Now you can see your mail before it arrives!
I am expecting a package from Eyebuydirect and it is supposed to arrive soon. I got an e-mail from the USPS telling me this and asking if I wanted to sign up for "Informed Delivery." So I did. I already have a business account (largely dormant at this point) so I had to create a new personal account for Informed Delivery.
What does it do? Well, as each piece of mail goes through the sorting machine, it snaps a photo of it (see above) and then posts this photo on your Informed Delivery page. Sounds silly, but if you travel a lot and are expecting a package or letter and want to alert your house-sitter, well, it is kind of keen to know you are getting that thing on that exact date. It also makes it easier to track and prove that you were supposed to receive something. There is even a "I did not receive this" link to click on, if the mail is lost. Keeps that substitute mailman honest, doesn't it? I mean, if a check or package goes missing, you have a chain-of-custody and even a photo of it.
It started in 2017 and rolled out in 2019. It is not available in all areas and according to Wikipedia, there are only about 14 million users in a nation of 330 million people, as of 2019. So I am kind of late to the game here. Still, it is a handy feature and I thought I should spread the word...
...before DeJoy shuts it down. Just kidding. It seems it was implemented on his watch, even if it was likely in the works, years before.
UPDATE: Today I received my daily update of mail, and the interesting thing was one piece of junk mail appeared on the screen, next to an advertisement from the same company. So the USPS is making money off this feature!
