I think it sometimes depend on where you live. I live in a very small town and I have never heard of anyone getting their mail stolen. There are enough neighbors who would call the police if someone were in my mailbox that I don't really worry about it. USPS will honk if there is something that won't fit in the mailbox, UPS irritates me that they won't even ring the doorbell--they just leave packages outside.

I live out in the country and the mailman drives right past our house, but our mail is delivered to a POBox in town. My husband is a teacher and his knucklehead students used to amuse themselves by painting, bashing, shooting, and running over our mailbox down by the road. I was always replacing the blasted things. The final straw came when the whole shebang disappeared....mailbox, post, and 200+ pound concrete block it was embedded in. (We heard later it got dropped in the river.) I refused to provide the entertainment any longer, so we got a POBox. Yes, we have to pay for it and, yes, we have to provide a physical address for someone now and then, but it's really not a problem. We both pass the Post Office going to work, and if we don't feel like stopping, the mail will still be in there the next time we do.

Anybody with a computer can find you and a map to your house within two or three minutes. I was surprised to find an aerial picture of my house--and I was impressed by how impressive it looks from the air! Pictures do lie!

Going to the post office isn't perfectly safe. People in the parking lot may be lurking there to hijack your car or steal your mail as you come out the door.

Most people are honest. You can take reasonable precautions against the others, but the truth is, that if a bad guy wants to get in, s/he can get in.

Relax and quit worrying about the unlikely. Peace and grace,
froggyintexas

My DIL sent her sister a birthday card with a Wal-Mart gift card it in from a secure locked mailbox in their neighborhood. When her sister received the card, the envelope had been slit on the side & the gift card removed. She was able to track down where it had been cashed in & it was in the same town where they live & her sister lives in another state. She knew it had to be a postal employee because no one else would have had access to the locked area of the box.

A PO box is a wonderful idea. I don't understand why some think we're almost crazy for trying to be on the safe side. Yes, information is out there on anyone BUT why make it easier for them? Most all the people on this site are probably very good people BUT I'm sure there were parents who thought their priests were VERY good and trustworthy (I do believe most all are) only to find out they should have kept their boys home or stayed with them while they were there! I don't live in fear but I also try not to make it easy for the bad. That's why I lock my house and car doors and try to give out as little information as possible.

Ater years of a PO box we now get the mail deliverd at home when we are there and not wintering. I do not fear leaving mail in it when home as we spent the money and got a Mail Boss mailbox, it locks with a key and will hold over a months worth of mail if need be.

I did not want to leave mine out along the street either. This box is made very well and is great. If we are not going to be home I will take the mail up to Post Office to mail.

I have a PO Box and Hate it!!! First of all, we have to pay a yearly fee. The worst part is our small town does not have free mail delivery, so we don't have an option. I get upset every June when our renewal for our PO Box comes. Oh and if we don't list our PO Box on our address, they don't like to deliver the mail. They are so picky. I feel if you don't have an option of having a PO Box, you shouldn't have to pay for it. For instance, when we lived in the country we had a mailbox and had access to it 24/7. Now we have to abide by their hours plus the window is only open at certain times. When you work out of town it is like almost impossible to even get there if you have a package that won't fit in the little box. Grrr......

Do you know that if you live near a Rural delivery you can get home delivery? That is why after 34 years of paying for a PO box we found out we could have it deliverd to our home. Worth checking into. Our home town is 350 people.

how does this rural delivery work. when I built my house last year the post office told me they would not deliver to my house because it is over a mile from the closest route. It is more like 3 miles actually. So I have to have a po box.

It so happened that we were close enough to a route and they added us. We now have three of us on the street and another was planning on doing it also.

Get oline with the US Post Office and do some reading and maybe you can do this. We had to talk to the PO of town near us as they were the ones that delivered to our area and a friend on further in town was delivered by yet another town. All our mail goes to the town we live in and then the Rural carriers pick it up.

What started all of us looking into this was when we found out that people living within a quarter of a mile from the Post Office got FREE boxes and we had to pay, we started looking for some answers and that is what we found out.

I agree if you have no choice, you shouldn't have to pay. That is just terrible. It isn't like we don't already pay enough for postage...
If it is your choice, then yes there should be a fee.

If someone was actually looking for you -- the postal people would give out your physical address! Have heard them do so and have had it happen to me :(

Please, please everyone just be careful....you don't know us...really. We may seem nice and most I am sure are but there are people out there that prey on the nice people. Many times people do not realize that their neighbor or caretaker did something bad for years...even family members who they trusted.

If you have a phone your address is probably public on the internet.

You are so right but I like to think that most people are on the up and up. I try to be careful though.

It does not worry me giving my inforamtion out on line. I only deal with stores that are established and known. If someone wants that information, it is very easy for them to get it elsewhere. If they are up to no good they don't need any information, you just have to be convenient. You can get a mail box that locks.

I would be willing to bet that if you put your name into Yahoo and someother site you would be surprised to see that everything about you and your family comes up. If you have utilities in your name or have ever applied for credit anywhere they have you. Sometimes their info is wrong but they list you and your family members and for money will reveal a lot more. I have had a P. O. Box for almost 30 years and yet they have me and my deceased husband. They also get info at the courthouse and tax office so if you own property, they have you. Check to see and let me know. I live in the country on a very rural road and the local entertainment is to pull your mailbox down. Can't see the box from the house so just a lot easier to go once or twice a week on the way somewhere else and pick it up. Now have to worry about government closing my one man post office. Our address use to be a rural route. When we got 911 addresses the info people showed that I moved. Wasn't getting mail at physical address for years. We have had out of town company want to come for a surprise visit and all they have to do is go ask the sheriff. You can't hide.

Hmmm. Just a thought. Many people wouldn't consider swapping fabric or blocks with someone with no last name. Yes, we need to be careful living in this world, but if I ever have to collect mail from a PO box and disguise my identity from a bunch of quilters, well then just lock me up and throw away the key.[/quote]

Well said. It is very difficult to keep oneself hidden in this day and age. There are always places/methods for someone to find your info. I have better things to worry about. Our son says he Googles me if he needs our address. go figure. --Kona Linda--

I had a po box when kids were in high school - the first one in the door would get the mail and it would be weeks later she would find it on her bed. I now live in an apartment and the office signs for packages and then I sign them out from them.

I would check on that. Here, if mail delivery is not provided, you don't have to pay for your PO Box. We do have to fill out a request form anually, but there is no charge.

Living in fear and distrust can take alot of joy out of life. I'm sure I've been taken advantage of by people I thought were friends but I'm still here, still trusting (within reason) and enjoying life. What will you gain if you miss out on what could be a very special friendship with someone because you are afraid to let them know you. Life is too short.

I have no problem with getting mail at my house, I would probably have issues with a PO box, because I would hate to park my car to check for my mail each day, also PO boxes aren't big enough for most packages so you would have to wait in line to get the package.
I also don't have a land line - both my husband and I have cellphones and our online service is through our cable company. I got rid of my land line years ago after a phone operator told me, when we were having problems with our dial up online services that "Just because you have a land line doesn't mean you can get online." Since the only reason we had a land line was because of online service - So phones are not an issue either.

LOL We have a PO box because the snow plow knocks down half the mailboxes along the road every winter and you have to dig them out of the snowbank every day if they are still standing or the mailperson won't deliver your mail anyway. For us, it's just way easier to have the box in the PO. It's only a mile from where we live to town and the PO. Our town is so small, if it does happen to get sent to our street address, they know who it is and what our box # is so they just stick it in our box. Smilessssss....

Got gun. Got big dog. No help if neighbor allows her children to play in my mail box. Got PO Box.

Yes, this is what I have also and I've had no problem with deliveries of UPS, FedEx or various other delivery services.

You have to take care of yourself. To be truthful, Anna isn't even my name. When my kids began to be online Hubby, Son, Daughter and I made a pact. We all chose pen names and agreed to use them whenever we were online.

Very wise!!!

USPS is perfectly safe, unless you have vandels in your area. I never leave anything to be mailed in the mailbox, I take it to the mailbox. Any checks I might receive goes directly into my bank account. There are ways to keep your mail safe without spending money on a PO box.

We had no choice either that they told us about until they let the cat out of the bag of those that where near did not have to pay and we did. Go to the USPO site and the information will be there.

Love getting our mail right out our front door and in a locked mail box.

So far I have found this site in California and now that I know how to word my search I am looking for more. Talk to your Post Master.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...NEWS/403050101

Where I work we can not take a check with a PO Box number, it has to have a street address,but there are places where you can have a box with a physical street address.

Here is another site, Your Post Master would still be the best bet.

http://www.mahalo.com/answers/how-to...-postal-office

I'm thinking about going back to a P.O. box because we live on a highway and can't safety leave mail in the box to be picked up. Also, our mail carrier often gets confused about just who's mail goes in who's box. There are 6 of us in a row and sometimes he is off a box (with names on box doors too). Today is a good example electric bill was mailed to us on the 17th and we got it today, refund on insurance was mailed the 17th got it today and a letter from my Quilt Guild showed up after being mailed the 15th. Just wonder who's box those were in or if they just got "lost" along the way ??? I would not change magazines or the like from the mail box, but bills etc. I think might send to the P.O box. .

When I was mailing some things to my grandchildren, I wanted to put just "Gramma" for name in teh return address. The post office told me that if it doesn't have a first and last name, they would not accept it. So I am thinking that perhaps the same would hold true for mailing "to" addy. Worth asking before you go the trouble and expense of changing to a PO box.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Patti

Everyone has their own circumstances but for me my physical address works best. I live about 10 miles from the PO so I wouldn't drive there everyday. Also there is alot of places that won't ship to a PO box. Another thing is you can only pick up your mail during their hours & the cost of renting the box also.

There are some business that will not mail/give you business with just an po box.....like credit cards? Most people/businesses wants an physical address. Am I right?