William Simpson
The U.S. Postal Service is encouraging customers to upgrade to new jumbo mailboxes, with the post office saying these larger containers are better able to handle more types of packages people order from online retailers.
The USPS is warning customers about larger mailboxes for what it calls “mailbox improvement week“, which occurs the third week of May. The new jumbo mailboxes are not sold by the USPS, but can be purchased at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retailers and cost about $66 each.
The mail service told CBS MoneyWatch that it doesn’t get any revenue or other financial benefits when customers buy a huge mailbox. Instead, the USPS is recommending larger mailboxes due to the spread of online shopping, which requires the delivery of many more boxes and packages to residential addresses.
“The incentive to use the [jumbo] mailboxes comes from the desire for customers to have the option to accommodate all of their mail and packages,” said a USPS spokesperson. “Being able to have all of your mail items in your box prevents large items from being left at the door when a customer is not home.”
USPS
At the same time, more Americans are dealing with package theft, with Capital One discovering in a recent report that 3 out of 4 people have had an item stolen in the last year. “Porch pirates” are also a problem, or when thieves locate packages left on porches or near doors and steal them.
Even so, the new mailboxes are not locked, and the USPS also encourages people to sign up at “informed delivery“, which can alert you when a package has been delivered.
The new mailboxes are over 13 inches wide and 12 inches tall. A typical mailbox, which costs about $20 to $25, has a width of about 7 inches and a height of about 9 inches.
The USPS also urged people to upgrade or repair broken mailboxes. For example, customers should check their mailboxes for loose hinges or loose posts, he noted.
“Broken mailboxes can be compromised, and the Post Office would like to ensure that our customers receive uninterrupted delivery service as a result of their mailbox being out of service,” the spokesperson said.
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