FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Question:  Is there anything new coming from the USPS concerning addressing?
Answer:  Yes Indeed!  As of November, 2008 every address will be required to go through a cleansing process by the USPS.  Any address without the required P.O. Box # will have the 4 digit zip code extension dropped from the address.  This means CMR staff will not be able to sort by department zip code.  This is the key piece of information that CMR needs, as CMR staff does not sort by the person addressed, but by the department.  This makes it critical that every piece of mail be addressed properly with the P.O. Box information.  With this new regulation in effect and properly implemented, the USPS will actually sort UI mail by the various mail routes the CMR staff deliver to… thus cutting down on sort time for everyone and speeding deliveries.  Following the proper addressing format will actually save time and resources.

Question:  Why doesn't my mail get to me?  I'm told by the vendor that it was sent.
Answer:  Campus Mail & Receiving (CMR) delivers all properly addressed first class & bulk mail to various central locations on campus for UI Staff & Faculty.  This is then sorted out by various staff within each college or department for delivery to the appropriate person.  The University of Idaho has had a PO Box format for addressing since 1998.   The United States Postal Service (USPS) has requested that the University of Idaho “keep up” with current USPS regulations, and we have been updating our processes to the current standards… which change yearly… since 2000.  The P.O. Box format has been standard for over a decade now.  Any mail received that has an incorrect address, is returned to sender unless it is non-profit or presort standard without a mailer’s endorsement… these 2 categories are put into the recycle bin, as they are non-returnable.  For anyone unfamiliar, they can go to our website at CMR Website Home Page where it is clearly defined.

Question:  Can’t CMR personnel “figure out” where the mail should be delivered?
Answer:  Contrary to popular belief, the 5 mail staff within CMR do not know every staff member by name or face… nor what department they work in.  CMR staff sort over 5000 pieces of mail each day and less than 1% of the mail is improperly addressed and undeliverable.  Looking up staff or departments to try and correct an address, takes time that CMR staff doesn’t have, and still be able to deliver the rest of the mail to campus.  For example, if each piece of improperly addressed mail took only 5 minutes to check out, that means that one staff member would be spending 3 hours each day trying to figure out who this mail would go to.  We tracked this lost time over several years, and found the cost to exceed over $20K/year.  We no longer have the staffing resources or funding to allow us to do this.

Question: I tracked my package online and the USPS or UPS or FedEx website said it was delivered and signed for, why haven't I received my package?
Answer: UPS and USPS packages are delivered the same day we receive them. Occasionally UPS packages arrive late due to weather and are delivered the next business day. FedEx Ground is delivered to campus mail stops the next business day because it arrives later in the day after the route deliveries are in progress. Most likely we cannot identify who the package belongs to, using your mailing address is extremely important. If you have tracked your package and it has been delivered to UI but you have not received your package you should call CMR (885-7011) with the tracking number. We cannot help you without the tracking number as it is usually the only way to identify the package. We have a "Mystery Mail" shelf where we keep packages that are unknown. We must have the tracking number to locate the package. Packages that have been on the mystery mail shelf for 10 business days are returned to the sender.

Question:  Isn’t CMR an extension of the United States Postal Service?
Answer:  No, this is a common misconception.  CMR is a department within the University of Idaho, and adheres to all University of Idaho policies.  Staff are UI employees, not USPS employees.  They do adhere to many of the USPS guidelines and policies and regulations because that is the only way that we can work with the USPS and get the mail through in a timely and efficient manner.  For example... proper addressing.

Question:  Why is some of my mail not delivered, and instead I get a message about how CMR can’t deliver “personal mail”?
Answer:  CMR is a UI department intended for UI business mail services only.  Personal mail cannot be delivered by CMR and should not be routed to the University for delivery.

Question: How do you know the mail is personal?

This is usually relatively easy to determine by CMR Staff, though we do err on the side of caution and hold any mail that we deem “of dubious origin” and wait to hear back from the recipient.  (See list below for details.)  A personal mail notice is sent out electronically or through the mail to the addressee if they can be found.  This mail is not delivered unless the recipient can confirm that it truly is UI Business Mail.

Mail or packages are considered personal if:

®   It is a personal item paid for with personal funds.

®   It is from a winery.

®   It is from a department store. (Victoria Secret, Playboy, Old Navy, Crate & Barrel, etc.)

®   It is your personal mail/bills paid for with personal funds.

®   It is mail forwarded from a home address to UI. (Contact us if you have done this.)

®   It is from you to you and is personal books and papers for your office (if you will take them with you when you leave UI they are considered personal).
®   It is for any construction or renovation project being accomplished by non-UI staff or for any vendor or contractor that are not employees of the University of Idaho…being under contractual obligations does not count.

 
Question:  Isn’t mail addressed to me, my property? How can CMR stop delivery of it?

Answer:  This is another common misconception.  The USPS considers all mail delivered to the CMR dock to have been "received" by the University of Idaho and properly delivered to the customer... ie the university.  At that moment, all mail becomes the property of the University of Idaho... not the individual recipient.  This means that any designated university office can and will open up any mail item received if warranted and deemed necessary.  Yet another reason not to send personal mail through the UI mail delivery program.  With the increased security measures in place since 9/11 and the anthrax attacks, mail security is a constant concern.  CMR assumes that all mail they receive is for UI business purposes, but obvious personal or suspicious mail or packages are removed on a routine basis and recipients notified.

Question:  How are staff and faculty notified of mail regulation changes?
Answer: CMR staff regularly and routinely put USPS and CMR mail policy changes in the Register and UI Today.  Also informational flyers are sent out 2-3 times a year outlining these changes to all departments.  CMR also has education workshops when major USPS changes occur, and departments are notified and can send representatives to hear about the new rules concerning them.  And, this information is always available on line at the CMR Website Home Page.  Ultimate responsibility of course rests with each campus staff or faculty member to stay apprised of these issues.

Question:  How consistent is CMR in their delivery policy?
Answer:  CMR staff adheres to USPS regulations and policies as they change, and send that information out to all UI mail users as fast as possible.  Any “bad addresses” are noted as mail is sorted, and if… by chance… that mail person happens to know the recipient or department, they will affix a “bad address” stamp or sticker on to that piece of mail, and write in the correct address.  This is done as a courtesy to the recipient, so they can then contact the mail vendor and get the address changed to the correct address for future usage.  USPS regulations are requiring a more stringent address form now, and incorrect addressing will either be more expensive… especially for bulk mail… or non-deliverable in the first place.  Using the proper format as found listed at our website is critical for the mail to go through.  Our goal is to try and deliver every piece of mail that we can, but without the proper information or address, we have no choice but to return it or recycle it.

Question:  How do I get my mail or periodicals that weren’t received back?
Answer: Contact the mail sender/vendor immediately and inform them of the "proper" addressing format needed to receive your mail.  They should be fully aware of this already, since this is an old USPS regulation. At that time re-request your missing periodicals or mail as well.

Question:  What about the new sustainability policy concerning Junk Mail?
Answer: This is not a USPS or CMR policy. This program is part of the UI Sustainability Center's efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, and is part of the agreement signed onto by President Tim White in 2007.  We are currently diverting about a ton of junk mail a month to the recycling program, rather than hauling it across campus for distribution.  Any department can opt out of this program if they so desire.  Properly addressed bulk mail is being delivered at this time across campus.  Contact Darin Saul at dsaul@uidaho.edu for further questions or information.