SAN ANTONIO – The headaches associated with being a victim of a mailbox theft has some considering renting a post office box, or PO box.
The boxes are available for rent at United States Postal Service post office locations or via the USPS website. There are several sizes available, from extra small to extra large, and they even have a parcel locker for big packages.
According to the website, specific PO box size availability can differ from one post office location to another.
The agency touts 24-hour access to the boxes at many post offices as a key benefit of having one.
Temporary San Antonio resident Benjamin Fairbank said another benefit is being able to skip the process of an address change.
“I knew I was only going be living in San Antonio for a fairly short time and it seemed like a practical way to get my mail,” Fairbank said.
Robert Wood said seeing a neighbor’s mailbox targeted was enough for him to get a PO box.
“I saw a neighbor have his mail taken out of his mailbox,” Wood said. “Security is everything, you know, you have important mail coming into your mailbox, it’s better for you to have it in the PO box than it is in your mailbox cause it’s just safer.”
Stephanie Abrams agrees with Wood’s opinion.
The local businesswoman said business mailboxes are just as much a target as a residential box.
She stressed she didn’t want to take any chances with her clients’ sensitive paperwork.
“We have customers sending information, (so sending it to the physical building) it’s just not always, you know, reliable that one, it will actually stay in that box until we get it, so the PO box is great for that,” Abrams said.
A possible drawback is that instead of your mail being delivered to you, you will have to walk or drive to the post office to pick it up.
Having a PO box is also an extra cost that can go up.
“It’s more expensive now than it was when I got it 25 years ago,” Wood said.
He said he is still willing to pay for a PO box.
“You can expect it to go up periodically so it’s fine,” he said.
Abrams is on board with paying to keep her business mail secure as well.
“I recommend it 100%,” she said. “It is peace of mind for us and our clients.”
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