[Marigold]

Not saying that “lightning can’t strike twice” but the Sugar Cane Postal Station in The Villages was broken into January and packages were stolen from “locked boxes.”

[zuidemab]

Think of it as VIP service. Yes it happens for me too

[joseppe]

Originally Posted by EdFNJ

RELAX! I am not filing a complaint (actually it was more convenient) but just wondering if this is "legal" S.O.P. by postal service employees.

I was sitting home all day (mostly because it was raining) waiting for an important and expensive "signature required" package via USPS. About 4PM I was notified that it was delivered and signed for and I immediately got very nervous since I didn't have it. Got a proof of delivery from USPS online and while I could barely read the scribble it turned out to be the mail employee at the mail center here and it was sitting in my mailbox with a key without any notice of it being there (usually tracking says "left in mailbox" or something like that this just said DELIVERED and SIGNED FOR).

While it actually was more convenient for me since I didn't have to go all the way down to the Lady Lake post office (18 mile RT) which is a pain in the azz to retrieve it I am wondering if that is supposed to happen. First time in 3 years it did. USUALLY a signature required package is physically delivered to my house by someone from our local postal station and if I am not home a slip is left to retrieve it in Lady Lake the following day.

On one hand I like the convenience but on the other it could create a problem under some circumstances. I can understand if I had left a signed signature release as with Fedex or UPS but I hadn't.


EDIT 11/10 9:30PM

This is what concerns me (from the USPS website). If someone from the PO local mail house accepts and signs for my package and puts the key for it in the wrong mailbox I'm SOL.

Recipient Responsibilities
When you sign for a piece of mail, you acknowledge delivery. The Postal Service’s liability ends when you sign for the mail. You may ask the letter carrier for the sender’s name and address before you accept the mail. You may not open the mail, but you may look at it as long as the letter carrier is holding it before you choose to sign for it.

That was not proper procedure. The sender pays for a signature guarantee that the recipient or his/her Agent will sign for the item being sent. If you did not designate the person at the mail center to be your agent then that was an improper signature. The signature is supposed to be at the delivery address or at the postal facility.

[msilagy]

Some really nasty comments from some people - be glad all worked well for you and you received your $1000 pkg - move on and don't concern yourself with what might happen in the future to others. I realize you are not condemning the event just wanting to know the legitimate aspect..... And for those that discredit the mail people, that's just sour grapes and not necessary when people are making a living by delivering "your mail and packages" in a cramped room daily! Be thankful!

[Sunflower33]

It’s his job to get our packages. So sometimes he brings it to your house and sometimes it’s in your box when you get notified. I’ve been here 11 years and it’s always been done that way

[saw mill road]

Originally Posted by oneclickplus

The USPS has no right to "feel" a signature is not required by the recipient. The recipient's signature is being required by the sender who paid an additional fee for that service. What if this is a certified package containing legal documents. A person can be legally "served" in a lawsuit by the use of certified mail signature required. No one other than the recipient has the right to sign for that legal document. Putting it in a locked box and providing the key does not address this. The boxes can be opened by anyone in a family for example. This does not prove the recipient received the legal documents.

If there is any legal problem and your signature is not authentic you will not be liable because your signature was forged therefor not legal.

[Ksfirefighter]

Many people put their ballots in the mail and didn’t think about what happened to them or even knew if they showed up.
You are smart in questioning proper postal practices.

They should have said “delivered to mailbox”

[PennBF]

We have a wonderful Mail Person. Many a time she has delivered to our home rather than put in a box. We are thankful we have her. We support any thing she does as we know it is always for our benefit.

[Larchap49]

Originally Posted by tsmall22204

Hey hey hey, they work very hard. You got your package. The mail contractors are good at what they do. If you don't like the way the mail service works here in the Villages then move to somewhere you do. Jesus.

It sounds like you are one of the impatient grumpy Villagers the loca ppl retail people have to deal with daily. You could do all a favor by lightening up or relocating yourself.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by Dgizzi

That is no good. They should not be allowed to sign for your package. These people are worthless. Unreal. I can’t stand ordering online. Never had to do it so much until moving to Florida. I hate it and I try real hard not to order online. Now hearing this I will not order online. Makes me mad.

Originally Posted by Dgizzi

Exactly. It was signed for and said received. If this mail person stoled it you have no way to prove you didn’t receive the package and can’t get a refund. That’s the problem people. These mail people can sign for anything. Surprise they don’t steal medicine that comes through the mail just to see what it is!!

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Your comments about hard working service people says more about you than them!

Spot on, Two Bills.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I'm not sure I understand the issue here. If the package was delivered to the postal station in The Villages and placed in a locked mailbox where the only person with access to the key is the recipient,

In a perfect world you would be right (but not legally).

Signature REQUIRED is of the RECIPIENT or someone at his/her residence (he doesn't live inside a BOX). I had a PO BOX up north in a "real" post office building with 24/7 employees for over 40 years and anything that had a signature required I HAD TO SIGN for it. Since I wasn't "home inside the box" as warm and cozy as that may be they would leave me the sticker to sign and I would bring it to the front desk to get my package **OR** I could AUTHORIZE WITH MY SIGNATURE to leave it in the box.

Regarding this specific item:
This was a $1000 device in a large box that would not fit into my little 4 x 4 cubbyhole so the agent put a key in a mailbox box and the $1000 package was in the "package retrieval" section box which is fine

***BUT***

what if the agent put they KEY for this $1000 device into the WRONG MAILBOX which happened to me once before. Package said delivered but was nowhere to be found. Turns out the key for the retrieval box was put into the wrong mailbox. Lucky me it was an honest neighbor's box and I got my package ..... but what if it wasn't ????

Signature required means signature OF RECIPIENT REQUIRED.



From USPS:

Recipient Responsibilities
When you sign for a piece of mail, you acknowledge delivery. The Postal Service’s liability ends when you sign for the mail.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by oneclickplus

The USPS has no right to "feel" a signature is not required by the recipient. The recipient's signature is being required by the sender who paid an additional fee for that service. What if this is a certified package containing legal documents. A person can be legally "served" in a lawsuit by the use of certified mail signature required. No one other than the recipient has the right to sign for that legal document. Putting it in a locked box and providing the key does not address this. The boxes can be opened by anyone in a family for example. This does not prove the recipient received the legal documents.

I mostly agree, but unless the package was specifically designated as requiring the actual named person on the package to sign for it, the recipient could have allowed anyone to accept it and sign for it. A specifically designated signature is another type of USPS package designation and pricing option. It doesn't sound like the OP's package was a legal document with that type of delivery option.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Girlcopper

How about you goo the source, the post office and ask

Thank you for yet another helpful comment. Aren't "discussions" the reason for forums such as this? Aside from that your comment was answered in the first post.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I mostly agree, but unless the package was specifically designated as requiring the actual named person on the package to sign for it, the recipient could have allowed anyone to accept it and sign for it. A specifically designated signature is another type of USPS package designation and pricing option. It doesn't sound like the OP's package was a legal document with that type of delivery option.

The postal employee is not my legally designated signer nor do they reside at my residence. That could open a very large can of worms.

From USPS:

What will I receive with Signature Confirmation™ Service?
You will be provided the following information:

• Signature and name of the recipient
• Date, time and location of the delivery
• Signature Confirmation™ requires that the recipient (or a responsible person at the residence) be present to sign for the item.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by tsmall22204

Hey hey hey, they work very hard. You got your package. The mail contractors are good at what they do. If you don't like the way the mail service works here in the Villages then move to somewhere you do. Jesus.

LOL, the typical "if you don't like it move" response.