MTAC News
Mailers’ Technical Advisory Council

In-Home Delivery Instructions for Non-Automated Standard Mail

Large amounts of money are spent preparing Standard Mail to advertise a sale or event. While a very effective method of advertising, the mailing is of no use, and may actually create ill will, if it arrives after the sale or event has taken place or after the expiration date found in the mailer’s endorsement. Since neither the mailpiece owner, mailer, nor the Postal Service wants this situation to occur, various options have been created to allow the mailing to be withdrawn from service if it arrives after the sale or event.

The Mailers’ Technical Advisory Work Group has confirmed the need for a consistent process to handle a mailer’s request for delivery after or before a specified date — a condition that often applies to a retailer’s advertisement for a special sale or offer. This is a voluntary service that applies only to nonautomated Standard Mail. Current instructions in the DMM (two options) are somewhat cumbersome. To improve that situation, the work group developed a recommendation that mailers use a new standardized wording and format, and that they place the request/option adjacent to as well as above or below the address area.

The work group developed definitions as follows:

• Past In-Home Date (PIHD): mail received after requested in-home date (IHD) but before event date.
• Past Event Date (PED): mail received after the event or after some other date-sensitive characteristic, such as expiration of coupons, etc.

The mailer will print clear instructions for disposition of the mail if it arrives at the destination delivery unit after the requested IHD and either before or after the event date (ED). Those instructions will be printed on the mailpiece near the address and refer to a specified page of the mailpiece (e.g., “After 5/20 refer to page 1”) where specific disposition instructions from the mailer could be found. Implementation is planned for the fall 2003 mailing season.

Currently, mailers may request that a mailing with an IHD, sale or event date, or an expiration date be withdrawn and disposed of if not delivered by a certain date by either of the following two options (found in DMM D030.2.2):

1. The mailer may attach a facing slip to each package of mail showing the company name, person to contact, telephone number (if collect calls are accepted), and the date after which the mailer does not want the mail delivered. The mailer also authorizes the withdrawal of, but not the disposal of, the mail.

2. The mailer sends a written request to the postmasters of destination offices, before depositing the mail, stating that time-dated mail is to be received at their offices and describing the mail by size, color, weight, identifying markings, number of pieces, class of mail, and type of postage payment. The mailer also authorizes the withdrawal and disposal of time-dated mail if received after a specific date.

Now, the mailer may notify the postmaster and all appropriate employees by printing the requested delivery dates and last delivery date of value by using one of the formats below.