Posts by Nicole Lee4

Taylor Campbell4 said:Man, if someone could just give me an answer tonight, I’d really appreciate it...

I'm trying to remember how the process works when I'm using FedEx for a shipment. My memory is failing me here.

Do I actually need to write out the COD amount (COD=$XX.XX) on the package itself, similar to how you'd handle a standard "certified mail with cash on delivery" shipment?

you do
it's pretty much identical
for any registered shipments, you have to list: the sender, the recipient, and the COD amount if there is one
the only real difference is the specific form you fill out at the FedEx office.

Nicole Ruiz60 said:Hey, I need to mail some tickets for the FIFA World Cup 2012 abroad. It’s funny because it's just a little scrap of paper, but it's incredibly valuable 🙂
What's my best bet here? Is there any way for the recipient to pay for both the item's value and the shipping costs upon delivery—like how we can do things locally—or is doing that internationally a bit more complicated? It seems like FedEx, DHL, and those other guys want an arm and a leg $133 whenever you're trying to ship anything under 0.5 kg!

Registered mail for international shipping

maybe try USPS Priority Mail or something similar

there isn't really an option for someone overseas to cover the shipping fees at the time of delivery

Olivia Lee23 said:I sent my friend a certified shipment in a thick envelope containing about 100 grams of gotu kola powder (it's just a herbal supplement used in anti-cellulite products), but some genius at the post office sliced through the extra tape I used to seal it, opened the envelope, and swiped the powder! My friend ended up picking up nothing but an empty envelope at the post office.
Luckily, she realized immediately that there was nothing left inside.
Some joker probably thought it was some kind of illicit drug.😁.
All in all, the contents were only worth about $4 or $5, so I'm wondering if there's any hope of getting that money back.😕.
My friend filed a formal complaint right there at the post office. 🤷

I send out certified mail all over the US almost every single day, and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me.

If your friend already filed a complaint at the post office, then you actually have a really good chance of getting reimbursed. Since the weight is recorded right next to the tracking number on the shipment, it won't match once the contents are gone.
You should end up getting five times the shipping cost back.

Rebecca Grant26 said:Thanks, Nicole Lee4, but honestly, who knows when it'll actually show up? Thanks anyway! 🙂

Don't mention it! Happy to help.

Linda Lee25 said:Hey there! I was wondering about something—if someone sends out a package with cash on delivery (COD), but then the recipient refuses to pick it up and it just gets sent all the way back to the sender, does the sender still have to cough up the original shipping fees?

He really has to pay up. $3.25It’s actually pretty great—they charge one flat shipping rate for returns, regardless of how heavy the box is or what specific services you opted for.

Linda Chavez14 said:Sorry to barge in like this, but I'm actually really curious about this too! 🙂
So, if I’ve got this right... if I’m sending out a package weighing roughly 800 grams via COD (cash on delivery), and considering there's always that chance it gets sent right back to me if the recipient doesn't pick it up—which is why I'd recommend that option—then I guess I'd actually have to cover the cost of... $6.25 So, how exactly would she go about getting it back?

She really ought to just give it to her. $3.25

Linda Chavez14 said:Oh, that’s awesome! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! 🙂
They told me over the phone to head down today and file a missing property report, but of course—because life is just one big comedy of errors—I went ahead and swung by the post office first. And what happens? They basically sent me packing! They told me I might as well just go home and come back on Monday. Honestly, what a circus. 🙂

You might want to try checking in over there as well, just in case they haven't already cleared everything for you at the service counter. I was just browsing through the official USPS website earlier, trying to track down some information on my recent orders, and I stumbled upon their main portal again. It’s one of those sites you end up visiting more often than you'd like once you start dealing with a lot of online shopping!

Hey there, you bunch of slackers
Does anyone know if there's a version out there specifically for diabetics?

Rebecca Grant26 said:Wait, anyone else feeling this? 😁

I haven't seen 😁
They definitely didn't scrap the delivery fees for packages. Despite all those big announcements, nothing changed.
My advice? Ask the sender to send it via certified mail—there isn't a separate delivery fee for that (it's baked into the price somewhere).
Or, honestly, when they show up at your door, just tell them you aren't paying the delivery charge and that you'll go pick up the package at the local post office yourself.
It works both ways, too! When you're sending someone a package, make sure to specify that you don't want home delivery (you save a couple of bucks that way), so they shouldn't even bother bringing it to their doorstep.

Michelle Reed58 said:Hi there!
I really need some advice—has anyone here ever shipped something heavy before? I'm trying to figure out how the whole process works. I need to send off a car seat that weighs about 22 pounds, but I have no clue what the procedure is or roughly what it’s going to cost me.

Honestly, just wrap it up in something sturdy, like a heavy-duty trash bag, and tape it tight so nothing is flapping around. Take a large sheet of paper and write the sender's info in the top left corner and the recipient's info in the bottom right.
Stick that paper onto the front of the seat, then cover the entire thing in clear packing tape to keep it secure.
You can ship it as a standard oversized package or use an oversized FedEx service.
😁

Chris Cruz8 said:I have a quick question... A friend of mine is planning on sending me a package from Spain; just a standard box, but it’ll weigh around 25-30 lbs; since she can't seem to find any info online regarding what the shipping cost might be, does anyone happen to know where we could check that?
The box will only contain clothes and shoes; do you think Customs will cause any issues????🙄🙄
Thanks so much for the help!🙂😉

It’ll be at least $30 for a basic package. It really depends on where she's shipping from and whether she declares a specific value on the box... just like here in the States, the price fluctuates based on distance, weight, total value, and any extra services you add. From there, you're looking at roughly $28 or more depending on the destination.
Tell your friend to rip off any old labels and clearly mark the package as a "Gift"—that should help things go a lot smoother with our Customs agents.

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.

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.

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.

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.

velvetwalker23 said:But how much does it usually run you?
I’m actually looking to ship a package abroad myself soon, and honestly, the thought of the cost is killing me. 🙂

It really just depends on how heavy it is. You can always run the numbers on the official USPS website to get an estimate.

Brenda Adams2, it’s such a shame they haven't worked out some kind of special agreement or more reasonable rates for the countries in the former Yugoslavia region.

Brenda Adams2 said:That is just insane!!😲Oh my gosh, and they want it open too? I’m terrified someone will just swipe it... honestly, I've actually had stuff stolen before..😢...What a total rip-off! I was planning on sending a gift package to a friend for her baby's birthday..but this feels like highway robbery! Is there really no other way to do this..?😢😢
Nicole Lee4, thank you so much for getting back to me.🙂

I think we had a bit of a misunderstanding. You bring it in unsealed, but they’re the ones who seal it up after they write down everything inside.
You could always just send it via standard mail (still up to 2 kg), but you lose that extra layer of security. Usually, you wouldn't need to show up with it already open.

No problem at all! 😁

Brenda Adams2 said:Hey everyone!🙂 I have a quick question... I don't really have the bandwidth to dig through old threads to see if this has been asked before, so if anyone knows the answer, I’d be incredibly grateful..🙂
What's the deal with shipping packages to Canada or Mexico? How do you guys usually handle it, and what kind of value do you list on the customs forms? It's nothing fragile, just a standard parcel. Thanks in advance for the help!🙂

It's actually quite a hassle,
you have to take the package to the Post Office unsealed so they can fill out the customs declarations and all those extra forms—honestly, it ends up being pretty expensive.
For instance, sending a 1.5 lb package to Canada would cost at least $43
I'd recommend budgeting about $120.00, and again, you absolutely have to show up with everything open for inspection.
You can't just drop off a pre-sealed box.
Anyway, hope that helps!

velvetwalker23 said:Well, here I am again with yet another question, because naturally, 😁
I've been reading through this forum, but I'm still a little confused (and what can I do? A blonde at heart! 🤣)

So... if I were to send two pairs of pants via COD (Cash on Delivery), where the buyer covers the shipping... do I need to have any cash on me when I drop it off, or nothing at all since they're paying the shipping? Also, the total value including shipping will be $53 (it's $138 without the shipping fee), so would it be smarter to mark the package so the value doesn't exceed $33 (since I think that incurs extra fees)?

And one more thing... how and how soon do I actually get my money? Does the mail carrier bring it right to my door or what? Sorry for being such a bother! 😍

a) You'll need to have enough cash on hand to cover the shipping costs upfront. (With USPS, FedEx, or UPS, standard packages usually require the sender to pay the postage; certain express services might allow you to bill the recipient, but for basic certified mail or standard COD packages, you're generally responsible for the shipping cost at the counter.)
b) You can list the package value as $33 and set the COD amount to $158.00 (just be really careful not to mix those numbers up when you're filling out the form!)
c) The mail carrier will bring the cash directly to your home address. You'll just need to fill out a specific postal voucher/form where you'll be listed as the recipient. Here is a link to see what that looks like: http://
I hope that helps clear things up!

velvetwalker23 said:That’s exactly what I was thinking! Since sending something via certified mail ends up being way cheaper than a standard package because of the weight, I figured I could just toss it in a small box (since I don't have any of those specific mailing envelopes on hand) and send it as certified mail, haha... it's such a shame that option doesn't exist.🤣

Thanks for the reply!🙂

I don't have enough time to read through everything here, but yes—you can definitely send a certified letter in a small box, provided it stays under four and a half pounds and isn't some massive container.
As for the shoes, those should be totally fine.

Angela Grant22 said:I had a package get damaged during transit through the mail, even though I wrapped it perfectly—protection on both the inside and the outside! I clearly marked it "Fragile," and the lady at the post office even slapped a "Fragile" sticker right on it. I even went the extra mile and sent it via FedEx to ensure it was handled separately, yet the item arrived broken. It was 100% intact when it left my hands, I swear.

What can I even do about this?

Look, just file a formal claim. If everything checks out, you should be able to get compensated for the damage.

vividnomad15 said:Lately, I’ve been seeing so many buyers (coming from sites like eBay or local boutiques) asking if I can ship an item where they pay both the shipping costs and the item price directly to the mail carrier upon delivery. I totally get why—there's so much fraud out there these days, and nobody trusts anyone! I was just wondering, what is this service actually called? Is it "cash on delivery" or something else? Which specific USPS form do I need to fill out to make this happen, and how safe is it really? Also, what happens if the buyer decides they don't want to pay the shipping fee once it arrives? Am I stuck footing the bill for the postage? Thanks in advance for any help! 🙂

You'll need to fill out a certified mail form along with a money order request (though you'd fill out the money order part in reverse, since you're technically the recipient waiting for those funds to be returned to you).
The clerk at the counter will attach the money order slip to the package and hand you back a certified receipt.

If the customer refuses to pick up the package, you’ll end up having to cover the return shipping costs (and that's just for standard certified mail without the COD option).
As for security, if the package gets lost, you're generally covered for five times the shipping cost—but you absolutely must hold onto that receipt to prove it was sent.
In my experience, I've never had anything go missing.
That said, I know plenty of people here who claim otherwise, so I won't speak for them.

Alex Hill86 said:Does anyone know how much a medium-sized padded mailer costs at the USPS? 😁

It's about $0.35 for a medium one, and the largest ones go for $0.50. Anything smaller than that will be even less.