Post hanging out the letterbox

SarahSassy

We are having continuous problems with the postman only putting the post half in through the letterbox. Its not like there is a lot of post and its a bog standard house post box. I complained in September and it improved for a while, then in November we had to call again but its back to square one. We can both work away from time to time and its a sure sign to any burglers that there is no one in the house if the post is in the letterbox for days.

I met the postman yesterday and I told him (cos An post told me) that its obligatory for him to put the post fully through the letterbox. He told me its not cos he is not insured if he gets injured. So basically he said he didnt want to lose a finger and some box's are like mouse traps. I told him its not a difficult letterbox, he agreed and he said 'well I will try' to put them fully in.

I have come home to my bank statements and other very private stuff hanging out the letter box and for him to 'try' is not good enough. I called An Post again to complain but do I have any alternatives now? Can I take it further somehow?

mike65

Annoying isn't it, people who dump flyers and free newspapers are worse as they almost NEVER push all the way. You might was well hang a sign at the end of the drive saying come in and rob me blind.

SarahSassy

mike65 wrote: »

You might was well hang a sign at the end of the drive saying come in and rob me blind.

Thats the problem.... Surely there is some way round this as I dont trust yer man to 'try' at all.

ha-ya-said-what

I think that is the new postman code of conduct!!

Our postmen (we have like bloody 4 dif ones) all leave the post half hanging out of the letter box, on several occassions have caught the kids in the estate trying to rob it then.

Parcels or packages that don't have to be signed for get left on the step, he does not ring the bell or anything, & if they are small he stuffs them into the box and leaves them hanging out, now why the heck can he spend five min fiddling with the letter box trying to shove a packet into it when he won't put the post in.

Then the best one is the lazy bas of a postman who was going around with the collection dockets for the depot pre written so he wouldn't have to carry packets or parcels on his round. We complained in the depot about that and they said there was no way he could be doing that, when I knew for a fact he wasn't bringing the packets, cos he'd just stick the collection docket in with the post and me sitting at the kitchen table, that's happened 3 times until I lost the plot when he did it one day with a small package I was in a hurry for!!

One postmas even leaves his bag in our garden full of the post, takes the post for the houses down the row out and off with him ..... and what do you think, there is the kids rummaging in the bloody bag when he's off doing his round!

rubadub

SarahSassy wrote: »

I met the postman yesterday and I told him (cos An post told me) that its obligatory for him to put the post fully through the letterbox. He told me its not cos he is not insured if he gets injured. So basically he said he didnt want to lose a finger and some box's are like mouse traps. I told him its not a difficult letterbox, he agreed and he said 'well I will try' to put them fully in.

Sounds like he did not like to be told how to do his job, what did you say? what sort of tone? . The not being insured bit sounds like bullsh!t, knowing you will not challenge it as you would be calling him a liar. Sounds like a kid "I can't do it, so there, no what you gonna do?". And no he probably has you singled out and will be worse in future. You have no control over pricks like this, like bouncers, garda etc, even if they are in the wrong it is best to play along -I would have told him can you please put them in because they have been stolen in the past, say neighbours saw kids stealing them, and you know for sure letters you were expecting had to be resent by the bank etc.

ha-ya-said-what wrote: »

One postmas even leaves his bag in our garden full of the post, takes the post for the houses down the row out and off with him .

You should take the bag into your house, I bet then he will ring/knock adequately to get it back, then hand him a note saying he can pick it up in the depot, or that the garda already picked it up when you reported a dumped postbag

In the states they take post very seriously, postmen have got many years in prison for not delivering letters, and I expect this gross neglect would be a serious offence.

ha-ya-said-what

PMSL Yes I did think of that, (I'm not the only one with an evil mind so!) last time I went to take the bag to bring it into the house he spotted me and came running up the estate like a bat out of hell!!!

drunkmonkey

i'm going to have to go try and find where i read it but if you've a certain type of letter box there not obliged to put it in due to healty and saftey, some of those spring loaded letterboxes are like giant moustraps for postmen, are you sure you don't have a dangerous letter box Sassy??

Gordon

Why don't you attach a more protruding handle to the flap so that he can safely open the flap with one hand and throw the letters in easily with the other? Fair enough, you shouldn't have to, but if it's cheap and easy to do, then why not.

SarahSassy

Drunkymoneky I am 150% sure we have a hand friendly letterbox and he even agreed with me on that point.

Then he said to me 'I am Lithuanian' as if that had something to do with the price of milk. I dont care if he is from Leitrim as long as he does his job.

I was all nice and polite til he told me he was not insured to put the letters fully in and could lose a finger cos some letersbox's are like mousetraps- hello!!!! I explained the An Post people told me it was his job to ensure the letters were not protruding. I know its a small issue but I dont want the house looking empty and have timers etc to try and counteract that but this muppet is worried he will lose a finger or maybe break a fingernail. I dont know.

TheDriver

can I suggest taking a phot next time you notice that it is protruding because then you have evidence of him not doing his job properly.

vektarman

Having worked as a part-time postman I found the biggest danger posting letters were the dogs waiting behind the door ready to pounce on my unsuspecting fingers as they pushed the letters through the letterbox, I'm not saying this is the reason the postman won't push the letters all the way through in the OP's case, it's just a view from the postmans side.

Jumpy

Can you not wear gloves?

sunny2004

This is ridiculous, truly...

Just make a formal complain stating all the issues to the controller of an-post..

Do it in writing, I wonder if it will be put through his letterbox

T-Square

SarahSassy wrote: »

We are having continuous problems with the postman only putting the post half in through the letterbox. Its not like there is a lot of post and its a bog standard house post box.

How many feet up from the ground is your post box?

I'm not a postman, but I've seen letter slots, literally two inches off the ground.

Why should a postman literally have to bend over backwards to deliver your mail.

Also, if you have dogs waiting on the other side of the door, you are lucky the mail even gets half way into the slot.

If none of the above applies, you should get photo evidence and then complain to the Post office. Email the highest ranks, and call them daily, the message will get through. But they can be quite dense most of the time. Persevere.

T-Square

rubadub wrote: »

You should take the bag into your house, I bet then he will ring/knock adequately to get it back, then hand him a note saying he can pick it up in the depot, or that the garda already picked it up when you reported a dumped postbag

They do that in England too. The Postal workers really are lazy.

Jumpy

T-Square wrote: »

Why should a postman literally have to bend over backwards to deliver your mail.

That is his job.

tommy21

I'm having trouble too. Everytime I order something online (so its comes in a packet or larger), the postman just doesn't bother ringing and waiting. Instead he just stuffs the docket in with rest of normal sized mail. I am then expected to go collect it from somewhere 20 minutes away. 4 times in last 2 months. I am home everyday of the week at the time mail is delivered and have even once been looking out a window and seen the worker stuff mail in and gone to check to discover low and behold he had not bothered to come in. So infuriating. Just do your jobs. If time is an issue, then the workers should collectively complain and get it sorted. Now I'm not saying every postal worker does this, I'm sure 95% are decent out, but same as any other area of life, there are lazy workers about who deserve to be posted abroad in an airtight container If I can catch him in person and get his name, or reg. number, then I'll report him.

youcancallmeal

tommy21 wrote: »

I'm having trouble too. Everytime I order something online (so its comes in a packet or larger), the postman just doesn't bother ringing and waiting. Instead he just stuffs the docket in with rest of normal sized mail. I am then expected to go collect it from somewhere 20 minutes away. 4 times in last 2 months. I am home everyday of the week at the time mail is delivered and have even once been looking out a window and seen the worker stuff mail in and gone to check to discover low and behold he had not bothered to come in. So infuriating. Just do your jobs. If time is an issue, then the workers should collectively complain and get it sorted. Now I'm not saying every postal worker does this, I'm sure 95% are decent out, but same as any other area of life, there are lazy workers about who deserve to be posted abroad in an airtight container If I can catch him in person and get his name, or reg. number, then I'll report him.

I had rather the opposite problem. My postman likes to leave stuff on the doorstep or else try and fit packages through the slot that clearly wont go

SarahSassy

Its waist height and there is no dog waiting in the hall to snap his fingers off and he can see into the hall through the glass. I did take a photo at their request and sent it in and I got a mail today saying it would be advised to the local manager...

I just dont understand why he wouldnt do his job properly and he did mention that he had had a lot of complaints about the same thing - so do your *%$£ing job then or give it to someone who will.

SarahSassy

T-Square wrote: »

Why should a postman literally have to bend over backwards to deliver your mail.

Huh??? Thats like asking why the driver of the No 10 should bring you from Phoenix Park to Baggot St - cos its his JOB!!!

drunkmonkey

Did you ever give him a tip at christmas, maybe give him some cash or a bottle of whiskey, see does the situation improve, it could be money well spent. Your post might even arrive earlier;)

i know it's his job anyway but everyone likes to be appreciated. Share the love this christmas with your postie:)

siddysid

tommy21 wrote: »

I'm having trouble too. Everytime I order something online (so its comes in a packet or larger), the postman just doesn't bother ringing and waiting. Instead he just stuffs the docket in with rest of normal sized mail. I am then expected to go collect it from somewhere 20 minutes away. 4 times in last 2 months. I am home everyday of the week at the time mail is delivered and have even once been looking out a window and seen the worker stuff mail in and gone to check to discover low and behold he had not bothered to come in. So infuriating. Just do your jobs. If time is an issue, then the workers should collectively complain and get it sorted. Now I'm not saying every postal worker does this, I'm sure 95% are decent out, but same as any other area of life, there are lazy workers about who deserve to be posted abroad in an airtight container If I can catch him in person and get his name, or reg. number, then I'll report him.

How long does it take you to answer your doorbel? Our postman has stood at our neighbours doors for up to 5 mins waiting on them, then when he writes the note and heads off to his next block of houses, there's whinge because someone was in the shower, or on the phone nad couldn't be bothered getting a move on to answer the door. If he stopped for 5 mins at evry house, it's no wonder the post is late.

This_Years_Love

At least your postman puts the post halfway though the letterbox. My postman leaves my post on my front step. Once it was my new ATM card in one envelope and the pin number off it in another one. I was lucky to have been at home on the day and notice him leaving the garden and was able to take the post in right away. But if I'd been working that day or out of the house, someone could have easily taken my atm card and pin number and emptied my entire bank account. We have a normal post box, it's in no way dangerous and its at waist lenght so no the lazy bugger doesn't have to bend down. We used to have a great postman but he retired last year and now we have this wanker. He just doesn't give a f**k about his job, its like he's just doing it till something better comes along and doesn't care.

tommy21

siddysid wrote: »

How long does it take you to answer your doorbel? Our postman has stood at our neighbours doors for up to 5 mins waiting on them, then when he writes the note and heads off to his next block of houses, there's whinge because someone was in the shower, or on the phone nad couldn't be bothered getting a move on to answer the door. If he stopped for 5 mins at evry house, it's no wonder the post is late.

If you read my post properly, you'll see that I said he puts it in with the rest of the post into the mailbox. He does not approach the door to use the bell.

vektarman

Jumpy wrote: »

Can you not wear gloves?

I tried but those chain mail gauntlets were too awkward for handling the post.
http://gauntlets.org/gauntlets/photo/chain_mail_gloves.gif

Mr. Presentable

tommy21 wrote: »

If you read my post properly, you'll see that I said he puts it in with the rest of the post into the mailbox. He does not approach the door to use the bell.

So your "mailbox" is not on your door? How far away is it? The postman is only required to go as far as the place you have appointed for him to deliver at - your "mailbox"

Oryx

Not all postmen are lazy beggars. When our postbox was stolen, until we could get a new one put up, our postman (at our request) used to go up the lane past our gate, climb over the ditch, and put our mail in a box behind our wall. (Was the only place we could leave it). Poor man is a saint, he even used to prop the box so rain couldnt get in. He deserves his tip this year.

OP, have you asked your neighbours if they are having similar problems?

daheff

T-Square wrote: »

How many feet up from the ground is your post box?

I'm not a postman, but I've seen letter slots, literally two inches off the ground.

Why should a postman literally have to bend over backwards to deliver your mail.

because its their job to deliver the post. Letterbox at the bottom of the door is not a valid excuse for not delivering the post