USPS "Informed Delivery"

[Fred588]

I suppose this might come across as a commercial for the USPS but I have to say their new service called "Informed Delivery" is pretty cool. You sign up for it but there is no charge. Then, whenever you have something coming that has been electronically scanned (not just packages) you get an email with a photo of what is coming. It doesn't say what day it will arrive, which is a weakness, but so far for the one item for which I have received such notice, I received the notice in the morning's email and it was at the post office when I got there two hours later. Things not scanned, including junk mail, are NOT included, which I think is a strength. For someone like me, who has to go to the post office, eight miles each way, for all mail this is a rather nice service.
I understand it is not available everywhere yet but it must be in most places if it has arrived in this wilderness.

[Mynock]

I wish more people offered USPS shipping and not just UPS/FedEx. I had an issue with packages getting stolen off my porch so now I'm super paranoid about them just leaving stuff, and to pick up from UPS or FedEx location is a good 40 minute drive out of my way. Post Office is right down the street.

[Fred588]

Out here five miles past the end of civilization, that sort of thing is not much of a problem. For situations such as yours, however, I wonder about the possibility of installing some sort of locked box with a slot (like the drop-off boxes for mail but smaller) that might be used for at least smaller deliveries. Or perhaps a larger box that could be left open but that would lock if the cover or door were closed.

A lot of vendors (I buy a LOT of stuff from Amazon, for example) use services offered by UPS and FedEx whereby that company delivers to your post office instead of your house. One of the problems I do see with Amazon's deliveries is that, with their free delivery at least, they do not appear to have any way that the buyer can know - until the package is shipped - what form of delivery will be used. It would be nice if that could be changed.

I wish more people offered USPS shipping and not just UPS/FedEx. I had an issue with packages getting stolen off my porch so now I'm super paranoid about them just leaving stuff, and to pick up from UPS or FedEx location is a good 40 minute drive out of my way. Post Office is right down the street.

[Mynock]

If I get prime can I specify shipping? That would make me finally pull the trigger on a prime account.

[Fred588]

I don't know. I do not have prime.

If I get prime can I specify shipping? That would make me finally pull the trigger on a prime account.

[jadokast98]

Informed delivery is awesome!

I used it to input the parcel number and I had selected to be informed by texts. Getting a text randomly day or night was a minor problem for my... but my wife would tease and asked politely to have my fictitious girlfriend text at more appropriate times. Company meetings during the workday as well.
I have the app on both the phone and tablet that make life easier. A scan of each letter (and junk mail) gets sent as an email and when I log in to the app I get to see progress of the parcels, the mail that came in on any particular day, and if any piece did not make it to me I can put a check mark in a box that says "I did not receive this."

All in all a good feature you don't have to pay for. It's expanding coverage areas too, so... "Coming to your area."