Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

I have a question regarding Cash on Delivery shipments—when I drop the package off at the post office, do I actually get the money once the recipient pays for it, or am I handed the cash right there when I hand over the parcel? Also, what’s a rough estimate for shipping costs here

So what am I even supposed to do now? I just checked the FedEx tracking for the first time and realized my package supposedly arrived two weeks ago, but apparently, my address "doesn't exist" according to their system. What a joke. And here I am, feeling like a total idiot, waiting for a month thinking it was just running late. Usually, they just drop stuff right at my door or leave a yellow slip, so what the hell happened this time??

I just ordered some items under 1 kg from Germany to Canada, mostly because our local guys are absolutely stripping us blind with all those customs fees and sales tax... So, does anyone know if the folks in Canada hit you with extra charges once the package actually arrives there? 🤔

Ryan Martin70 said:I've got a question about sending stuff COD (cash on delivery). Like, once I go to the post office, drop off the package, and they send it out... does the recipient have to pay the mail carrier before I actually see any of that money? Or do they hand me the cash right when I'm handing over the package at the counter? Also, how much does shipping usually run?

So, basically, once the recipient pays the mail carrier, that carrier takes the cash back to the post office. Then the post office processes everything and sends the funds through their system, and eventually, another carrier—or maybe a check/direct deposit—gets that money to you.🙂
As for the shipping cost, it really just depends on how heavy the damn thing is.🙂

I have some urgent documents that need to be sent to Washington, D.C., and I absolutely cannot afford for them to go missing. I am considering using a return receipt, but since I am addressing this to a legal entity—specifically an organization or association—I wanted to check if there are any complications. I was advised to proceed this way, but the recipient is actually the "SC, Appeals Commission," and I am wondering if that specific designation changes anything regarding the delivery process. 😁

Additionally, if I drop the package off at the post office before 2:00 PM and mark it as urgent, is there a realistic chance it will arrive by tomorrow?
If that isn't feasible, is there another reliable method to ensure prompt delivery? Is FedEx the only option for a 30-$13 turnaround, or am I missing something? 🙂

Ultimately, which method provides the highest level of security for such important papers?

Matthew Robinson5 said:I need to get some documents over to Washington, D.C. immediately. They cannot go missing. What happens if I use a return receipt and address the package to a legal entity—like a corporation or an association? Someone suggested that's the way to go, but the recipient is the "SC, Appeals Commission." Does that change anything? 😁

If I drop off a letter at the post office before 2 PM and mark it as urgent, is there any actual chance it arrives by tomorrow?
Is there any other way to ship this that won't take forever? FedEx is charging $30 just to get it here.$13 Either/or? 🙂

Which one’s safer?

Sending it via certified mail is enough, though you might want to add return receipt just to be safe.

If you use the recommended shipping, it hits the US by day two. Period.

Matthew Robinson5 said:I need to get some documents sent over to Washington, D.C. ASAP, and I absolutely cannot afford for them to go missing. What happens if I send it via certified mail with a return receipt, especially since I'm sending it to a legal entity—like a corporation or an association? Someone suggested that's the way to go, but the recipient is actually the "SC, Appeals Commission." Does that change anything? 😁

Also, if I drop the letter off at the post office before 2:00 PM and mark it as urgent, is there any real chance it’ll arrive by tomorrow?
If not, is there another way to ship this so it gets there fast? Is FedEx the only option for something like $30-$13 or what? 🙂

Which method is more reliable?

Just ask for certified plus priority. It costs about $1.50 more than standard certified mail, but it's guaranteed to show up the next day.

So, when the FedEx guy shows up with a package but I'm, like, totally broke at the moment, you can just ask him to leave a missed delivery slip, right?

The guy told me he couldn't do it, so I'm just sitting here wondering...🤷

That little slip of paper is purely for informational purposes anyway. You clearly know your package arrived, so you don't even really need it. It shouldn't be an issue at all when you go to pick it up from the post office.

I truly appreciate it, though I wasn't able to log on to the forum this morning to catch this response. 😁 🙄
The package was finally sent via FedEx, and while the $12 shipping costs were certainly significant, it is scheduled to arrive by 10:00 tomorrow morning.

Hey there. I’m looking to ship out a phone, a charger, and some headphones to a guy who’s interested in buying them from me. Basically, what’s the most efficient and cost-effective way to get this done?
Also, how can I actually protect myself to make sure he follows through with the payment? What's the best way to handle this through my local post office? Thanks.

I need to ship two books from Washington, D.C. to Indianapolis, but I just weighed them and they don't even hit a single pound. What is the most cost-effective way to get them sent? Thanks.

Here, you can run the numbers yourself.

http://www.usps.com/main.aspx?id=194

goldenmarlin5 said:Hey there! I'm looking for some advice. I need to mail out a package containing a phone, a charger, and some headphones to someone who's interested in buying them from me. What would be the best and most cost-effective way to handle this?
So, how can I actually be sure the money will make it there? I’m mainly looking for the best way to send funds through my local post office. Thanks!

It’s sent via COD—Cash on Delivery. This means the recipient won't be able to get their hands on the package until they've settled the payment first.

Taylor Smith3 said:I need to ship two books from Washington, D.C. to Indianapolis. I just picked them up to weigh them, and honestly, they're so light they don't even feel like they weigh a single pound! What's the absolute cheapest way to get these sent off? Thanks in advance!

What’s the absolute cheapest way to handle postage for a single sheet of paper? I'm looking for the most budget-friendly option available for something weighing under an ounce. Any tips? $3.00But unfortunately, she might just end up being totally ordinary.
So, what you're saying is there’s basically no paper trail if someone happens to lose their stuff? No confirmation, nothing. Just gone.
If you’re looking to save some cash, my best advice is to go with the cheapest version that actually includes verification. Honestly, that’s the way to go.
It’s definitely not cheap—we're talking a pretty significant amount per pound. $6.25.

Taylor Smith3 said:I need to ship two books from Washington, D.C. to Indianapolis. I picked them up myself and they weigh basically nothing. What's the cheapest way to send them? Thanks.

as a package, $6.00 🙂

I’m thinking about ordering this watch from a shop in Miami, but I’m based out in Des Moines. Honestly, I have no clue what the shipping costs are going to look like, and I can't tell if it’s even worth the hassle 🙄

Greetings, everyone. 👋

I find myself in need of some guidance.
Here is the situation. I am currently residing in Graceland, Canada. I have been using this forum to coordinate book exchanges, but the shipping rates to Canada are prohibitively expensive. I am wondering if there is any practical way to coordinate with my aunt at a local post office over in Old Town. Could they ship the books directly to her address at that branch, allowing me to pick them up there personally? Has anyone here attempted a similar arrangement? Is such a thing even feasible?

Thank you.

nimblelynx23 said:Hey everyone, 👋

I could really use some advice here.
Here’s the situation. I live in Graceland, Canada. I’ve been using this forum to arrange book swaps, but shipping costs to Canada are getting pretty steep. I was wondering if there's any way I could coordinate with my aunt at a local post office in Old Town so they can ship the books directly to her address there, and then I just pick them up from her? Has anyone ever tried shipping things this way? Is it even doable?

Thanks!

There are definitely ways to make it work.
1. They can address it to your aunt's name, but put yours in parentheses (for example: Aunt Smith (for nimblelynx23)).
2. Or you can use "General Delivery" at the post office.
If you go that route, you don't even need your aunt's help.
For instance, you'd write it like:
nimblelynx23
General Delivery
Old Town
In that case, the package will be held for 30 days, and you'll just pay $1.30 to collect it.

😉

Nicole Lee4 said:there are ways
1. to address it to an aunt's name, then put yours in parentheses—like Aunt Smith (for nimblelynx23)
2. via P.O. Box
in which case you don't even need an aunt,
for instance
nimblelynx23
P.O. Box
Main Street Station
in that scenario, the package sits there for 30 days and you'll just pay $1.30

😉

Great, thanks a lot.😍

Nicole Lee4 said:there are ways
1. to address it to an aunt's name, then include yours in parentheses—for instance, Aunt Smith (for nimblelynx23)
2. via P.O. Box at the local post office
in which case you don't even need the aunt's name as a proxy,
like this:
nimblelynx23
P.O. Box
Downtown Indianapolis
if you go that route, the package sits there for 30 days and you'll just owe $1.30

😉

We managed to work it out. Thanks for the intel. 😍