Lately I have been wondering, if you put a envelope with your own address as the to address and, say… My address as the return address then dropped it in one of those mailboxes outside of Wal-Mart without any postage, would they “return” it to the “sender” (me) or send it on to you with postage due?
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I do something similar when I send packages to my parents: I send to their address and put the neighbours address as the sender address to ensure that it gets to Canada and stays in Canada.
We all prefer for my parents to pay an extra 50 cents as opposed to having what-ever-it-was that I sent returned here and then another couple of months to pass before actually getting to open the package…
There is one way to see: try it out! But send yourself something nice!
Sad to say, several years ago in high school and college my friends and I did that to it eachother and it worked! We mailed letters without postage. Not sure if it works now, but 10-15 years ago it did!!!
(oh, I do put postage on the packages to my parents… just one time it did not seem to be enough, so since then I use the neighbours address to ensure that the stuff stays on that side of the Atlantic… did not realize that this was about totally saving postage!)
Hahaha! When I was a teen I figured out several ways to “subvert” the system. That was one of them. I also figured it was probably mail fraud and never tried any of them out.
That’s such a great idea! I mean, it’s great you have come up with it. It’s not completely right of course (I mean, I don’t think it’s legal)… but the idea… it’s soooooo good… you should try it, really…
It works, but the post office does keep a record of what your household owes- you can leave the money in your mailbox in a marked envelope for the mail delivery person to collect if you need to!
Did you do this?
My husband is a postman. He thought this was a good question: in other words, “How to get your mail delivered for free?” Lol.
Well, he said that they would return it to the sender. If there was postage on it but not enough, they would deliver it with “postage due.”
He said you are a smart cookie.
P.S. This is considered “mail fraud.” The last thing you’d want to do it get in trouble with the government….
Mrs. Mecomber,
This is exactly what I told her: great question, but certainly dishonest and probably illegal. “We don’t want to try it,” says I. “Let’s just post it as a hypothetical question.”
I thought it was hypothetical, and I also thought it was an accident (as in, How could I have DONE this, and now what do I do?!).
warning: Things without postage may not be delivered at all if there is not a return address.
Cool !
My lil’ bro Lincoln wrote a letter to him self, but it did have a stamp!
They may not post it if they think it is a joke!
Birtt
Without postage, Kim? I’m surprised at you! Because that would be…STEALING? Right?
Grafted,
Yes, I agree that it would be stealing. That’s why we didn’t try it out.
My mom said if you do that it will come right back. Same as if you forget to put a stamp on. Also, you should put your thinking cap on and write the next chapter of that story with your sister!
Kaitlyn