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09-08-2013, 11:25 AM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Rigby
Posts: 35
M.O.C. #3071
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temporary change of address
I am planning on going south for a few months this winter. This will be the first time doing the snowbird thing. My mquestion has anyone ever used the USPS temporary mail forwarding to recieve mail at a temporary address? Thanks in advance Fred
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09-08-2013, 11:57 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We have been using it for 7 Years without a single problem. It is important that you fill out the form correctly. Since this will be your first time I suggest that you go to your local post office and Have them go through the form with you. The on line form can be difficult to understand and a simple mistake can cause you mail to disappear and never be seen again.
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09-08-2013, 12:23 PM
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#3
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 439
M.O.C. #12726
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Are you talking about where your home post office holds your mail for a week and then mails it to you where you are? I did that one time and paid about $11 a week and they "forgot" to send it to me. Had to call them twice and only got it 1 time in 2 months. Think it was the employees in our post office. Got my money back when I returned home. My post office complains about holding it 30 days, but my carrier doesn't mind doing it. I always have someone pick it up before 30 days and mail it to me. and then wait a few days to hold it again. Would like to hear if anyone has a better idea.
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09-08-2013, 02:04 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Carole. You are referring to the Premium Forwarding Service and it cost a bit more than that now. The regular temp change of address works great IF you do it right. We normally get our mail in Florida in 3 days from Northern, Ohio. If you a re going to stay in one place for a few months the temp change of address works fine IF you understand and do the form correctly. We did it for a couple of winters where we moved around every 2 or 3 months and it still worked But it took a lot more care in doing the forms correctly. Understand the USPS will do exactly what you tell them to do and send your mail exactly where you tell them to send it. That is why understanding and doing the forms correctly are so important.
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09-08-2013, 02:39 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rock Island
Posts: 1,074
M.O.C. #10457
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We have our mail forwarded for 3 months each winter by USPS with no issues. We go to the local post office and fill out the form and hand it to the person at the counter. We have our mail held at the local post office for short periods of time, then go to PO and pick it up and ask how their families are doing, and they want to know the same plus always want to know about our trip.
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09-08-2013, 02:47 PM
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#6
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 439
M.O.C. #12726
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Yes, that has worked for us as long as you get the right employee. We cannot have mail forwarded to our campground unless it comes in the large white envelope and we have to get a friend to pick it up and mail it to us. They won't sort individual mail. G We can do a change of address form and send it to a PO Box in the town we are in. Thinking about having it forwarded to our son who lives about 20 miles away from where we winter. He is a Junior so he will have to figure which is his and which is ours.
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09-08-2013, 03:01 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Copperas Cove
Posts: 1,426
M.O.C. #12096
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My Post Office told me to do the same thing to just temporary forward it and then when I am ready to head home to put a Hold on it. The Hold only last for 30 days
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09-08-2013, 04:39 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,750
M.O.C. #7560
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Carole-- Speaking as a retired letter carrier and giving a little advice along with it-- DO NOT send it to your sons address especially since he is a Junior! There is nothing worse than having to try and straighten out a problem with mail that has been forwarded and then changed after three months or what ever time elapsed to be sent back to your original address with names that are the same or close to the same! You will not be happy with the results, believe me! When the names are the same, whether it be Senior or Junior, the sorting machines CANNOT tell the difference in most cases. A question-- why can you not receive any mail other than mail in a large white envelope at our winter quarters? Apparently, your winter quarters managers do not want to work with their patrons or the Postal Service. What would happen if you had your mail forwarded by the PO or even a friend or family member at home and they forwarded it in a Priority box or envelope? Would the campground not accept it? They legally cannot refuse that since it is an approved mailing by the PO.
Carole see me at the Fall Rally, I'd really like to talk to you about this! See you in about two weeks!
dyna_rider98-- talk to your mailman personally and explain what you intend to do and IF he/she is any kind of letter carrier they will work with you and make things a whole lot easier for both of you!
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09-08-2013, 04:52 PM
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#9
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 439
M.O.C. #12726
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Rondo, thanks for the advice and I will definitely will talk to you about it and also look forward to meeting you. By the white envelope I meant the priority envelope, just couldn't think of the name of it. I do have a friend forward my mail like that about every 3 weeks. Just hate to ask them to do it. There are over 500 sites and the campground does accept the priority packages. Sure appreciate the info about sending to my son. My mail carrier is great and it's never a problem with him. Thanks again.
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09-08-2013, 07:26 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,750
M.O.C. #7560
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Carole talk to your letter carrier also and see if you can work things out with him. Tell him a fellow carrier told you to do so! See you in Goshen!
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09-09-2013, 05:13 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Montgomery
Posts: 502
M.O.C. #7196
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We've used the USPS basic/free Online forwarding and have been slightly disappointed. The Trailer License Renewal was forwarded, but not for our other two vehicles which almost caused a problem. I guess very little mail we receive is First Class as not much is forwarded. One other nice feature is changing the forwarding end date online, which I've had to extend twice so far... I did change the address for my magazines so I'll have to change them back when we return home.
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09-09-2013, 05:49 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 534
M.O.C. #13378
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We do it every year. I have my home mail temporarily forwarded to my private mailbox for up to three months. You can fill out the form online, and they'll do it for just a $1 charge to your credit card.
I use a private mailbox because they'll bundle up my mail and send it to me wherever I want them to. Whenever I stay anywhere for five days or so, I'll call my private mailbox company and have them send me my mail via Priority Mail to the RV park where I am. They use that "if it fits, it ships" box, so I can get my mail quickly relatively cheaply.
But on another note, I now pay practically all my bills online. They're either paid automatically, or I use an Internet connect to pay bills.
Works for me!
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09-10-2013, 01:07 AM
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#13
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ooltewah
Posts: 360
M.O.C. #4958
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Forwarding depends a lot on the mailer also. Here in Georgia, most anything sent by the state has a 'do not forward' endorsement on it and must go back. Others, 'return service requested', which sends it back with your new permanent address, but if you have a temporary change of address, it tells the sender 'temporarily away'.
In my professional opinion, the premium forwarding service, while expensive, is the most satisfying for my customers. Or having a friend collect and mail it to you on your schedule.
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09-10-2013, 02:08 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Englewood
Posts: 3,095
M.O.C. #164
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Has worked well for us for 4 years, As mentioned only first class is forwarded this year I contacted our magazine Company's and changed the address for 4 months that worked well could also do that on line. We also have a relationship with our carrier in Florida and the Postmaster in Pa where we have a Po Box. Never hurts to wish them both a Merry Christmas if you get what I mean!
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09-10-2013, 02:28 AM
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#15
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Casa Grande
Posts: 489
M.O.C. #12932
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Bill and I use the Escapee Mail Service. I thought it was for full timers but they also have a temporary service. We use it for 6 month at a time. Of course, we don't stay in one place during the summer.
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09-10-2013, 03:27 AM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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There is some mail that will be marked do not forward ..by the sender. That may include some bills. You will have to determine what bills that do that and make other arrangements.
Since we do travel a lot we do just about everything on line
all of out bill paying is on line . We get very little mail. We have a couple of magazine subscriptions and we just do a change of address.
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09-10-2013, 05:34 AM
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#17
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 439
M.O.C. #12726
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We have nearly all of our bills paid by electronic transfer, so that isn't a problem. When we are gone Jan thru March is when we get all of
our income tax information and I don't want it to get lost. Think I will stick with having a friend pick it up and mail to us. Thanks for all the great info.
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09-10-2013, 06:21 AM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Check the IRS web site .I think you can now get your W2's etc on line.
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09-10-2013, 09:04 AM
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#19
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Westford
Posts: 403
M.O.C. #1250
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Our first winter away we used the Premeium Mail Forwarding, worked great, but expensive. Since then we use the temporary change of address. We change our address effective a couple of days before we leave and change back to our regular address a couple days before we head home in the spring.
As Rondo mentioned don't forward to a family member, especially a junior. We went through that when junior moved out and did a change of address.
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09-10-2013, 09:11 AM
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#20
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 439
M.O.C. #12726
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I get the pension info on line but its all the bank, etc. stuff that comes in for taxes. I can do a temp address change but would have to rent a p o box and don't want to have to go to post office to get mail all the time. Like the friend sending it better all the time.
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