Warning from Post office

[cleancutlawncare5382]

Close call yesterday. Post office called and asked if I was putting flyers in the mail boxes. I told the truth " yes I was but only a few - if the owner wasn't home". He was nice about it but told me they could collect them and charge me postage along with a fine. Wont be doing that again !!

[psparaco]

Lawn care business tips

I'm glad i live in a big metropolis. The mailman isnt worried about flyers. I get pizza, chinese food flyers and notes from my landlord. I dont get it. United states postal service do not own YOUR mailbox. Their gona charge you postage yet you delivered them yourself. Are they frickin retarded. If they ever call me and ask if i am putting flyers. I'll tell them. when you talk to all the pizza places, chinese food places, and everyother establishment that has put a flyer in my mailbox and have them all stop. i'll stop. until them. quit b*tching and go deliver some letters.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by psparaco

I'm glad i live in a big metropolis. The mailman isnt worried about flyers. I get pizza, chinese food flyers and notes from my landlord. I dont get it. United states postal service do not own YOUR mailbox. Their gona charge you postage yet you delivered them yourself. Are they frickin retarded. If they ever call me and ask if i am putting flyers. I'll tell them. when you talk to all the pizza places, chinese food places, and everyother establishment that has put a flyer in my mailbox and have them all stop. i'll stop. until them. quit b*tching and go deliver some letters.

Pizza, Chinese and food places have permits to do it. It doesn't matter if the deliver it or not the law is the law, just follow it. There was a thread around here somewhere about this very topic.

[psparaco]

Originally Posted by jasonw

Pizza, Chinese and food places have permits to do it. It doesn't matter if the deliver it or not the law is the law, just follow it. There was a thread around here somewhere about this very topic.

so you mean to tell me there is legal soliciting and illegal. its all wrong in my eyes. Some like junk mail some do. I highly doubt the middle easterns at the pizza shop up the street with several code violations in their building has a permit to put flyers in mailboxes. maybe some one time places like dominos or pizza johns but small ma and pop stores i highly doubt it. and some i fold up and put them in the door.

[cleancutlawncare5382]

I never looked into the laws but have heard threw the grapevine its illegal here in Pa.

My concern was upsetting customers. I don't know if a property owner called or if the mailman found them. I still think door-to-door is an effective marketing tool only I will be staying clear of the mail box.

Might have to look into another way to attach flyers to a door. I make all my own flyers to keep cost down. I haven't found an easy way to make door hangers.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by psparaco

so you mean to tell me there is legal soliciting and illegal. its all wrong in my eyes. Some like junk mail some do. I highly doubt the middle easterns at the pizza shop up the street with several code violations in their building has a permit to put flyers in mailboxes. maybe some one time places like dominos or pizza johns but small ma and pop stores i highly doubt it. and some i fold up and put them in the door.

The fines for a business illegally putting fliers in a mail box can be astronomical. I highly doubt pizza place would do it and not be permitted. its just not worth it if you get caught. If you suspect a business doing it then you can very easily ask your local post office if they are licensed to do it, if not file a complaint. The USPS is a Federal office so this is a Federal law effecting every state in the union. At the same time if you do it unpermited you are committing a federal offense. They really frown on that and yes when push comes to shove you will have to appear in a federal court house to answer the complaint which is more than likely several hundred miles from your home or business just to make it a burden on you.

[Steve]

Might have to look into another way to attach flyers to a door. I make all my own flyers to keep cost down. I haven't found an easy way to make door hangers.

Could you staple a rubberband to a few of the flyers so if someone isnt home, you can attach it to the door knob?

[TaylorsCornerLLC]

In my town, a local free paper puts its weekly paper on a hook on the mailbox post. Wether or not they were permitted or not by the post office i have no idea. Your best bet before doing anything with a mail box or paper box is contact the post office and ask what you can and can't do. Im sure you can put out fliers in mailboxes for the right $$. But even if you buy the mailbox, it one on town property, and two its federally owned.

[Steve]

As far as I know, you can never put anything in or on a mailbox.

We also have talked about putting things in the newspaper boxes and found that was illegal too. It was brought up in another post but a lawn care business owner was contacted by the newspaper company and was told they could be charged with trespassing.

Do a search here on it. It was a fascinating post.

Putting Fliers in Newspaper Box Laws?

Flyers in mailboxes legal or illegal

[Jack Rabbit]

Some towns have laws about putting things on doors or going door to door. They do here but there's some way to get a permit.

There is a completely legal way to get your fliers in mailboxes ... mail them. Hey, I didn't say it was cheap or well targeted or anything.

Huh, there's a dash dash right angle bracket (an html comment tag end) at the end of this post that I didn't put there ... ... ... Oh! Using two dashes causes it as well as duplicated post parts.