Postal Services: owlfish

Postal Services

The UK's Royal Mail has an ingenious way of making money on the side. It will distribute fliers on behalf of other companies to anyone who has recently changed their address. They must charge a pretty penny for the service: it doesn't breach confidentiality, since the companies don't get the addresses to which their brochures are being sent; at the same time, it still effectively targets lots of people who have recently moved who may be in the market for furniture and DIY-related products. They charge enough that in the month since we're changed our address, we've received all of two brochures this way. Bonus: It's possible to opt out from this serivce.

Something which bothers me about deliveries in this country: it's regular practice to leave deliveries with neighbors, if th deliveree isn't in. This has only happened once to me so far, but the general practice of it disturbs me greatly. Why presume that neighbors get along? That they'll ever see each other? That one won't go on vacation leaving the other packageless? It's an alien experience to me, but C. laughed at my worries over it; it's standard practice in the UK.

Postal Services