So I Get This Phone Call From the Post Office Right
Yesterday I got a call from the the U.S. Post Office. They were inquiring about a house for sale in a community called Pilgrim's Rest in Trussville, Alabama. Actually, the call was not exactly about the house, it was really about flyers that were being put in the peolple's mailboxes advertising this house for sale in Pilgrim's Rest.
When she mentioned the word flyer, I immediately knew where she was headed as I don't know how I knew, but I knew it was against the law to place non-post marked material in mailboxes as a way of delivery.
At any rate, I was glad to inform her that I was not the culprit as I did not have any listings in the Trussville area. I asked her how she got to me and she said she Goggled the address and wound up on my WordPress website which has a totally awesome IDX (as many people do).
So What's it to You?
Well the answer to that is twofold.
- Just in case you didn't know it,You not item not delivered via the US Postal Service can be attached to a mail receptacle. (Updated this one thanks to Peter - Comment #1.)
- If you don't have an IDX because you don't believe they have value, then think again. There really isn't a day that goes by that my Diverse Solutions IDX doesnt' feed me a lead of some sort
Here's What the US Poster Has to Say
Attaching Flyers, Posters, etc. to a Mail Box
-
Can a flyer/envelope be put it in someone else's mailbox without being mailed? What if a stamp was placed on it?
Postage must go through the United States Postal Service and be delivered for it to be valid postage and therefore acceptable in the mail receptacle. A flyer cannot be placed in a mailbox after putting a stamp on it unless the item was actually mailed. According to Sect. 508.3.1.3 of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM):
"No part of a mail receptacle may be used to deliver any matter not bearing postage, including items or matter placed upon, supported by, attached to, hung from, or inserted into a mail receptacle. Any mailable matter not bearing postage and found as described above is subject to the same postage as would be paid if it were carried by mail."
"Postage" is defined as: Payment for a delivery service that is affixed or imprinted to a mailpiece, usually in the form of a postage stamp, permit imprint, or meter impression.
Notes:
- If you have a curbside mailbox or a mailbox on the outside of your house, Postal Service regulations govern what can and can not be placed in them. Generally speaking, only mail that has been sent through the USPS may be placed in these types of receptacles. Conversely, USPS regulations do not govern what can be placed in a mail slot on your door. This means that if a local business wants to put a flyer in the mail slot, they can do so.
- For further questions (or to report occurrences) regarding flyers being placed into your mailbox without first going through the postal system, please refer to the local Post Office.
Comments(52)