tomasdev

Anybody would like to comment on US Global Mail ?

simoelalj

Been using VPM for some time and I'm very happy with it! I'm wondering if there's such service in Europe (France of UK).

TravelinSperry

So the way this works is banks and institutions check with the USPS to see what your address is. BEFORE signing up for any of the services, check the address at the USPS Lookup Tool. After entering the address you check the field labeled "Commercial Mail Receiving Agency". If it says Y then you don't want to use this address (that's how banks, etc. know it's a commercial mail box). If it says N - then you should be good to go. Interestingly even when it says Y - many companies will accept even as your permanent residence. But some may not so it's best to find the ones with the N.

tomasdev

I have a Y, and my credit card statements come fine. I did not try to apply for a card yet as I am not living in US. This is a US Global Mail account. I am happy with the services so far, sometimes it's a bit expensive within the US but living in Germany having discounted FedEx works out well (although it got stopped by customs twice.) - the UI is a bit old and they told me 6 months ago they are working on a mobile app but so far... nothing lol

TravelinSperry

Right - it can work. I used a service with a Y too and most (almost all) banks accepted it as my permanent address. Nevertheless it is flagged as a commercial mail receiving agency and if/when banks run against the USPS database it is obvious you do not live or work there. Only one bank ever bothered to check.

lamphs

I'm considering a 6 month position with a NGO. I'll maintain a physical address in the US, but it will be 'winterized'. Am I understanding this correctly in that as along as I have this physical address, I can use a postal service such as Traveling Mailbox for banking and what not? (For the past 35 years, I've used a USPS PO Box in lieu of receiving mail at a physical address due to extensive travel. Official regulations limit a USPS mail hold to 21 days I believe. I've been able to go as long as 30 days, but I've been scolded for anything longer.)

tomasdev

Update after two years of USGM and coming back to the States. I am indeed very happy. I was able to get all my cards fine (Chase, AmEx, Citi, Discover and Capital One) with their address. I have probably spent over $2k in shipping to Germany and would 100% recommend them. Now I am back in NY so will be cancelling at some point in 2022. Happy New Year!

serpens

My understanding, and I welcome corrections, is that the physical address is only required to apply for an account, and a mailing address is acceptable for all communications thereafter.
Whenever I've filled out a hold, it has said 30 days maximum. (I don't understand that, but that's a different discussion.) Most recently, the hold I submitted was for 40 days and the clerk didn't even blink, but maybe the 40 days didn't register with the clerk. I am curious about what would have happened at the 30 day point, but the trip was cut short.

lamphs

Interesting re: 30-day hold. I am told, a very small post office, where I know all of the staff, that the 21-30 day period has been done as a favor to me. I'll have to explore more without spoiling my situation.

serpens

The form I submit for a mail hold is "PS form 8076, April 2002". That version of that form says, "We can hold your mail for a minimum of 3, but not for more than 30 days." (Formatting approximately matches that on the form.) Maybe the medium-small PO where I submit the form is out-of-date (good for me) or maybe your very small PO is out-of-date or making up its own rules. Or maybe something else. Good luck.

LIH Prem

Check out a service like paytrust.com for your billers although these days you should be able to specify e-bill only for most of them.

That still leaves all the rest of your physical mail to deal with.

-David

Boraxo

So I was looking to set up a service today but as is my custom I decided to check online reviews. Found the Trust Pilot reviews for 3 of the services recommended in this thread are horrible (specifically Traveling Mailbox, Mailbox Forwarding and VirtualPost). The only one with decent review was Anytime Mailbox.

However I found a review that listed a few others including:

• Earth Class Mail
• Post Scan Mail
• Digital Mailroom

https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/...ling-services/

Any thoughts?

TravelinSperry

I've been using Traveling Mailbox for over a year (maybe 2) and it's fine. They take a little long to scan mail (usually about 10-14 days from date sent), which does add time to your expected mail. But scan it they do, and if/when you call for your mail to be delivered to you - they are much faster with turnarounds for that.

Only issue I've had with TM is that their mailbox numbers are 8 digits long (I fought hard and got one that was 7), Nevertheless, that is too long and as such some institutions, simply cannot handle the long # and so they TM box cannot be used. I'm stuck at this point, but for those choosing now, I'd find a provider who allows 3 or 4 digit max, apt/suite numbers. Anything longer should be a no-go.