Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

How could I not... I sent the money, but I never received what I actually paid for... it's all just a risk to you

So, I’ve got a bit of an unpleasant story to share regarding my experience with FedEx, and honestly, "unpleasant" might be an understatement. Today, using FedEx at the local post office feels like one of the most secure and streamlined ways to ship something, which is exactly why I opted for their direct package service. It costs $23, which isn't much when you consider that if you need something by 9 AM the next day, competitors like UPS or USPS charge about $17 for a similar level of speed. My main concern here wasn't just the timing, though—it was the security. I sent this package via FedEx on Monday afternoon, and it was supposed to arrive at its destination by 5 PM the following day. Instead, four days have crawled by, and these disorganized, uncoordinated, and frankly untrained clerks at the post office haven't the slightest clue where my shipment went missing, even though it was clearly dispatched to a city like 👍
. It really makes you wonder how much you can actually trust the postal system when you’re dealing with something urgent and incredibly expensive (we're talking about a package worth $667). And what happens if there are precious documents tucked inside that package? Of course, you pay for the shipping COD style. At this point, I have to ask: in this day and age, is being a thief just the most efficient and profitable career path left? Someone obviously swiped the package; they’ll likely face some disciplinary action, but I doubt they'll ever actually see the consequences in a way that matters...
This is my own unfortunate experience, and my sincere advice is to avoid FedEx entirely, especially nowadays when the country's economic stability feels so shaky and people's jobs are constantly under threat (everyone is just doing whatever they can to get by)...
Now, I'm not trying to run an advertisement here, but if you want actual peace of mind, I’d strongly suggest sticking with UPS or USPS, where the security protocols seem to be at a much higher level than the meager protection offered by FedEx....
Even though I've been complaining my head off, I probably won't ever lay eyes on that package again. Even if the person who sent it eventually gets reimbursed for the declared value, it doesn't change the fact that the items are gone. I'd settle for anything at this point...

Oh yes, dear, I actually had quite an interesting experience myself today🙄
I get home and there’s just a package sitting right there at my doorstep—and let me tell you, when you live in a high-rise with over a hundred neighbors, you have to be incredibly grateful that someone didn't just swipe it! Honestly, what gives them the right to leave it out there without even waiting for my signature?!👎

So, basically, my package is just gone—poof—and somehow I’m left with absolutely zero recourse, not even for the one thing I actually care about: MY OWN PROPERTY.
WHICH IS WHY I’M ISSUING A MASSIVE WARNING TO ANYONE HERE WHO MIGHT BE SENDING OR RECEIVING ANYTHING OF ACTUAL VALUE IN THE FUTURE:DO NOT, under any circumstances, trust FedEx or the US Postal Service with your stuff, because they are nothing more than common thieves! If you absolutely have no other choice, just stick to UPS or USPS instead.

So, aren't you going to collect the money you paid for that package?

restlessmason54 said:So basically, the package is just gone, and I’m left with nothing—not even what I was actually looking for...[/SIZE][/B]

The person who sent you the package really ought to refund you, since they'll be getting reimbursed for the lost shipment itself..
Every single FedEx package comes insured up to $333, and if you want more coverage, you pay an extra 1-$0.67 depending on the value; it’s all laid out right there on the official carrier website in their rate guide...
If the sender didn't declare the actual value (which I'm pretty sure is required), then they'll likely only get $333 in compensation from the carrier. If that item was actually worth $667, they should have paid an additional $0.67 to ensure full coverage. Honestly, if they didn't pay for the true value, I don't know what to tell you. When I ship things, I always declare the actual value—usually between $100 and $100—and I don't mind paying a few extra bucks. It's definitely not worth dealing with the headache of a high-value shipment just to save a measly 2-$1.00.... 😕

Chris Reed45 said:Honestly, the person who sent you that package should be refunding you directly, since they’re going to get compensated for the lost shipment anyway..
Every single FedEx package comes with standard insurance up to $333, and if you want more coverage, you just pay an extra 1-$0.67 depending on what's inside—it's all right there on the carrier's website in their rate sheet...
If that sender didn't declare the actual value (and I'm pretty sure they're supposed to), then they'll probably just get a measly $333 payout from the carrier. If the package was actually worth $667, they really should have shelled out an extra $0.67 to make sure it was fully covered. Personally, when I ship things worth anywhere from 100 to $100, I don't think twice about paying a few extra bucks; I'm certainly not going to deal with the headache of a lost high-value shipment just to save a measly 2-$1.00.... 😕

The guy who sent it definitely declared the value, so he'll be getting his money back via a claim check, but my issue here is much simpler: I just want my damn package 🤷
This kind of behavior from the postal service, especially when dealing with a declared-value shipment, is completely inexcusable 👍

How should I go about packing up my package?

I'm wondering what any old banknotes from the former Yugoslavia—you know, those Tito-era bills—are actually worth these days.
I've got a whole stack of them lying around, along with a Libyan note that I think dates back to 1954 or maybe even earlier.

restlessmason54 said:The guy who sent this noted the package value, so he’ll be getting the money via a claim check. My whole point here is that I just want my actual package back. 🤷
This kind of behavior from the postal service—especially when dealing with an insured package—is totally inexcusable. 👍

Look, let me clear a few things up for you. The insurance money can't be paid out to both you and him at the same time. Is the package yours or is it his??
Generally speaking, the sender holds the right to file a claim unless they formally waive that right in favor of the recipient. So, the receiver can get compensated for damages too, provided the sender signs off on it—it's really that simple. A customer is entitled to the full insured value if the package goes missing. If you didn't declare the value upfront, you're basically stuck with a refund of maybe 3 to 5 times whatever you paid for shipping. Here is my number one rule and piece of advice: always, and I mean *always*, declare the actual value. Because if someone sends you a pallet containing, $667 say, a smartphone, and it disappears, you'll have the right to get that full amount back so you can just go buy another one. Honestly, under the new USPS pricing, every package is automatically covered up to a maximum of $1000 if no specific value is declared. It costs you absolutely nothing extra to declare a value of $667 when you use USPS Priority Mail. And if you think these kinds of screw-ups don't happen with other carriers like FedEx or UPS, you are dead wrong.

Cheers,

The staff at the local USPS branch are just incredibly rude—honestly, it’s exhausting. No matter what you walk in with, it’s somehow never "good enough" for them. Whether I’m just dropping off a simple bubble mailer or a massive parcel, they always have some unsolicited lecture ready to go. If it's an envelope, suddenly they’re telling me, "You can't use this," or "You really should be sending this as certified mail instead." But the absolute peak of their audacity? A woman behind the counter actually had the nerve to ask me exactly what was inside my bubble mailer. Like, excuse me? What business is it of yours? 😲 😕 Has anyone else dealt with this kind of overstepping? 🤷 And while we're on the subject of how much these people charge—it’s almost never just a flat $12--$4.25; it’s virtually always more than $6.00 whenever I'm trying to send something in one of those bubble envelopes.

What’s the protocol for handling mail and bills when people have moved and left no forwarding address or contact info behind?

boldwalker16 said:The staff at the USPS are incredibly rude. No matter what you bring in, it’s never good enough. Whether it's a bubble mailer or a massive box, they always have something to nitpick. They'll tell you that you can't use this specific envelope or insist you have to send it via certified mail instead. But the peak of their audacity was when the woman behind the counter actually asked me what was inside my bubble mailer. I mean, why does she need to know? 😲 😕 Has anyone else dealt with this? 🤷 Also, regarding the rates, the shipping rarely ends up being just $12$4.25; it almost always climbs north of $6.00 when I'm using bubble mailers.

The price depends on weight. It is more cost-effective to ship items over 12 ounces as a package; that usually brings the total to around $13-$4.75

Chloe Moore65 said:The price depends entirely on weight—so honestly, if you have stuff weighing more than 10-12 ounces, you’re better off sending it as a package. It usually ends up costing you around 13-$4.75

Thanks for the heads-up. I was actually scratching my head about this the other day—it was my first time shipping something in a full box instead of a padded envelope, and somehow, the box ended up being cheaper than the envelope 😲 I was genuinely floored by it. It feels totally counterintuitive, right? Like, how does a massive box cost less than a tiny little mailer containing the exact same item? It defies all logic! But hey, if the folks at the USPS have decided that weight is the only metric that matters, then I guess I'll just take the win and stop overthinking it. heheh 🙂

So, I was sending off a package the other day—I had the declared value set at $27—and the total came out to exactly $4.25🙂
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Has anyone else noticed them hiking up their rates lately, or am I just totally out of the loop here? 🤔
Like, I'm aware of that last price adjustment they rolled out, but I can't tell if they've bumped things up again since then 🤔
. Anyway, sorry if this has already been asked, I might have missed it 🙂
.

Yeah, they bumped the prices up again after that last reduction, but their website still doesn't have a way to calculate postage, which is useless to me.

Yeah, I’m totally with you, it’s such a bummer they ditched that old calculator tool👎👎👎

I think I asked about this last year, but the USPS rates have been all over the place lately. Is shipping a standard package—not using FedEx—to Canada still roughly $40? I’ve sent some stuff through the mail before, but I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone. Thanks.🙂

boldwalker16 said:The staff at the local USPS office are just incredibly rude. Honestly, no matter what you show up with—be it a simple bubble mailer or a massive box—it’s never "good enough" for them; they always have some unsolicited critique to throw at you. If you bring an envelope, suddenly you're doing it wrong; "You can't send it this way, you need to send it as certified mail or something." But the absolute peak of their audacity? It was when the woman behind the counter actually had the nerve to ask me what was inside my envelope (the bubble one, mind you). I mean, since when is that any of her business?? 😲 😕 Has anyone else dealt with this kind of nonsense? 🤷 And while we're on the subject, regarding the rates—it's rare that the postage ends up being just 12-$4.25; it’s almost always over $6.00 (and that's just for sending stuff in bubble mailers).

Well, it depends on what you were trying to ship. They aren't allowed to transport perfumes or liquids, so they actually have a right to ask. 😉

Angela Flores76 - so wait, if that's the case, how am I even supposed to ship a perfume 🤔
?