I’ve moved into a new build development with external post boxes that are being thieved from. So the managing agent installed restrictors, which are metal plates ramping up internally at 45 degrees from the bottom of the letterbox to leave a small slit at the top. Letters are supposed to be passed through this slit and fall down behind the metal plate / ramp.
The problem is mail gets caught on the ramp or in the slit and its even easier to get mail out, unless you very deliberately feed letters through the slit, stick your fingers in and push them down.
I’ve talked to the postie and rightly he says he won’t do this as it cuts up his hands. The residents in the development are incensed that the postie isn’t doing his job properly and thinks mass complaints to Royal Mail will resolve the issue.
Is there anything that says he has to do this? I remember I was told, once the mail is in, then Royal Mail aren’t responsible. A flap covers the ramp / slit
so technically the mail is in. And here must be a health and safety aspect to this too, where the postie can refuse on grounds of not wanting to shred his fingers up.Given this, what’s the best way to proceed to secure the mail?
I remember from my postie days moving mailboxes inside incurred hefty RM fees, but that seems to be the best solution. I remember from fishing out mis delivered mail that most external postboxes were pretty insecure. Only a couple of designs thwarted me, one was super deep and another had serrated edges inside.
Any ideas that will stop the mail theft will be greatly appreciated, the cheaper the better!
