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If the USPS wants more usage, rather than marketing, they need to "innovate" just a tad. There is a value-add service that I really wish the USPS would provide.

If the USPS wants more usage, rather than marketing, they need to "innovate" just a tad. There is a value-add service that I really wish the USPS would provide. It is very simple too... I would like an abstraction layer for my address. I am still fairly young and move semi-frequently -- every few years. I want a static address that I can give to my bank, DMV, anything that needs to mail me things. This address will auto-forward to my current living address. Thus I will not have to update all my services when I move. It might also be nice to have multiple addresses forwarded to the same location as well; my address and my current roommates. The format of this address could follow PO box style, or they could even invent something new (blah@physical.usps.com). This is something that I think would be easy for the USPS to provide (mail is routed electronically, and I am basically just asking for a lookup table). This would be more difficult for "competitors" UPS/FedEx/DHL to provide, and just might bring more use to the USPS. So why hasn't the USPS done it?

ericd 15y ago
Earth Class Mail does this, but I agree, it would be really nice if that was a standard option.
pork 15y ago
Hey, while we're on USPS feature requests, this one is a bit overdue: SPAM FILTERING. Allow me to blacklist certain senders, that's all.
ojilles 15y ago
Man, I've been searching for this (but I live in Europe, so across country borders, there is no hope unfortunately). Instead what USPS could do is actually scan all this stuff and email me a PDF. 80% of the snail mail I receive I don't need to have physically anyways. For those pieces that need physical delivery -> check a checkbox and USPS could send it to my current address. (Notice how that also solves the addressing indirection?)
- Lewisham 15y ago
  I'd love this too. A bit of clicking around discovered a company in the UK that does this, but it couldn't look more shady [1]. I'd happily pay USPS $50 a year for such a service, which is certainly a lot more than they'll get in stamps from me. [1] http://www.ukpostbox.com/ http://www.ukpostbox.com/
nate 15y ago
Absolutely! I could have kept adding more and more too. But yes, this is a perfect one that they could turn on and I bet everyone would pay something per year to get a virtual address. And what's great is that it's a virtual address that the government knows about. So they can still serve me papers and collect taxes and all that government stuff. But I don't have to worry about some guy coming over to my house because I pissed him accidentally on Yelp and he found my address from some email footer I sent.
lean 15y ago
It's called a Change of Address form
logn 15y ago
Good idea. Also, I'd like to be able to send electronic documents via the mail and for the USPS to introduce a legally acceptable signature they can put on the document. That way I can do all of my legal stuff easily through the mail or send that letter to grandma who's off the grid.

ericd 15y ago

Earth Class Mail does this, but I agree, it would be really nice if that was a standard option.

pork 15y ago

Hey, while we're on USPS feature requests, this one is a bit overdue: SPAM FILTERING. Allow me to blacklist certain senders, that's all.

ojilles 15y ago

Man, I've been searching for this (but I live in Europe, so across country borders, there is no hope unfortunately). Instead what USPS could do is actually scan all this stuff and email me a PDF. 80% of the snail mail I receive I don't need to have physically anyways. For those pieces that need physical delivery -> check a checkbox and USPS could send it to my current address. (Notice how that also solves the addressing indirection?)

Lewisham 15y ago
I'd love this too. A bit of clicking around discovered a company in the UK that does this, but it couldn't look more shady [1]. I'd happily pay USPS $50 a year for such a service, which is certainly a lot more than they'll get in stamps from me. [1] http://www.ukpostbox.com/ http://www.ukpostbox.com/

nate 15y ago

Absolutely! I could have kept adding more and more too. But yes, this is a perfect one that they could turn on and I bet everyone would pay something per year to get a virtual address. And what's great is that it's a virtual address that the government knows about. So they can still serve me papers and collect taxes and all that government stuff. But I don't have to worry about some guy coming over to my house because I pissed him accidentally on Yelp and he found my address from some email footer I sent.

lean 15y ago

It's called a Change of Address form

logn 15y ago

Good idea. Also, I'd like to be able to send electronic documents via the mail and for the USPS to introduce a legally acceptable signature they can put on the document. That way I can do all of my legal stuff easily through the mail or send that letter to grandma who's off the grid.