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Old 11-22-2014, 09:05 AM   #1
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Temporary Mail forwarding

We spend 12 weeks in Florida, in the past we held our Mail until we got back. What do you do? I understand that we can use Escapees or other services to forward our Mail but does anybody use the temporary forwarding service of the USPS? If so what is the delay time in receiving the Mail.



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Old 11-22-2014, 09:07 AM   #2
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We use the temporary USPS mail forwarding service and while I have not diligently kept track of the delays, it's my sense that it runs about a week to ten days.
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Old 11-22-2014, 09:20 AM   #3
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I read that the max time the USPS will hold mail is 30 days.

How are you getting them to hold it for 12 weeks?
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Old 11-22-2014, 09:37 AM   #4
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We go to the local office and fill out a form, have done this the last 3 years.


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Old 11-22-2014, 09:57 AM   #5
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If you are in a fixed location in FL, you can get a change of address form either from the USPS or online at their website. We have our mail forwarded to FL from Maine during the winter and it takes about 5-7 days to arrive. Change it back when we return. Very dependable.
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Old 11-22-2014, 10:21 AM   #6
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We spend 12 weeks in Florida, in the past we held our Mail until we got back. What do you do? I understand that we can use Escapees or other services to forward our Mail but does anybody use the temporary forwarding service of the USPS? If so what is the delay time in receiving the Mail.
When I was evacuated for Hurricane Katrina, I used USPS mail forwarding for nine weeks straight, changing addresses every three weeks as I returned to work but didn't return home, working out of various field offices until our headquarters office was ready to reopen. Every time I changed addresses, it took a couple of days for mail to catch up, but other than that there was only about a one-day delay in receiving mail. Parcels, that took forever.
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Old 11-22-2014, 10:44 AM   #7
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We go to the local office and fill out a form, have done this the last 3 years.


Gary
Yes, we fill out the form on line, but it specifically says, 30 days max. We have gone over that by a few days with no problems, but I'm afraid to go much longer.

Check this page: https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/
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Old 11-22-2014, 10:58 AM   #8
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If you have a trusted person at your permanent residence, ask them to drop it all in a box once a week and mail for you.
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Old 11-22-2014, 11:30 AM   #9
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Yes, we fill out the form on line, but it specifically says, 30 days max. We have gone over that by a few days with no problems, but I'm afraid to go much longer.

Check this page: https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/
I guess that's because if you're going to be gone more than 30 days, they expect you to have your mail forwarded or file a change of address.

By the way, they've changed the way they handled forwarded mail. Used to be daily at no extra charge when I did it last during the Katrina evacuation. From the USPS website, it appears that they now collect your mail for a week and then forward it all at once— for an extra fee. So to answer the original question, your mail could be delayed up to a week, plus however many days it takes to be batch-forwarded to your temporary address, if you go with USPS mail forwarding.
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Old 11-22-2014, 11:55 AM   #10
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Holding mail and forwarding mail are two different options at USPS. There is a time limit for holding, even for 2nd & 3rd class mail.

We paid UPS for a box and forwarding service our first year of retirement, which was a serious pia.

Priority Mail to Beulah, WY, or some other out of the way place could take 10 days, causing us to hover around an area we wished to depart, waiting for our mail.

We then began forwarding first class mail to my adult son, who lives in our town, who checked it, opened anything important looking, scanned that in and emailed it to us. Our regular mail lady holds everythng else.

The problem with mail forwarding is that the sorting is done by machine, and machines sometimes just don't do it correctly. Things that should be forwarded don't get forwarded, some end up in what the mail lady holds and some get sent back as undeliverable. Some bills cannot be fowarded, like medical bills, which get sent back and that can become a problem when you don't respond or pay them in a timely manner. We've seen it all.

This is what we have found works best: have 1st class mail forwarded to son, arrange with mail lady to deliver held mail every 30 days or so, son goes by to set it inside and go thru it for anything important that has slipped thru the machine.

We have lived in the same house for 29 years and are fortunate to have had a face to face relationship with each of our mail persons thru the years. I have their cell phone numbers, call them and arrange for held mail to be left on the front porch while we are gone. One of those fabric of our lives relationships.

Sometimes the machine sends things back. It just happens. If you are expecting something, touch base with the sender so they can make other arrangements with you, is my suggestion.


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Old 11-22-2014, 12:34 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveH View Post
Yes, we fill out the form on line, but it specifically says, 30 days max. We have gone over that by a few days with no problems, but I'm afraid to go much longer.

Check this page: https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/
Mail hold is not the same thing as mail forwarding.
Mail forwarding is actually a temporary change of address.
https://moversguide.usps.com/icoa/mo...referral=UMOVE

Mail can be forwarded up to 6 months, and extended an additional 6 months.

A few weeks before I leave, I pick up a form at the post office, fill it out at home, then put it in my mailbox at home. This way my mail carrier sees it. (my mail carrier is also a neighbor so I want her to know we are gone) Then the form is sent by snail mail, no stamp required, instead of doing it online.

I am in Florida right now. My mail is forwarded to me. I've been doing that for the last 4 years.

Mail from home is delayed about 10-12 days. Junk mail is not forwarded. Some magazines are not forwarded (we do a change of address for our magazines subscriptions in addition to mail forwarding at USPS)

In prior years, two weeks before we went home we use the mail hold form online. This year I think we will do the change to mail hold 3 weeks before going home. A few pieces of mail went to FL after we left last spring.
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Old 11-22-2014, 04:16 PM   #12
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One other thing we've done..and I realize not everyone is comfortable doing this..is gone paperless on as many bills and statements as possible. A very few bills, such as local water, are not able to be billed and paid online. These still come via snail mail. We actually get very little snail mail.
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Old 11-22-2014, 04:34 PM   #13
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I have all regularly recurring bills auto-debited from checking, such as utilities, credit cards, insurance, etc., receiving most of those statements via email.....which most folks on the road a lot seem to do.

Some things still come snail mail......such as medical bills.

You may not have them now, but you or a loved one will surely incur them in the future.....and they come in the mail, in my experience. They are frequently not forwarded, per instructions on the envelopes.

Just something to be aware of, and to plan for when you know they are out there.


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Old 11-22-2014, 08:40 PM   #14
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One other thing we've done..and I realize not everyone is comfortable doing this..is gone paperless on as many bills and statements as possible. A very few bills, such as local water, are not able to be billed and paid online. These still come via snail mail. We actually get very little snail mail.
We also pay most all of our bills online, our main concern is tax papers. Last year we came home early so we could get things done by April 15.


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Old 11-22-2014, 08:50 PM   #15
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I do my taxes online and don't need to go back to Maine to do them. Everything I need, I have. Even tax forms are available online.



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