Can I re-direct a held bounce box?

[roguedeadguy]

Let's suppose I send a bounce box 1-2 weeks ahead of me, and it's being held for me at a post office. If I arrive on a Saturday, the post office is closed, and I have to wait around a couple days to get it. That's going to slow me down. If I don't absolutely need the contents, is there an option to then bypass this stop, and ask the post office to forward it along and have it held for me at another post office up the trail? Or due to postal rules, do I have to be present to pick it up at that location?

[-SEEKER-]

I would say call one of the Trail Post Offices and ask them to be sure. I beat a box at Bob Peoples place once and they took care of sending it ahead for me when it arrived.

[Puppy]

I think that the if it is sent PRIORITY mail (more expensive) they forward....but I would call a trail town post office and find out for sure.

[Lugnut]

Unless there has bee a change as long as it has not been opened you can forward it.

[Jack Tarlin]

You don't necessarily have to be present, but technically, they're NOT supposed to forward or bump something ahead or elsewhere based on just a phone call; by the rules, you're supposed to fill out a "change-of-address" card, available at any P.O., fill it out properly, include old address, new address (i.e. where you now want it sent); date it and sign it. In a few days, the stuff will be at the new address.

That being said, in many cases, they will forward a hiker box based on just a phone call. Call the Post Office in question, ask for the Postmaster or Postmistress, and if you're really nice, and if you don't happen to run into someone who's a stickler for the rules, they'll help you out based on just a phone call.

Buy keep in mind not everyone will do this and you can't necessarily count on it. If they're strict about this, it's done as a protection for the patron, i.e. they want to make sure that the right person gets their mail, which is why in some cases they'll insist on a properly filled out change of adress card.

[Captain Blue]

Make sure you carry the phone number of the post office with you. If you call the main 1-800 number for customer service for all post offices they will tell you that to forward a package they need a written forward order on file. I went round-n-round with a customer service rep once trying to get a package forwarded out of the Blue Ridge Summit, PA post office. They would not accept instructions to forward. Reluctantly, after asking five times, they gave me the local number for the post office. I called the local post office it went smoothly. No problems, no hassles. These days you can only forward Priority Mail at no charge.

[leaftye]

I tried forwarding by phone once, but they wouldn't do it. That was with calling that local post office. It might work better if there were a note on the box.

[4eyedbuzzard]

1) Don't EVER call a female Postmaster a Postmistress - there is no such job title and some find it offensive, not cute.
2) You can almost always forward General Delivery Priority Mail to a hiker from most all small offices along the trail. They are very used to doing this for hikers. Just be polite.

The only problem issues lately are that as the Postal Service downsizes, many offices are getting new Postmasters as people retire and jobs are cut. Some of the replacement people are coming from administrative offices and processing and distribution centers and are not as cooperative or knowledgeable as the Postmasters they are replacing.

[Blissful]

If you sent it priority unopened they will forward it.

[gipcgirl]

Let's suppose I send a bounce box 1-2 weeks ahead of me, and it's being held for me at a post office. If I arrive on a Saturday, the post office is closed, and I have to wait around a couple days to get it. That's going to slow me down. If I don't absolutely need the contents, is there an option to then bypass this stop, and ask the post office to forward it along and have it held for me at another post office up the trail? Or due to postal rules, do I have to be present to pick it up at that location?
YEs they will bounce it up the trail by phone, you need to id the box i.e. have something on the box that only you know. OTherwise anyone can ring and bounce your box. I did this several times when on the trail last year. I wrote on the box my maiden name (in red pen) and all I did was quote this and they were happy to move it along.

[leaftye]

YEs they will bounce it up the trail by phone, you need to id the box i.e. have something on the box that only you know. OTherwise anyone can ring and bounce your box. I did this several times when on the trail last year. I wrote on the box my maiden name (in red pen) and all I did was quote this and they were happy to move it along.

Yeah, this is what I should have done with mine. The person at the post office couldn't verify if I was who I said I was, and the box hadn't been there long, so they didn't want to take the risk that I might be maliciously having that package moved elsewhere. Maybe I'll use these stickers:

http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.6071590.1.sticker,375x360.double-rainbow-omg-v1.png

...and I'll tell the postmaster what it means.

[RichardD]

Heres my experience. I used a bounce box on my Colorado trail hike. First stop at Frisco worked fine, I bounced it on to Salida.
Long story short, I ended up at Gunnison, not Salida. I called the post office at Salida and asked them if it could be mailed on to Silverton, They said no, I had to first show up at the PO at Salida. After much talking they said all they could do was to mail it back to my home (the return address on the box) I confirmed my home address and told them to do so. Three years later and I still don't have the box with the rather valuable gear enclosed in it.
Although apparently you can phone in to have it shipped ahead, don't count on it. It seems to depend entirely on the person you speak to at the PO and what he thinks he should do. I was very polite in explaining my predicament to the PO worker and asking for his advice, to no avail.

[gipcgirl]

Heres my experience. I used a bounce box on my Colorado trail hike. First stop at Frisco worked fine, I bounced it on to Salida.
Long story short, I ended up at Gunnison, not Salida. I called the post office at Salida and asked them if it could be mailed on to Silverton, They said no, I had to first show up at the PO at Salida. After much talking they said all they could do was to mail it back to my home (the return address on the box) I confirmed my home address and told them to do so. Three years later and I still don't have the box with the rather valuable gear enclosed in it.
Although apparently you can phone in to have it shipped ahead, don't count on it. It seems to depend entirely on the person you speak to at the PO and what he thinks he should do. I was very polite in explaining my predicament to the PO worker and asking for his advice, to no avail.
ALl I can say to this is that you win some and you lose some. I guess I won more than once.:banana:banana:banana:banana

[Serial 07]

i've done it before...if you call them and say please, chances are the post office folks will be kind enough to make the label out for ya...that is if you sent it priority...

[springerfever]

Yeah, this is what I should have done with mine. The person at the post office couldn't verify if I was who I said I was, and the box hadn't been there long, so they didn't want to take the risk that I might be maliciously having that package moved elsewhere. Maybe I'll use these stickers:

http://ih2.redbubble.net/work.6071590.1.sticker,375x360.double-rainbow-omg-v1.png

...and I'll tell the postmaster what it means.



OBAMA must go ?