Posts by Nicole Lee4

Linda Reyes3 said:I hope I made myself clear.😁

Yes, thanks!🙂

I'm just curious about this "special" way you have to wrap printed material... can I just toss it in one of those yellow bubble mailers?

By "printed material," we're talking about things like books or magazines.
The key is that it needs to be wrapped in a way that makes it obvious it's *just* that item—you know, so people can tell there isn't a letter tucked inside.
Don't seal it up tight right away.
Everyone does it a little differently; some people leave the envelope partially open and then just trim off a corner.
You could also try wrapping it in that clear plastic kitchen wrap, then placing a piece of paper over it with the recipient's info written on it.

Linda Reyes3 said:I want to send a book, it weighs about 2 lbs—what's the best way to ship this? Thanks!

Well, it really just depends on what you're prioritizing here.
- If you're trying to keep costs down: just send it via standard USPS First-Class Mail. You won't get a tracking number, and there’s no option for COD (cash on delivery), but it's cheap. Just make sure you ask for some extra padding or special packaging so it doesn't get crushed.
- If you need the recipient to pay upon arrival: you should go with a package with COD options or a certified mail service.
- If they’ve already sent you the money via Venmo or Zelle: then you can just send it as a standard parcel under two pounds. You could do regular mail without tracking, or if you're feeling a bit nervous, go with Certified Mail so you have proof it arrived—it just depends on how much you want to spend.

Hopefully that clears things up! 😁

Olivia Green46 said:No, the label just shows the tracking number and a shipping fee of about $2. 🤷

I’m going to head down to the local USPS branch tomorrow to see what I can find out. I also heard there’s a way to use a money order—$3.00 basically, I can just show up and handle it that way.

So, it sounds like she didn't actually send it COD (Cash on Delivery), just a standard certified letter.
The Post Office isn't responsible for the payment if it wasn't marked that way; they shouldn't have even been charging extra for it.
When you're dealing with a COD shipment—whether it's a package or a registered letter—the amount owed has to be clearly printed on the shipment, along with that specific COD label.

It seems like the girl who sent it probably had a bit of a misunderstanding with the clerks at the counter.
And yeah, you can definitely pay via money order; it should clear within a day, but make sure you bring the address with you.😁

restlesstiger47 said:Has the USPS hiked up their rates lately?
I sent out a COD package (standard rate was $5.50), and when the customer refused to pay, they actually charged my elderly father $2.75 at his front door! 😕

For standard packages, they charge a return shipping fee, but they don't do that for certified mail.
Nothing has gone up as far as I can tell.

Rebecca Cruz46 said:Hey there, I have a quick question.
I’m looking to send out a package worth about $27 weighing 900 grams via COD (cash on delivery).
Does anyone happen to know how much the recipient would actually end up paying for shipping and the money transfer fee—basically, what's the total damage for them?

Well, how much are you planning to charge for the item itself, $27 on top of the shipping costs?
If so, it’ll probably run you about $6.75 while the COD amount will be $33 plus an extra 8.90.

Olivia Green46 said:The issue is my girlfriend sent some stuff via COD (since she doesn't have a bank account), and the idiot at the post office totally missed the payment when the package was picked up. Now I'm stuck wondering how to get the money back to her.
Honestly, they’re being so rude. She already paid the $3 shipping fee, and then they just handed the package over to my dad without even asking for the collection amount. 🙄

Well, it really depends on how much you want to mess with them.
Check if there's a "Collect on Delivery" sticker on the envelope.
If there is, then it's their screw-up (regarding the postage/fee) and they'll end up short on that cash. Someone else is going to have to cover it eventually.
If no COD amount was listed, then this is strictly between you and your girlfriend—just Venmo her the money.
I mean, if she had actually sent it as a COD shipment, they wouldn't have released the package (to your dad) without getting paid.
They probably just didn't realize what they were doing when the label was being processed.

Elizabeth Brown90 said:I'm in such a rushhhhhh🙂

Does anyone know what the shipping rates look like for sending a package over to Canada?

from $33 onwards

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?

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.

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👍

dustyscout8 said:So, I’ve been sitting here thinking about this whole "Poste Restante" situation—you know, when you have a package sent to a local post office for pickup instead of your home address. It can be such a headache! I actually had a similar thing happen recently where a friend sent me a package via my P.O. Box, and after two weeks of waiting, there was absolutely nothing there. It’s so frustrating to show up, check the bins, and come up empty-handed. If you're in the same boat, here is what I think you should do: First off, you really need to find out if the sender received a tracking number. In the US, almost every shipment through USPS or FedEx comes with some kind of digital trail. If they have that number, they can look up exactly where the package is sitting. Did they get a receipt? Usually, once the clerk scans it, that info is live. If they have that number, they can call the branch or check the status online to see if it's "In Transit," "Delivered," or maybe even held at a different facility. If the sender doesn't have a tracking number, things get a little trickier. You might have to go down to the post office in person and talk to a supervisor. Don't just ask the person at the counter; sometimes they're just following a script. Ask them to check the "General Delivery" log. Since it was sent to the station specifically for you, there should be a record of it being processed for pickup. Honestly, since it’s already been two weeks, I wouldn't wait any longer. I’d reach out to the sender immediately and ask, "Hey, do you have the tracking number or a scan from when you dropped it off?" Once you have that info, you can either track it yourself or give the local post office a call to ask why it hasn't hit their system yet. Hang in there! Hopefully, it’s just stuck in a sorting facility somewhere and will pop up soon.😢

Of course she already got the confirmation for the package.
The tracking number should be right there on your confirmation—specifically, in your case, it'll be listed as your package number.
She actually has the authority to initiate a formal investigation herself.
And you? You can't do a single thing about it.
Or maybe you should just read her the tracking number from the confirmation email, Nicole Lee4, and then give her post office a call? Just to see if the package actually even left the building—you know, just for your own peace of mind.
If you use that same tracking number, you should be able to see if the package has finally made its way to your local post office.
You should probably double-check exactly where she sent it—just verify that shipping address one more time. It’s entirely possible your package is just sitting there waiting for you, maybe stuck at some local USPS branch or a regional sorting facility for a month. Things get backed up sometimes!
😉

gentlejackal58 said:Come on, give me something here! These old-timers over in small-town Ohio show up at different times every single day, so you really have to figure out how to catch them in the act. Anyway, thanks for the help.

The only real shot you have is trying to intercept him before he heads out of the local post office.

gentlejackal58 said:Can I actually coordinate the redelivery whenever I want? Like, can I negotiate what time I'll actually be home?

I don't think so.
Your best bet is probably trying to catch the mail carrier on the phone and working things out directly with them. From what I understand, you can usually only pick the specific date.

Well, now you're really stuck. I can't help you if you don't have power of attorney to sign for something that isn't even in your name.
Maybe try asking them.
And hey, if they still won't budge, you could always request a redelivery, though they'll definitely charge you for that.$1.75.
If it comes down to that, the mail carrier might be willing to just hand it over "as a member of the household."

dustyscout8 said:Does anyone happen to know how long a package sits at the local post office if it's sent via USPS with a "Poste Restante" instruction?

It stays there for 30 days.

The sender.
The recipient doesn't have any say in the matter.
The only thing the recipient can actually file a claim for is if the package shows up damaged, or if it's late.

Look, there’s actually a customer service center at the USPS with a toll-free number where you can file an official complaint about stuff like this. What happened is a total disaster. 🤣 You should honestly just walk into any local branch and demand answers—don't let them mess with you like that.
For a standard package, you pay whatever price is listed on the label and shown on your receipt, but if you're sending something via certified mail, it's basically five times the regular shipping rate.

dustyscout8 said:I was wondering, if I don't want my package delivered to my house and would rather just pick it up myself at the USPS—how should I write the address? Should I just put my full name followed by the local post office, or what? Thanks🙂 Also, how will I know when it's actually ready for pickup? How many days will they hold onto it? Is it the same five-day window from whenever it was shipped?

You should ask the sender to ship it via "General Delivery"
Just a heads-up though: using that method means nobody is going to call you or drop a notice in your mailbox to let you know it arrived.
There’s usually a small fee involved, too. And yeah, you don't include a street address.
For example:
unknown
GENERAL DELIVERY
WASHINGTON, D.C.

gentlemarlin8 said:I have a question—it might sound silly to ask someone this, but I’m planning on starting an online shop (and I am a total newbie at all of this), so I was wondering...
So, do you buy those bubble mailers and padded envelopes at bookstores or directly from the Post Office? Roughly how much do they cost?
Also, if I put an item inside a bubble mailer, do I still need to put that inside another envelope with padding, or can I just slide the mailer into a standard yellow envelope? 😉

Honestly, it doesn't matter much where you pick up your envelopes; the price stays pretty much the same depending on the local shop. That said, grabbing a 10-pack at the subway is noticeably cheaper.
You're looking at roughly $0.60 to $0.80 per medium-sized envelope.
If you put your item in one of those padded mailers, you're good to go! If you want to be extra cautious, you could wrap the item in a small plastic bag before sliding it into the padded envelope, just for peace of mind.

In my opinion, regular paper envelopes are way too flimsy for anything other than flat documents.
🙂

Regarding those $1.75 updates, I have a feeling they’re shifting things around quite a bit. It looks like moving forward, the sender will be the only one footing the bill if they want door-to-door delivery—at least for the locations that actually offer package services, though most of them don't even provide that level of service yet.
Basically, we shouldn't be seeing any more surprise shipping fees being charged to the recipient anytime soon.