Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Sarah Martin41 said:I need to send something to Washington, D.C., maybe 350 grams max, and everyone keeps telling me the shipping cost is $6.75, but I've sent things weighing a whole kilo before and they were just $6.75.. So what does that mean, that weight doesn't matter? Seems off to me :/

So how would you actually ship it?
If you're sending it as a standard package, the price stays the same for anything up to 2 kg (18, or maybe $6.75).
But if you want it registered, then the price fluctuates from $3.25 (for stuff under 50 grams) up to $8.00 (for weights between 1 and 2 kilos).

For your 350 grams, a registered shipment would probably be $5.00.

There’s a calculator on the USPS website, so I guess you can always check the exact amount there 😉

Linda Chavez14 said:But how would you actually go about sending it?
If you decide to send it as a standard package, the price stays the same for anything weighing up to 2 kg—so it’ll be $18, or roughly $6.75.
However, if you opt for certified mail, the cost fluctuates quite a bit, ranging from $3.25 (for items under 50 grams) all the way up to $8.00 (for weights between 1 and 2 kilos).

For your specific shipment of 350 grams, the price for certified mail would come out to $5.00.

The USPS website actually has a handy shipping calculator, so you can always head over there to figure out the exact amount 😉

You know, I hadn't really thought about it that way 😁 I think I'll just hop online and calculate it myself. My plan was to tuck everything into a larger padded bubble mailer... definitely going with certified... because $6.75 honestly feels like a bit much to pay for shipping something so trivial :P

Sarah Martin41 said:You know, I hadn't actually checked 😁 I think I'll head over there to run the numbers myself. My plan is to stuff it into one of those larger bubble mailers... you know, the padded ones... maybe send it via certified mail... But honestly, $6.75 the shipping cost seems way too steep for something so trivial :P

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

You are welcome to send recommended shipments in boxes as well as standard packages, provided they weigh less than 4.4 pounds. 👍 There is absolutely no need to cram your items into envelopes 😬

Roughly how much would it cost me to ship a package weighing about 50kg?

restlessseal58 said:Roughly how much would it cost to ship a package weighing about 50kg?

The standard shipping limit is usually up to 20 kg.
For anything hitting that 50 kg mark, you're pretty much looking at using FedEx.
The final price is going to depend on the weight, the value of what's inside, the destination zone, and if you decide to add any special services.
But, alright, just to give you a ballpark estimate... it'll start from $45 and go up from there.

I have a question, and I'm hoping I've landed in the right corner of this forum.
Today, I found a yellow FedEx slip in my mailbox labeled "package delivery notification," noting it's a certified shipment. It claims I'll need to cough up $3.25 upon delivery.
My concern is whether that's the end of it, or if I should be bracing myself for additional customs fees down the road.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.

steelbadger21 said:I have a question, and I really hope I'm asking this in the right place.
Today, I received a yellow slip from FedEx labeled "package delivery notification," marked as certified mail. It mentions that I need to pay $3.25 upon delivery.
So, what I'm wondering is: will this be my only extra cost, or should I also be bracing myself for customs fees?
Thanks in advance for any help!

That $3.25 refers specifically to a notice from Customs.
As for the shipment itself, you should receive a separate notification stating exactly how much needs to be paid.
In my experience, when Customs sends those letters out, the package is still being processed by them and hasn't even hit the local post office yet.

Can I just "borrow" some of those shipping forms—you know, the ones for standard packages and registered mail—and fill them out at home before bringing them in? Or would people give me weird looks if I just grabbed them? 😁

At my local USPS branch, those little slips for package info are kept tucked away behind the counter by the clerk... one time I walk in, looking for one (I’d left a package back there—we have these little standing desks where you fill out the forms and pack things into envelopes...) and the lady at the counter is basically rolling her eyes at me like, "Uh, where's your package??" :-/
And honestly, if I wanted to grab some of those certified mail slips, they're just sitting right there on the counter facing the customers....luckily we have this one incredibly decent gentleman working the window (he actually recognizes me now since I'm such a regular at the post office..) so I figure he wouldn't make a scene about it...

Has anyone here ever sent a package over to Canada (specifically Sarajevo)? I’ve got a girl asking me about buying some shoes from her, and she wants to know if I could ship them using a cash-on-delivery service.
What I really need to figure out is what the shipping costs look like for something like that—say, a pair of shoes weighing about a pound—and how the COD thing works since we aren't dealing with the same currency.
Thanks a million for any help you can give!

Actually, just saw the update regarding shipping to Canada, and honestly, everything makes sense now...

velvetwalker23 said:Is it actually okay if I "borrow" a few of those forms—you know, the ones for standard packages and recommended shipments—to fill out at home before I just bring them in? Or would people give me some weird looks if I showed up with them already completed? 😁

All types of delivery confirmations are totally free, so honestly, that really shouldn't be an issue at all.

I recently ordered a pair of boots from a friend—sent via standard mail to my local post office for pickup—and, naturally, I’ve been checking in at the branch for days now with absolutely nothing to show for it. Is there actually any way to track down where things went sideways, or is it just obvious that someone swiped the package? Does anyone know what the typical rate is for standard shipping anyway? I am honestly so bummed that I didn't spring for the insured/certified option; those boots were definitely not cheap!😢

I have a quick question—is it possible for me to send a package via Cash on Delivery, but have the funds sent to an address where I won't actually be present? It’s just that, for various reasons, it isn't particularly convenient for me to receive the cash at my place in Washington, D.C.—since I'm currently sub-leasing—so I would much rather have it sent to my family's home.

In short: does the person sending the package also have to be the one to collect the money, or can I designate someone else to pick up the payment?

Jose Ramirez36 said:I have a quick question: is it possible for me to send a package COD (cash on delivery), but have the funds sent to an address where I won't actually be located? It’s just not very practical for me to receive the money at my place in Washington, D.C. right now since I'm renting, so I’d much rather have it sent to my family back home.

Basically, does the person sending the package also have to be the one to pick up the cash, or can I designate someone else to collect it?

I believe someone else can certainly do it. When you go to the post office, they give you that little form you need to fill out for COD shipments. Just list the address where you want the money delivered under the sender's information; that should work without any issues.

Rebecca Grant26 said:I ordered a pair of boots from a friend via general mail to my PO Box, sent through standard shipping, and—of course—it’s been days of me trekking down to the post office only to find absolutely nothing. Is there any actual way to track down where things went sideways, or is it pretty obvious that someone just swiped my package? Does anyone know how much standard shipping even costs? I am honestly kicking myself for not paying the extra bit for insured/certified mail; I'm so bummed out because these boots were definitely not cheap.😢

It’s honestly frustrating—there just isn't any way to track a standard shipment.
But listen, when you head down to the local Post Office, make sure you explicitly mention that you want it sent via General Delivery. They tend to handle things a bit differently if you're upfront about that.

Who's out here claiming it was a girl who sent it?😉

Zachary Peterson6 said:Who's claiming it was a girl who sent it?😉

Yeah, that’s exactly why I never touch standard mail. It always turns into this endless back-and-forth where you're left wondering if she actually sent the damn thing or not, especially when there’s zero proof to back it up. Honestly, I’ve always had this low-key phobia about that kind of uncertainty. 😳

Olivia Green46 said:Yeah, honestly, that’s exactly why I never use standard snail mail. It just becomes this huge headache later on—like, did she actually send the thing or not? And if she didn't, she’s got zero proof to back her up. I don't know, I guess I just have this constant anxiety about stuff like that. 😳

🤷☕

And that's really the heart of the whole issue...

Exactly—that’s why I am NEVER doing this again. Honestly, it feels like they haven't even shipped it yet.😢 They just don't care at all—it's as if nobody at the post office can be bothered to put in any effort, you know? Just totally indifferent. My advice? Don't take orders from random people and don't ship things out casually. Now, I'm sitting here regretting those $5.00 I didn't pay.

Hmm, just a quick question—in the event that the package is actually stuck somewhere, and someone finally finds it... after the holding period expires (you know, how long it stays at the post office before being sent back to the sender)? Is it possible they'll just return it to the sender?