Posts by Brian Mitchell44

Sandra Brooks91 said:It’s appalling... even if you eventually get your money back, it doesn't make up for the principle of it all. Honestly, I find it hard to believe how crooked the operations at our local USPS branch actually are. Is it theft? Absolutely. I can call them thieves without hesitation when a delivery from the US or the United Kingdom arrives under the same ridiculous terms—who else would be insane enough to think otherwise? This is precisely why I refuse to have anything sent via standard parcel; I stick to certified mail because dealing with their packages is nothing short of a nightmare.

Sumner of my situation:
To put it plainly, I have spent days going in circles, arguing with supervisors and station managers alike. Here is the reality: they attempted to deliver a package, but for some reason, the delivery could not be completed. When I called to request a redelivery, I was told that if I wanted them to try again, I would have to pay $1.75, which leads directly to yesterday's attempt $1.75.

The whole thing is utterly nonsensical. If I had simply gone down to the post office to pick up the package myself, who would have charged me for a second delivery attempt? No one. It seems to me that their policies are incredibly poorly defined. Since the sender already paid for the item to be delivered to my door—not to some facility in New York City—what is the point of paying extra for delivery? Why am I being billed for a service that should already be covered? Especially when the items are coming from the same postal network; if I have to trek all the way to New York City anyway, why shouldn't I just grab it? Or, conversely, why am I forced to pay more to have it brought to me?

Furthermore, the fact that they charge per shipment is an absolute absurdity. They informed me that since I have another package pending, I will be hit with another $1.75 fee, meaning $5.00 I am looking at a massive total just for two packages today. I utilize postal services constantly—both sending and receiving—and it infuriates me that for a service I have already paid for, I am forced to waste my precious time and sanity driving to a branch that isn't even on my route, only to deal with a clerk who is arrogant and can't even manage to provide a proper receipt.

👎🙂:🙂

On top of all that, they frequently fail to perform the basic courtesy of actually knocking; they just leave a slip of paper and vanish.
I am beyond livid with the USPS. I am actively looking for ways to boycott them. Does anyone here happen to have a connection within the postal service? Is there any method of shipping where the package reaches $5.00 without the recipient being extorted for extra fees at the doorstep? Certified mail works, but it's prohibitively expensive for heavier items...

Precisely. For me, it isn't about the cash; I simply want what I originally sent to arrive intact. 😢

And this idea that you have to pay for a missed attempt from the previous day $1.75? That is quite possibly the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. 🙄 And what about those instances where they show up, don't knock, and just leave a note? Are we supposed to ignore the fact that they failed to deliver then too? Honestly, what kind of lowlifes 😠

For the first time ever, they’ve actually lost my shipment 😢
So now I’m just sitting here waiting on my refund. Honestly, what a bunch of absolute amateurs—how can a company be this disorganized? 😠

Linda Williams97 said:Thanks so much! I was just wondering, would there be any issues if I tell them I want to send it via regular mail? Like, would they give me a hard time at the post office or say I'm not allowed to just send it that way?

Look, if you're just handing an envelope over the counter and telling them you want standard service, then that's all you do. Simple as that.
The catch? If your package goes missing after they've already processed it, you're essentially on your own. It doesn't matter if you have a receipt; a basic receipt means absolutely nothing other than proof that you handed them money.

You actually need a tracking confirmation because that's where the tracking number lives. Regular mail doesn't come with a number, which means once it vanishes, there's no way to trace it.

Just go back and read the very first post in this thread; everything you need to know is laid out right there. 🙂

Those extra $1.75 fees kick in if you've got some guy in a delivery van dropping off your package instead of your regular mail carrier. In my experience, they charge me the exact same $1.75 right alongside the confirmation that I've actually paid those $1.75. You are entitled to a receipt for that. 🙂

granitewalker17 said:but I didn't just pay $17 for shipping—it ended up being $20 plus some extra change...
And then there's the total amount listed on the invoice, which doesn't mention anything about her having to cover the shipping costs separately... honestly, it’s the exact same process I've always used when sending stuff out...
But fine, I suppose I'll just wait and see how much the mail carrier actually demands at my door...🙂

Look, typically when you send a package COD (cash on delivery), the recipient isn't just paying the face value on the slip; they also have to cover a percentage fee for the postal service, which is essentially the money the carrier is meant to collect and return to you.

That said, even accounting for those fees, this discrepancy seems absurdly high, regardless of whether they tacked on the shipping cost (though why on earth would they include shipping if you already specified the exact amount the recipient owes?). At any rate, you really ought to head down to the local USPS office and demand a clear explanation as to why she was hit with such an inflated figure. 🙂

mistyrider14 said:But it isn't my usual mail carrier delivering this—it's one of those guys in a delivery van. I'll be sure to demand a receipt from him, though.

If it's a package being dropped off right at the door, wouldn't you assume that counts as home delivery? Is that why they charge those $1.75? When my regular USPS carrier brings my stuff, there's never any extra fee. 🙂

Sometimes they charge me, sometimes they don't. I honestly can't wrap my head around what the deal is with 🤷
. It makes absolutely no sense. But fine, I'll go ahead and ask.
Then again, I always end up getting a confirmation anyway.

In my estimation, Smart should have been appointed to lead this subforum ages ago; frankly, there isn't a more qualified candidate in the entire country 👍

And I wish you nothing but the absolute best of luck 😍

Searching for the receipt. I’m always hunting one down, especially when I’ve sent out a mountain of packages at once.
Honestly, I tried to make sense of those line items on the invoice, but it’s an absolute nightmare. It’s completely nonsensical. How anyone could possibly link those entries back to the actual shipments is beyond me. 😬

Donna Martinez95 said:Oh, right—when you’re sending something in an envelope, you fill out the form for a certified letter, but if you have a box, it’s a package form... they aren't the same thing.

Now, I have a question—is a certified shipment actually the same thing as an insured one??

Yeah, every single USPS branch seems to have its own little set of rules. I've heard it all, honestly. 🙄

When I put something in an envelope or wrap it up with twine—basically sending it as a package—I just fill out the package slip and declare the value. I don't send it as an insured letter; I send it as a package (even though once, a clerk tried to force me to send it as an insured letter, but I stood my ground and insisted on the package rate, so that's what she charged me). For insured letters, the postage gets significantly more expensive as the weight increases.

A certified shipment is this:

A certified shipment can be any mail item without a declared value, where the sender receives a receipt of mailing, and it is delivered to the recipient upon signature. ,

And here is what an insured letter is:

An insured letter is a piece of mail where the sender declares the value of the item in both numbers and words in the bottom left corner of the address side. An insured letter can contain goods, cash, written correspondence, or other items, and can weigh up to about 4.4 pounds.

So, the difference lies in the declared value, as you can clearly see. 🙂

Amanda Myers3 said:I honestly couldn't have timed this thread better. 🙂
I am completely clueless when it comes to shipping packages—I can't even remember the last time I sent anything through the mail—but now, suddenly, I'm in desperate need...

So, just to clarify, does "cash on delivery" mean the recipient covers the shipping costs?
From what I gather, for packages under 11 lbs, the shipping is usually pretty cheap, $6.75 right? Also, do they provide boxes at the Post Office, or am I expected to hunt one down myself? (I feel ridiculous asking this, but seriously, where am I supposed to find a box out of thin air?!)

Take a look at this link; study it carefully to see exactly what their website says about shipping procedures.

As I mentioned before, a package weighing less than 11 lbs can vary wildly in value, and the shipping fee is calculated based on that, though it's actually quite negligible. I once paid only $183 for shipping on a package valued at $10. It was practically nothing, but having that declared value was vital in case the damn thing ever went missing. That's why I always insist on listing the actual value. 🙂

Sending something C.O.D. doesn't necessarily mean the recipient pays the postage (not strictly); it means the person receiving the shipment has to pay the item price before they can actually take possession of it. 😉 This is an essential precaution when, say, you're dealing with someone who has very few posts on the forum and you aren't quite sure of their reliability—so you send it C.O.D. They pay first, then receive the package, and the postal service handles delivering that cash back to your doorstep. 🙂
Now, regarding shipping fees: if the buyer is responsible for them, you simply add that amount to the total they owe you. If they aren't paying for shipping, you don't add a cent. In a typical scenario like this, shipping would run somewhere around $5.75, give or take.

You can buy standard USPS boxes (those foldable ones) right there at the station, but you could just as easily grab a sturdy box from around the house—like an old shoebox or whatever—and pack your items inside. You just have to make sure you wrap the box in plain white paper and secure the whole thing with twine. Honestly, if you're just sending a single T-shirt or something small enough to fit into those yellow padded mailers (which come in quite large sizes, by the way), you can just ship it as is, provided you wrap the mailer in paper and secure it with twine, then fill out the necessary customs/shipping forms.
That’s really all there is to it.

I hope that clears things up for you a little bit. 😬

I think I'll head over to the Post Office later today to fill out some of those official forms just so I can see how it works in practice; trying to figure it all out mentally is proving to be quite difficult. 🙂

So, if you're sending a package, did you wrap the envelopes in twine too? I actually use those same types of envelopes to send little parcels all the time, and I’ve honestly never run into a single issue. I just tie them up with some string and call it a day. It's the perfect way to send something under the guise of a standard letter so the USPS doesn't hit me with those ridiculous shipping fees 🙄

Karen Moore64 said:Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm looking for some basic white printer paper and that heavy-duty brown packing tape. Does anyone know where I can pick those up around Washington, D.C.? 🤷
Thank you. 🙂

Where on earth can one actually find decent school supplies these days? I’m talking about a proper stationery shop or a dedicated bookstore—not just some corner convenience store that carries three broken pencils and a single, lonely notebook. Does anyone actually know which retailers still maintain a real selection of academic essentials?

1. I’ve never once been handed a red slip; it was always yellow for me. 🤷
2. And why on earth would it be sent to the Branimirov branch if you have a local one to handle it before forwarding it from Branimirov? If Branimirov is supposedly the main hub... where exactly would everything land if every single person and every piece of mail headed straight to the central post office? 😬

ironbear6 said:I had no idea that being a synonym for the "HOT TOPIC" meant vanishing without a trace😁.

I have absolutely no clue which thread you’re referring to, because it's crystal clear we aren't talking about the same thing.
There was a discussion regarding the USPS and all our ongoing headaches with them—questions, advice, things of that nature—and from what I can see, that specific thread isn't exactly a trending topic. 😁

Furthermore, I’ve combed through every single page on this subforum and within this thread itself; there isn't a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise, so, frankly, I don't think the issue lies with me. 😁

p.s. I see there's only this tiny snippet available, but even so, that is definitely not the thread in question. 🙂

Since the old thread vanished without a trace 😁, I am opening this new one where we can all exchange advice regarding the headaches caused by our wonderful USPS (and believe me, they certainly don't lack for issues 😁). So, to kick things off, here are a few of my own recommendations regarding shipping items based on my personal experience, and how you might manage to do it a bit more cheaply:

SHIPPING PACKAGES
If you are sending a package weighing up to 11 lbs and it doesn't contain anything incredibly high-value (think designer sunglasses, luxury watches, smartphones, or other pricey gadgets), my suggestion is to declare a specific value $33 on the form. If you do this, the shipping cost will ALWAYS stay relatively $5.00 predictable. Naturally, the package is sent via certified mail and you receive a receipt which serves as your proof; if the package goes missing, you can use that to claim a specific amount of compensation.

Additionally, if you are shipping something fragile, make sure you wrap it thoroughly and specifically ask them to slap a "Fragile" sticker—you know, the one with the glass icon—on the box. It signals to the handlers that they should actually treat the item with care, which is how it ought to be done. 😬 This will cost you roughly an extra $2.25 bit more.

SENDING CERTIFIED MAIL
For items that aren't particularly heavy—maybe just a few ounces—you can opt for this method. The postage will top out at about $6.75 (depending on the weight), and the main difference compared to a standard package is that certified mail gets tossed into a bag with other similar items (usually those envelope-style shipments). Even here, you get a record of shipment because you still have to fill out the certified mail paperwork. Should it disappear, you would be entitled to compensation in the following amount: five times the postage paid (at least, that was the case the last time I checked).

SHIPPING VIA CASH ON DELIVERY (COD)
This means that upon delivery, whoever receives the shipment pays a specific amount that is noted on the form attached to the package. The form is somewhat inverted, so to speak, because the money flows to you; when filling it out, you are essentially the recipient in terms of payment flow, while the sender is the person who actually paid you. You'll see how this works when you fill one out yourself.
This is a solid option if, for instance, you don't fully trust the person you are dealing with and fear they won't pay. You simply send the item this way and they are obligated to pay the postal carrier upon receipt, otherwise, they won't get the package .

The only catch is that you must emphasize to the recipient that they will be responsible for paying a certain percentage of the total amount as a fee to the post office for handling the transaction.

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...kapouzecem.jpg

SENDING STANDARD MAIL
In principle, I avoid these types of shipments because you have absolutely no proof that you ever sent the item, and if it gets lost, you're basically screwed. Literally. 😬
So, if someone feels like gambling, go ahead. It isn't expensive, but for anything of even moderate value, I wouldn't recommend it.

LOST PACKAGE/CERTIFIED MAIL - NOW WHAT?
First and foremost, ALWAYS hold onto your receipt for the package or certified mail until the recipient confirms they have actually received it. We all know it happens—packages or mail just vanish into thin air—and then what?
There is a specific window in which a shipment is expected to arrive, and if it isn't picked up from the post office, it should be returned to the sender. If, for example, after 15-20 days it hasn't even been returned, you should head down to the post office where you sent it from and file a claim. That involves a specific form you purchase at the post office (I believe they charge for it...)$5.00), you just fill out who you sent it to and all that; then that form travels to the intended recipient, where they confirm the package wasn't received and sign off on it.

After that, it heads back to you, you get notified once it arrives, and then you receive a specific monetary reimbursement. What that amount actually is depends entirely on the postage rate—basically, the declared value of the package. 🙂

William Jones30 said:As an employee at USPS with several years under my belt :P let me clear a few things up.

If you sent someone an overnight package, a recommendation, or a FedEx shipment with COD (cash on delivery), that "overnight" status applies strictly to the package itself, not to the money being returned to you. Money being returned via a postal money order is treated as "standard" mail; it isn't expedited, so don't expect it to show up at your door the very next day (unlike a FedEx delivery, for instance). From my experience on the job, it usually takes about 2-5 business days for that cash to reach you.

When sending standard packages, the rule of thumb is that you need packing paper and twine (for the heavier stuff), unless you’re dropping it in a blue USPS collection box (in which case, just twine for the heavy ones). But even then, that rule exists in theory, while reality is often different. Sometimes they'll look the other way. In major cities where home delivery is standard, like Chicago or New York... delivery fees are $1.75 and are always paid by the recipient. The sender always covers the cost of shipping standard packages.
The only service offered by the Postal Service where the recipient can cover the shipping costs is FedEx-style COD services.

The biggest headache when sending any kind of shipment is dealing with the money order for COD.
At the post office, you pay a fee for the money order which is 3.66% of the total amount, with a minimum of $3.00 and a maximum of $27. For a general money order, the minimum is $1.75 and the maximum is $27.
So, if you’re sending a COD package and you paid $17 upfront, but you're asking the recipient to pay, say, $167, then they’ll end up paying an additional $6.00 in COD postage plus $1.75 for the delivery.
The same rules apply to the money order for FedEx-style services, though not necessarily for the delivery fee itself.

Any package that gets returned to the sender when the service wasn't prepaid (for example, if it was sent via FedEx with "recipient pays" instructions) will be charged the original shipping price plus a 50% surcharge for the return trip because the recipient failed to pick it up. This happens if they didn't show up, couldn't be located, refused the delivery, etc.
If the service *was* prepaid, the sender still pays 50 percent for the return of the undelivered package. If anyone is wondering why this is the case or why it seems so ridiculous, think about it logically. We drove all the way to Washington, D.C. with a package, and then we had to drive it all the way back because YOUR recipient didn't pick it up. Do you really think we’re going to drive all that way back to you for free? 😉
If you don't want to pay for the return, the package stays at the post office and after a certain amount of time, it goes to public auction and/or gets destroyed.

There is more to it, but I don't have the energy to write everything down right now. I'm sure I've missed plenty of details, but this should serve as a starting point.
If you have any questions I might be able to answer, feel free to ask. 🙂

To wrap things up, I’ve already touched upon my friend here who was dealing with all sorts of hallucinations. I kept pushing him to see a doctor, but he refused—and now, after everything, he just got released from the psychiatric ward a few days ago (he actually checked himself in voluntarily for nearly three weeks). He’s been prescribed a specific regimen, and his psychiatrist mentioned it’s a "mild psychological disorder"—whatever that’s supposed to mean, since she didn't get into any specifics. So, there's one thing weighing on me: now that he's on this medication, is it common for him to be perfectly fine one day, only to have it hit him like a ton of bricks the next? Does he just spiral back into those fixed ideas out of nowhere? 😕

I honestly don't know what to do with him. Look, I'm not saying I want to work with him or anything, but we've been friends for years. I feel for him because he's sick, but am I even sure he realizes how much he's struggling? He sent me this message explaining why he thinks we shouldn't talk or see each other anymore—which is really just his latest fixation: he actually wanted me to delete his number so he wouldn't "burden" me or my personal life, plus a few other lines.

Does this ever actually end? Can these medications truly provide long-term help and bring back the person he used to be? Or do I just have to accept this is his new reality and maybe, for my own sake, it would be better to just walk away from all of this? 😢

Ugh, unfortunately, I couldn't make it. There’s always some sudden work crisis popping up out of nowhere to ruin everything. 😢

On top of everything else, I’m dealing with constant discharge, so I've basically become inseparable from my supply of pantyliners. 🙂

cosmicmaker6 said:Brian Mitchell44, does this apply to me too? Everything was perfectly normal for six days, just like always, but on the seventh and eighth day, I’ve had to rely on daily pads because there's still a bit of brownish spotting. Maybe it's nothing to worry about, but I'm feeling anxious since this has never happened to me before. Could I have just caught a chill or something?

I honestly don't know. It's probably nothing serious, but if you're genuinely worried, why not just head to your OB-GYN and ask them?🙂