the key with a trusted individual, not somewhere anyone could find it.

·         Do not make posts on social media about your vacation. This one can be difficult, but your information is never as private as you think. Also, don’t state in your voicemail that you are going to be away. Anyone trying to call you will know your home is unguarded.

·         Have someone pick up anything else left at your door. This includes flyers, yellow page books, and more. These and newspapers are a huge red flag.  

  Follow these tips to help protect your home while you are away! 

Mailbox Shopping Guide

Looking to buy a new mailbox? We’ve compiled this nice, handy guide to help you out.

Residential mailboxes:

The most basic step is to decide if you want a wall mount mailbox or a post mount mailbox. Depending on where you live, there may be regulations stating exactly where your mailbox must be placed.

Next, choose a style of mailbox you like. Choose something simple, something styled, or something unique. We recommend you choose a type of mailbox that fits well with the type of home you have.

Follow instructions when installing your new mailbox. The USPS has some posted guidelines HERE.

Commercial mailboxes:

First, you need to figure out who is going to be distributing mail to your mailboxes. Is it the USPS, or someone else within the building? Commercial mailboxes may come with a postal lock or a private master lock. Always be sure the units you are looking at are USPS approved.

Now you have to calculate how many tenant doors you need. This is the big determining factor in what options you have. You need to know this, and also how much space you have for your unit(s).

Next decide if you want your unit to be wall mounted, or if you need a pedestal. Wall mounted units can accommodate more tenants than a pedestal unit. Pedestal units generally can serve only 16 tenants, maximum. Pedestal boxes can be easily installed outdoors to concrete.

Determine what type of unit you want in terms of style. Do you want something standard, or something decorative? Do you want to include a parcel locker, or handle package delivery with another method? Once you choose a unit all that’s left to do is buy and install!

Looking for a commercial mailbox? We have plenty of options at DirectClustermailboxes.com! You can check out our main site, PostalProducts.com, to find a link to residential mailboxes.

Tax Season Tips

Tax day is less than a week away. Have you filed your taxes yet? If not, there are a few important things you should keep in mind. It’s never wise to wait until the last minute to do anything, but waiting to the last minute to mail in your taxes could be a costly mistake.

Many Americans file taxes electronically now, but for those of you who prefer to mail them, there’s a few things you need to make note of. We’ve compiled this list of tips when it comes to filing taxes.

1.       Please note that you can no longer pick up tax forms from a post office. Instead you need to go to the IRS website itself. This is important to note, because individuals who wait until several days beforehand to pick up their forms are going to find themselves in a panic when they can’t get them at their local post office.

2.       Don’t forget to place a return address on your envelope. This could cause your item to be sent to a postal mail recovery office to determine the sender of the mail. Of course, this will delay its return.

3.       If you are planning to deposit your tax returns in a blue collection box on April 15^th, check the pick-up schedule. To get the April 15^th postmark, your mail needs to be picked up by a postal worker that day. Having it in the mail in time does nothing for you if you mail it after the collection box has been emptied for the day.

4.       Be sure to write clearly on your envelope, or better yet, print labels. The last thing you want is to go through the work of filing taxes and have the envelope be illegible.

5.       Be sure you use the correct amount of postage. Your item may weigh more than an ounce, and IRS will not pay for postage due. This means that your filing will be returned. If your letter is over one ounce, it needs more postage.

6.       It is encouraged by the USPS that you get security proof of mailing, as well as proof of delivery. You can ask for more details at your local post office.

7.       Do not mail your tax return from a personal mailbox. Thieves are on the lookout during tax season. Be sure to mail from a secure post office or collection box.

Don’t procrastinate and be sure to get your taxes filed in time. If you still have questions, call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-1040 (1-800-829-1040).