With testimonials like these, you can see why
our customers never want to go anywhere else.
Visit our Property Management page to learn more.
Why Do I Get So Much Returned Mail?
Gosh, we wonder the same thing. Will it ever stop?
But fortunately for us, we get paid to process returned mail, so maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all (at least, not in our case). 😉
Mail gets returned to the sender for a lot of different reasons, and sometimes, for no reason at all. Almost all returned mail has a yellow sticker on it that has been placed there by the Post Office.
In this blog post we’ve put together a little Troubleshooting Guide to Returned Mail that should help you “sort it out”–sorry, couldn’t resist.
Let’s start with the obvious reasons and work our way down.
1. The address on your letter is incorrect. This could be anything from the wrong zip code, to a misspelled city name, to a street address that doesn’t exist. The yellow sticker may say “No Such Address” or “No Unit” or “No Such City”. To correct this, a) Double check your records and make sure you’ve got the right address and/or b) go to USPS.com, click on the link on the left to “Find a Zip Code” and enter your address. If the USPS website can’t find the address, chances are it isn’t correct. You can also use our online address correction tools to clean up an entire mailing list.
2. The person no longer lives at that address. It could be that your address is fine but the mail piece was returned because the person has moved. The yellow sticker might say “Unable to forward” or “Forwarding Address Expired” or “Not at this address” or “No such person”. With north of 7% of Americans moving each year, you can anticipate that your mailing list will have similar changes. When someone moves, they fill out a change of address card (online or at their local post office) which the Postal Service puts in their computer systems to verify addresses. So, when a letter is addressed to a good address, to a specific person who filled out a change of address card, their mail will be forwarded to their new address. Unfortunately, if the person didn’t fill out a change of address card, but they did move, that mail piece will be returned to you. This is the same as “moved – left no forwarding address”. We have an online tool that lets you see if people have moved (filling out the changed of address card) any time in the last 18 months and provides you with their new address.
3. The person has no mailbox. This isn’t very common, but it can happen. The yellow sticker might say “No receptacle”. This means there is no mailbox for the mail carrier to put the mail in. This could occur because the house is new, isn’t built at that address yet, or the mailbox was blown over in a storm or run over by a car. There could be many other things that take out a mailbox, or it could have been taken down intentionally by the owner. Unfortunately we don’t have any online tools to solve this one.
4. The Post Office didn’t get it right. Sometimes the postal clerk or someone else at the post office gets confused and assumes or incorrectly determines that the mail can’t be delivered. There’s not much we can do to help out on this one, but if you believe everything is correct with the name and address then drop it back in the mail and see what happens. It just might make it where it needs to go the second time around!
The Adventures Of The LetterStream Pen
Here’s a fun habit we’ve fallen into at the office. Whenever someone travels to a unique destination, they take a LetterStream pen along for a quick photo to be sent on a postcard. Our collection of postcards grows with pictures of the LetterStream pen at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Puerto Rico, the Las Vegas strip and more. You can find some of these pictures on our Instagram account.
If you want to join the fun and capture pictures of the LetterStream pen in unique locations, simply ask for one next time you’re talking with any of our team members, or pick one up at our booth at the CAI trade show we attend each year.
Email us your pen picture–or better yet mail it on a postcard and we’ll consider adding it to our Instagram account or website. No Photoshop allowed! 😉
Here are some of the many destinations the LetterStream pen has visited thus far…
USPS Postage Rate Increase on January 26th
As a reminder, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will be increasing the price of a first-class stamp from $.46 each to $.49 each on January 26th, 2014. If you are planning on getting a mailing out the door this month, you can save money by sending it a few days early.
LetterStream will be raising its prices on all first-class mail products by 3 cents to cover the cost of the USPS price increase. Our new prices will take effect at 5:00 pm on January 24th, as jobs received over the weekend will be mailed on Mon. Jan. 27th at the new postage rate.
As is our tradition, LetterStream has no plans to increase prices beyond the USPS increase. Keep in mind that the USPS has raised prices on postcards, flats, certified mail and other products as well. These increases will be reflected where appropriate in LetterStream prices. We look out for our customers as best we can!
Churches And Year-End Giving Statements
Wow, January is a tough month on volunteers in churches and other non-profit organizations that need to send out year-end charitable giving statements (or annual contribution statements).
This is the time of year you see church secretaries and bookkeepers hauling boxes of paper and envelopes to their cars so they can get their family involved in folding, stuffing, addressing, sealing and mailing the giving statements. This process can take its toll on church staff as they are hesitant to get other church members and “givers” involved due to the sensitivity of this information.
If your organization is looking for an easier and faster method, consider using LetterStream.com to accomplish this mailing. Some local churches actually bring their pre-printed documents directly to us for folding, inserting and mailing. However, most of our non-profit clients simply upload their contribution statements to our secure website for us to print and mail for them.
One thing to remember is that charities are not allowed to use their non-profit permit, standard or bulk postage for these statements. Instead, the United States Postal Service (USPS) requires that statements be sent via First-Class Mail.
Keep in mind that First-Class postage rates are going up by 3 cents on January 26th, 2014. So however you choose to get your charitable giving statements out, act quickly.
If you’d like to give LetterStream a try, choose the “Pre-Addressed PDF (1stclass)” job type from our website and upload some sample statements, or simply give us a call and mention this blog post for personalized assistance. We think you’ll discover a welcome relief to your year-end giving statement mailing.
Toys for Tots 2013 Update
Toys for Tots event at DC Ranch in Scottsdale was a huge success! It was a warm, sunny day, and a spirit of giving must have been in the air… the Marines collected more than 20 jumbo boxes of toys; enough to fill an entire U-Haul truck!
The event was complete with Christmas carolers, great food, photo ops with Santa, an antique toy auction, plenty of hot chocolate, and lots of smiles all around.
Just like last year, I was blown away by the generosity of our team. This year LetterStream giving was up by 50%! Way to go guys!
As the Marines filled the U-Haul truck with toys, I couldn’t help but think of the joy it would bring to kids in need this holiday season.
A special thanks to Grimaldi’s and American Family Insurance who sponsored the event. And thanks to all who came out and participated.
We hope to see an even bigger crowd next year!
Happy New Year!
Welcome 2014! Years seem to feel more like months these days. I’m not sure if that’s because we are having too much fun and making time fly, or if we are just distracted by the opportunities to assist our customers. Either way, a new year is upon us.
We want to say thank you to all our customers, vendors, employees, friends and families who all have been so supportive of the products and services that we offer. We are grateful… Thank You!
In response, and as our New Year’s resolution, we will continue to innovate in the mailing industry in order to deliver hi-tech mailing tools to assist you with your mailings. We will also continue to offer a degree of speed and precision that few in the mailing world can provide, and we will continue to offer stellar customer service, the kind that you can only find by turning back time.
Please continue to communicate with us and give us your feedback so that we can partner with you in helping you accomplish your goals this year as well.
Thank you! …and Happy New Year!
2014 Postage Rate Increase – Official Rates Confirmed
It’s often hard to read between the lines and figure out if postage rates have been officially approved or simply proposed by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
For instance, the September 2013 USPS rate increase announcement was actually just a proposal to increase postage prices. In order for new postage rates to be known for certain, they needed to be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
“The Commission is an independent agency that has exercised regulatory oversight over the Postal Service since its creation by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. The Commission is composed of five Commissioners, each of whom is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of six years.” – https://www.prc.gov/
The PRC made the official announcement 3 days ago on December 24, 2013 that the USPS proposed postage rates are approved and will go into effect on January 26, 2014. Click to read the press release.
The price of a first-class stamp is increasing from $.46 to $.49 cents; an increase of $.03 per postage stamp.
Common postage prices to be aware of include:
- Letters (1 oz.) — 3-cent increase to 49 cents
- Letters additional ounces — 1-cent increase to 21 cents
- Letters to all international destinations (1 oz.) — $1.15
- Postcards — 1-cent increase to 34 cents
These prices were all outlined in the USPS price change announcement (proposal) on September 25, 2013. You can read the entire announcement on the United States Postal Services website.
Certified Mail service by the postal service is also seeing price increases. Certified Mail base fees will be $3.30. Certified Mail Green Card fees (PS Form 3811) will increase to $2.70 while Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) fees will increase to $1.35. For simpler math, a certified letter weighing less than an ounce with green card receipt will cost $6.49 each at the Post Office ($.49 first-class postage + $3.30 certified mail fee + $2.70 certified mail return card).
Toys for Tots 2013 Event – Join Us on Dec. 21st!
It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit and round up toys for kids who might not have Christmas presents this year without a little help from us.
LetterStream is again participating with American Family Insurance agents Nanette D. Cure and Nanette Corso for their 7th Annual Christmas in the Park Fund Raiser and Toy Drive.
This year’s event continues to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a visit from Santa, Marines, live entertainment, an antique toy auction and more.
The event has been moved from the Pinnacle Peak General Store to Grimaldi’s in DC Ranch. This is a great backdrop for family photos, and of course pictures with Santa!
What: Toy Drive, Santa, Toy Auction, Great Food
When: December 21, 2013: 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Where: DC Ranch, Scottsdale, (20715 North Pima Road)
Please bring unwrapped toys for donation, or drop them off anytime at the LetterStream corporate office.
We look forward to seeing you at the event!
"Tech Support": Another Funny Video
This Domtar video is so true.
It really doesn’t have anything to do with mail… but it does leave us asking the question; are we using sustainability as the rationale to do irrational things?
Tell me this hasn’t happened to you.
If you’re interested in real paper mail, contact LetterStream for solutions in Certified Mail, First-Class, and non-profit mail.