Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Nicole Lee4 said:Of course she received confirmation for the package.
The confirmation includes the tracking number for the shipment—which, in your case, is the package itself.
She has the authority to initiate a formal inquiry.
You, on the other hand, are essentially powerless here.
Or, if you really need to feel involved, have her read the tracking number from the receipt—unknown—and then call her local USPS office yourself just to verify whether the item actually left their facility.
Using that same tracking number, you can also monitor whether the package has reached your local post office.
Furthermore, double-check the exact destination address she used; it is entirely possible the package has been sitting there for a month, waiting at some random branch.
😉

Thanks for the input yet again, Nicole Lee4.🙂 We’ll just have to wait and see what kind of mess this "return to sender" situation turns into in the end.😢

dustyscout8 said:Honestly, Nicole Lee4, thanks a million for this🙂 I guess we'll just have to wait and see what kind of chaos eventually crawls out of this postscript at the end 😢

No worries at all👍

So I’ve run into a bit of a situation and was hoping someone who actually knows their stuff could spare a minute to help me out. I’m looking to pick up an old saber, probably around 200 years old, coming out of Mexico. Are there any crazy restrictions on this kind of thing—like, can I even legally import something like that from Mexico into the US? I’ve been reading that customs tends to seize stuff like this at the border, so I’m wondering if the same headache applies if I try to have it shipped through the mail.

Thanks in advance!

Robin Cooper5 said:I’ve run into a bit of a dilemma and was hoping someone with a little more expertise could spare a moment to help me out. I’m looking to purchase an antique saber, roughly 200 years old, coming from Mexico. Are there any legal restrictions regarding this? Specifically, can something like that actually be imported from Mexico into the US? I’ve read stories about customs seizing items like this at the border—does that same thing happen if it's sent via mail?

Thanks in advance!

For questions like this, your best bet is to give the Customs and Border Protection office a call directly. In 99.9% of countries, exporting or importing weapons is strictly prohibited. It might potentially pass as a work of art, but they are the only ones who can give you a definitive answer on that.

Another gem from the USPS

My package from Key West just bounced back to me—apparently, the recipient "didn't show up" for five days.
Meanwhile, the person waiting for it is blowing up my phone asking where it is, since they never got the package AND never even saw a delivery slip left on their door.

So I head down to the local branch today to grab the returned box and tell them, "Look, she never got a notice or any kind of heads-up that this was even here."
And they have the nerve to tell me it sat at the station for five days and nobody bothered to pick it up. Like, how is anyone supposed to know it's there if you don't tell them?

The "expert" behind the counter just looks at me and goes, "Well, why didn't she just come down and check if anything arrived since she knew you sent it?" !?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Moral of the story:
If you're expecting something in the mail—don't just sit around waiting for some carrier to knock or leave a little slip on your porch.
Just get off your butt and go check the post office to see if your stuff is waiting for you.

😵 😵 😵

They’re pretty clever, aren't they?
And you end up footing the bill for shipping again. It honestly feels intentional, like they want people to pay twice. You really have to stand your ground and demand free shipping; if I were there, I’d cause quite a scene at the post office.

Yeah, honestly, it would be pretty decent if ExxonMobil just covered the cost of sending things back to the sender and then re-shipping them out of pure politeness. But how do we actually make that happen? 🤷 I mean, if anyone actually manages to pull that off, please, do us all a favor and share the secret. 😉 Until then, when you get a notification that something has been sent, just toss in the tracking number and a little note suggesting they check with the local post office in a few days. 👎

The same thing happened to me just a few days ago. I was sending a package from one part of Washington, D.C. to another (sent it from the post office on Jury Street), and it just wouldn't arrive. I told the guy I was sending it to to just swing by his local post office and check if there was anything waiting for him. They told him nothing was there, but said not to sweat it because it would just end up being returned to me after five days anyway.🙄
It actually got sent back to me last Thursday, so I just shipped it out again immediately, and it reached him the very next day.

vividcobra3 said:Just another piece of wisdom from HP...

My package from Key West just got sent back to me... as if the recipient didn't show up to claim it for five whole days. Unbelievable...
At the exact same time, the recipient is calling up, asking where on earth her package is... because it hasn't shown up, and she didn't even get a courtesy slip left on her door saying she needs to pick it up somewhere...

I headed down to the local post office today to pick up a returned package, and I made sure to let them know... the recipient never even saw a slip of paper or got any kind of notice that a delivery was even attempted.
And you’re telling me it sat at the post office for five days without anyone picking it up? Please... how on earth is someone supposed to show up if they haven't even been notified? It doesn't make any sense...

The guy behind the counter... he actually seems to know what he's talking about... I mean, seriously... why even bother heading down to the post office to ask if a package arrived when she already knows it was sent? It just makes no sense...!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

It’s all just... formalities. A performance. Everyone playing their part to stay within the lines... if you know what I mean.
If you're sitting around waiting on a package... don't just sit there expecting some USPS carrier to show up at your door or leave a yellow slip in your mailbox. Don't hold your breath...
Seriously, just head down to the post office and ask if there’s anything waiting for you... It’s worth the trip...

😵 😵 😵

Look, I’ve already learned my lesson on this one. I went down there with the printed slip Sweetmint emailed me, just waiting for my package to show up, but I wasn't even sure if it had actually arrived since I hadn't received a notification. The guy behind the counter typed my name into his computer, looked at the screen, and told me it was definitely here. He even double-checked the tracking number against his paperwork to be absolutely certain it was the right shipment... Honestly, if you're waiting on a delivery and it hasn't shown up within that 3 to 5 day window, just go straight to the post office to check... 😉

Betty Flores71 said:Look, honey, I already figured this out. I showed up with the printed slip Sweetmint emailed me, just waiting for my package, but I wasn't even sure if it had actually arrived since I hadn't gotten a notification yet. The guy just typed my name into his computer and told me, "Yeah, it's here." He basically just double-checked the tracking number on my printout to make sure it matched. Seriously, if you're waiting on a delivery and it hasn't shown up within 3-5 days, just go check at the local USPS office. 😉

And what if they pull the "it's our new policy" card? Like, "oops, we don't deliver packages or leave notices anymore, so why don't you guys just fax each other notifications or text the tracking numbers so we can all hunt down our own stuff at the post office"?!?!?!?!
😕

vividcobra3 said:So then they can just tell us "oh, it's new policy" and that they don't carry small envelopes or paper slips anymore? And we're all supposed to just swap info via fax or email or text numbers and then hunt down our own stuff at the local USPS branch? Awesome.
😕

Exactly.🙏 Since they’ve basically gutted their workload, they should probably drop the USPS rates to match.

Secure. As requested:
No. Your only option is to refuse the shipment entirely. Then, the person receiving the returned package will be the one left dealing with the mess. $7.25 How much is he being charged to ship that package back to you? Is he really paying for return shipping on his own mistake? $3.25Look, it’s simple: once you receive it, you owe the money. If you aren't happy with what you got? Send it back. Is that really so complicated?

That’s exactly what I was afraid of. 😢

Chloe Moore65 said:Then don't shop here. If you want to be picky, go find a store that actually suits your standards.

I don't exactly enjoy being ripped off, nor do I love it when a purchase turns out to be a total disappointment. But honestly? That's just the price of admission when you shop online. Isn't that just part of the risk?

The thing is, this isn't some massive corporate online retailer. It’s through Craigslist. I’ve always made it a point to buy from sellers based right here in Washington, D.C., so I could handle the hand-off in person. Why risk it otherwise?
It’s not even on the shelves anymore because it’s two and a half years old. And even if it were? The price would be a third of what they're asking now. Obviously.

Secure. As requested:
Exactly. It happened to me once—I sold something for... $20 The deal was clear: the buyer pays cash on delivery. I already settled the bill at the Post Office. $7.25How? $13 I was looking for a profit. Instead, I ended up paying for the privilege of having my package sent right back to me. Is that supposed to be how this works? $3.25So, she screwed me over for... $11She didn't even have the decency to reach out. And to top it all off, one person kept my package and never sent the items we agreed on for the swap. So, here I am, out about... $100And then she had the nerve to insult me, claiming I was lying about not receiving her package. Seriously? Let’s be clear—selling online carries risks for the merchant too. It isn't always just the buyer who takes a hit.

Shame on them. Even if that first number is just pocket change.
In this scenario, I could just as easily end up getting burned too. $100Look, you know how I operate. I don't cut checks or hand anything over until I see results. That’s just my policy. So, yeah, this whole "payment on delivery" thing? It’s got me a little uneasy. 🙂

P.S. Thanks for the input. 🙂

Hello there.
I apologize if this has already been addressed... anyway, I sent my mother to the USPS today since I couldn't make it myself to drop off a package, and they charged her $1.75 for packaging fees. I had already wrapped everything quite securely in heavy-duty brown kraft paper and secured it with thick brown tape, but apparently, under these new regulations, they insisted on binding it with twine, and we’re expected to pay $1.75 for that. It made me wonder, as I recall having to pay an extra $1.75 on a few incoming packages myself, which I assume was for similar packaging requirements.
Does anyone happen to know if I could just tie everything up with twine at home to avoid being hit with those additional $1.75 charges? It feels incredibly awkward when someone else covers the shipping costs, only for them to be forced to hand over even more $1.75 for something like this..

Kate Foster13 said:Hey there!
Sorry if this has already been asked... ugh, so today I sent my mom over to the USPS because I couldn't make it myself to drop off a package, and they actually charged her $1.75 for packaging. I thought I had done everything right—I wrapped it up nicely in heavy-duty brown shipping paper and secured it with thick brown tape—but apparently, under these "new rules," they insisted she had to have it bound with twine, and they charge $1.75 just for that string. Now that I think about it—and honestly, I’m feeling a bit foolish for not realizing this sooner—I remember having to pay an extra $1.75 a few times when I received packages, which I assume was this same ridiculous packaging fee.
Does anyone know if I can just tie everything up with twine myself at home so I don't get hit with those extra $1.75? It’s just so incredibly awkward when someone else covers the shipping costs, only for them to be forced to hand over even more $1.75 just for some string...

You can absolutely wrap the package with twine at home, and the post office won't charge you for packaging then. As for the delivery fee they charge to bring the package right to your door $1.75, in my opinion, that's nothing short of highway robbery—it has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you had enough twine 😉

I rarely put in a claim, and they usually process it without any issues; it all just comes down to the staff at the service counter.

The staff at the service counter needs some serious discipline. Everyone should be on the same page when it comes to how they treat customers. At the end of the day, it’s just a job, isn't it?

boldwalker16 said:At home, you can just tie up your package with some twine, and the post office won't charge you extra for packaging. But they still charge for door-to-door delivery $1.75, which—if you ask me—is basically highway robbery. It’s got nothing to do with whether you had twine or not 😉

The reason they aren't charging for delivery anymore is because they aren't actually doing it... I had to drive all the way to the post office 😲 over in the next neighborhood today—it was like two blocks away from my place 🙄
just awful 🤷

Kate Foster13 said:they charged her extra for $1.75 packaging. they still need to tie it together with twine since we pay for the twine $1.75.

Are you kidding me? They actually charged you for a few inches of twine $1.75?😲
The guys at my local service counter always insist the package be one solid color—like that brown craft paper you used—and they demand twine so the clerk can actually carry the thing. (You mentioned they don't offer delivery anymore? Then why bother tying it all up?)🤣
Anyway, Kate Foster13, edit your post if you can.😉

Melissa Morgan77 said:If there's no delivery service involved, what's really the point of connecting here?🤣

I can't speak for the spaghetti lovers since I haven't sent anything out as a package in quite a while, but I can definitely tell you about my own little headache regarding the lack of home delivery...
So, basically, I ordered two perfumes from a girl on this forum—she lives right here in Chicago too, just like me—but because our schedules didn't line up for an in-person handoff, she decided to send them via standard USPS First-Class Mail (so, technically, it wasn't even officially a "package" 😲). Anyway, all I ended up getting was a notice in my mailbox! And get this—I was actually home all day, so there is absolutely no way I missed the mail carrier ☕. The notice said I could pick it up at her local post office today and then head over to my neighborhood branch tomorrow 😕
I mean, honestly, this is the first time anything like this has happened to me—usually, the mailman just brings all my packages and certified letters right to my door without any fuss... 🤷

analograven5 said:I can't speak to shipping spaghetti because I haven't sent anything out in a while, but let me tell you about my recent nightmare with a delivery...
So, basically, I ordered two perfumes from a girl on this forum (she lives in a city just like mine, but she was too busy for a local meetup), and she ended up sending them via standard First Class mail—so it wasn't even officially a package, 😲. Well, all I got was a notification! And get this—I was home all day, so there is absolutely zero chance I missed the mail carrier ☕. Now I’m being told I have to go pick it up at her local post office today and then head over to my local branch tomorrow 😕
I mean, honestly, this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. Usually, the mailman just brings everything—packages, certified letters, you name it—right to my front door.. 🤷

Is there any actual chance nobody was home?