The United States Postal Service (USPS), a 200-year-old institution, remains one of the most prevalent ways of delivering mail in the US.
But do they ring your doorbell?
We examine the USPS practice of ringing doorbells or knocking on doors during package delivery:
Here’s Why USPS Drivers Don’t Usually Knock:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) does not require its employees to ring doorbells or knock on doors during delivery. However, USPS personnel will ring doorbells or knock on doors if a signature is required for the delivery. The carrier will leave a note if the recipient is not home.
Does USPS Ring Doorbells & Knock on the Door?
The USPS will ring doorbells and knock on the door as a courtesy, but they aren’t required to do so.
The reason behind this is pretty simple. The US Postal Service is all about efficiency!
To be as efficient as possible, they want to make sure they don’t spend time ringing doorbells or knocking on doors.
However, there are some scenarios where USPS will ring the doorbell and knock on the door, including delivering a package that requires a signature.
Are USPS Personnel Required to Ring and Knock?
The USPS does not require its employees to ring doorbells or knock on doors.
The employee must ring the doorbell, knock on the door, or attempt to contact someone who lives at that address to get permission for delivery if a signature is required.
If no signature is required, the employee can leave the package or mail in the mailbox or your front door without ringing the doorbell or knocking.
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What if You Don’t Hear Them Knocking?
If you’re expecting a package and aren’t home, don’t worry!
The USPS will try to deliver your package multiple times before giving up.
First, they’ll ring your doorbell. If a signature is required, but no one is home to sign for the package, the delivery person will leave a note saying they will return later.
If all attempts are missed, they will return the package to the local post office for you to pick up.
If you wish for the mailman to knock on your door, you can leave a note or a sign that says “Please knock,” so that it’s clear from the outside that someone is inside waiting for their packages.
If you wish to know whether or not someone came by without knocking, tracking is your best bet. You can check this by logging into your account and looking at “Track Package” under “My Account.”
From there, enter your tracking number from any given package and click “Track.”
What Happens if You’re Not Home?
If you’re not home when your mail carrier tries to deliver your mail, they will leave a notice informing you that you have new mail waiting for pickup at the post office, or they may leave it with a neighbor.
If you don’t pick up your mail from the post office within 15 days, the USPS will return it to the sender.
You can also go directly to your local post office during business hours and ask an employee for assistance with any undelivered items that may be available for pickup.
The address and phone number of your local post office can be found on the Find USPS Locations page of the USPS website.
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Redelivery:
If you notice that the USPS tried to deliver a package and no one accepted it at your address, you can also use the Redelivery service to have the package re-delivered.
Requests for Redelivery placed Monday through Saturday before 2 a.m. CST will be processed the following business day.
Can You Complain if Your Mailman Didn’t Ring or Knock?
If you don’t receive a notice the day before delivery and your package is marked as delivered on the USPS website, but it hasn’t arrived, consider contacting your mail carrier or local post office.
To reach USPS, you have several options:
- Email Us form on the USPS website
- Call 1-800-ASK-USPS or TTY 1-800-877-8339
- Speak to the station manager or postmaster at your local post office
- Visit the local post office’s consumer and industry affairs department
If none of these options resolve your issue, you can write to the Consumer Advocate Office at USPS headquarters.
Sources:
United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General – The Postal Service and Its Obligation
USA.gov – Complaints Against the Government
USPS – Get the Mail You Missed Redelivered