Did any of your mail ever go missing? It's very frustrating, especially if it's a check or important document. Consumer reporter John Matarese shares a new way to keep an eye on that mail, so you don't waste your money.
We've all had checks or letters get lost in the mail but now there's a new free service that will cut down on those losses, because it lets you know what mail will be arriving tomorrow.
Jim Cook opens his mailbox wondering if anything's going to be missing today. He and wife Ann say several important letters have failed to show up.
"I had a lawyer mail me a check for $200 that I still haven’t got." Other postal customers tell us similar stories like Rena Giselle, who a few weeks ago said her son's gift from grandma never arrived. "Family members and friends like to send cash, to my son through the mail, and this year they are not coming through.
Unlike FEDEX, UPS, or even the postal services express mail, there's been no way to know exactly when exactly an important letter is going to show up at your front door, that is, until now.
"Well, I just get an email, it comes every day, and it has pictures of what we are going to get." Jim and Ann now subscribe to the postal service's "informed delivery" service. Each morning, they receive an email showing a scanned photo of all the mail heading their way the next 24 hours. It’s a free service: just sign up at the USPS website. "Informed Delivery" lets them know when a check is coming, so they can watch for it.
"If you are expecting anything important, I would say yes it’s a good thing to have." As for that lawyer's check the email scan was proof the check had been mailed, but was lost or stolen. So Jim was able to ask for a replacement... and knows when to look for the next one.
Even if you don't use this service, it might be a good idea to sign up because believe it or not, scammers have been caught signing up for this service, so they can see what mail a family has coming. So consider it, so you don’t waste your money.
