who can open our post box?

[confused of chalus]

today i was waiting for a parcel to be delivered via a courier company and went to get the mail from the post box. inside was the parcel - and the courier company tracking said that it had been delivered and that i had signed for it.

Now, alls well that ends well, but I cant help wondering who can access our post box apart from us and the postman? Is it legal for the courier company to open our box? Are all the keys the same?

Just wondering!

Kathy

[Chancer]

Anyone who has une clé passe PTT, there are lots of people who have them that shouldn't.

The lock cylinders are all individually keyed although someone somewhere will probably have the same key number to you but all the passe PTT (master) keys are identical and have been the same format for years so there are loads kicking around.

I would be surprised if a transporteur could not legitamately hold one of them.

[woolybanana]

Why not have a word with your postie? He or she should have a good answer to your question.

[Loiseau]

My Vendée neighbour is an ex-policeman, and he certainly has a pass key that he has hung onto though retired.

Angela

[BJSLIV]

There are plenty of site selling sets of keys.

Eg

http://www.online-pass-ptt.com/

500 Euros a bunch.

[Gardian]

Mrs G's new passport was just dropped in to the postbox a week or two back.

Although it had come through DHL, it was a local carrier who made the delivery. When mine turned up a couple of days later, it was handed over and signed for, but it was a plain white van delivery, so its my assumption that the same outfit made the 1st unsigned-for delivery.

The postbox is a 'six box job' and doesn't lock, so anybody could help themselves to anything. Nobody bothers though.  

[Val_2]

When I delivered the phone books in a neighbouring commune back in 2007 I was given a master key that opened all letterboxes no matter what make they were, mind you around here people leave them with the keys in and many are not even fixed, just left on a wall outside the house. However when I signed on for the job I had to sign a form that governed the issue of the keys to the workers, so if there were any wrong doings the authorities would know who some of the key holders were.

PS Don't ever do this job, it costs you more in fuel to deliver than what the company pays and can ruin your suspension should you load too many books in one go. I think at the end of three intensive 6 day weeks all day long, I made about €45.

[Mr Ceour de Lion II]

I think if someone really wants to get into a mail box, they'll find a way, key or no key. Over here, no mail boxes are locked. I guess there are certain neighborhoods where they are though.