HarryTheSpider

Hi All,

I've been searching around for confirmation of something I thought I saw posted here a while back...

We're planning to move to Phoenix, AZ in November, from the UK. Is it true we need to register at the local post office so they know to deliver our post to us?

What happens to any post that may arrive before we register?

Do they deliver through the letter box (do US front doors actually have a letter box?) and if not, where is it delivered.

What issues around potential ID theft might arise in the US with regards to postal services etc?

What else do we need to register at the local post office for, if anything?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

Harry

Englishtart

I'm not sure about 'registering' with the PO, I don't think we have ever done that. Are you doing a redirection of your mail? can you do that to the US from the UK?

It's not a bad idea just to pop into your local PO and let them know you are there and where you moved from though.

There are no letter boxes in the US doors, usually your mail box is at the bottom of your driveway, if you are lucky, it could be next to your door (on the wall) if you are unlucky, it will be in a communal multiple 'pigeon hole' of a box at the end of a street, but at least those boxes lock, so you are the only one with a key.

As for mail arriving before you do, they will usually just let it pile up in your box, at least until it gets full, then they will leave you a note to go pick it up from the PO. If you are going to be a few weeks later than your mail re-direction, you should probably go online to the USPS site and do a search, see if you can find your local PO listed and either call them or email them

As for ID theft, make sure you shred everything here with any personal info on it, not much you can do about your mail box, unless you can get one with a lock on it.
As with everything else here, this is only my personal exp', could be totally different in other places

scrubbedexpat099

Do they do home delivery?

We have a PO Box No.

S Folinsky

No, you generally do NOT have to register to receive mail. Mail addressed to a particular address will just start arriving.

The box in which you receive the mail can vary a lot. Many homes DO have mail slots -- mine does. Mine is next to the door. My father's house has it in the door.

Multi-unit dwellings [apartment, condo's etc] will have locked "gang-boxes" where the postal worker can open the entire device and drop mail into individual locked boxes. Although locked, the locks can vary a lot. Most are not all that secure, while others seem to have sturdy locks. [I wonder about the security of the Postal Service Key's though]. BTW, on those gang boxes, you are generally required to indicate your identity [last name will do] so the mail person can deliver.

In many areas, there will be roadside mail boxes. See this link. Some new developments will have group boxes for a particular area of say 10 homes. Note that these boxes CAN be locked by the recipient. The security depends upon the installation. There can be vandalism on a box. See this.
. [The picture shows a very common type of roadside box. The plastic box is for newspapers].

It is possible to rent Post Office Boxes from your local post office. However, many local post offices are all booked up. There are commercial mail box services.

Rete

It is nice to make your introduction to the Post Office in person. Especially if it is small community post office. Being on "friendly" terms with your regular carrier is helpful when you are expecting important mail and/or packages. But it not a requirement. You can also go out of your to be there when mail is dropped off (it is usually the same time each day) and offer a hello at that time.

If you are renting you might have a mailbox area in your apartment house's lobby or on the lawn a series of mailboxes for each apartment in a complex.

Identity theft is a problem worldwide. How do you handle it in the UK? I'm sure you will handle it the same way in the US.

cranston

In TX we had to register with the Post Office. All this meant was going down to the local office showing ID and filling out a form.

They kept all our previous post and it arrived the next day.

This practice may vary by state.

Englishtart

We had home delivery (well apt' delivery) when we lived in CO

S Folinsky

I agree with Rete that it is a good idea to get on "friendly" terms with your regular carrier when she comes by. Do note that that the US still has Saturday residential delivery although that is perpetually on the chopping block -- e.g. you don't have your "regular" carrier every day. But do try and get on first name basis with him. Also, a small Christmas gift goes a long way [I've never given a gratuity].

On the local post office, it does depend on the size of the place. Also, there is a phrase in American slang: "going postal." Unfortunately, there is a small factual basis to it. The LA downtown Federal Building has a post office there in. The building is high security to get in, except for the employees. On top of that, there is no bullet proof plexi-glass barrier between the counter worker and the customers. Weird. I actually don't feel safe there.

S Folinsky

If you anticipate material BEFORE you move in, then putting in an order to hold or forward mail is a good idea.

chartreuse

We (also in TX) had to do the same.

I dislike going to the post office because I not only have to disarm but also have to park on the street - the parking lot being a prohibited area. I'm surprised that criminals don't cruise around looking for vehicles parked on the road outside a PO parking lot, as there's a high probability of finding guns in them.

HarryTheSpider

Thanks everybody for such full and speedy replies - much appreciated.

I've collated advice and information from BE and other sources in to a short article in the WIKI.

You can find it here and I invite other readers to add to it and/or correct any mistakes on my part.

Thanks again,

Harry

Bob

Best thing about US postal service, till our grumpy postie came along....them delivering stamps to your mail box if you had the cash, or picking up the mail.

Ours does neither though.

Sally Redux

Our postie is known locally as 'the Nazi'. He's like a grumpier version of the one on Seinfeld.

Englishtart

Can anyone explain this?...I got a thankyou card in the mail last week, a 46 cent stamp on it, the card came from this area (maybe 40 miles away)
The postie left me an envelope with a 20cent underpaid postage bill inside it, I had to leave 20 cents in the envelope and stick it in our box!

Isn't 46 cents enough for a small card?

lisa67

I didn't