Technically, all seizure notices are supposed to be sent certified...but due to the massive volume, there are issues with time and money. So most get sent regular mail (at least, that's what I was told by someone who is fairly knowledgeable about this matter).

Two years ago, I ordered twice within a two week period from the same IOP. Nearly two months went by and neither order appeared. Then one day I came home to find a seizure notice sitting in my mailbox. It was for the first order I had placed. I was a little unnerved (it was my first seizure notice)...but I'd read enough posts about "love letters" to know that I was probably okay, and I should just ignore it and throw it in the trash.

I live in a rural area and our mailboxes are by the side of the road. My mail lady drives a little van and she never gets out of it. If I have an oversized package or there's anything out of the ordinary, she pulls up to my front door and honks. I go outside and see what she wants. A week after getting the first notice, I heard her honk and went out. As I approached her van, she leaned out the window and said she had something for me to sign. We've been friends for a long time...it just never occurred to me to ask her what I was signing for. I didn't think about it being something bad. I didn't even know seizure notices were ever sent certified. It was really dumb, I know...but I signed without question. Then she handed over the envelope and I saw the return address. I nearly fainted...and I'm not exaggerating. I don't remember her saying goodbye or driving off.

ALL I could think of was, by signing, I had admitted to some wrongdoing on my part, that it was an admission of guilt. I don't know if that makes sense and it may sound really silly...but that's what I thought. I was very, very scared.

I finally pulled myself together and calmed down somewhat. I contacted my friend, who told me what I posted above...that, in effect, the certified notice was no different from the one I received by regular mail ( and it really wasn't...it was identical except for the date, as it pertained to the second order).

Who knows why it was sent certified. Maybe the agent was newly hired and thought he had to strictly go by the handbook. Or perhaps it was a slow day and he had some extra time on his hands. Maybe they have a quota and have to send a certain number of certified notices every month. I don't know...

Nothing happened to me. No MIB showed up on my doorstep. So, apparently, it didn't matter that I signed.

But.....I never ordered from that IOP again.

As a matter of fact, I never ordered from ANY IOP again. LOL!!!

Imago