Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Yeah, the same day that yellow slip showed up, and signed and sealed on the very same day... he certainly made himself at home waiting by the mailbox.😁

I just finished my shopping, and honestly, I haven't paid a single cent yet... It’s pretty obvious they'll just charge me whenever they feel like it 🙄🙄

I haven't actually sent anything out through the mail since they hiked up all those shipping rates, so I'm a little lost! Does anyone know if I should tell the recipient that it'll be delivered right to their doorstep, or are they expected to swing by the local Post Office to pick it up? And also... am I the one footing the bill for home delivery?
I think I heard someone mention something about this a while back, but now I'm just sitting here totally unsure🤷

They’ll ask you... at least they did with me, asking how I wanted my stuff shipped😉

Donna Richardson55 said:they actually ask you... at least they asked me which shipping method I wanted preferred😉

But what if I tell them I want it delivered straight to the recipient's house? Like, am I covering the cost or is it on them?

Just toss in another couple of bucks and you'll cover the shipping costs $6.75😉

Donna Richardson55 said:If you just toss in an extra couple of bucks, it covers the shipping costs perfectly...$6.75😉

Wait, if I don't pay that part, does it mean the person receiving the package won't even get a notification that it's waiting for them? Or will they still get one?

Look, if you don't pay for home delivery, the mail carrier just leaves one of those yellow slips in your box, and then you have to trek down to the local post office to pick up your package yourself.🙂

Donna Richardson55 said:If you don't opt for home delivery, the mail carrier just leaves a yellow slip in your mailbox, and then you have to head down to the local post office to pick up your package yourself.🙂

What happens if, say, the paperwork gets lost or the recipient just never shows up at the post office to pick up their package?
How long will that package stay at the local post office, and will the mail carrier leave another slip if they miss me again?
Do packages actually get sent back to the sender? For instance, orders from Amazon?

I don't actually plan on returning anything; I'm just asking out of pure curiosity.🤔

From what I can gather, you’ve got a five-day window to pick up your package. At least, that’s what my USPS slip says... logically speaking, if you miss it, the whole thing just gets sent back to the sender. 🤷

Maybe someone who actually works at the post office can jump in here and clear this up for me.

Donna Richardson55 said:So, here’s the deal with shipping—if you don't opt for that home delivery service, you know, pay the extra bit to have it brought right to your doorstep... the mail carrier just leaves one of those little yellow slips in your box! It’s basically a formal invitation to go on a little scavenger hunt to the local post office to pick up your package yourself. Honestly, it's kind of an adventure, though maybe not the kind you're looking for when you're just waiting for a new gadget to arrive...🙂

Thanks for the heads-up... though, honestly, that doesn't really help me out at all!🤷
I mean, think about it... if the mail carrier can swing by an address just to drop off a little notice, why on earth can't they just bring the actual package, ring the doorbell, and get paid for the extra effort? It seems like such a no-brainer! If they're already pulling up to the curb anyway... it would just make everything so much smoother for everyone involved... $1.75🤷

Too true.. sometimes they’ll drop off small stuff right at your door (like one of those thin envelopes).. but when it comes to actual packages, they won't even bother leaving them. Instead, they just leave a slip of paper behind... because they weren't actually carrying the package themselves; they were just supposed to send a delivery van over later.🙂

Greetings,
I need to mail a letter from New York City to a small town in the South. What is the fastest shipping method available? I am drafting an appeal against a court ruling and the matter is quite urgent. Is it possible for it to arrive within two days? If I get it in the mail on Wednesday, can I expect it by Friday?
Many thanks,

Usually, you just send stuff via certified mail... though you can always opt for those premium delivery windows—like same-day service or getting it there by noon tomorrow—but let's be real, you're paying a massive markup for that convenience.

It isn't a matter of being willing to pay a premium, so long as the delivery arrives according to schedule. 🙂
I appreciate the response. 🙂

So, here’s my experience...
For about three years now, I've been sending out piles of packages and certified mail two or three times a month. I honestly thought I was some kind of shipping expert by now... but clearly, I don't know anything at all. Packages just vanish into thin air way too often. Of course, when I file a claim, they can't find them, so I end up waiting three or four weeks just to get reimbursed. They told me I could start the claims process after 15 business days had passed since the package was supposed to arrive, and the claim was paid $1.75.

On February 9th, I sent out 12 packages, and only five actually made it. Two were headed to New York City—one arrived perfectly the very next day, but the other hasn't shown up even after two days. Since I've learned the hard way that if a package doesn't hit New York City in a day or two, it's probably lost forever, I emailed the post office to see what went wrong. They replied saying it would arrive tomorrow... NEWSFLASH: It didn't. Then, a package came back to me marked "address unknown," even though I've sent things to this girl before and everything has always arrived fine! So, I tried again, repackaged everything, listed the value, and... same story (nothing). Eventually, I called their support line, and the operator tells me the package arrived in New York City on the second day and is sitting right there at the post office! The guy gave me the number for the local delivery driver in Small Town, USA, which I passed along to the person waiting for the package. They told her the package wasn't there! Then I call, and first, the delivery guy says it hasn't arrived, but then he checks the counters and suddenly it *is* there? He starts rambling about new shipping fee rules. I was floored because I paid $10 for that second package, which is under 1kg and valued at $133, but I was even more shocked when he told me the recipient would have to pay 50% of the shipping cost just to have it delivered to her door! That’s $5.00! And all because I didn't pay $1.75 for delivery (which, by the way, nobody at the post office mentioned to me at all).... which is just HORRIBLE!!! And get this... she didn't receive any notification at all. Since I was sending it to the beauty center where she works, they told me she could pick it up with just an ID and a company stamp... seriously, have they lost their minds?! To top it off, my other packages haven't arrived either—including one sent to Small Town, USA from Indianapolis, which is only about 20 kilometers away. When I called to check, they just said they knew it was sent on Feb 9th but couldn't see anything else. Honestly, I'm losing my mind lately. I am constantly on the phone arguing with them.

They also told me that claims aren't charged anymore and that I can start a search whenever I want, and they actually recommended I do that...

I think they're just... trying to confuse me.

Anyway...😢

How am I supposed to ship a perfume? What kind of packaging should I use, and should I send it as a declared value package or something else?

Hey everyone, does sending a CD from the US count as standard mail, or am I looking at full package rates?
Also, has anyone actually shipped something down to Mexico lately? If so, what kind of damage did it do to my wallet? 🙂

I have a few questions regarding certified mail... 🙂
Do you receive a confirmation of mailing, and if the letter gets lost, what kind of compensation is available?

Also, is it possible for me to send a package and pay $6.00, but since she lives in a town without home delivery (according to the USPS website), she has to go to the local post office to pick it up—will they try to charge her $6.75? I ask because when I was at the post office today, the clerk insisted on charging me $6.75 for shipping with delivery, even though that specific town isn't listed for 🤷
thanks..

They didn't even bump the prices that much, going from $4.25 to the $6.00 tier for up to 4 lbs... 🙄 then you've got doorstep delivery and if you actually need them to wrap it $8.25 it ends up costing a fortune! What a joke.
edit: honestly, at this point, it’s way more worth just using USPS Registered Mail if the package is under half a pound and valued up to $33, because that's only $5.00 and they'll still drop it right at your door in major cities like Chicago or NYC