I love this idea. I travel full-time, and have no permanent residence. Amazon Prime has been a godsend...but, even that only works when I'm staying somewhere long enough to get something shipped in (I upgrade to overnight for $3.95 per item quite often), and in a place where I can have something delivered. Fedex and UPS do not yet accept GPS coordinates as a destination for delivery (my motorhome is often parked off the grid in the desert or mountains on public land). The ability to ship something to a 7-Eleven in the nearest town or along my planned route is just too wonderful to express.
I recently had to buy a new phone, somewhat urgently since my phone is my GPS/map/Internet/etc. and I'm lost without it, and was trying to figure out how to get one shipped in quickly. The one I wanted at the price I wanted to pay was not available with Amazon Prime shipping, so it was going to cost $40 to overnight it, in addition to the hassle of having to be in a specific location with a fixed address through the weekend and into next week. Luckily, a T-Mobile store had it for the same price, so I got it same day for only a few bucks more (because of sales tax)...but that's usually not the case. Had I needed an unlocked phone, or needed something not widely available, it would have been an ordeal.
In short, I don't know how many normal people are going to use this service, but I am going to use the hell out of it as soon as it is widely available.
>In short, I don't know how many normal people are going to use this service
I think many of their customers will use it simply for the anonymizing aspect. It just because significantly easier to order things online without people finding out.
Sex toys from Amazon come in the same packaging that your vitamin pills and toilet paper do. Nobody would know what you're getting unless they opened the outer box, which is something they're not allowed to do.
I kind of like this service because it doesn't involve any human interaction, which I hate. Whenever I get a package at my house, it goes to the mail room, where I have to make small talk with the package guy. Since I get something from Amazon nearly every day (yay for subscribe & save), this is awkward. Having some magical locker where I could get packages would be amazing.
Absolutely. It's even worse for the cheapo courier services that are often used -- in central London, these can be a 90-minute journey away, and keep the same sorts of hours you mention.
Yap. Just went this morning to the depot closer to my home which is around one hour away (and that's because I use the DLR, otherwise I would walk for maybe those 90 minutes you talk about). This for two DVDs...
I'm not sure if that's true. I have a subscription to toilet paper and paper towels on Amazon, and they often arrive just in the box of the product, with clear branding on the outside.
That made me think: if Amazon is putting these products directly in the locker, do they even need to wrap it in packaging? It surely would save them money and time, although then it's more checking on the part of the guy loading things into the lockers.
I'm not sure it would save them money. Packaging all the various stuff (in various shapes!) uniformly greatly streamlines the shipping process. It makes the stuff easier to store (in warehouses and during shipping) and handle. Bar-codes/RFID's can also be placed conveniently to speed-up handling.
Perhaps slightly off topic, but I was in a similar situation recently (a replacement phone was overnighted from verizon via Fedex and my motorhome was not at an rv park). I don't know if it applies to your problem, but I discovered that many Fedex stores will allow you to use their service to ship packages to them for you to come and pick up, like general delivery for the USPS.
Do you live in your rig full-time? What part of the world are you parked in now?
And, I wasn't aware I could have things shipped to a FedEx store. I've considered getting a mailbox at a FedEx store in places where I stay for more than a week or two, but so far have not. But, if I can just do a "general delivery" type thing to a FedEx store, that'd be awesome. Will look into it. Though, Amazon never tells you how they're shipping an item; could be UPS, FedEx, courier, DHL, USPS, nobody knows until you get the tracking notice. So, that probably won't work for my Amazon Prime shipments.
I lived in it full time for about a year, inspired by Tynan's posts on the subject. However, I've now gone overseas to Bali and left my Winnie parked in Maryland. It's actually quite a bit cheaper to live here and the internet still works fine :) Have you written up anything about your travels?
Cool. I still have a lot of the American continent to explore, but when I finish that, I'm waffling on whether to buy a sailboat and float around some islands, or fly to Europe and buy a motorhome ("caravan") over there. I thought I'd go for a year and a half, tops, and then buy a place in Austin or some other nice city. But, I'm 20 months in, and I just don't see any reason to stop. Every time I think, "I could buy/rent a place here." I start to get itchy feet and want to drive again. Even awesome places aren't awesome enough to keep me permanently content. I blog very rarely at http://nerdnomad.com and tweet at http://twitter.com/nerdnomad and post photos at http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad
I do, but I rarely update it: http://nerdnomad.com (and I have http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad and http://twitter.com/nerdnomad which do get updated pretty regularly). Instead of blogging, I've mostly decided to write a novel instead, so I'm working on a semi-autobiographical zombie survival road novel. I'm about 36,000 words in (that's about 50 pages, I think).
With the blog I began to find it difficult to think of things I do from day to day as out of the ordinary and worth blogging about. I know it all seems strange to folks who've never done it...but, to me, it's just another day and seems unworthy of writing about. I may give it another shot eventually. I'm in Detroit right now, which is pretty interesting and is probably worth blogging about.
Well, I hope to see you out there. In a few months, the home will be sold, and the class C will be bought, and I will be learning about solar, crappy internet, and living on the cheap.
Good luck. I'm planning to downsize really soon, either into a tow vehicle+travel trailer, or into a smaller class C motorhome. I may even buy a box truck or bus and convert it into a motorhome, depending on how much I feel like getting my hands dirty next month when I start my search for a new rig...it's the only way to get a really solid diesel chassis with good gas mileage in a smallish (24'-28') motorhome that isn't outrageously expensive.
Have you looked at the Dodge Sprinter? I think those are about 20' long in total, give you about 6' x 10' on the inside and ~25mpg. I'm actually crazy enough to think that's big enough if you can manage without the shower or any kitchen setup. Obviously you won't be hosting any parties in that situation however.
A van alone would not be sufficient space for me, but I have considered converting a van to a small motorhome (either a Sprinter or diesel Ford E350) and using it as my tow vehicle for a midsized travel trailer. It's a weird choice, but it would solve some of my problems with my current rig (a 34' class A).
I'm considering a Winnebago View or Itasca Navion (or Fleetwood Pulse), which are based on the biggest Sprinter chassis in a cutaway form. They're a little bit smaller than I want, but I think I could probably live with it, given the benefits. They tend to get 13-17 MPG. They're a little on the pricey side, since I'll probably be paying cash.
I'd really like to have something small enough to be comfortable in cities, while still being large enough to really live in with occasional guests (I may be a loner, but I like having the option of inviting people to come with me sometimes). Stealth campers (converted buses and box trucks and vans) lately have great appeal for me, since a lot of place I haven't yet visited in the US are densely populated cities...so, being able to park on the street in the city without attracting attention would be very valuable.
I have more stuff than most folks would need (I have a small recording studio, three guitars and a drumset in my current rig), and I have a 60 lb dog. So, we can't go van-sized in any way I can imagine, without giving up a lot of my music gear. But, we'll see how it all shakes out. I've begun to get serious about shopping lately, and plan to move into a new rig in October or November when I get back down to Texas (I don't want to buy a vehicle up north where I'm currently parked, since they take so much more abuse up here due to weather extremes; California might actually be ideal, since the weather is so kind to vehicles there).
Packets are usually delivered during work hours. That’s certainly a use case. (One of the reasons why packet delivery still sucks from time to time is that you often cannot be sure that you are home when the packet is delivered.)
One of the better (and easy) perks for a company to offer is really convenient, no hassle package receiving for employees. You probably already have reception and ops, so having a way personal packages and mail can be delivered comfortably to work (without inconvenience to yourself or the company) is a big win.
Palantir is an example of a company with a GREAT ops department, and they handle a lot of employee stuff. My friend is moving, and they're handling shipping some of his items separately, on top of normal moving arrangements; plus all the routine package receiving and forwarding they do.
But which state? If you're that mobile, you can choose.
My friend (who is living/working abroad) established residency in Wyoming because they don't have state income tax. It took him a little effort (he had to get a state driver's licence and register to vote), but it was a lot better than paying Maryland state income tax when he sold all his property and no longer plans to live there.
In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license, and they cannot get a mailbox, neither from the Post Office nor from a reputable mailbox rental business, without already having an address which they can prove is their residence. Therefore, unless the rules are different in his state, he is not allowed to drive, and if that's the case, then: How can he be a lawful resident?
"In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license"
I'm certain you're wrong about both of these assertions, in PA or any other US state. There are federal laws at play, and both of these limitations on homeless people would definitely cross the bounds of federal law. Also, they would be incredibly evil; pretty much designed to keep homeless people homeless.
Mail can be received, by anyone, via general delivery at any post office main branch in a city, and often several other branches, if the city is large. Mail is damned near a constitutional right (federal mail service is one of the few services explicitly permitted by the constitution).
A drivers license is somewhat trickier, since some states do require one to have a "permanent residence" within the state, and don't allow general delivery for that purpose, and some don't even allow PO boxes, though most do. But, Mailboxes Etc. and the like are generally acceptable for this purpose (I use a mail forwarding service for my mailing address for all legal correspondence, including drivers license and taxes). Incoming mail is also one of the services that homeless shelters sometimes provide to their clients, as part of the process of helping them out of homelessness (if you can't drive or get mail in a shithole like rural Pennsylvania, you're SOL when it comes to finding a job, and getting your life back in order). I'll also mention that the federal government, and many states, consider a description of your boat or motorhome as an acceptable "permanent residence" address, as long as a mailing address is also provided.
"Therefore, unless the rules are different in his state, he is not allowed to drive, and if that's the case, then: How can he be a lawful resident?"
So, you reckon I'm an outlaw, flaunting convention and decency?
My residence state is Texas. One of the reasons for that is that it has very relaxed rules about residency, making it more convenient than many states...a forwarding address works fine for all government purposes in Texas. Most states actually want to claim you as a resident, rather than trying to prevent you from becoming one. California, for example, is still trying to convince me to pay income taxes there, even though I haven't been back in a year.
If you google "rv full-timer domicile state" you'll find tons of discussion of the best states for full-timers (South Dakota, Texas, Florida, Wyoming), based on various taxes, convenience and costs of renewing and maintaining licenses and registrations, insurance costs, etc. I chose Texas because I lived there for seventeen years, and I spend two or three months a year there (more than any other state), so Texas is the devil I know and it's ethically probably the one I should be voting in and paying taxes in. But, I considered all the others, and if Texas proves to be ornery for any reason, I won't hesitate to "move" to South Dakota or Florida.
Thank you for the detailed reply. However, I am still fairly sure, although not 100% certain, that homeless people, technically, cannot have a valid driver's license, cannot receive mail, and they cannot, legally, do other, assorted, connected things, such as: have a bank account, own Internet domains, hold a passport, vote, or travel (via Amtrak and Greyhound). There is a big difference between the lofty ideals of our federal constitution and the practical nature of daily reality. Cities and states regularly get away with lots of anti-constitutional behavior, particularly against the homeless, partly because that segment of the population isn't represented by powerful lobbyists.
I am homeless, and so, my original comment was not merely hypothetical. I live in Philadelphia, which is, according to Wikipedia, the fifth most-populous city in the United States. Texas sounds rather laid back, but that's not the way it is here. Every day, I feel as if I am "an outlaw, flaunting convention and decency" because not having what's considered a "legal" residence is generally seen as a major indicator of there being something seriously wrong with me. Lacking a fixed address should not effectively make me a criminal.
You mention MBE. I just went to their website, and the first thing that catches my attention is a news item [1] stating that I need to show ID to send a package, via UPS, from an MBE location, unless I already have a shipping label prepared from an existing UPS account. On a related note, this reminds me that FedEx here doesn't take cash. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be an MBE in Philadelphia, but other mailbox places that I have come across all require ID [2] and most require me to fill out a form [3] which tells the Post Office that the mailbox provider has my authorization to handle my mail. It is impossible for me to (honestly, legally, or however you want to put it) fill out that form. Also, even if I could, somehow, get a mailbox, it would create yet another red flag on my credit reports, because the credit agencies mark, as suspicious, any address which receives mail for many different people.
You often can use a homeless shelter as the legal address for many of the purposes that you state in your above reply, such as getting drivers' licenses, etc. (I'm an attorney who volunteered on behalf of homeless clients in Washington, DC. Check your local area to see if there is a legal clinic for homeless clients that might be able to help you.)
It sounds like PA is one of the worst states for basic human rights, like the freedom to travel. Who knew? That said, I suspect there is some way to obtain a drivers license. You may have to have it mailed to a friend or family member. But, the right to leave is a basic human right, so, there must be some way to obtain a license without having a home. This homeless law blog discusses some possibilities; it's not specific to PA, but it seems likely there is some mechanism for obtaining a legal license: http://homelesslaw.wordpress.com/#comment-1496 (I also found a few state and county agencies in PA with mention of drivers licenses and other licenses, though no specific documentation on how to obtain one; I guess calling or emailing would be the way to find out).
I'm not an expert on PA regulations, but I do know that I was able to do everything I needed without a permanent address, including getting a passport, drivers license, car insurance (GEICO offers a special insurance class just for RV full-timers, which is a blend of homeowners and auto insurance), and the postal forms needed for mail forwarding services.
And, one more thing:
"Also, even if I could, somehow, get a mailbox, it would create yet another red flag on my credit reports, because the credit agencies mark, as suspicious, any address which receives mail for many different people."
This is definitely not true. Credit card payments might get flagged if the billing address is a forwarding service (though it has not been the case for me; I've had trouble ordering items shipped to addresses other than my billing address, but I've never had a payment refused because the billing address was a forwarding service), but your credit report will, in no way, be effected by using such a service. I promise you it will not "red flag" your credit reports.
It sounds like you've had a bad run of luck, and it's gotten you feeling like a victim on all fronts. It's understandable. I feel beaten down by bureaucracy sometimes, too. But, you do have some fundamental rights in the US, regardless of whether you have a home or not. Get the ID thing sorted, and everything else will start to fall into place. If PA won't help you get that sorted, raise hell until someone does help you; contact your local state representative or city mayors office or write a letter to the head of the DMV or the local newspaper. You have a right to have an identity. You can't possibly get out of homelessness without one.
Yes, when you change domiciles, the process is to re-register all vehicles, get new license, new plates, etc. The new state will require you to do all of that. You can't mix and match residences in order to maximize goodness (i.e. if Texas has high auto insurance rates, and it does, pick a lower insurance state for the drivers license; but use Texas for income tax purposes; and then use some other state for health insurance; whatever). So, you take the good with the bad (Texas pros: No state income tax, reasonable vehicle registration fees, conveniently located in the middle of the country for those times when you do have to physically be present; Texas cons: Somewhat high sales tax which can be a big problem when buying a new rig or boat for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, higher auto insurance rates than many places). Being half-in/half-out is sort of grey area...you probably won't get in trouble for it, but you may run into problems if you have any legal problems or have to file a major health insurance claim or something. Which reminds me, I need to get health insurance sorted. It'll save me money to move it to a Texas provider, probably, since California is among the most expensive states for health care...I just haven't gotten around to it.
I would definitely benefit from this. My UPS/FedEx pickup location is out by the airport and is usually an hour plus long ordeal that may or may not end with me getting my package.
I have the same problem, even with a UPS store 2 minutes away I need to call to organize the drop off at the store and pay a five dollar extra charge or its a hour and a half drive out to the depot and back.
I recently had to buy a new phone, somewhat urgently since my phone is my GPS/map/Internet/etc. and I'm lost without it, and was trying to figure out how to get one shipped in quickly. The one I wanted at the price I wanted to pay was not available with Amazon Prime shipping, so it was going to cost $40 to overnight it, in addition to the hassle of having to be in a specific location with a fixed address through the weekend and into next week. Luckily, a T-Mobile store had it for the same price, so I got it same day for only a few bucks more (because of sales tax)...but that's usually not the case. Had I needed an unlocked phone, or needed something not widely available, it would have been an ordeal.
In short, I don't know how many normal people are going to use this service, but I am going to use the hell out of it as soon as it is widely available.