I may have a useful travel tip for you. I've had the same problem you mentioned in an earlier post with mail being delivered during hold mail. I meant to reply when I read it, but I was asleep. Here's what I've discovered/done:
1. They've made it near impossible to actually contact your own post office directly by phone. Here's how I fixed that one: I got the direct number from my letter carrier, and saved it on my cell phone, so when I have any delivery problems (mail delivered during vacation, mail not delivered after vacation) I can contact them directly. The 800 number complaints go nowhere.
2. When I do a hold order, I set it a day or two early. If I get any mail those two days, I call the number and complain they're ignoring my hold order. That way I'm less likely to get mail when I'm actually gone.
3. I have discovered a lot of the postal people have an anti-computer mentality. Where they will ignore an online hold order, they won't ignore if you fill out the little card and submit it to your post office. At this point in our relationship, I do both.
4. I have a gate in front of my house. When I'm away from home, I fix it so it's nearly impossible to open. People think it's broken and stay away. One time, I got a complaint from the PO that they couldn't deliver my mail and to leave the gate unlocked. I called the PO and asked why they were trying to deliver my mail during a hold order and writing me nastygrams about it. I think I got the letter carrier in a bit of trouble, but my service has improved.
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Date: 2012-07-28 04:10 pm (UTC)1. They've made it near impossible to actually contact your own post office directly by phone. Here's how I fixed that one: I got the direct number from my letter carrier, and saved it on my cell phone, so when I have any delivery problems (mail delivered during vacation, mail not delivered after vacation) I can contact them directly. The 800 number complaints go nowhere.
2. When I do a hold order, I set it a day or two early. If I get any mail those two days, I call the number and complain they're ignoring my hold order. That way I'm less likely to get mail when I'm actually gone.
3. I have discovered a lot of the postal people have an anti-computer mentality. Where they will ignore an online hold order, they won't ignore if you fill out the little card and submit it to your post office. At this point in our relationship, I do both.
4. I have a gate in front of my house. When I'm away from home, I fix it so it's nearly impossible to open. People think it's broken and stay away. One time, I got a complaint from the PO that they couldn't deliver my mail and to leave the gate unlocked. I called the PO and asked why they were trying to deliver my mail during a hold order and writing me nastygrams about it. I think I got the letter carrier in a bit of trouble, but my service has improved.