eBay

no_zero369 · ‎09-16-2019

Just got this eMail from USPS

Dear USPS® Customer,

You are receiving this notice because our records indicate you have previously placed your mail on hold with USPS.

To provide you with greater security, USPS is making several changes to the online USPS Hold Mail™ process. These improvements will require additional action from you before you submit your next hold mail request.

What is changing?

Beginning in early October 2019, to place an online hold mail request in the future, you will be required to:

Create or sign in to your USPS.com® account
Verify your identity

Note: There are several identity verification methods available, with some methods taking up to one week to complete, so please plan accordingly.

How can I prepare?

To complete account creation and satisfy the Hold Mail identity verification requirement ahead of these changes, you can sign up for the free USPS Informed Delivery® feature - the only feature that currently offers identity verification. Once you are identity verified, you will not have to complete this step again for your current address and will be able to hold your mail. As an Informed Delivery subscriber, you will also be able to digitally monitor your mail while it is on hold. To learn more and sign up, go to the Informed Delivery Homepage. See more details in the Informed Delivery FAQs.

What if I already scheduled a USPS Hold Mail request?

If you placed a USPS Hold Mail request before these changes are implemented, your request will not be affected.

If you have other questions related to this upcoming change, please feel free to Contact Us or reach out to the USPS Helpdesk at 1 (800) 344-7779 for more information.

Thank you for being a valued USPS customer.

Sincerely,
Your United States Postal Service

I haven't signed up for Informed Delivery so far because I need another email in my inbox like I need a hole in my head! But it looks like I might have to break down and do this. Hope they come up with an easier verification method that is takes less than a week!

readabouthorses · ‎09-16-2019

I signed up for Informed Delivery when it first came out but I can't remember what I had to verify to do so.

Once you start using ID you will love it. I get an email only when there is something to be delivered that day and you can also check it online at your ID account. I can't remember if you had the option of not receiving the email and just checking it at your online account.

I have used the hold mail service but I didn't get this email. Do you suppose I didn't get it because I already am enrolled in Informed Delivery?

myangelandmyprincess · ‎09-16-2019

While this is annoying and I won't like it it does make sense. Every time I've scheduled my mail for hold I've considered that anybody could schedule my mail to be hold not need to verify anything. Along with that when I pick up my held mail at the post office I don't have to show any proof of who I am either. Someone could just set my mail on hold for a few days and pick up my mail from the post office before I realized what happened

“Birth certificates show that you were born. Death certificates show that you died. Photographs show that you have lived.” -Unknown

no_zero369 · ‎09-16-2019

Interesting...

Just went to see what it would take to sign up for ID at USPS. Once I signed into my USPS account and went through the steps I got this, just before I hit the button to sign up...

Informed Delivery Enrollment Status

You have a valid address Your identity has been successfully verified

Informed Delivery

So does this mean I have a verified address that allows me to hold mail, per the new Oct 2019 USPS rules?

Anyone know what USPS considers as "proof" since it isn't shown in the note?

readabouthorses · ‎09-16-2019

@no_zero369 wrote:
Interesting...

Just went to see what it would take to sign up for ID at USPS. Once I signed into my USPS account and went through the steps I got this, just before I hit the button to sign up...

Informed Delivery Enrollment Status

You have a valid address Your identity has been successfully verified

Informed Delivery

So does this mean I have a verified address that allows me to hold mail, per the new Oct 2019 USPS rules?

Anyone know what USPS considers as "proof" since it isn't shown in the note?

When I signed up for it I don't remember having to go through any intense proof but I already had a USPS account to use Click N Ship in case I needed it so maybe because we already had a USPS account it was easier to get the Informed Delivery? And it sounds like once you have informed delivery you are good to go with the new rules for holding mail? Who knows ... its the Post Office! LOL

a_c_green · ‎09-16-2019

@no_zero369 wrote:
Informed Delivery Enrollment Status
You have a valid address Your identity has been successfully verified
Informed Delivery

So does this mean I have a verified address that allows me to hold mail, per the new Oct 2019 USPS rules?
Anyone know what USPS considers as "proof" since it isn't shown in the note?

I can't say exactly, but given the "verified" shown in green above, it looks like you're already approved. Just a couple of thoughts here:

USPS website programming is way better than eBay's. It's not perfect; I have reported glitches in the past, and there's one current one that I keep meaning to report and forgetting to do so, but on the whole, it seems to function better and more reliably.
Those delivery notifications are optional. If you don't request them via the settings in your Informed Delivery account, you won't get anything unsolicited. I have inbound package notifications turned on, so that I can follow the progress of anything coming to this address (regardless of whether it's for me or someone else here, and knowing the tracking number is not required), so that I will know when to expect a delivery, but I don't bother getting those photographs of incoming mail. Interesting feature, but not for me.

martoutlet · ‎09-16-2019

i signed up for Informed Delivery not long ago.

valid address,but not identity.

they ask for phone number,either it wasn't a landline or bill is not in my name,had to use second option.

they send a letter with a code.

if you ever used a debit/credit card with USPS website,that might have got your identity verified.

i only order free supplies.

a_c_green · ‎09-16-2019

@martoutlet wrote:
if you ever used a debit/credit card with USPS website,that might have got your identity verified.
i only order free supplies.

Me too. (Have you noticed that when you order Priority Mail supplies, they ship them to you via Parcel? )

lja440 · ‎09-17-2019

Be aware that there are mail hold scams out there.

Unless you sign up for informed delivery or automated tracking updates USPS will not have your e-mail info.

There are phishing scams looking for your information and mail hold scams that will ask for a nominal fee to put your mail on hold. NEITHER of these are actually USPS.

Things like this used to happen with COA's either to forward mail that may have information or monetary value, thats why USPS now MAILS a letter to Current Resident when a COA is initiated.