"Adam H. Kerman"
chinet.com> wrote in message
news:h_ydnQTuhr4JHNrVnZ2dnUVZ_tHinZ2d@comcast.com...
(clip)> I've never had my boxes closed for renewing late. If your office does
> that, that's a little harsh. They've plugged the lock to remind me to
> pay but still place mail in the box.
What is harsh about following procedures? As I explained, the rent is due
on or before the last day of the month. If not paid, the box is blocked
(plugged) to deny access and mail continues to be placed in the box. On the
11th of the next month, the box is closed for non-payment and mail is
returned to sender. It is similar but different from how your utility
company handles deliqent accounts. Don't they disconnect at a specific time
for non-payment? You call that harsh but it seems quite businesslike to me.
> You're saying this isn't by design? Somebody at Elephant Center's bonus
> relies on these lock change fees being collected.
No, you are saying that. Why would you try to minimize a valid business
practice?
> I really don't recall a lock change fee before a year ago. What was it?
I really don't recall when the lock change fee came about. It is more than
a year ago but exactly when escapes me.
> I am relaying a conversation. Why do you doubt me? She told me that they
> used to keep the locks, but now they are disposing of them. This is the
> original lock. I vaguely recall using the combination lock 25 years ago,
> perhaps for just the first year or two. She said they order new locks
> from Topeka.
I don't doubt yout. It makes no sense to dispose of the lock. I know we
dispose of locks for the NBUs because the locks are so cheap and trying to
continually match keys to locks would cost more than the locks. OTOH, post
office box locks are more expensive and we reorder keys for them on a
regular basis. There might be some confusion in the conversation and who
you were talking to about it. Locks for the NBUs come from Topeka. The
last I knew the locks for the post office boxes come from another source.
> Then what, pray tell, was the purpose of the key deposit, if it's
> impossible to reuinte the returned key with its yanked lock?
To annoy you? ~g~
> For some reason, this office insists on a letter on company letterhead
> for lock boxes opened by firms. It's not a standard I'm familiar with.
Me either. The only time we get into that sort of situation is when
organizations change officers. Then, to update, we require copies of the
minutes of a meeting on letterhead. That is rare since most organizations
seem to pay on time, change officers annually and then need to update comes
five or six sets of oficers after the box was opened.
> At the time of application, applicants must present two items
> of valid identification; one item must contain a photograph of
> the applicant. Social Security cards or credit cards and birth
> certificates are unacceptable as identification. The following
> are acceptable identification:
>
> 1. Valid driver's license or state non-driver's identification
> card.
>
> 2. Armed forces, government, university, or recognized corporate
> identification card.
>
> 3. Passport, alien registration card, or certificate of
> naturalization.
>
> 4. Current lease, mortgage, or deed of trust.
>
> 5. Voter or vehicle registration card.
>
> 6. Home or vehicle insurance policy.
>
> She claimed she couldn't accept both the state ID and driver's license
> as the numbers on the two IDs were very similar (it's true that a few
> of the digits are rearranged).
That is ignorant. They are both valid. Even if the numbers were identical,
they are two separate and distinct forms of ID. With different numbers,
regardless of similarity, they should be accepted.
> There was much disagreement about whether the deposit for the third key
> was refundable. Only the box clerk said yes; the others said no.
The box clerk was correct. The others should have accepted the authority of
that information. Or they might want to read the DMM (see last sentence of
4.8.1 below).
4.8.1 Key Deposit
Two post office box keys are initially issued to each new box customer. Box
customers must pay a refundable key deposit on each of these keys. The
refundable key deposit must be paid on each additional key requested under
4.8.2. When box service is terminated, the key deposit is refunded to the
customer for each key (including additional or replacement keys in
4.8.2)
that is returned to the post office where the box was issued.
> I think you are correct but I'll never see that buck again.
True, that.
> DMM
508.4.8.2 discusses a nonrefundable key fee seperate from the
> refundable deposit, referring to 4.3b. This section doesn't exist. The
> fee chart at 4.1 states
You can read the information by hovering over the link. The link takes you
to
4.3.1b.
> I never said the box was closed. The rent was due by March 31. The other
> person who accepts mail retrieved the payment envelope from the box in
> early April, which means that not only wasn't the box closed, the lock
> wasn't even plugged.
I can only speak to process not how they apply it.
> This part of the story I'm not certain of. He says he mailed in the
> check the day he retrieved the payment envelope from the box; I don't
> think it was too many days into April. His check wasn't posted till the
> 16th. The receipt says we paid for a 12 month period 3/31/2008 -
> 3/30/2009, sheesh.
I don't know how other offices process those things. If we reopen the same
box, we show the services dates as uninterrupted. You want a different box
then you get actual dates.
> They did process the renewal fee, which is why they were letting the
> mail accumulate. The mail was being held hostage till we paid the lock
> change fee.
Through the 11th that would be correct. After the 11th, there was no reason
to hold the mail and every reason to be returning it.
