MTFCA Forum

The Post Office has service you can sign up for and get email of pictures of your daily mail. Not perfect, but pretty neat. Go to USPS Informed Delivery and sign up.

Beat you to it, Bob. I've been using it since at least late last year.

What is the cost of the service?

Mike, as I remember, its FREE. At least I don't remember paying anything and I don't get a monthly bill.

Why would I want a picture of my mail before it goes in the box? I am lucky. My mail arrives before 11AM.

How about a picture of my mail I sent being delivered or lost?

There is a box you can check if you don’t receive something pictured. I’m sure this is far from perfect, but it’s an attempt. And it’s a on cost service.

I screwed up! Should read NO cost— it is free to the user.

DHort wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 1:01 am

Why would I want a picture of my mail before it goes in the box? I am lucky. My mail arrives before 11AM.

I have had the service since they started it. I remember once there was a substitute on my route and Informed Delivery had indicated I was getting a check from a client that day. I didn't get it and mentioned it to the carrier. She went back to the truck and came back with a handful of mail that she hadn't noticed (I guess). It included my check. Nothing wrong with knowing useful information when it's free.

Why??? Because I have a PO Box in the neighboring town. I don't want to drive there if there is no mail.

BUT, it is not available with business addresses - or it may cost something with them.

The primary reason to sign up is security.

If you do not register your own address to your email, then anyone else can, including the miscreant down the street. Now they can monitor your mail and KNOW what is coming and when, including checks and any parcels.

You're not required to look, not even once, after signing up, but you have now "locked" your address from anyone else registering it.

I live several miles from my mailbox out on the highway and it is a blessing to have the service as I can let junk pile up for days, saving me much gas and a bouncy ride that I no longer must take on a daily basis.

I see this as a waste of time on the part of the USPS and an unnecessary additional cost of doing business for them. That technology (and time to manage it) has to be paid for by somebody somewhere along the line. The money (and effort) could be much better spent processing and delivering the mail. IMHO.
Terry

BobShirleyAtlantaTx wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 9:52 pm

The Post Office has service you can sign up for and get email of pictures of your daily mail. Not perfect, but pretty neat. Go to USPS Informed Delivery and sign up.

Been using it for a long time. Yes, its Free as well as those USPS Priority Mailing Boxes and their delivery to your home or business. A bit of caution - the boxes (envelopes) are the property of the USPS so they are not intended to be used for storing parts on your shelf (even used ones, look it up).
They include what called Priority Mail Regional boxes A & B (each with 2 sizes). Using their Clip n' Ship service they ship for less and are bigger than than the small & medium Priority Flat Rate Mail Boxes (A & B respectively). How? The standard Priority Flat Rate Mail Boxes are good for up to 70lbs distance independent. The A Box limit up to 15lbs and the B boxes up to 20lbs an distance affects cost but will be less because of the weight limits. . Must purchase & print shipping labels (they now have a new service where the labels can be printed at the Post Office - need to investigate) .
Another clever way to ship is using their Priority Mail Flat Rate Padded Envelope - stick parts in a box and that in the padded envelope
Businesses USPS mailing discounts are via STAMPS.COM
https://store.usps.com/store/results/sh ... 8v#content
NOTE when you sign up for the "INFORMED DELIVERY" you also have access to the Free Shipping Boxes etc
This link explains the rules of using and re-using USPS shipping materials read it regardless of ordering boxes: For example: you should not use an old(or new) USPS box inside a box your shipping because you could be charged the postage for it as well. Same has always been true for placing an addressed envelope inside a shipping box https://www.thebalancesmb.com/usps-supp ... es-4037892

Terry, I'm going to assume that if you think Informed Delivery is a waste of resources, then you'll love the fact that the Post Office is also scanning your Social Media monitoring what you say and who you say it to: https://www.businessinsider.com/usps-ru ... per-report

Terry_007 wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 10:45 am

I see this as a waste of time on the part of the USPS and an unnecessary additional cost of doing business for them. That technology (and time to manage it) has to be paid for by somebody somewhere along the line. The money (and effort) could be much better spent processing and delivering the mail. IMHO.
Terry

The Post Office has been scanning mail for sorting and notification (tracking updates) electronically (eliminates people) doing it for a long time. It is just a natural extension of taking and organizing that information via a computer program & emailing the results (no additional people involved). There is no time to manage it since it has been part of the process since ZIP codes. More importantly it is also a service to get people to use USPS: FedEx & UPS have similar services (I subscribe to those too).
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/delivery-manager.html
https://www.ups.com/us/en/services/trac ... hoice.page

NO PEOPLE INVOLVED ! ? I don't know what government agency your talking about but it can't be the USPS!

People Involved:
Scanner room supervisor
Scanner room supervisor secretary
Assistant scanner room supervisor
Assistant scanner room supervisors secretary
Computer & scanner installer
Computer programmer
Computer repair tech
Scanner loader
Scanner unjamming tech
Scanner unloader
Mail bin stacker
Janitor to clean up all the shredded letters
Building maintenance
and on and on and on....

I have been using informed delivery for a coupla years. FWIW, 2 days or so ago I got a notice in my email from it, that said it is ENDING I believe June 12. Maybe June 2. Anyway, its ending. BUT...thats only in the email notice. It IS continuing via an app.
I already downloaded it, available for both Anxroid and I-phone. So get the app if you want Informed Delivery, of mail and packages that will still take forever to get to you!

Right now I'm still waiting for a package from Snyders from an order put in a week ago tomorrow! The mail service has absolutely tanked since last Christmas. That and Covid was their excuse, I'd like to know what it is now. Last I saw on tracking it was stuck in Cleveland. Now I can't even find it. Grrrrr.

Finally tracked this errant package...get this folks...package left Snyders P.O. 2 days after it was dropped there...went to CLEVELAND, THEN CINCINNATI, then to AKRON, now its BACK IN CLEVELAND again today!! I am at a loss for words for this absolute stupidity. I just hope it even GETS HERE!

Screenshots of the tracking.

perry kete wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 11:50 am

NO PEOPLE INVOLVED ! ? I don't know what government agency your talking about but it can't be the USPS!

People Involved:
Scanner room supervisor
Scanner room supervisor secretary
Assistant scanner room supervisor
Assistant scanner room supervisors secretary
Computer & scanner installer
Computer programmer
Computer repair tech
Scanner loader
Scanner unjamming tech
Scanner unloader
Mail bin stacker
Janitor to clean up all the shredded letters
Building maintenance
and on and on and on....

Perhaps you missed my point - no additional people-- all those people you mention are/were part of the existing process for mail delivery since ZIP codes were adopted. Your local post office sends "Out of Town:" mail to the local distribution facility where sorting machines are scan (take a digital image) of the items to determine routing mail & packages by weight and postal class as well as determining how it will be transported - truck, air etc to maximize carrier weight/volume. From there they go to a "Network Distribution Facility" then to the destinations local distribution facility and then t o the local post office. Below is a picture of a sorting USPS sorting facility . The program used to scan envelopes and packages actual reads the address to determine where how it will be routed to the end destination (zip code). Simple process for a computer program to match that address to those enrolled in Informed Delivery and send an email. I designed the Global shipment tracking system for a Major Corporation :Factories to warehouses, storing in bins (X,Y,Z coordinates), order picking & optimizing picker travel through a warehouse, loading truck and/or cargotainers and delivery to dealer's in the 1980's that system is still in effect - supposed to be replaced again for 3rd time in the last 20 years... prior two attempts locked up from the work load. Seriously this link shows pictures of the equipment used for delivering mail - most of the people involved are at the local post offices sort to the final destination (carrier route - the 4 digits in the ZIP+4) https://about.usps.com/news/photos/equi ... allery.htm

I live in Illinois close to Chicago than Des Moines Iowa, yet almost all my USPS is threaded through Des Moines. Likely because most of the population in this area is on the other side of the river in Iowa

Scott_Conger wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 10:54 am

Terry, I'm going to assume that if you think Informed Delivery is a waste of resources, then you'll love the fact that the Post Office is also scanning your Social Media monitoring what you say and who you say it to: https://www.businessinsider.com/usps-ru ... per-report

Scott, May I ask you to please specify which Terry that you reply about. I don't want to be blamed for another"TERRY"S" posts. Especially if they are perceived to be nagative. If I post something perceived to be negative, I'll "own up" to my own posts. Thanks, Terry Woods

ModelTWoods wrote: ↑

Wed May 19, 2021 12:03 pm

Scott, May I ask you to please specify which Terry that you reply about. I don't want to be blamed for another"TERRY"S" posts. Especially if they are perceived to be negative. If I post something perceived to be negative, I'll "own up" to my own posts. Thanks, Terry Woods

Looking back through the thread, my guess is this one:
Username:
Terry_007
Groups:
First Name:
Terry
Last Name:
Bond
Location:
Chesapeake VA
MTFCI Number:
15718
Model Ts owned:
1914 Touring, 1915 Chassis

Reading thru the tracking information for my purchased items can be a hoot. For me, most go along fine until they reach Memphis then who knows where the will end up or how long they will sit there before they move. Processing time has improved so I guess I will need to find another form of entertainment.

I signed up for ID several days ago and have yet to receive a notice. The first day I got one with some else's stuff in TX.

Well thats the post office for ya!
Still waiting for my Snyders package I ordered over a week ago. It's on a scenic tour! I have to clarify my previous post. As usual I misunderstood the P.O.'s statement, ID is still gonna be in email, but not on its "standalone" mobile app. And we can still access ID via the USPS mobile app as well. Confusing a little. Just wish they'd get their act together and quit sending packages across Timbuktu to get to its destination!

A picture recently taken, by an undercover reporter, at a large postal processing center where a few packages have allegedly languished for longer than one might expect.

DLodge wrote: ↑

Thu May 20, 2021 9:09 am

ModelTWoods wrote: ↑

Wed May 19, 2021 12:03 pm

Scott, May I ask you to please specify which Terry that you reply about. I don't want to be blamed for another"TERRY"S" posts. Especially if they are perceived to be negative. If I post something perceived to be negative, I'll "own up" to my own posts. Thanks, Terry Woods

Looking back through the thread, my guess is this one:
Username:
Terry_007
Groups:
First Name:
Terry
Last Name:
Bond
Location:
Chesapeake VA
MTFCI Number:
15718
Model Ts owned:
1914 Touring, 1915 Chassis

Yup, my post, my opinion.
Terry

Thanks Bill!!
Just what I needed to see!
At least mine is back in Cleveland after making an unnecessary trip to Akron, Cincinnati and back. Good grief. Been in Cleveland niw for at least 2 days, maybe 3. If I knew I could, I'd drive up there and get the danged thing myself!