Keeping Your Newspaper Out of Sight During Time Away
An unattended newspaper pile can alert criminals that a home is empty, potentially inviting a break-in. To prevent this, you can arrange for your newspaper service to be temporarily stopped while you are on holiday. This involves contacting the newspaper a week ahead, specifying your travel dates, enlisting a neighbor to keep an eye out, and managing the restart of delivery upon your return.
By Skyler Reed5 steps
Suspending your newspaper delivery is essential, when going on vacation.
When a newspaper fails to arrive on a given day, the typical reaction is to phone the publisher and lodge a complaint. Yet when a vacation is on the horizon, the situation flips: the last thing you want is for papers to keep coming. A collection of newspapers accumulating at your door can signal to potential thieves that the house is unoccupied, possibly prompting a burglary. The good news is that suspending your delivery while you are away is a straightforward process.
Step 1
Reach out to your newspaper provider at least seven days before your departure, so there is enough time for the company to inform your delivery person. The contact number can be found in the phone book, on your billing statement, or within the newspaper itself. Look at the masthead, which is typically on one of the first few pages.
Step 2
Inform the company that you are taking a trip and provide the exact dates of your absence. It might be wise to begin the suspension a day before you leave, just in case the paper is missed on your departure day. This prevents a week-old newspaper from lying on your doorstep and broadcasting your absence to anyone passing by.
Step 3
Arrange for a neighbor to glance at your porch from time to time. They can confirm that no paper is sitting there, and if one does get delivered, they can retrieve it for you. Although notifying the company should resolve the issue, the carrier might overlook the instruction and deliver anyway.
Step 4
Set the delivery to restart the day after you get back. If an unexpected event keeps you from returning on the planned date, simply contact the newspaper and request that the suspension be prolonged.
Step 5
Once you are home again, call the paper company to let them know you are ready for service to begin anew. Also call if the delivery does not start up again as arranged.
