[OP]
Contributor
The mail thieves finally hit my house. My daughter gets a lot of checks in the mail for her dyslexia tutoring business. This week, several parents reported that their checks to her had been washed, and changed to a new recipient. About $1500 worth of checks, from different people are involved so far.
Obviously, our mailbox was raided.
Time for a new lockable box. Any ideas? We don't really want it to look like a steel vault, and we do get a lot of mail including large magazines.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Contributor
I would suggest moving to electronic payment rather than paper checks. Setup an account with Square or through your bank to be able to take credit/debit cards. Alternately, or in addition, use one of the payment services Paypal, Venmo, etc. There is a cost associated but paper checks just cost someone $1500 or more.
Same thing with recurring bills...move to electronic invoicing/payment so the mailbox thieves cannot easily gain your account informations.
This is in addition to a locking mailbox. Thieves already know how to open those.
Contributor
Sorry to hear that.
I have a locking box, not a bank vault but it does help from what I'm told. The thieves will always go for an easier target.
I've seen them starting at about $110-$120
Moderator
Either encourage clients to pay via non-check means (CC/DC) electronically or have her consider a box at the local UPS Store or similar or the US Post Office to get the business mail. Yea, you gotta go get it, but it's a lot more secure. Locking mailboxes on the street or house do make it more complicated for the postal worker to deliver mail, unfortunately.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
My husband's business requires us to receive checks, often for a substantial amount. Due to that fact, as well as convenience, we have a PO Box. With the mail safely at the post office, we don't worry if we'll be gone for a couple of days. We still file a mail hold if we'll be gone longer.
Contributor
Are you sure they were stolen from your box and not somewhere along the way like where they were mailed from?
George
Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.
Moderator
Given checks from multiple customers to the same business were involved in the theft/alteration, it does indeed seem like the delivery mailbox was the target location unless it was the USPS carrier which while possible, is less likely.Originally Posted by George Bokros
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Do you have a brand name, or website where you got it?
Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night
Contributor
https://www.architecturalmailboxes.com/
They also sell them through Amazon
Moderator
The blue box store carries several different locking mail boxes. Our church had the same problem, so we replaced the old mail box with one that locked. So far no more problems.
mail 1.jpgmail 2.jpg
Lee Schierer
USNA '71
Go Navy!
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Contributor
They don't lock, but we bought 2 of these. First one got run over and dragged down the street, It survived quite nicely, but we replaced it anyway.
https://www.architecturalmailboxes.c...ro-500x500.jpg
Those locking boxes look pretty tough.
Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night
Contributor
They're pretty heavily built.
I had a trash truck back into mine and I was able to repair it with some body hammers and dollies, rather that just tossing it.
Contributor
Mail slot?
My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities
The problem with humanity is: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and God-like technology. Edward O. Wilson
Contributor
Mail carriers aren't going to deliver to a mail slot unless your house is already on a walking mail route. The USPS certainly has no desire to add any more walking routes. Heck, they don't even want new developments to have mailboxes at each house. New developments are usually required to have community mailboxes now.
Contributor
We had a rash of thefts from our row of about a dozen mb’s. Discussion with the rural carrier on the route led to us requesting from the post office a locking box. There is one above and below us on the road. We had a change of carriers and the whole thing died. Last week my neighbor spoke with the PO and they said the box had been waiting for someone to pick it up and install it. They are providing the lock box, but not the install, which must be to their specs. I’m moving next week so I’m out of the install crew.
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