Stolen mail.

Alright... i have this idea for a company. And this all started 2 weeks ago. I have this idea because of how i felt after hearing those words come from a postal clerk.

I paid for an expensive pair of headphones. Even came with special 3d engravement. I patiently waited for the box to arrive.

It took 6 weeks to get to my doorstep.

It was originally delivered around the evening of the 19th.

In the tracking email sent to me it claimed it was inside of a locked parcel box.

I checked my mail box on Wednesday morning at 3 am in the cold of night....

No key.

I checked again that afternoon.

No key.

I checked the next morning at 2 am, as soon as i got back from work.

No key.

I walk into the post office... i inquire about this locked parcel box. The post man walks into the back. He prints out a log of that particular package and shows me that at 17:21 it was determined to be placed into a locked parcel box. But at 17:23. Two minutes later it was reported as "left package on property."

At that moment he explained it to me.... i felt shattered.

I was so broken because i spent a small fortune on it and patiently waited. I even double and tripple checked my mail box. I looked arpund my hpuse to find this package at 2 am. 12 mid day. Nothing...

Shattered, i wrote down my name and phone number. And he told me a supervisor would contact me in 48 hours.

After those 48 hours passed, and not a single ring on my phone... i had to submit a refund.

Here i am now, still without being contacted by absolutely anyone.... waiting for a reply.

So now that you know what has happened so far.... it got me thinking of creating a company that simply accepts packages, and holds them until the rightful owner comes to collect them.

Think this idea is a big waste of time? Or do you think this is wprth pursuing?

Granted the rules would work simply like this:

We accept the package, id it, tag it with a ref #, and then store it in a location locked from the outside world. Where as the registrant in our company pays a small fee to hold their package until they, themselves, come to collect it with id and a password unique to each box.

And if you fail to retrieve the box after 90 days.... you forfeit the contents to the company.

Granted you can extend the packages stay for a small fee month to month. And even buy insurance to make sure ypur box maintains its integrity.

No matter the size of it limited to 9 foot by 6 foot by 6 foot in hiegth, width, and length. And as small as a post card.

The idea of this is to hold the package for those who are just as shattered as i am for the post man to leave a small fortune's worth of an item out for anyone to come and grab.

Or do you think this would be a failure? Is there something similar out there that currently exists? Where as you are not asking a bakery to jold a package for you but an actual company that does this? Im not talking about a sketchy train box set up but an actual warehouse to hold packages until the rightful owner comes to collect it?

If not what should the name of this place be? Any ideas?

Where I live if you're not home the postman leaves a card and you go down to the local post office and pick up your parcel. Seems a little silly to just leave it at your front door and hope for the best. Also I think there a businesses like officeworks who offer a similar service, If there is nothing of a similar nature in your area it could be a good idea as I would probably use the service rather than have parcels just left at the door.

Name maybe you could call it "Grabem by the Box"?

a reply to: GiulXainx

I'm sorry you didn;t get your headphones. There are rental boxes for that purpose at post ofices and copy/office stores, but none that only take packages, as far as I know.

Even 'Mailboxes Etc.' I think does far more than just accept packages now and space at all is nowhere close to the size you mention.

That is a good idea!

originally posted by: KungfuStu
Where I live if you're not home the postman leaves a card and you go down to the local post office and pick up your parcel. Seems a little silly to just leave it at your front door and hope for the best. Also I think there a businesses like officeworks who offer a similar service, If there is nothing of a similar nature in your area it could be a good idea as I would probably use the service rather than have parcels just left at the door.


depends on the type of service you pay for.
If you pay more, they require a signature, otherwise the boxes are left on the porch

It is a very noble idea! I don't see how would you make a living of off it though. You will need to rent a place, equip it with coded lockers. The place will have to be accessible 24/7 otherwise what is the point to have a place like that. You will need to pay for electricity, maintenance etc. You will have to have at least one person on site, unless it is you, also need to pay wages. Have to have insurance of some kind. Have to advertise the business, social media helps but still will cost some money. This is just from top of my head

I am not even sure how much you have to charge to this service to come even, annually. If its too cheap you are broke if too expensive not many will use.

Still it is a great idea, just not doable as a business. Sorry if I sound negative

a reply to: GiulXainx

I lost/forgot my password.
Can I have my package, please?

Or

I'm here to pick up a package for ***.
He's had an accident/illness and can't pick it up himself. Didn't give me a password and he's unable to speak in his condition.

I could show you a power of attorney (that I made up myself).

a reply to: GiulXainx

As our mail service in the UK was being privatized - sold off to private contractor's - we had a serious problem.
They were hiring cheap labor for the sorting office's and also under paying the postal delivery workers which of course meant that Mail was being stole or opened by non other than the people whom were supposed to deliver it or sort it and some cases were post men were found to have large quantity's of undelivered mail in there home's.

Maybe you fell foul of something similar there but proving it would be extremely difficult.

This happens. DPD use local shops.

a reply to: GiulXainx

UPS. ..FED EX....all of them will hold for you.. .Post Office will too

a reply to: KungfuStu

That`s the way it`s suppose to work, that`s the way it did work, there was a law that if the post office couldn`t fit the package in your mailbox they had to take it back to the post office for safe keeping until you came and got it.They left a note in your mailbox saying they have a package at the post office that won`t fit in your mailbox so you have to come and pick it up.

a reply to: Tardacus

if you ordered from amazon...you can have it sent to your address or to a lock box in a business near you , I have seen them at the 7 eleven and a few other places

sorry you didn't get your package...that sucks

a reply to: Bhadhidar

That is the thing. Everyone who signs up for this service is ID'd. If a person shows up claiming to be an assistant or a courier for that person it would require a simple password shared between all three parties. If they do not provide proof over the phone that they are in fact who they say they are, then the package can not be retrieved.

Kind of old fashioned, but it is still very effective. Unless of course someone hacks their email account.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

If you call them to hold it.

The thing is they shouldn't just leave your package on a doorstep outside where anyone can grab it. And they in fact know the package is holding an item inside with a value higher than 100 dollars with the usps.

I am mad about it but honestly it comes down to laziness, and workspace.

But the biggest *ing slap to my face about this is the fact that the lock boxs at my cluster box are still... wide open. Both of them have been empty for the entire *ing time i have been checking my mail, every day mind you, since it was "delivered." And the fact that the package was marked "in locked parcell box" both on their website tracking service, and in their logs.... that just lights me up like a christmas tree filled with broken tinsel, and hot wires.

Put a notice of what happened on your neighborhood Facebook as a warning to others. Ask if they accidentally received the package at their door to return it to you. It's worked a few times in my neighborhood.

But then one time my Lands End order went missing from my porch and I saw it on display the following weekend at a yard sale. I let UPS know and they said they would investigate, never heard anything back from them, insurance covers it so they don't care. Lands End replaced the order.

Good Luck,

STM

a reply to: GiulXainx

Yep...I had a few instances where I was living somewhere where we didnt have delivery...but had to go to a central box or the P.O. itself. Its like that in rural areas where they have no mail-person.

And...in most cases...if its YOU that orders something...you can ask for a signature when delivered so it wont be unless one CAN sign for it.

In Michigan here (Detroit metro area-Dearborn)...friggin' lowlifes steal stuff from porches everyday...so its a thought to have it left or signed for...at the P.O.

Thanks for the reply...I wonder how this Amazon-by-drone delivery they are planning's gonna go? Stuffs gonna be shot outta the sky!

MS