Hold mail

[J&JRock]

We went on a trip last year and had our mail held. If you know your carrier make sure they know and have someone drop by to make sure the subs kept delivering. Ended up great and they delivered it as requested at the end of the trip.

[gkainz]

You can initiate, manage, change or cancel a mail hold on usps.com.

[dadnjesse]

I don't know about where you live but in my town the USPS is the most incompetent mail carrier. I put a hold in person, filled out the form and went to Disney for 9 days, came home to mail pouring out my mail box. I get other peoples mail all the time. I have people I have never met come to my house and bring my mail that they get.

[trucker LOU]

Hey, sounds like you live in my neighborhood.----Lou----

[notanlines]

gkainz, in theory your statement is correct. In practice, nothing could be further from the truth. Read dadnjesse's comment. If you did your job with the same diligence and with the same results as the post office you would be fired immediately.
On edit: Let me clarify that my comment is mainly aimed towards the myth that one can perform those services on line. To all of you who are 'up close and personal' with your carriers, YMMV.

[gkainz]

Originally Posted by notanlines

gkainz, in theory your statement is correct. In practice, nothing could be further from the truth. Read dadnjesse's comment. If you did your job with the same diligence and with the same results as the post office you would be fired immediately.

I understand the responses and am sorry your experience is different than mine. I should have said "Personally, I've had good luck using the USPS mail hold feature on the website".

For me, almost a rural route but not quite, I'm friends with my mail carrier and we've always had a mail hold start and stop on time as scheduled.

[flybouy]

Our "normal" postman is fantastic. He's been on the route before we moved in 22 years ago. When he's out for vacation or whatever the replacement is good, took her a few years to get the quirks of the idiot developers that built this development. We live on "blank, blank Way" and down the hill behind us is a cul-de-sac with the same "blank, blank" only "Court". And yes, the idiots numbered the houses with the same numbers. The "blank" blank" is 13 letters and one space long, two spaces before you get to the Way or Court so some mail doesn't have enough space for the last word. So if the letter carrier doesn't know your name (and take the time to read it) it's a crap shoot.

[shermris]

The first time we were gone for an extended period of time and could not forward our mail we had our niece stay in our house while we were gone. Another time I got a post office box at the local Post Office, left the key with my son, and had him pick up my mail once a week. I know there is a limit to how long a post office will hold your mail; I don't know if there is a law that would prevent a designated person from picking up your mail, or it any such action would increase the time they would hold your mail.

[shermris]

I once had someone I never met deliver a FedEx package that fell out of the truck when the driver made a delivery at his home. When I have my mail held I go to the post office and fill out the hold mail card, then have someone check during the week to ensure nothing is being left in my box.

[chunker]

Originally Posted by shermris

I once had someone I never met deliver a FedEx package that fell out of the truck when the driver made a delivery at his home. When I have my mail held I go to the post office and fill out the hold mail card, then have someone check during the week to ensure nothing is being left in my box.

The hold mail request can be done online. I live in a rural county in souther AL and the PO is in a small town. After the online request I also called and talked to the post master and gave the name of a friend who would be periodically picking up the mail. Sometimes small town is better especially in these days.