How can I make the USPS do my bidding?

April 25, 2009 12:30 PM

How do I get the post office's attention? My PO Box is basically embargoed, the key is lost, the mail has been piling up a month. Will they forward it to me or let someone else act as my agent?

I'm out of town dealing with the Family Emergency Without End and my PO Box at home is piled full of mail. My wife lost the key when trying to give it to a friend for me, so now no one can get in. When SHE calls the PO they say *I* have to come in, but I can't come in and no one can seem to make them understand that. Vacation holds are only 30 days. I might be able (no guarantees) to get there in 2 weeks. Is there anyone I could contact, or a better method I could try for contacting, someone in the USPS who can help me resolve this?

posted by liketitanic to law & government (5 comments total)

Can you go to a local post office and talk to someone, or fill out a temporary change of address form?
posted by dilettante at 12:43 PM on April 25

Have you talked to the actual Postmaster at the town where your box is located? He or she should be able to help you get things straightened out. Barring that, try what dilettante said and talk to the Postmaster in the town where you're currently staying and see if they can help you. Also, you could add your wife's name as an authorized user on your box so she won't run into this roadblock in the future.
posted by amyms at 12:54 PM on April 25

Can you go to a post office in the city you are in now so they can verify your identity and have them contact your post office to try to work this out?
posted by Yorrick at 1:09 PM on April 25

The mail manual regarding post office boxes is here. Really what this is about is (1) getting a new key and (2) whether she is on the mailbox application (which isn't clear from what you posted). What she needs to do is ask for the Form 1094 (Request for Post Office Box Key or Lock Service) and key deposit, and complete that and turn it in. There is no excuse for a counter clerk not to provide this form. If AFTER completion there is a problem with who is listed on the account, seek out the station manager or a supervisor, explaining your spouse is not in the local area, and see if they will accept a power of attorney. The important thing is not to let the buck stop with a counter clerk, as many of them are not very good at handling things outside of retail packaging and metering.
posted by crapmatic at 2:23 PM on April 25 [2 favorites]

Also while visiting the post office it's probably best she avoids mention of mailbox ownership as that will put the clerk or personnel there on guard -- if they see an issue regarding who is on the application and whether a spouse can access the box, let them sort it out and then she can work out a solution with them.
posted by crapmatic at 2:38 PM on April 25