Even mail is not safe around here anymore! / General Chatting / Forums

Forums

4hv.org :: Forums :: General Chatting

« Previous topic | Next topic »

Even mail is not safe around here anymore!

1 2 next

Move Thread

LAN_403

Arcstarter

Sat Aug 08 2009, 04:29AM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

For the past few weeks, my mother has been registering for assorted online deals and other freebie sites. So far she has won $1000, about every other week she wins 20 dollars for use on whatever (it is a card they gave her, and they refill it), and a bunch of other random items, sometimes delivered by UPS.

Well, it seems like every week at least, my mother is complaining that her mail has been ripped opened. The mail that is from the contests is always ripped open, and sometimes the stuff that was in it is missing!

She has contacted the mail people, and only on one occasion could they explain this strange phenomenon. In that case, they received the mail torn opened, and they repackaged it with a notice explaining what had happened, and sorry for the inconvenience.

My mother has explained this occurrence to out neighbors, and they claim to have the same problem!

We also have people come around and steal our mail. My neighbor caught one of the guys looking out his and our mail, but luckily that guy walked away. Otherwise, my neighbor might take matters into his own hands...

It has gotten to the point that just yesterday i watched one of the men who work for UPS deliver a package, take 5 minutes to look around for a hiding spot, and resort to putting it on the porch and putting the garbage can in front of the package to make sure nobody could see it.

Pretty much sucks to know that there are people surrounding us that would do this type of thing. Kind of sickening, really. And with all of the things that i sometimes get shipped combined with the stuff my mother gets shipped, that is alot that can be taken. I have now developed a habit to check the mail being delivered every day to make sure some guy does not try to steal the mail. Ridiculous!

Proud Mary

Sat Aug 08 2009, 05:20AM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

It sounds like a delinquent postal worker in the sorting office who knows that a particular kind of letter - perhaps delivered to them in bulk from a single consignee - often contains money. But it could as well be a delinquent postal worker downstream of that.

You could buy some indelible red dye - the kind of dye powder used for dying clothes - wrap it up with great care, and send it to yourself with Your Prize To Die For or something printed on the envelope. You may catch the thief red-handed!

thedatastream

Sat Aug 08 2009, 12:28PM

Registered Member #505 Joined: Sun Nov 19 2006, 06:42PM
Location: Yorkshire!
Posts: 329

We sent out invites to our wedding in nice big purple envelopes (that looked like birthday cards) to about 100 people.

From those people we didn't hear from we followed it up with a letter or a phone call before we booked the venue.

I estimated that about 10-15% of the invites didn't make it to the intended address. I bet the fallout from invoices of bills is nowhere near that.

Bjørn

Sat Aug 08 2009, 01:22PM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

Who lives where postage is cheap? We could do a proper experiment and mail different looking letters to several places and see how many that arrives of each type.

Mads Barnkob

Sat Aug 08 2009, 01:28PM

Registered Member #1403 Joined: Tue Mar 18 2008, 06:05PM
Location: Denmark, Odense C
Posts: 1968

Would cost me a mere 1.2 euro to send a standard letter to Arcstarter, I wouldn't mind shipping one with some vague indications of value on the outside

Arcstarter

Sat Aug 08 2009, 07:47PM

Registered Member #1225 Joined: Sat Jan 12 2008, 01:24AM
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Posts: 2253

That would be a neat little experiment. I am up for it, and i will also send out an envelope if needed, that would show some sort of valuables are inside. If you put some green paper in there, it is very likely some POS will take it, or rip it opened. If you have some dye sitting around... :P That'd really tickle me. Especially if i caught the sorry bastard that is doing it.

StevenCaton

Sat Aug 08 2009, 08:04PM

Registered Member #1845 Joined: Fri Dec 05 2008, 05:38AM
Location: California
Posts: 211

We live out in the country. We have had our mailbox (which is 1000ft. from our house) smashed, broken into, you name it. About three years ago, everyone's mailbox on our street was smashed over. Some vandals probably drove an old truck into people's mailboxes and knocked them over for *fun*. To solve these problems, our mailbox is now super reinforced. Its a 2ft by 2ft by 5 ft. brick structure, complete with fat padlocks. We haven't had any problems since. The theives are possibly doing this for fun, or they are searching for checks in peoples mail to cash.

Proud Mary

Sat Aug 08 2009, 08:53PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

About once a month I receive mail addressed to other people at completely different addresses, so I have always assumed that a percentage of my own mail is also mis-delivered.

I always forward the mail to the correct address, but it's possible that others may be less public spirited, and simply throw my misdirected letters into the dustbin with all the junk mail.

Hon1nbo

Sun Aug 09 2009, 02:51AM

Registered Member #902 Joined: Sun Jul 15 2007, 08:17PM
Location: Pacific Northwest USA
Posts: 1042

I could send something, and maybe get a letter that says something like congrats or the like...

we receive mail for other people every now and then, we just forward/redeliver it (it used to be common to get the mail from a house a street over)

a fun little addition to some "bait" mail might be some sort of card with a little additive to possibly get a print - not sure what would work best, but it might be worth it to try

as for the people who just steal mail from mailboxes, either lock your box and use a drop slot or install a camera

mail crimes are pathetic, dangerous, and do much more damage than people think

Conundrum

Sun Aug 09 2009, 01:43PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

hmm... i've had stuff pinched before. Most recently some very expensive semis went "walkies", Maplins claimed they sent it but no sign months later. Also lost Â£120 worth of LEDs.

My favourite trick would be.. Lipo cell and 130dB hacked piezo siren inside the parcel, complete with strobe light and ink squib. Bwahahaha...

-A

1 2 next

Moderator(s): Chris Russell, Noelle, Alex, Tesladownunder, Dave Marshall, Dave Billington, Bjørn, Steve Conner, Wolfram, Kizmo, Mads Barnkob