POM Issue 9, July 2002
Updated With Revisions Through July 7, 2016
289
6 Delivery Services
61 Conditions of Delivery
611 Delivery, Refusal, and Return
611.1 Conditions
The following conditions govern delivery, refusal, and return:
a. Delivery to Addressee. The addressee may control delivery of his o
r
her mail. In the absence of a contrary order, the mail is delivered as
addressed. Mail addressed to several persons may be delivered
t
o
any one of
t
hem.
b. Mail Refused When Offered for
Delivery.
The addressee may refuse
to
accept a piece of mail at the time it is offered for delivery. The
addressee should endorse the piece
“
R
e
f
us
ed
.”
c. Mail Refused After
Delivery.
After delivery, an addressee may mark a
piece of mail “Refused” and return it within a reasonable time if the mail
or any attachment is not opened, except for mail listed in 611.1
c
(
1
)
a
n
d
611.1
c
(
2
).
Mail that may not be refused and returned unopened under
this provision may be returned to the sender only if enclosed in a
n
e
w
envelope or wrapper with a correct address and new postage. The
following may not be returned postage free:
(1)
Pieces sent as Registered Mail‘, Insured Mail, Certified
Mail‘
,
COD, Return Receipt for Merchandise Mail, or other signature
mail may not be refused and returned postage free after delivery.
(2)
Mail sent to an addressee in response to the addressee’s sales
promotion, solicitation, announcement, or other advertisement,
and that is not refused when offered to the addressee, may no
t
be refused and returned postage free after delivery.
d. Mail Withheld From Delivery. An addressee may request his or her
postmaster, in writing, to withhold from delivery for a period
n
o
t
exceeding 2 years any foreign letter or printed matter bearing a
specified name or address appearing on the outside. Such mail is
marked “Refused” by the Post Office™ and treated as undeliverable.
e. Mail of Unknown Addressee. When a person claiming to be
th
e
addressee of certain mail is unknown to the delivery employee, the mail
may be withheld, pending identification of the
c
laiman
t
.
f. Refused Mail as
Undeliverable.
Matter refused by the addressee under
611.1b and 611.1c is treated as undeliverable
(see
681.5).
