Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

casualfox0 said:You actually helped me out 😉
.
I just checked the certified mail option (I honestly thought that was only for cash), and I don't see any priority status listed 🤷. Shipping with COD and that declared value would be under $13. It’s not the end of the world.

Thanks for clearing up how the return receipt works 🙂.

Obviously, the USPS isn't going to take the hit if someone refuses the package—just thinking out loud there. Maybe I'll suggest the buyer sends a deposit upfront, then I'll ship it COD for the balance. That way, we both have at least some skin in the game.

How long does it take for the cash to actually hit my hands? Do I have to go pick it up at the post office, or can they just deposit it into my account?

The mailman will drop off the cash in about 3 to 5 days since a money order counts like a standard shipment. Oh, and heads up: if the recipient pays a COD amount of, say, $167, they also have to cover shipping, which is roughly 2% of the total. The USPS charges that to handle transferring the funds from them to you... just so there's no confusion later. 🙂

urbangardener0 said:I think they call it "Priority" or "Overnight" or something like that now, so 🤷

The mailman should bring you the cash in about 3 to 5 days since a COD shipment is basically treated like any other package. Oh, and just a heads up—if the recipient pays a COD amount like, say, $167, they’re also gonna be on the hook for the shipping fee, which is usually around 2% of the total value. That’s because the USPS charges a bit extra to handle the transfer of those funds from them back to you... just wanted to clear that up so there's no confusion later 🙂

there actually is an option where the money gets delivered by the next business day😉

Zachary Peterson6 said:There's an option to just bring the cash in the next business day.😉

😂😂Whoa, look at that price tag. Is that actually for real, or am I tripping? 🙂🙂I sent off some shipments via USPS with those Zap-ov money orders, thinking the cash would hit my account within 24 hours of them being picked up. Instead, I get some wild girl at the post office telling me it takes three days because they "have to manually enter the data." Give me a break. 😂😂😂Look, we’re talking about minimizing the time and cash wasted dealing with the USPS here, not debating some trivial nonsense. So, anyway... 🤣

urbangardener0 said:😂😂...man, look at that price. I mean, is it really such a tiny detail or 🙂🙂, I remember back in the day sending some stuff through the USPS using those Zap-ov money orders, thinking the cash would hit my account within 24 hours of them picking up the package. Then some rude clerk at the post office tells me it takes three days because they "have to process it" 😂😂😂. Look, we're talking about minimizing both time and the amount of cash wasted at the post office here, not some petty pennies, so 🤣

I don't think the cost is actually that bad...

So, we actually ended up reaching a slightly different agreement 🙂. They’re going to wire the money directly to my account first, and once that clears, I’ll get the package sent out immediately.

Has anyone here used FedEx before? Since I'm packing and addressing everything myself at home, I assume the process is pretty much the same as any other shipment—just grabbing a box, some brown paper, and some twine
? And when they come by for the pickup, should I let them know the total value of the contents so they can handle the insurance properly?

It looks like this should run me about $10, which honestly seems like a totally reasonable price to pay for the peace of mind.

I’m thinking about starting a small side hustle, but honestly, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the research required.

Basically, I make jewelry. Once a customer pays, I’ll ship the pieces out via mail. I’m stuck on the logistics—how should I word my shipping info, and what are the rates? Should I be sending everything as packages? (It would just be domestic shipping within the US)

Looking at the USPS website, it seems the cheapest way to send a package is $6.00!

Could I just wrap a ring in an envelope and send it as standard mail instead of a package?

And who actually does the packing? Do I do it at home, or do they handle it there? Also, where am I supposed to get packaging supplies like little boxes?

I might eventually expand beyond jewelry to things like plates or vases...

I’ve never sent a single package in my life, and now I need to figure out how to list all this purchasing and shipping info on a website so customers aren't left guessing.😵🤔

To anyone brave enough to help me out with this, thank you so much.😉

ruggedtrucker16 said:I’d love to start selling stuff too, but I’m a complete novice and honestly can't be bothered to do all the research.

Basically, I make jewelry. Once the customer pays, I'd ship it via USPS. What am I even supposed to write down regarding shipping costs? How do I send them—as packages? (Just domestic shipping, obviously).

I see on the USPS site that the cheapest package rate is $6.00!

Can I just wrap a ring in an envelope and mail it normally? (Not as a package).

And who actually does the packaging? Me at home, or them at the counter? Where on earth do people get packaging boxes?

I might want to sell other things besides jewelry later, like plates or vases...

I've never sent a single package in my life, and now I'm expected to put purchase info and shipping methods on a website so customers aren't lost? 😵🤔

If anyone actually dares to answer this post, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 😉

I don't have anything better to do right now, so let me try to help you out... 🙂
For tiny, lightweight items like jewelry, your best bet is sending them as certified mail (you get proof of delivery, hence "certified") and it should cost you about $3.25 (depending on weight).
You can pack it yourself (like putting it in a small bag inside an envelope), or they can do it at the post office (but why pay extra for that?!?). As for boxes, they're everywhere—cereal boxes, cigarette packs, medicine boxes, hair dye cartons... use what you have.
For fragile stuff, you'll need to request special handling, which they call "fragile."
That's the short version. 😉

urbangardener0 said:It’s none of her business and she shouldn't even be asking when we're just talking about a standard package moving through domestic transit without special handling requirements. If she keeps pushing, tell her to just get her regional manager's contact info. ☕

They have zero right to ask what's inside.
But experience varies depending on which USPS branch you hit.

At my local branch, they never ask what’s in an international registered envelope. But back when I was shipping out of Washington, D.C., they actually had the nerve to ask what was inside, acting like I was required to present an open letter just so they could inspect it personally. 😁

I shut them down immediately. Asked them if they took me for some kind of criminal. If they want to scan a letter, fine, but there is absolutely no way I'm opening it or disclosing the contents.
As if paying full $9.25 shipping fees 😁 wasn't enough.
They went quiet after that.

Is there any way to actually work things out with the folks at the USPS so they don't just send my package back after that five-day pickup window closes? My neighbor mentioned I had a delivery slip left for me on Thursday, but there's no way I can make it down to the post office in Washington, D.C. before the beginning of next week. 😢 Has anyone else dealt with this? Does everything really just get sent back to the sender once those five days are up, no matter what?

wearysailor3 said:Is there any way at all to make a deal with the folks over at the USPS so they don't just send my package back after that 5-day pickup window closes? My neighbor let me know I had a notice left for me this past Thursday, but there is absolutely no way I can make it down to the post office in Washington, D.C. to grab it before early next week. 😢 Has anyone else dealt with this? Does it really, always, always get sent back right after five days regardless of the situation?

It’s definitely possible—just give them a call and ask nicely. Besides, you're paying a small storage fee anyway.
Otherwise, if they're actually following the rules, they aren't supposed to return it until after five business days have passed.

Well, I’m the idiot here.🙂 I sent a phone worth about $450 to an Apple repair center via standard registered mail. I paid the $5.00 shipping fees, and honestly, if I had just sent a pair of socks, everything would have been fine, but my phone just vanished. Thirty days later, a claim notice arrived—no phone, nothing. The explanation from USPS was simply that the package got lost somewhere between the USPS regional hub and the USPS office in Washington, D.C. I received a measly $25 in compensation, and that was it. After that, I'll admit I messed up and 🙄 reached out to the USPS Washington, D.C. office to tell them they clearly have a thief in their ranks. Since that repair shop is one of the biggest tech service centers in the US, someone at the post office must have seen where it was headed. I told them they should talk to their staff, but the response was just, "Sir, you should have used insured shipping, blah blah blah..." I told them I get it, it's my fault, but all my personal data is on that device and someone is actively stealing it. They didn't care.
Do you think it's worth reporting the theft to the police separately from the postal claim, especially since it might be possible to track the phone using the IMEI code?

Brandon Young2 said:I’m the idiot here.🙂 I sent a phone worth $600 to an electronics repair shop via standard certified mail. Paid the $5.00 shipping fees and everything, but instead of my phone, I basically just mailed them a pair of socks. It vanished. Thirty days later, a claim notice arrives—no phone, nothing. The USPS excuse? "The package was lost in transit between USPS Rab and USPS Washington, D.C." Sure. I got my $25 reimbursement, so that part's settled. But then, admitting I messed up, I 🙄 contacted USPS Washington, D.C. directly to tell them they clearly have thieves in their ranks. Someone saw a package headed to a major repair center—one of the biggest in the US—and decided to grab it. I told them to talk to their staff. Their response? "Sir, you should have used registered mail, blah blah blah..." I told them fine, I'm at fault, but all my personal data is on that device and someone is stealing it. They didn't care. Nothing from them.
Is it even worth reporting the theft to the police separately since the IMEI could potentially track the location?

That sucks.
You really should have used registered mail.
And if the phone is worth $1000, if I understood correctly, it would have been cheaper to just drive or take a bus to Washington, D.C. to drop it off at the shop yourself, or hand it to a friend heading that way.
That would've cost you way less than this mess.

Can someone please help me out here?

I need to return some items to a seller. They weigh about 60 grams.

a) I want insurance coverage just in case it gets lost along the way...
b) It needs to reach England within 8 or 9 days.
c) Ideally, I’d like the cheapest option available.

What should I use? I'm completely lost when it comes to letters, packages, certified mail, 🙈:... thanks!

If you include the return shipping, I guess you’re looking at roughly $12😉. That should be a safe bet,

Does anyone know how much a medium-sized airmail envelope costs at the USPS? 😁

Alex Hill86 said:Does anyone know how much a medium-sized padded mailer costs at the USPS? 😁

It's about $0.35 for a medium one, and the largest ones go for $0.50. Anything smaller than that will be even less.

Ivanna, have you actually received those shipments you were waiting on yet?

I’ve been sitting here waiting for a package sent back on January 14th, and quite frankly, it’s still nowhere to be found...😢

Lately, I’ve been seeing a surge of buyers—mostly coming through sites like eBay or local boutiques—who want me to ship their items via Cash on Delivery. Their setup is that they want the mail carrier to collect both the shipping costs and the actual price of the item upon arrival, then hand that cash directly to me when the driver makes their rounds. I totally get where they're coming from; there's been so much fraud and skepticism lately that I completely understand why people are being extra cautious! I was wondering, though—what is the official term for this service? Is it called COD (Cash on Delivery), or is there some other specific name for it? Also, does anyone know which specific forms I need to fill out at the Post Office to get this moving, and more importantly, how reliable is this method? My big worry is: what happens if the buyer suddenly decides they don't want to cover the shipping fee? Is there a risk that I'll end up stuck footing the bill for the postage myself? Thanks in advance for any insight you can share! 🙂

vividnomad15 said:Lately, I’ve been seeing so many buyers (coming from sites like eBay or local boutiques) asking if I can ship an item where they pay both the shipping costs and the item price directly to the mail carrier upon delivery. I totally get why—there's so much fraud out there these days, and nobody trusts anyone! I was just wondering, what is this service actually called? Is it "cash on delivery" or something else? Which specific USPS form do I need to fill out to make this happen, and how safe is it really? Also, what happens if the buyer decides they don't want to pay the shipping fee once it arrives? Am I stuck footing the bill for the postage? Thanks in advance for any help! 🙂

You'll need to fill out a certified mail form along with a money order request (though you'd fill out the money order part in reverse, since you're technically the recipient waiting for those funds to be returned to you).
The clerk at the counter will attach the money order slip to the package and hand you back a certified receipt.

If the customer refuses to pick up the package, you’ll end up having to cover the return shipping costs (and that's just for standard certified mail without the COD option).
As for security, if the package gets lost, you're generally covered for five times the shipping cost—but you absolutely must hold onto that receipt to prove it was sent.
In my experience, I've never had anything go missing.
That said, I know plenty of people here who claim otherwise, so I won't speak for them.

Quick question for the group. Has anyone actually bought or shipped a microwave through one of those online marketplaces? I found one for $50, but now I'm stressing about shipping costs. Since microwaves are heavy as hell, am I gonna get screwed on the delivery fee? The seller is down in Miami, so I'm not sure if the distance from where it's being sent makes a huge difference in price. If anyone knows the deal, let me know. Thanks!