P.O. Boxes?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a P.O. box for items I want to order but don't want delivered to my house, but I'm not quite sure how they work- can I have large packages delivered to it? It's going to be a small P.O. box, like letter-sized, and the boxes are going to be bigger, I'm sure. How does the Post Office handle it? Will they keep them somewhere and I'll have to pick the packages up from behind the counter?

If anyone could clear this up, I'd be much obliged. Thanks!

Answer 1

Good question, good answers provided!

  I would also add that your local Post Office MAY rent different box sizes.  The only benefit I can see to renting one of the larger boxes is that you don't need to get a key to open the larger generic boxes if yours fills up.  (Hope this makes sense)

From time to time they run out of these larger generic boxes and you get a note saying that your packages are being held for you - not ideal if this happens at 5.01pm at which time the customer service window is closed necessitating another trip to the Post Office tomorrow.

Answer 2

yeah, they will put a little note in your box when you get a package and you just give it to them when you want to pick it up. They're nice.

Answer 3

Yes the post office will leave a slip in the PO box letting you know that you have a parcel.

It is very important when ordering from catalogs that you specify that you want them to use the post office as the shipper. Why? Because those guys in the brown trucks cannot deliver to PO Box addresses.

Great question.

Answer 4

I have a P O Box and when i get a package that is too large to put in the box I have they leave me a key to another box that will have just my package in it.  i open the box leave the key in the lock and take out my package.

Answer 5

A notice that you have a package will be left in your PO Box. Just give the notice to a postal employee and they will give you your package. Been doing it for years.