Here’s a story that Web Watch is 100% behind: did you know that it is illegal to put anything that isn’t mail into or taped to a residential mailbox?
That’s right — every stupid pizza delivery flyer, real estate agent’s magnet, tree service, maid service, and more — anything that isn’t sent through proper mail channels is considered illegal use of a mailbox and those companies can be subjected to being billed by the Post Office.
Web Watch and our angry neighbors have made some local companies extremely cautious when it comes to their unwanted distribution of solicitations in our area. Any of the them getting a Postal Service bill for a few hundred dollars will make them change their advertising attack just a little bit. (Plus it makes our mailboxes prettier by not having crap stuck all over them.)
So guess what happened to a Connecticut family that DISTRIBUTED HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY FLIERS to their neighbors by sticking those flyers into each mailbox?
Yup, they were sent a bill from the USPS for $35 for bypassing the Postal Service and delivering those 80 flyers by hand.
Web Watch has no issue with the flyers in general — but they should have been placed at the front door, not on the mailbox. It’s a neighborhood event; you should already know who the people in your neighborhood are, so don’t be scared about using the front door area instead of the lazy-ass mailbox runby.
Oh, and that Post Office solicitation thing? It applies to baggies or rolled fliers being thrown onto your driveway, too. Whether those companies are cited by the police for littering, soliciting in an area with a clear “non-solicitation” policy, or by the Post Office for infringing on their area — anything to keep that crap out of our yards is appreciated.
Besides – have you ever called one of those companies based on a baggie of rocks in your front yard and their business card? If you have, then you’re part of the problem too. That just encourages them to do more of it.