Mail Delivery

[bigdog]

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

[Newbiesaukee]

Originally Posted by bigdog

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

It usually does take a few weeks but it is variable in my 17 years of Lake experience.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

We had the same experience last year, but we think we got most of it. Be sure to stop the forwarding well in advance of your return. The process seems to take place in MA, not NH, in a typical bureaucratic chain of hits and misses.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by bigdog

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

Actually, doing it manually (filling out a form with a pen) can cause the forwarding order to be delayed one to two weeks before it actually will "kick" in.

If you do it electronically (on line at the USPS web site) then it can go into effect the next day if that is what you request. There is a fee of $1.05 to do it electronically and that is how they can verify that it is actually you who is requesting the change.

I have done both ways myself over the years and I no longer will use the old fashioned manual method because of the delays. Electronically is now the only way I do it.

[phoenix]

i have had tons of problems with mail forwarding . Never on NH side but often on Az side. What i learned is the process is manual. Your carrier does the sorting and forwards to usually a central area( means in Moultonborough it likely goes to Laconia or somewhere else). i had a carrier go on vacation so the mail did not get forwarded but returned to sender as no known address, This year they continued delivery to my Scottsdale address for a week after i asked( luckily my daughter checked the mail for me . When returning since my forwarding was suppose to stop mail again went nowhere( by the way I did allow a week but that still didn't help until i called). If i was you i would call which ever post office and remind them . That's what happened this summer. The person notified my carrier to again deliver. . Best to not have anything important go thru us mail. I pay 90% of my bills on line or i would be facing late fees

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by bigdog

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

Simple solution for those who go away for Winter or Summer.

Put your mail on HOLD. (stays at post offfice)
Write a document giving person permission to obtain your mail.
Get some large envelopes or empty Priority envelopes.
Put postage stamps on them.
Type out your send to and from on paper. Scotch tape on envelopes.

Have a neighbor, friend, or relative get your mail and send your mail. Have them send on a weekly basis best to pick a day - say every Saturday.

Works good for me. Past 15 years. Never missed any of my mail and my mail always shows up on time.

But, but, but . . . you are PAYING for this? Oh, the horror.

Horror on not. I always get all of my mail and I get it on time. Works fine from my Southern address. Works fine from my Northern addess.

I have no problems getting ALL of my mail on a timely basis.

You got choices. You can get all of your mail on a timely basis or continue to complain about the local forwarding service. Your choice.

[Descant]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Simple solution for those who go away for Winter or Summer.

Put your mail on HOLD. (stays at post offfice)
Write a document giving person permission to obtain your mail.
Get some large envelopes or empty Priority envelopes.
Put postage stamps on them.
Type out your send to and from on paper. Scotch tape on envelopes.

Have a neighbor, friend, or relative get your mail and send your mail. Have them send on a weekly basis best to pick a day - say every Saturday.

Works good for me. Past 15 years. Never missed any of my mail and my mail always shows up on time.

But, but, but . . . you are PAYING for this? Oh, the horror.

Horror on not. I always get all of my mail and I get it on time. Works fine from my Southern address. Works fine from my Northern addess.

I have no problems getting ALL of my mail on a timely basis.

You got choices. You can get all of your mail on a timely basis or continue to complain about the local forwarding service. Your choice.

This method relies on good local service. The beginning discussion was about poor local service. If you don't get on time local, your neighbor can't pick it up and re-mail it.

[MDoug]

Originally Posted by bigdog

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

We always have our neighbors collect our mail and forward it to us in big prepaid mailers.

We've never had any success getting the post office to forward our mail. In fact, the local p.o. would stamp our mail "moved and left no forwarding address."