Terrible mail situation!

[katesorad]

You started your post talking about the "riff raff" in your building, but none of this seems to be the fault of the other folks in the building. It's the fault of the Post Office for sending a postal worker who is apparently not doing a proper or thorough job!

I live in a large apartment complex and mail appears in my mailbox that doesn't belong to me. I always write "return to sender - not at this address" on it and send it back. Whether it eventually gets to the recipient or not, I don't know. But if it doesn't, it's certainly not my fault -- it's the mail carrier's fault for putting it in the wrong place. So ... don't blame the person who got it by mistake!

Same with the package that you assumed was kept by whoever got it. Maybe they did keep it. But chances are they sent it back or left it for the mail carrier the next day. If any of the packages you were expecting were mail orders via catalogs, then they're all traceable and it's easy to find out where and when they were delivered, and in many cases you can even find out who signed for it. For anything that someone is sending you, all they have to do is require that the box be signed for, and then it will be at the Post Office for you. But I wouldn't automatically assume that someone else kept your stuff unless you've seen it in their apartment.

I do think that the PO box is your best option here, since the delivery in your building is clearly not up to par. But don't blame the people you live around. Likely they're getting mail that doesn't belong to them, they don't know who you are, and so they either return it unopened or toss it. I don't know that it's fair to label them as "riff raff."

Thanks again everyone for all the input.. I appreciate it!

As far as the "riff raff" in my complex goes, it's not just because of the mail. San Diego is a town of military and college. And while a lot of military people are great and normal, we have a lot of the younger ones and new recruits who are just experiencing freedom for the first time.. and they're going a little nuts. There are a lot of fights and drunk people walking around all the time at the complex. Not very family-friendly in my opinion. I've had my car broken into twice and had it keyed as well.. luckily we're moving soon, but it has been a really rough last two years. It seems that everything has gone wrong with this place. And we picked it because we figured that having to put out the extra dough every month could deter the types of people who feel they need to steal or walk around drunk all the time.. but who knows.

 

[rockydek]

I currently live in an apartment in an urban area. It's a fairly nice apartment complex and you'd think that the high prices would keep the "riff raff" out, but I guess it doesn't.. anywho, I've had some serious problems with mail delivery since living here. I've had packages delivered to the wrong mailbox from the USPS and have never received some, as the person who received it decided they liked it. We have a different mail carrier almost daily, so it's hard to be able to chat with them to tell them our constant problem.

We also recently started a new checking account and had our debit cards come in the mail. DH got his today, but I didn't get mine. Okay.. so I called our bank and they told us that they were both mailed on the same day and mine should've been there as well. But it could have just been mixed in a different mail bag and could possibly come tomorrow.

My worry is that it was just another one of those items of mail that was delivered to the wrong mailbox and I will never see it. To activate DH's card, they didn't ask for any real information.. just what was on the card. So I'm worried that some of the people who live here that have that problem with integrity will end up using my card. Who knows.

Am I worrying about nothing, or should I be as worried as I am? Has anyone had a problem like this? What should I do?

Thanks everyone.. I know there is a great mix of people here from all different places and all different ages, so I'm hoping I can get some good advice from people with experience in bad mail situations.

It is VERY important to have your names on your mail box and above all...Have all your correspondents use your correct mailing address INCLUDING your unit number or Apt or SPC #.and 9 digit zipcode. Almost all mail is sorted in delivery point sequence by machines and is not touched by humans...until your letter carrier arrives at your mailbox. Only items that are addressed properly will be in proper sequence when the letter carrier arrives at your mailbox and delivered that day. Hope this helps. If an item is delivered to a different box...The automated equipment had difficulty reading the address.

 

[Carole]

I called the UPSS 800 number today about mail delivery at a small post office. My patience wore off when I received 5 holiday catalogs that should have been delivered in December. The "Target" one said to deliver between 11/24 and 11/26. This has been going on for several months. They took my name and address to research the issue.

 

[bumbershoot]

As far as activating the card, you need to call from the phone number they have on file for your account. So not just anyone can call and activate them.

Our accounts have hubby's cell phone attached to them, but I've activated my debit calling from my phone....




OP, we had a similar situation with an apartment building with rents high enough you'd think people wouldn't need to take other peoples' stuff, combined with a really bad postal carrier. Not a fun combo. People at our old place absolutely positively kept two of our packages (hubby was going too fast and ordered without realizing it was the old address...the address is right across the street with similar apt numbers), REFUSED to talk to apt management when we contacted them *ahead of time* to let them know these packages were on the way (with delivery confirmation) and to work out a way to get them back to us, and the way the managers talked about them, they knew the people were scummy as well.

And the carriers across the street are different than our building's carriers, which is weird, but it's how they drew the lines...so I can't even just talk to the carriers when they drop off at our building.

 

[katesorad]

Yuck- what's with all of us having poor mail service? Wouldn't you think that with all of the cuts going on right now with postal service, that they'd keep the ones who are more competent and get rid of the ones who can't even complete simple tasks?

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I called the UPSS 800 number today about mail delivery at a small post office. My patience wore off when I received 5 holiday catalogs that should have been delivered in December. The "Target" one said to deliver between 11/24 and 11/26. This has been going on for several months. They took my name and address to research the issue.

Because of the classification of these types of mailers, carriers can opt not to carry them on their route....say if they are overwhelmed by regular mail deliveries. We'va actually contacted someone in the USPS when we as employees complained that our company's mailers were not being delivered in a timely manner. But don't give up in bugging them. Perhaps if they realize customers are waiting for catalogs and sales flyers they will get delivered when due and not long after the fact.

 

[momrek06]

Well I live in San Diego in North County. I have been here since March '10 and can tell you OP that I have not experienced any mail delivery or UPS or FEDEX issues at all. My complex is brand new and actually no one (riff raff) can seem to find it, I think that is what is the funniest. It will not even come up on MAPQUEST if I need driving directions. Anyway, I also live on a cul de sac in my complex, so leaving packages on my front steps is never an issue, no one drives by my door but my neighbors.

We do have a Mail Boxes Etc down the street and I have stopped in for stamps and they do have allot of po boxes and it seems to be very popular.

My DS moved to SD a year ago and he is in La Jolla and he got himself a po box @ the post office. Did not even want to bother with missed mail/packages ... it has been great! Pretty reasonable as well.

 

[cm8]

You started your post talking about the "riff raff" in your building, but none of this seems to be the fault of the other folks in the building. It's the fault of the Post Office for sending a postal worker who is apparently not doing a proper or thorough job!

I live in a large apartment complex and mail appears in my mailbox that doesn't belong to me. I always write "return to sender - not at this address" on it and send it back. Whether it eventually gets to the recipient or not, I don't know. But if it doesn't, it's certainly not my fault -- it's the mail carrier's fault for putting it in the wrong place. So ... don't blame the person who got it by mistake!

Same with the package that you assumed was kept by whoever got it. Maybe they did keep it. But chances are they sent it back or left it for the mail carrier the next day. If any of the packages you were expecting were mail orders via catalogs, then they're all traceable and it's easy to find out where and when they were delivered, and in many cases you can even find out who signed for it. For anything that someone is sending you, all they have to do is require that the box be signed for, and then it will be at the Post Office for you. But I wouldn't automatically assume that someone else kept your stuff unless you've seen it in their apartment.

I do think that the PO box is your best option here, since the delivery in your building is clearly not up to par. But don't blame the people you live around. Likely they're getting mail that doesn't belong to them, they don't know who you are, and so they either return it unopened or toss it. I don't know that it's fair to label them as "riff raff."

 

[S. C.]

It's a fairly nice apartment complex and you'd think that the high prices would keep the "riff raff" out, but I guess it doesn't..

Imagine that! riff raff in all walks of life, it's not just the poor.

 

[waltsgirl]

DH and I have the same account and recently got new debit cards that came in separate envelopes. Each financial institution does it different, so I wouldn't be too worried about that. Mine came three days after his, even though I assume they were mailed on the same day.

As far as activating the card, you need to call from the phone number they have on file for your account. So not just anyone can call and activate them.


Ours is the same way. DH and I have the same account and our cards come separately and come several days apart even though they expire at the same time. Activation has to happen from the number on file and if not it should transfer to alive rep or will ask for more information to verify that the person on the phone is the correct person.

 

[katesorad]

Imagine that! riff raff in all walks of life, it's not just the poor.

I'm not stupid. No need to put words in my mouth.

 

[Carole]

Because of the classification of these types of mailers, carriers can opt not to carry them on their route....say if they are overwhelmed by regular mail deliveries. We'va actually contacted someone in the USPS when we as employees complained that our company's mailers were not being delivered in a timely manner. But don't give up in bugging them. Perhaps if they realize customers are waiting for catalogs and sales flyers they will get delivered when due and not long after the fact.

We receive our mail at the post office so there is no carrier involved.....

 

[SookieStackhouse]

The Post Office might not be 100 percent, but I think the odds of them doing it right would increase over the current situation with the carrier.