Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Nicole Lee4 said:Look, I wasn't trying to start some massive internet fight here. I was just attempting to explain things. Clearly, I failed.

If a package has a shipping label on it, the delivery is already covered. The recipient shouldn't be handed a bill for anything.
If there isn't one, then you deal with those infamous $1.75 fees.

So, I guess I misunderstood.
The reason I'm asking is because the girl who started this thread said her package had a shipping label—meaning the delivery was paid for—but she was still hit with those ridiculous $1.75 charges.
And then you stepped in and said she actually owed the money.🤷

Melissa Morgan77 said:then I understood correctly.
I'm asking because the girl who started this whole debate mentioned her package had an address label showing shipping was already paid, yet she still got hit by those infamous $1.75.
And then you chimed in saying she actually owed them money.🤷

Actually, I found myself getting more caught up in the issues surrounding delivery to remote areas or when requesting redelivery.

The delivery drivers aren't just making up numbers out of thin air.
It happens all the time—a driver shows up and nobody is home, so once the customer sees the notice and requests another attempt, they’re going to be charged $1.75 regardless of what they paid upfront.

And sure, if USPS has complicated regulations that are hard to wrap your head around (even for the people working there)—that’s fair enough.

But telling someone here, "your company has stupid rules—change them," is honestly a bit malicious.
Because the people responding here are acting out of the best intentions; they aren't corporate executives and they don't have the power to change a thing.

Until things change, they're going to be under constant fire over $1.75, shipping fees for COD items, $1.75 for those asking for redelivery, and storage fees.
Because any shady behavior is definitely being pocketed by someone.
$1.75 If even five people call them out on it, they're in deep trouble.

That's why, more often than not, these guys end up paying out of their own pockets.

I’m just looking for some straight answers here, folks. Is this actually how it works?
If I pay extra for home delivery but nobody is there to catch it, do I really have to shell out more money for a second attempt$1.75?
Then there's the option to pick it up at the UPS Store, but if they offer home delivery in my area, won't the driver just drop it at my door anyway for$1.75? And does that mean I can't request a redelivery later?
There isn't much of a difference between those two options, unless someone clarifies things for me...
Also, they always bring packages under a pound right to the door, but is it possible to ask for a redelivery, and what's the damage to my wallet for that?

Melissa Morgan77 said:then I understood correctly.
I’m asking because the girl who started this whole thread mentioned her package had a shipping label on it, which meant delivery was already paid for, yet she was still being harassed by those infamous $1.75 agents.
And then you claimed she actually owed them money.🤷

Thanks for the epiphany; I see at least one of us finally gets it. 🙂

As Melissa Morgan77 pointed out—I received a package where the shipping was prepaid (there was a very clear, visible "address" sticker), I took the package from the courier, and then the USPS guy has the audacity to try and again charge me for delivery $1.75on the spot.
That whole part about paying twice for the exact same service was completely nonsensical to me.☕

Nicole Lee4 said:actually, I found myself getting hung up more on the issues regarding parcel delivery in areas where they don't provide it, or the logistics of registered mail.

I made it perfectly clear from the start that we were talking about a parcel, and I had already verified whether the location even accepted parcel deliveries (for context, I’m talking about major metropolitan hubs like Cleveland, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.).

Nicole Lee4 said:and yes, it’s true that the postal service operates under complicated regulations that are difficult to grasp—even for the people working there, occasionally.

Telling someone here, "your company has stupid rules—change them," is practically malicious.
Because the people responding here are acting out of good intentions; they aren't corporate executives and they certainly can't change anything.

If a private corporation decides, based on its own whims or whatever, to implement its own set of internal policies, am I suddenly "malicious" just because I expect them to actually follow their own damn rules? And heaven forbid they actually know what those rules are in the first place.
Fine. ☕

In any case, thanks for the effort and the clarification; it truly isn't my intention to pick fights, but my blood pressure does tend to spike when people attempt to make a fool out of me.

Nicole Lee4 said:You didn't quite nail the math there. You were looking at the rate for just priority mail—you gotta factor in both the certified and the priority shipping if you want the real number.
The absolute cheapest recommendation you're gonna get is $9.50.
And yours was sitting somewhere between 3.5 and 9 ounces—so $12.50 plus $1.70 puts you at $14.20.

I totally did the math myself—mostly because I wanted to send it via Priority Mail—but then she goes and tells me I have to fill out some specific form just to make that happen... honestly, whatever, it doesn't even matter anymore. At least now I know for next time that I need to be super blunt about wanting a tracked letter. I just assumed when I said "priority," it was a given that meant priority shipping. My bad.🙂

Thanks for the input, everyone.🙂

So, this is my first time actually sending anything through HP express—total newbie here—so I was wondering... do I just roll up to the local Post Office and tell them I want to ship this via HP express, or is there some other way to handle it? 😁

I dropped a letter in the mailbox around noon this past Friday, but I’m starting to feel a bit anxious because I sent it via standard mail rather than certified. Even though I was incredibly meticulous about including the recipient's full name, the university address, the street, zip code, and city... I can't help but worry it might just vanish into thin air. I've been reading through various threads here, and it seems like people suggest these types of non-registered letters are the easiest to lose, isn't that right? For context, I mailed it from San Diego to New York; do you think there is any realistic chance it arrived today, Monday, or should I expect it closer to tomorrow?

Melissa Morgan77 said:I'm just looking for the actual, hard numbers here—can anyone confirm if this is accurate?

1 It’s honestly such a joke. You pay a premium for shipping just to have them show up at your doorstep when you aren't even home, and then—get this—you have to shell out even more money just to have them try again? It feels like a total scam. Why am I paying extra for "convenience" if it just ends up being an expensive game of tag? $1.75?
2 So, I’m sitting here thinking about this ridiculous situation: why on earth am I paying extra for "in-store pickup" when the delivery service is already coming right to my doorstep anyway? It feels like a total scam. If the mail carrier is going to swing by my house regardless to drop off a package, what's the point of paying a premium just to go pick it up myself? It makes absolutely zero sense. $1.75Wait, hold on—are you saying it’s actually impossible to request a redelivery? Seriously? That can't be right. There's gotta be some way to get them to try again.
There isn't really a massive difference between those two options... it all just comes down to how you choose to answer.
3 They always seem to bring their recommendations right to my doorstep, but I’ve been wondering—is there any way to request a delivery again once they've left, and if so, what kind of service fee am I looking at?

That’s spot on—but let's be clear, that only applies when we're talking about recommendations.
When you’re sending out a package through the USPS, you just pay the shipping fees upfront at the counter. As the sender, you cover the whole cost right then and there—the recipient doesn't have to shell out a single cent when it arrives at their door.
And what if the recipient actually requests a redelivery of that exact same package? What then? $3.25
It’s just one of those things, isn't it? Like, if someone isn't home when the mail carrier swings by, they end up calling the USPS just to have everything rerouted or picked up again. It feels like such an extra step!
If you ask me, anything involving a redelivery is worth a second look. Honestly, I’d highly recommend going that route if you have the chance. $1.75

I’ll be honest, I don't have a ton of experience dealing with these kinds of packages, but I caught sight of how they handle things today and... well, it really gave me something to think about. $3.25Honestly, I was under the impression that five was the standard, just like it is for recommendations.

It's me, miss_daisy. 🙂 🙈

silvermoose57 said:I dropped a letter in the mail around noon last Friday, but the thing is, I just sent it via regular first-class mail instead of certified. I made sure to write out the recipient's full name, the university address, the street, zip code, and city... everything was clearly laid out. I'm just low-key freaking out that it might get lost, because I've been reading all over these forums that official letters get lost easiest when they aren't tracked. Anyway, I mailed it from San Diego to New York—is there any chance it actually arrived today, Monday, if I sent it Friday? Or am I probably waiting until tomorrow?

Look, mail doesn't just vanish into thin air that easily, so don't sweat it too much. It'll show up.😉

Zachary Peterson6 said:Don't sweat it. Mail doesn't just vanish into thin air like that. It’ll show up eventually. Just hang tight.😉

I did something similar a while back and it never actually showed up. Just one more piece of mail lost in the void, among many other things that weren't exactly life-changing anyway. 🙂 Never again am I sending anything without a recommendation, especially when it's something this important. And honestly? It was basically the exact same thing he’s dealing with right now. Still, good luck to them. They'll need it.🙂
A ton of girls are constantly venting about this one specific issue on clothing resale apps.

Melissa Morgan77 said:I actually tried doing something pretty much identical to this recently and it never showed up. (It was just one of those lost letters that isn't exactly life-changing, I guess. 🙂 I am definitely never sending anything without tracking again, especially when it's important stuff. Anyway, good luck with it, obviously.🙂
Honestly, you see a ton of girls complaining about this exact same issue on Poshmark or Depop.

But seriously, why don't you just call USPS or something? I've sent stuff through regular snail mail plenty of times and everything has always arrived just fine...🙄

Zachary Peterson6 said:So why wouldn't you just call the post office or something? I've sent stuff via standard mail plenty of times and it always shows up just fine...🙄

Why would I bother calling them? Every single time I’ve actually gone into the branch to ask for help, they just stare at me blankly. They couldn't tell me anything about tracking down a regular letter.🙄 Not for me, and not for the person on the receiving end. It’s been the same story both ways, too.
I mean, did I write the address clearly enough? Because I did. 🙄 And apparently, the letter was supposedly "on its way." 🙄

I am absolutely fed up with the USPS and their constant nonsense whenever I need something—it feels like every single clerk just makes up their own rules and pricing on the fly. This is now the second time my standard mail hasn't arrived, and it contained coupons for my baby... if I even tried to ask where they went, I know I wouldn't get a straight answer. Honestly, why does my mail only seem to show up when it’s sent via certified mail? Is it because it's more expensive for them to "lose" coupons when the postage is higher? 🙂🙂
...I have to head to the post office tomorrow, and honestly, I feel like pulling my hair out right now.

If everything weren't such a disaster, I’d actually give a shout-out to one young mail carrier who is always wonderful—he delivers everything perfectly and explains things clearly, and on days I'm not home, he’ll even drop packages off with my relatives so I don't have to go hunting for them.

Quick question: if I’m sending a standard package weighing between 4 and 11 pounds, but I use a larger box, are they going to charge me based on the size of the box instead?

They’re going to charge you based on weight, so the actual size of the box doesn't really matter much.

The only exception is if it’s, like, MASSIVE—then they might hit you with an oversized item fee.

But just make sure the contents aren't sliding all over the place inside the box.

steelwolf3 said:I seriously can't stand dealing with the USPS. Every time I need something, it’s just chaos—everyone seems to have their own little rules and pricing logic. This is actually the second time my standard mail hasn't shown up, and this time it was just some coupons for my baby. If I tried asking where they went, I know I wouldn't get a straight answer from anyone. It makes me wonder why my regular mail only ever arrives when it's sent via certified mail. I guess it’s too expensive for them to steal coupons when there's a higher postage fee involved. 🙂🙂
...gotta hit the post office tomorrow. Honestly, I'm already halfway to pulling my hair out.

Just look at how many people deal with this stuff. It's clearly a widespread issue...

steelwolf3 said:Quick question: if I'm sending a standard package weighing between 4 and 11 pounds, but the box itself is pretty large, am I going to get charged more for the size?

Nope.
By the way, "For domestic shipping, the total dimensions (length plus girth) cannot exceed 130 inches, with any single side being no more than 60 inches. The package also shouldn't be smaller than the minimum requirements for a standard letter, provided the address side is at least 3.5x5.5 inches."

Melissa Morgan77 said:Why would I bother calling them? I’ve literally walked into the local USPS office every single time just to ask, and they never have anything useful to say or any actual help regarding where my regular mail went.🙄 Neither for me nor for whoever was supposed to receive it—even when the situation was flipped the other way around.
I mean, I know for a fact I wrote the address perfectly clearly and correctly, right? 🙄 And apparently, the letter was supposedly "on its way." 🙄

Honestly, I don't even know what to tell you guys. I guess I just find it hard to believe someone is actually out there stealing letters, especially someone working at the post office. Maybe you just have neighbors with really long fingers or something.😁

steelwolf3 said:I swear, dealing with the USPS is such a massive headache whenever I actually need something. It feels like every single worker just makes up their own little rules and pricing on the fly. And now, for the second time, a standard envelope containing some baby coupons I was waiting for just never showed up. Honestly, if I even tried to ask where it went, I know I wouldn't get a straight answer from anyone. I’m seriously starting to wonder why my mail only seems to arrive when I pay for certified shipping... maybe they figure it's worth the extra effort because the postage is higher, or maybe they just think it's easier to pocket coupons when the shipping is cheap. 🙂🙂
...I have to head down to the post office tomorrow and honestly, I’m already at the point where I want to start pulling my hair out.

And who exactly is doing the stealing? The mail carrier? What is a mailman going to do with your little coupons?? Maybe you just have neighbors with sticky fingers.

Zachary Peterson6 said:And who’s stealing them? The mailman? What’s he going to do with your grocery coupons? Maybe you just have neighbors with long fingers.

Look, Zachary Peterson6, I appreciate the effort, and I'm really not in the mood to argue, but comments like this don't actually help anyone. It makes it sound like we all live next to kleptomaniacs or that the local postal workers are just out there living on pure chaos. 😁 I have no idea what anyone would do with stolen coupons, clothes, or legal documents... if that were true, why would bills and flyers always show up with the right numbers on them? 😁
I just want to point out that things clearly aren't being handled well, and the first people who should be looking into it are usually the quickest to dodge responsibility or blame someone else...

Look, everything’s cool, we’re just talking here, I guess. I just really want people to wrap their heads around the fact that there's basically zero point in a mail carrier stealing stuff.😉

There is absolutely no way my neighbors are stealing—everyone around here is elderly and constantly looking out for me and my husband. Besides, the lockbox is deep and securely fastened. My sister-in-law always leaves five or ten bucks in the card during the holidays, which wouldn't even be enough to notice if it were missing... yet when she shows up empty-handed, somehow there’s money inside? I just don't get how they manage to find the cash.😕🤷