Group Mailbox Installations Per USPS Specifications

The USPS has specifications for the installation of CBU mailboxes. However, I have found that many people don't install the boxes per those specifications.

The specifications for a single CBU installation calls for a concrete pad that is 4 feet wide by 4 feet long by 8 inches deep. That is twice as deep as an average sidewalk, and most 'flat-work' concrete workers don't seem to feel it necessary to pour a pad that deep.

'Correct' double pad (left) next to an improperly installed double pad (right).

It also calls for rebar at 14 inches "on-center" and stainless steel J-bolts, which are very hard to find. USMailboxes has specialized in CBU Installations for over 30 years and we offer free advice on your specific situation and how best to do the installation. We can be reached online at USMailboxes.com or by phone at 541-678-1508.

The 15-Minute Tip: Should Check Go In The Mail?

What you can -- and should -- do to protect against mail theft
By Jennifer Openshaw
Last Update: 5:09 PM ET Jul 4, 2007

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- On a cool morning last winter, a friend of mine ran across two black plastic garbage bags among randomly scattered mail along the side of the road. "Litterbugs!" she thought at first. But stamped, delivered mail? No Postal Service bags? Some opened, some not? She realized she had stumbled onto something much bigger.
She picked it up and returned home. All of the mail was addressed within a two block area about a mile away. She got the phone book out and began calling those individuals. And local law enforcement authorities.

Mailbox theft. Thieves collect delivered mail (or sometimes outgoing mail) to find out what they can about you. About your identity. Account numbers, Social Security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers -- enough to open an account somewhere or create a bogus check with your name on it.

They use it themselves or sell it to others. It's a cottage industry and the masterminds may be local -- or may be a continent away.

Although I couldn't find any statistics, mailbox theft is clearly on the rise. Any postal worker or security firm will confirm this. It's part of a nationwide outbreak in identity crime.

Before you put the flag up

Now I'm not suggesting abandoning the United States Postal Service altogether. It does a good job overall and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than FedEx or UPS. You just need to be careful, especially with sensitive mail. And especially if you use a traditional roadside mailbox at the end of your driveway.

Northern California security specialist Defender One offers five precautions:

1. Consider a locking mailbox. If you live in a community association or among a group of homes, consider installing a locked community mailbox. Or you can also get attractive and functional locking individual mailboxes, offering a slot for the mail carrier to use without a key.
   
2. Use online bill pay. I recently wrote about bill pay as a way to simplify your life, save postage and improve security. But if you're mail is vulnerable, I'd step up efforts to convert. Paying online protects twice -- once for incoming bills and once for outgoing checks. One commentator likened putting mail in a mailbox for a day to putting your most vital information in a shoebox at the curb. Not far from the truth. And about electronic payment security -- it isn't perfect, but it's come a long way. If you're careful, your online payments should be safer than mailbox-delivered mail. "Careful" means, for instance, avoiding transactions on public PCs that may have been tampered with, like in a hotel business center.
   
3. Deliver outgoing payments by hand. Unless your mailbox is in sight and you're home all day, you should drop your payments off at a mailbox or the post office. I've been doing this with tax payments for years, but handling the rest this way is not a bad idea.
   
4. Get a post office box. A post office box will also do the trick and should be considered if a locking mailbox won't do or if your situation is especially vulnerable. It's usually tax deductible if you run a business or are self-employed.
   
5. Always hold mail delivery when on vacation. Even if you have someone taking care of pickups for you that mail can stay in the box for a long time and observant crooks will notice you're gone.

Stealing or tampering with mail is a federal offense. But that hasn't been much of a deterrent so far. You probably take your mail for granted, and have for years and years. Just know that thieves are counting on that. Play it safe.

Jennifer Openshaw is the author of " The Millionaire Zone" and CEO of Openshaw's Family Financial Network. She hosts ABC Radio's Winning Advice and serves as an adviser to some of America's top corporations. You can reach her at jopenshaw@themillionairezone.com.

Are Locking Mailboxes Really Secure? by John McCabe

There's a reason why the Post Office uses those big locking mailboxes with the locking compartment on the bottom. It's the same reason you should, too.

They do it so people with bad intentions don't steal the mail.

Identity theft is big business -- both doing it and preventing it.

There are two things, however, which will go a long way to preventing your vital information from falling into the wrong hands. A paper shredder, preferably a cross-cut model. And a secure, not just locking, mail box.

So what should you look for when you shop for a secure locking mailbox?

• A large drop chute with an angled design. Mail should drop into a locked box, where it can wait safely for you to retrieve it. This allows large envelopes and magazines to fall out of the reach of sticky fingers.
• Plenty of storage room. You want to be able to leave for a few days without having your mail fill the box and stick out the mail slot. A locking mail box with envelopes sticking out defeats the purpose.
• Sturdy construction. You want your mailbox to look good, and to function properly for years. You also want the mail box to resist attempts to gain entry.
• Deadbolt locks. Deadbolts are much harder to both pick and pop open than are cheaper spring-type locks.
• Separate mechanism for outbound mail. Often this is a clip attached to the outside door box.

Locking mail boxes can either mount on a post, a wall or even built into a pier or pillar to match your home's architecture. Locks run the gamut, from cheap spring locks to keypad activated deadbolts. There are enough colors and styles available to enable almost anyone to enjoy mail security without robbing from curb appeal.

Identity thieves are like all other crooks. They look for the easy pickings. Take yourself out of that group by buying and installing a truly secure locking mailbox soon.

John McCabe writes for Hearth & Home, a collection of home improvement articles and resources to make your home more secure, valuable and fun.

Message From Michael Johnston, President, USMailboxes

I have worked with the US Postal Service for over 23 years. Our company has worked with the USPS since 1983. Most of that time was dedicated to the installation process under contract with the Post Office. 

At one time, we had employees in most of California and much of Oregon and southwestern Washington, installing group mailboxes including the concrete pads. Over the years the USPS changed its operations. It started in California several years ago where they decided to stop providing the group mailbox at no charge to the subdivision developers. We were then in contact with the developers to both sell and install the group mailboxes for them. Since the group mailbox costs so much more than the installation process, our gross revenue had to jump significantly. 

A few years later the USPS stopped providing the mailboxes in the rest of the northwest and finally the rest of the country. That is when we decided to provide the online store, http://www.usmailboxes.com/ to capture some of that national sales of mailboxes.
We had gotten into providing individual mailboxes to homeowners many years ago after a local sheriff contacted us requesting our help in combating mail theft. Initially we saw it just as a public service and not a going business concern. It has since grown into a substancial part of our business. We do try to specialize and only sell the most secure and highest quality of locking mailboxes.
Many times we have had to replace locking mailboxes that were purchased at hardware stores and that are just not secure enough for the average thief and vandal.
The cost of a good, secure locking mailbox is significant. With post and installation it will cost an average of $300.00, but that isn't near comparable if you value at all your time and health, insofar as the stress and headache of cancelling credit cards, tracking down mail sent and not received, stopping payment on checks, and just not knowing what may have been taken.
Proper installation of a secure individual or group mailbox is very important, so if I can be of help please contact us at Info@USMailboxes.com and maybe in the future we can handle that subject on this blog.
Sincerely,
Michael G. Johnston, President
USMailboxes

Mail And Identity Theft

According to US Postal Inspectors, mail theft is out of control, and much of the theft is made easy because rural mailboxes are unsecured.

Odds are increasing that you are or know a victim of mail theft. Even according to the US Postal Inspectors, in some parts of the country mail theft is out of control, and last year alone arrested over 6,000 mail theft suspects.

A secure locking mailbox from USMailboxes may be your easiest and best protection!

Long gone are the days when we felt like our mailbox was safe from thieves. With so many rural mailboxes set in places where it is ideal for thieves to steal un-observed it is very easy to rob us of our security, our money, even our very identity!

Mail theft creates some very real problems:

1. It is hard enough dealing with what you know has been stolen, but what is even more agonizing is not knowing what else has been stolen!
2. The time and effort resulting from this crime is more than just an inconvenience. Many people end up canceling credit cards and getting new ones, call businesses and friends to ask about mail that should have been received.
3. Many credit card companies are sending blank checks with every statement. Thieves see a gold mine with these checks because they are so easy to use!
4. Identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, some ways identity thieves use your personal information is they call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, ask to change the mailing address on your credit card account. The impostor then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to the new address, it may take some time before you realize there is a problem. They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth and SSN. When they use the credit card and don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. They may even establish phone or wireless service in your name and run up large phone bills.

If you believe your mail has been stolen, report it immediately to the police and your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

One of the easiest ways to protect against this crime is to invest in a SECURE, LOCKING MAILBOX. For individuals, this will secure all of your incoming mail. For group boxes you can also secure outgoing mail and incoming packages. The cost is minimal compared to the security that can be yours with this simple installation.

USMailboxes, on the web at http://www.usmailboxes.com/, has been in business for over 23 years. We sell, install, and maintain secure, locking mailboxes and have been referred by the U.S. Postal Service.

What's in a mailbox?

Traditional Mailbox

Mailboxes are classified in three different groups: Traditional, Contemporary, and Locked.  Traditional mailboxes are just that, your everyday rectangular mailboxes with the arched roof, a hook handle on the front, a red flag on the right side, and U.S. Mail in big bold letters on the front.
Contemporary mailboxes are mailboxes of other designs and/or materials that fit within the standard dimensions.  These mailboxes are found in stores like The Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, and most hardware stores. 

Oregon Columbia Mailbox

Locking mailboxes have less stringent requirements for dimensions but have similar functional requirements.  For example, locking mailboxes with a mail slot must have an opening no smaller than 1.75" high by 10" wide.  

 Our Oregon Columbia mailbox is an example of a locking mailbox with a slot design.  It conforms to the U.S. Postal Service requirements by having a slot that is 2 1/8" high by 10 1/8" wide.  

One of our best value mailboxes, the Oregon Columbia provides what Traditional, Contemporary, and even other locking mailboxes do not: security and peace of mind.  It features 20 gauge riveted steel with a 12 gauge steel door and is locked with a double-sided key that provides exceptional security at an exceptional value.  

Traditional and Contemporary mailboxes have one major flaw.  Security.  The Locking variety have an obvious advantage, but a mailbox with a lock on it does not automatically make it secure.  Locking mailboxes that are poorly designed and/or are made with low quality materials are little better than Traditional and Contemporary mailboxes.  The security of a locking mailbox made from plastic or thin and weak metals can easily be defeated with simple hand tools or just brute force.  The locks themselves are a key part of the security, as you would expect.  A poor quality lock can be drilled out in under 1 second with your average cordless drill (believe me, I've done it!).  On the other hand, a high-quality lock can take up to 30 minutes to an hour or more (and multiple drill bits) to drill through.  Our previous example, the Oregon Columbia, has was designed without any pry points, meaning it does not have any room around the door or around the joints to insert a pry bar or other tool to pry it open.  The Euro lock used in the Columbia is not only difficult to pick, it is also quite difficult to drill which, combined with the structural design, makes this one of our most secure mailboxes.

Source: http://about.usps.com/publications/engineering-standards-specifications/spusps-std-7b01/welcome.html