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I get questions all the time from readers asking what do you if you think your mailperson is stealing your mail: freebies, magazines, coupons, cards, etc. This happens far to often with the USPS and it is a sad thing. However, the USPS does take this very serious. Tampering with someone’s mail is a federal offense! So, what do you do?? There are several areas that you should consider if you think that this is happening to you. The forms and info I am providing below can also be used for issues regarding your mail being “tampered” with: open, torn, package/letter with all or some documents/items missing. If you make a report they WILL investigate and hopefully all of your problems will be solved. I have heard of people who have gone as far as installing a camera and literally catching mailmen or even neighbors stealing their mail. I would suggest trying the options below first and if nothing changes then installing a camera is another option. I personally would complete every form and make every complaint listed below and follow up on them as well. Keep all documents and records regarding your complaints.
- Contact your local Post Office and put in a complaint. They will need your info (name, address, etc.), they can’t help you otherwise.
- Contact your Regional Post Master. You might have to get the contact information from your local post office.
- Call 1-800-USPS and file a complaint.
- File a complaint via email at the USPS website
- File a complaint online with the United States Postal Inspection Service
Also, read:
How to protect against theives
Follow these steps to protect your mail
![Free Sample Freak](http://i719.photobucket.com/albums/ww191/FreeSampleFreak/button1.jpg")
I have been getting samples for like 6 months now…and about a month ago, they stopped! I didn’t stop requesting the samples, but somehow they stopped. I called my local post office and put in a complaint that i thought my postman was not delivering all my mail. I also explained that what i was missing was freebies and that I had ordered them. One week later my mailbox was full again!!!!!
If you notice a decline in your freebies, I suggest calling your local post office.
thanks for posting this.
Ok. Be careful with this. Some people are going to jump the gun and go overboard blaming their mailperson for stealing and possibly causing somebody to be falsely accused, possibly charged federally and of course losing their job because they didn’t get their freebies that the companies ran out off. I have been doing freebies for years and they have ALWAYS come in waves. Might be getting them steadily and then, none for a few weeks and then get a load again. Sometimes the companies run out of samples, sometimes your online request doesn’t go through, or you weren’t one of the first 50,000 who requested.
I agree that you shouldn’t jump the gun and complain after a day or so of not getting anything. However, most people know when they are supposed to be getting things in the mail and when they don’t show up and you have than hunch or gut feeling…then proceed with your complaints. For someone to be federally charged or to lose their job over this…they have to be pretty much caught red handed or have complaints in several areas of the neighborhood etc. the post office will not jump the gun and fire someone over one complaint unless they are caught red handed during the investigation. If you are a mailperson and are not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about. It is necessary to file your complaints properly because sometimes it isn’t even the mailman/lady…it could go as far as being the person who sorts the mail.
I put in a complaint with the USPS after I was getting my “freebie” packages, but nothing inside. Every box would be ripped apart, even magazines would have things ripped out of them. Come to find out, our mail-lady was doing this to several people. She was already being looked into, and that was a final straw. We have an awesome new mail-lady now though!
Its sad that it happens so often. Did you all hear about the mailman a few months back from up north that hid 20,000 pieces of mail in the trunk of his car and his home….just because he didn’t feel like delivering them!
Please don’t be so quick to make assumptions about your hardworking mail carrier. It’s bad enough we have to deal with and work under harsh weather environments, get attacked by someones dog (a large percentage of us have), hear complaints when a customer doesn’t receive the mail item he/she is waiting for (we have no control over that), and deliver in some pretty scary areas of the coutry. And to top that off, the USPS is making major cuts in our hours. We once believed we had a secure job, but now we all feel as if we’re walking on egg shells. WE have it hard too. So please, next time you feel upset over not receiving some silly FREE samples in your mail, please don’t be so quick to assume it’s us. In the 10 yrs I’ve been a mail carrier, I’ve never stolen anything…not even a silly flyer and I also don’t know anyone in my department who’s done such a thing. We very well know this is not acceptaple, UPSP makes sure to remind us quite often. An act or accusation like this could lead to termination. So before you write that complaint letter or call the number, please make sure you have some evidence…many of us (myself) are hardworkind, honest, employees with families. I have a 9 months old and am the sole provider for my family. If I lost my job over some false accusation I’d hate to see where I’d end up. =(
Thanks for posting this! What great information for the readers and I’ve often wondered if this happens. I personallyy haven’t had any issues with this although I do get many samples where the boxes have been tampered with.
I am going to link back to you – thanks for sharing!
~ Elizabeth
The Thrifty Divas
First of all, I didn’t write this post to accuse anyone. Like I said if the mailpeople aren’t doing anything wrong then they should have anything to worry about. If you think that you missing mail you have every right to follow thru with a complaint! One complaint cannot get you fired. If you have alot of complaints as a mail person an investigation will be held. They won’t fire you for no reason!
Like in any job, all it takes is one false complaint/accusation to get your supervisors suspicious of you. Will you get fired for one complaint? Not very likely. Will your integrity and work ethics as an employee damage your reputation even though you are an honest employee? Most likely. All I’m saying is please have proof before you put in a complaint. How would a SAHM like CPS called on her over an assumption by a neighbor, a retail worker accused of stealing over giving the wrong change back when it was an honest mistake, etc. I’m really not trying to start any trouble here…just trying to make a point is all.
Cindy, don’t get me wrong, I am not on a rampage against Postal workers. I love my mailperson and I feel very fortunate. I wrote this post because I have received many questions about what to do when you think your mail is being taken or tampered with. Like I said before it doesn’t have to be your mail person, it can be the person who sorts your mail…or even a neighbor! I am not trying to start anything. I simply posted the post so for people that honestly believe they are missing mail or their mail is being tampered with can take the appropriate steps in figuring out why. I appreciate your comments.
That’s terrible! Yes, most mail carriers are probably fine. Mine is a bit nosy but he’s considerate of the kids etc. But like any profession, there are bad apples out there and it’s great to know what recourse one has for this particular circumstance.
My main problem with mail came when I lived in an apartment building where packages were routinely left by UPS in a common mail area. Not only did tenants steal my door mat (and inexplicably return it months later lol) my grill was stolen and so were packages. (I hope you enjoyed the jam, jerkface!)
Thanks for the interesting article!
This is great! one of my friends kept finding her pet samples open, finnaly she stood at her window and watched as the guy across the street opened hermail box, took her mail to his porch opened the pet samples etc and went back over and put her mail back, the next day she hid outside and taped the whole thing, she submitted it to the police and he was charged with tampering with other people’s mail!
I really appreciate your article, I was referred to it my Coupon Dad. I have major issues with my Postal Carrier. And, I forget these avenues we can venture sometimes. I get my neighbors mail, envelopes opened, mail just shoved in my mailbox, my postal carrier will not get out of her car – she leaves my packages right in the middle of my driveway, and there have been many things I have ordered and not received. Thanks again!
I understand that we shouldnt assume that our mail carrier is the one comfiscating our samples. First and foremost, when a sample is delayed, why not contact the company that offered the sample. As stated above, you never know if your request was really received or if the company simply ran out of supplies. But, to Cindy, it’s rude to state “silly” sample. What might be silly to you, may mean more to someone else. I really appreciate every sample that allows me to try a product that I may not have ever bought simply because I wasnt sure how I would react to it. What may be a silly sample or something silly, may turn out to be something big. I often find lately that my mail lady will shove every piece of mail in my box (ripping some of my good magazines in the process) instead of walking the 3 feet to my door and just giving the excess to me. That’s just silly. So, I ask her not to do it. It stops for about a month. Then, it starts again. Do you think I am silly to then form a formal complaint after verbally asking her to stop just because my magazine subscriptions are free?
I agree with what Koni says – it’s important to not accuse mail carriers without proof. However, having had a multitude of trouble with the local USPS when I was working (packages were not delivered, mail was “lost”, etc), I can tell you that it takes a lot to fire a carrier. Despite our complaints and our documentation, it took opening an investigation at the regional level before anything was done.
And, yes, the USPS might be facing financial challenges. But, consumers have to deal with skyrocketing postage rates. Is it “silly” to ask for accountability in return?
There are good and bad aplles—- I had a mailman who was the BEST in all the world. He knew I would enter sweepstakes so if he found any in the newspaper or in the stores he would leave them in my mailbox. He also knew the lady I used to watch my child lived 3 blocks away , and one day my child wrote a letter to her and put pennies and pretty rocks in it and put it in the mailbox and just put Mamaw on the envelope …. Would you know he delivered it to her. No stamp no address no nothing… I Think that is a super person. Hes retired but I still see him around town and always say hi and such.
I ordered a free sample of Rachael Ray’s new dog food becuase my dog has sensitive skin and I wanted to make sure it would not irritate him or his allergies. The box was delivered to my home, with a picture of what it contained. Thinking it felt rather light, I noticed the thin piece of tape that was holding the box closed had been ripped and the dog food was stolen. Is this worthy of being reported? It was free, but I am still very upset that someone was so dishonest.
Emily…You have two options. For one you can contact the people at Rachael Ray’s Nutrish and let them know what happened. Even though they are not responsible for replacing it they will most likely send you another one. If the same thing happens again (or you might do it anyway) call your local post office and make a complaint or go online and fill out the complaint form. Where some people might think that free samples are “silly”, you are entitled to what is yours. Tampering with someones mail is a federal offense and for someone to completely take a sample is theft and it should be reported. It is sad that people do the things that they do. I am sorry that this happened to you.
It is so lazy on people’s part to blame the mail man or woman for everything they do not receive when that sample first of all gets sent from a dock from the company to the mail processing plant in that area and if it is 3rd or 4th class mail can sit in a semi truck trailer up to 4-6 weeks because the processing plant does not have time to process it then could go on to the city it is supposed to be delivering it to and sit there another few weeks. There has been several mail people laid mail processing plants are closed moving people and mail to other parts of the country. The post office is laying off over 50,000 people out of 250,000 total approximately however they are not laying off their lazy micro managers but clerks 1/2 in our city laid off, 7 post offices closing which will slow down the mail not even counting November and December Christmas crunch. We do not want or need to steal your stuff and the postal inspectors watch the postal workers like a hawk and it could be a mail clerk in the back of the post office who does not get supervised very well that could take samples do not be so quick to point fingers at the mail carrier who walks 7-12 miles a day carrying 20-50 pounds on their back…that is just another reason why your mail man or lady don’t smile they are in pain plus people falsely accusing them for suspensions of someone lazy not researching the problem with the company. I heard so many businesses saying they sent something out and come to find out still sitting on the dock or desk at the original shipper company but it is just easy to say the postman did it! ****
so here are the facts,
delivering the mail is someones job, they chose that job and knew what it entailed when they took the job.
fact, some people are dishonest whether they deliver mail or not.
if someone has a legitimate concern about the delivery of their mail they have every right to have it looked into without fear of retailition or humiliation by those who provide the service. we don’t think twice about returning a piece of clothing that rips on us after one use. if you don’t have anything to hide then so be it. maybe postal people who are concerned about their reputation should make a note of packages their are delivering that look tapered with before they give it to people so that if there is a question raised they you have nothing to worry about.
otherwise it is unfair to make people feel bad for reporting mail concerns.
How do I add this to my RSS reader? Sorry I’m a newbie
I’m a mailman. I make $65,000 a year. I have no REASON to steal your stinkin’ samples. Since I work in this industry I know there are simple explanations for a lot of these ridiculous complaints. You people have too much time on your hands. Get a job. If you don’t want to get a job, VOLUNTEER somewhere. This country has been damn good to you. Give something back.
Dan- Congratulation on your success as a Mailman. We aren’t just talking free samples here coming up missing….we rely on the USPS to bring us our mail….we have no other choice. If a person has right to believe their mail is being tampered with (free samples, magazines…ANYTHING in our mail)…they have every right to make a complaint…after all it is a FEDERAL OFFENSE. If you read my post again you’ll see where I say, it could be a mail sorter, it could be a neighbor…it could be anything. BUT if you aren’t receiving something you know you should be….you have every right to know what the proper steps are to take.
ALSO- I’ll have you know that alot of my readers DONATE alot of their things, as do I, that we get “free”. I appreciate your comment, however I do not appreciate the rudeness behind it. I promote POSITIVE comments here on my blog.
Thank you for understanding.