The Dreaded Address Change!!

As you all know, getting your mail when on the road can be a problem.  It can also be a problem if you have nitwits in your area who try to steal your mail because they don't get any!!

I've checked out all the options and actually tried several, but they add up to lots of dollars out of my pocket for junk mail that I shouldn't even have to bother with in the first place!!  I had the post office forward my mail to a friend once a week for $18 a pop, had a friend's son pick it up for $25 a week and even had someone live in my house and check the mail (not a good idea when you hear them talk about parties!!)

Since none of those options have worked out, I finally decided to check into the Escapees Mail Service and whatever else I could find.  I finally decided on the Escapees route since they have had lots of experience in that ballpark.  I was however, VERY nervous to think my mail was going to Texas before it got back to me ... and what about those tax returns, 1099's, W-2's and all that jazz?

It will be okay everyone said ... so I downloaded the paperwork and began to fill out all the pages.  They required photocopies of two forms of I.D. (that's how I lost my drivers license in the copy machine in the rig) and a Notary of my signature.  That's going to be hard to find in my little town!

When I did an internet search (which is slightly faster with my new router) I found that there is a UPS store here and they will notarize anything.  I made a beeline for the store, since I feel like I'm running out of time for my June departure!!  While there, I noticed they have mailboxes.  How does that work you ask?  It's just like the post office, only better!!

The UPS store will rent a personal mail box, throw away all the junk mail and catalogs, and send your mail to you wherever you are, by UPS OR the Post Office.  I found out recently that you must use the US Postal Service for mail, because if you have a package sent to General Delivery at a Post Office any other way, say by UPS, they will charge you for postage, even though you have already PAID for postage.  Nice of the Post Office to do that, right???

Even better, the UPS store here charged me $106 a year for a medium box, versus $115 plus $50 postage deposit, plus $35 cancellation fee and so on for Escapees.  There's no deposit required for postage, they will just charge my credit card as mail is sent ... which they do NOT keep on file.  If my box gets too full, they will send me a text message that it's time to send it SOMEWHERE!!  With the office being only 3 miles from my house, I can get my mail when I'm home, or even have them deliver it by UPS ... pretty cool, right??  Let's DO IT!!

Then came the long list of names to call regarding my change of address.  YIKES!!!  The first bank I called back East, I got a nice lady who recognized my town ... she used to live here.  The next guy told me to have a "magical day" ... right before the next guy hung up on me!!

Here's an interesting one about the Post Office ... they actually charge YOU to change your address on-line!!  Bet you didn't know THAT one!!  You go on the internet, put your change of address in and they ask for a credit card number.  Your old address must be the same as the credit card address when they charge you $1.05.  If that charge goes through, then they accept your address change.  NO, they DO NOT refund the $1.05.  What's up with that????

It's definitely been an interesting activity ... for ten companies, there are ten ways to have your address changed.  Believe it or not, the Social Security Office was one of the easiest and fastest.  While talking to the garbage pickup service, I might just have mentioned my neighbors and their garbage can that has been in front of their house for over a year with no pickup.  The nice lady was able to figure out the address and said she would notify the proper people.

There are still another 20 businesses on my list to contact, even after seven hours of phone calls and emails yesterday.  Maybe by the time I leave, I will finally have notified everyone.