[GeneralQuestions / Shipping] "Hold for pickup" option on Priority Mail. A few questions. Thoughts?

Can I request that a vendor send something to my local post office as a hold for pickup item? If so, what kind of info do I need to provide? Do I have it sent to the address of the post office, or my mailing address here? What will I need to provide to pick it up? I have an ID that is out of state and doesn't match any addresses here, though, I did submit a change of address form which is now in effect. Also, is this a terrible idea for a small quantity?


Comments


[3 Points] None:

Terrible idea. Vendor won't even answer your message unless they desperately need your small order, if they do, avoid them. No custom shipping requests. Ever.


[3 Points] None:

You could just go to the post office yourself and have them hold all of your mail.


[2 Points] Theeconomist1:

WTF would you do this? I don't even think that's its the worst idea if you have a hold on your mail and DNM pack happens to come through during that time frame, but this makes no sense to actually have the post office as a destination address? If you need it held b/c you are going out of town or something you can use a mail hold and pick up when you get back. I've done this before, not on purpose, but a pack was later than expected and I was going out of town. Mail was held, no problems. But I have no clue why you would do this. My initial thought was you didn't have a permanent place of residence but you mention you have a change of address form in effect, so i really have no clue why you'd do this.


[2 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] None:

I think a few answerers and possibly you are unaware of how the mailing option that you're suggesting works. It isn't the world's most lousy idea in my opinion, except in your case.

I travel around a lot and have a house sitter only for longer period than a week. She does just fine but I occasionally have documents that I will have send priority hold for delivery since I don't want them to get rained on since my mail slot is too small for a full size document envelope to fit into. The carrier leaves my larger envelopes or packs on a bench on my porch and it's usually fine but during the rainy season things occasionally get damp.

I personally don't have much issue with picking up packs from the PO since my mail normally gets held about a week a month for work travel and sometimes I'll get sent on short notice and a DNM pack will be in it.

But in your case it's a bad idea because you don't have ID matching the address you're trying to mail to. The service you're referring to is just regular priority mail, but instead they deliver a pink slip to the address and you go fetch it.

It also requires vendors to do one of two things - go into the PO to mail it or use the online mailing system to send priority hold for P/U. Since vendors try to avoid both of those systems, you'd have a hard time finding one willing to do so.

I've only seen two vendors ever who use express correctly and go to fill out forms and hand over counter at the PO. It's far too risky for the vendor and I've always sort of wondered how either of them felt comfortable doing it. I always assume they left it as an errand for a friend since you can't really go into the PO with latex gloves on and fill out forms.