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Old 08-09-2008, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Norfolk, VA
1,036 posts, read 3,969,574 times
Reputation: 515

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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevK View Post
I agree. In this day of the internet, email and on line billing, they can cut Saturday out. In fact they could probably deliver 4 days a week.

Considering all I get in the mail is junk, with an occasion bill (I do most paperless statements and auto drafts), shouldn't I get Saturday's off from collecting it?

What percentage of mail do people actually care about or find useful? Would getting it M-F and skipping it on weekends really be a problem?

With gas prices alone now, think of the savings of all those carriers driving around 1/6 less of the time.
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Old 08-09-2008, 04:08 PM
 
2,638 posts, read 6,019,323 times
Reputation: 2378
True story:

I had a PO Box about 4 years ago, because I wanted to control who got my real address without due diligence. I got the smallest size possible, because I figured I should only be getting 2-3 envelopes. Two days pass, I get a note from USPS saying my mailbox is full. I go to get it, there's 3 envelopes and AT LEAST a pound of flyers, ads and other junk material. Err?

I escalated it as far as I cared to, arguing that if they wanted to keep boxes from getting full, stop putting flyers and ads in there and focus only on real mail. They refused to do it because it's a revenue stream for them.

They really need an opt-out provision to all of that junk.

If they want to cut those deficits, instead of rampantly increasing postage rates and Priority Mail rates, why not increase the cost of Caller Service and business class mail handling? I'd also support a reasonable charge for mail forwarding; decrease the free timeframe to 6 months instead of a year, charge for anything more than that.

Also, increase the prices of money orders and adjunct services like Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation.

Basically - the cost to send mail should go down. The cost of everything around that should increase slightly, for each service. Collectively they could make a mint.
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Old 08-09-2008, 04:35 PM
 
Location: Somewhere out there
18,287 posts, read 23,183,971 times
Reputation: 41179
I am already on a "opt out" plan of junk mail coming in. When you get yet another pre-approved credit card ap take that ap, with a sharpie marker write across the ap "remove from list" and stick it back into the pre-paid envelope addressed to the company that is filling up your mailbox! Works great been doing it for years and my junk mail has almost stopped just local stuff mostly pizza coupons. Now we might get actual mail 3 times per week so it wouldn't bother me if they dropped the Saturday delivery. Getting ready to start this plan on AARP now.

I shared this tip with my neighbors on our road and our mailman said our whole mile receives less mail per week then any others on his route. By sending the companies their junk back I am keeping my mailman in a job too.
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Old 08-09-2008, 07:54 PM
 
1,219 posts, read 4,217,973 times
Reputation: 591
Quote:
Originally Posted by revelated View Post
True story:

I had a PO Box about 4 years ago, because I wanted to control who got my real address without due diligence. I got the smallest size possible, because I figured I should only be getting 2-3 envelopes. Two days pass, I get a note from USPS saying my mailbox is full. I go to get it, there's 3 envelopes and AT LEAST a pound of flyers, ads and other junk material. Err?

I escalated it as far as I cared to, arguing that if they wanted to keep boxes from getting full, stop putting flyers and ads in there and focus only on real mail. They refused to do it because it's a revenue stream for them.

.
That's not the reason. The reason they continue to put junk mail in your box is-it's YOUR mail, addressed to you/your box. The clerk cannot just decide what mail you should or should not get-they have to put it all in your box. Same goes for letter carriers on the street-people complain to me, I don't want this mail, well-I have to deliver it. After I deliver it, do whatever you want!
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Old 08-09-2008, 08:14 PM
 
Location: Southern California
15,080 posts, read 20,469,320 times
Reputation: 10343
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaxson View Post
I am already on a "opt out" plan of junk mail coming in. When you get yet another pre-approved credit card ap take that ap, with a sharpie marker write across the ap "remove from list" and stick it back into the pre-paid envelope addressed to the company that is filling up your mailbox! Works great been doing it for years and my junk mail has almost stopped just local stuff mostly pizza coupons. Now we might get actual mail 3 times per week so it wouldn't bother me if they dropped the Saturday delivery. Getting ready to start this plan on AARP now.

I shared this tip with my neighbors on our road and our mailman said our whole mile receives less mail per week then any others on his route. By sending the companies their junk back I am keeping my mailman in a job too.
I'll have to give that a try. I get way too many CC solicitations and it always goes straight to the recycle bin.

Eliminating junk mail is more than just stopping a personal nuisance, it is eliminating environmental waste.
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Old 08-09-2008, 09:33 PM
 
Location: Somewhere out there
18,287 posts, read 23,183,971 times
Reputation: 41179
I am telling you it works you may have to send it back 2-3 times to the same company but they will stop sending you stuff. It works for any junk mail you get with a pre-paid envelope to reply back with. Not only will it stop the company sending you stuff but they remove your address from their data base so they aren't selling it to another junk mailer hopefully.

Now wonder how we combat our elected officials from sending their junk mail out on tax payer's dimes?
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Old 08-09-2008, 09:59 PM
 
Location: US
1,193 posts, read 3,992,825 times
Reputation: 832
No need to mess with the companies directly. I registered at this page:

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t

Four months later I don't get a damn thing but bills and legitimate correspondence.
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Old 08-10-2008, 01:14 AM
 
Location: Norcross GA
983 posts, read 4,441,569 times
Reputation: 470
Very true posts on this thread. And yes expect to see an increase in postage and services. I agree with whomever said all you get is ads and a few letters/bills. I too have basically eliminated getting any of my bills by snail mail. The post office has got to start thinking outside the box. I heard today or yesterday that UPS has done this routing thing so their drivers spend less time having to wait at left turn signals. They travel routes to avoid them. It saved the company over a million a yr in fuel costs!!
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Old 08-10-2008, 06:13 AM
 
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,757,602 times
Reputation: 3587
Another big disadvantage the USPS has is that the law requires any package over 1 pound be mailed at a post office in person. I know this has cost them business because I myself have switched to UPS which has no such requirements. I have to work and I do not have time to go to the Post Office and stand in line.
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Old 08-10-2008, 08:22 AM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 84,460,154 times
Reputation: 27720
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaxson View Post
I am telling you it works you may have to send it back 2-3 times to the same company but they will stop sending you stuff. It works for any junk mail you get with a pre-paid envelope to reply back with. Not only will it stop the company sending you stuff but they remove your address from their data base so they aren't selling it to another junk mailer hopefully.

Now wonder how we combat our elected officials from sending their junk mail out on tax payer's dimes?
That sounds like a great idea. These companies have to pay for that return postage.
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