Snail Mail Box

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pchs

185 posts

Master Geek

#239566 24-Jul-2018 08:29

I'm currently rebuilding my fence, and don't want to have to put a postal box in it. I don't receive any post mail that i actually want (I'm happy for anyone trying to contact me via snail mail to have their items returned) however when i queried NZ Post about this they were not too keen (understandably!) and have said that they are legally obliged to deliver mail to an address (which seems correct)

Does anyone have any experience in what happens if you don't have a mail box, does NZ Post just hold on to your mail and then destroy or send it back (which is what i want) I'm just not going to put a post box up, but would prefer to be able to do something officially so as not to just be a pain to the postie.

I guess this is a problem that will eventually sort it out with the eventual demise of postal mail, however i might just be a little early.

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4962 posts

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Inactive user

#2061475 24-Jul-2018 08:36

Good call! I have had to put two no circular signs on ours as it seemed to depend which way they came down the street. The only issues I see are the ones that choose to live in the past.. ie Land Transport posting rego tickets, Stats NZ posting census codes, Ministry of justice posting speeding tickets etc...

trig42

5809 posts

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#2061478 24-Jul-2018 08:37

I don't think it is a legal requirement to have a mailbox.

I don't know what happens to yor mail if you don't have one though (I'm thinking things like Rates bills, election stuff?)

pchs

185 posts

Master Geek

#2061484 24-Jul-2018 08:46

trig42:

I don't think it is a legal requirement to have a mailbox.

I don't know what happens to yor mail if you don't have one though (I'm thinking things like Rates bills, election stuff?)

NZ Post put it more as its a legal requirement for them to deliver addressed mail, which makes sense, but not sure what they would do on a very long driveway if there was no box, which is why I'd prefer for them to have some sort of system where it effectively gets bounced or blackholed at their processing centres, much like email.

Rates, Bank, etc i receive all through email.

pchs

185 posts

Master Geek

#2061490 24-Jul-2018 08:50

chevrolux:

Good call! I have had to put two no circular signs on ours as it seemed to depend which way they came down the street. The only issues I see are the ones that choose to live in the past.. ie Land Transport posting rego tickets, Stats NZ posting census codes, Ministry of justice posting speeding tickets etc...

Yes good point, I don't know why LTNZ don't just let people print out the rego tickets, looking at them apart from them being on a plastic type paper there is nothing special about them, surely anyone that checks the validity of them scans to a real-time database to check authenticity.

davidcole

6029 posts

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#2061501 24-Jul-2018 09:13

Why don't you just get a po box?

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PhantomNVD

2619 posts

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#2061505 24-Jul-2018 09:27

davidcole:

Why don't you just get a po box?

why pay for something you really don't want at all though?

just leave a small slot in your fence, mark it with your number on the outside, and have a compost bin below :)

Kraven

729 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2061506 24-Jul-2018 09:30

Is getting the mail redirected to another address an option for you? $63 every 12 months if paid online.

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pchs

185 posts

Master Geek

#2061561 24-Jul-2018 10:15

PhantomNVD:

davidcole:

Why don't you just get a po box?

why pay for something you really don't want at all though?

just leave a small slot in your fence, mark it with your number on the outside, and have a compost bin below :)

I don't care too much about the cost, I would happily pay a monthly charge to NZ Post to return anything send to the sender! compost bin is a great idea! although would be more handy for items to be sent back so people know that I don't accept snail mail.

At this stage I'm just not putting in a box so will see what happens!

davidcole

6029 posts

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#2061575 24-Jul-2018 10:27

I thought there were laws around postal mail, ie that it must have a drop point, which is why PO boxes exist

rscole86

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#2061580 24-Jul-2018 10:37

Have you considered the services of something like Private Box?

ObidiahSlope

260 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2061594 24-Jul-2018 10:41

Don't overthink it. Cut a slot in your fence, cut a slot in a lidded container and attach it to the fence.

I know someone whose mail box was vandalised. Before it was replaced his mail was returned to sender endorsed "no such address". As he was in a number plus letter address {A-B} his neighbor agreed to him placing his number on their box. Both liked this solution as it halved the volume of junk mail, tidied up the street entrance, and provided automatic mail box clearance when either was away.

A tip. I recommend you attach an easily recognised reflectorised street number to your fence so if emergency services need to find you in the middle of the night they do not have to cruise up and down the street trying to find your house.

Obsequious hypocrite

itxtme

2102 posts

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#2061606 24-Jul-2018 10:55

Have you considered all mail sources? For example I have only ever gotten a credit card in the mail

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2061626 24-Jul-2018 11:29

Just be careful, government departments still love snail mail and banks too. Especially if they have to send you a plastic card (Super Gold Card, Community Services Card, ATM cards, Credit cards etc)

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

nickb800

2715 posts

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#2061627 24-Jul-2018 11:30

I suspect what would happen within twelve months would be that the 'delivery point' of your street address would drop off the NZPost system, and then all bulk mailers (banks etc) who verify their addresses with NZPost would then be signalled that your address is wrong, and therefore the mail would get stopped before it even gets printed. However, there will always be dribs and drabs from other sources

DarthKermit

5346 posts

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#2061658 24-Jul-2018 12:55

If you don't have a mail box, where else are couriers gonna leave your signature required packages?

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