Posts by Melissa Phillips4

Amanda Lopez52 said:Are your shipments running late after the holidays? I sent a ton of stuff across the US, and nothing has arrived yet—not even from June 24th. 🙂

My international packages were delayed by 5 days. Everything went out on June 21st.
Everything arrived fine, just later than usual.

Morgan Hughes81 said:I see all this talk about theft and lost mail...
Hmm... I don't know. I always send things via certified mail, though if the recipient insists on standard shipping, I'll accommodate them.
I've sent quite a few items using standard mail lately to places like Washington, D.C., and various spots down south, and everything arrived perfectly fine without issue.
Not a single bad experience. As for those clerks at the counter—I find it hard to believe they're stealing when there are cameras everywhere. Unless someone on the inside is swiping stuff, which seems unlikely... I'm not saying theft doesn't happen at the post office, but still...
Enjoy the rest of this miserable day. 🙂

I don't buy the theft theory either.
If something doesn't show up, it usually means the sender never actually sent it, not that it was stolen.
I've used both standard and priority/airmail to ship things across America and around the world, and everything has arrived normally. Nothing has ever been lost or stolen. 🙂

Laura Thomas16 said:They’re lying. If you want standard shipping, they have to charge you for it and send it that way. 🙄

She refused to use standard shipping. I'm livid because with the holidays coming up, it'll take an extra five days anyway, making airmail a complete waste of money.
Standard shipping isn't even that much slower than priority.

redranger82 said:Hey.

I have a question. I sent an airmail package Tuesday morning via COD, meaning I'm expecting a payout on delivery.

Even though things were shut down for three days last week, it feels like the money should have hit by now. Now I'm starting to think I botched the paperwork. I need to know if I filled this out correctly to ensure I actually get paid.



I have a nagging feeling I checked the wrong box or messed up some detail. 😁

Also, what's the best way to ship textbooks or literature?

Just toss them in a mailer?

Thanks. 😉

Factor in the holidays +5 days.
Every shipment I sent last week arrived 5 days later than usual, strictly because of those holidays.

Taylor Campbell4 said:I have a couple of questions here.

I sent a C.O.D. package the other day, weighed 770 grams, and the collect fee was $78, making the total $8.50. According to the AT&T calculator, it should have been $11.
Clearly, that calculator is wrong.

Now I'm sending something heavy, maybe 100-200 grams, packed in a large envelope, also C.O.D. The AT&T calculator says standard envelopes usually can't be sent C.O.D. Can they?
The package is going through a business, and with the collection fee, it’s too expensive. It's a small amount, but even then, it shows $8.25 including the fee (honestly, anything over 10 bucks isn't worth it for me, just a few extra dollars here and there...).
Any advice?? It's just a 100-200 gram letter.

Does that mean it has to be sent as certified mail??

PS: I just realized the lady at the post office—I live in a rural area, and those women there often don't know what they're doing, so she might have messed up—she sent my last package as certified mail instead of a regular package. Is that allowed??

Now I feel stupid. This 100-250g thing is certified mail with C.O.D., costing $6.50. Expensive...

They definitely miscalculated your charge. They probably don't know what they're doing or made a mistake.
Just yesterday, they turned a standard shipment of mine into priority mail and told me regular ground shipping wasn't an option, even though I used to send standard shipments all the time from a Small town in the Midwest.
That calculator on the AT&T website is 100% accurate.
At least that's how I paid back in my Small town in the Midwest, and the price always matched the website.

She probably sent it as certified plus C.O.D.; that would be $25.80.

Look, I usually ship everything from my small town in the Midwest using standard mail, so $2.25, but today I finally lost my patience and decided to head to the local post office since I won't be making it into New York City all week.
I go through the effort of getting everything perfectly ready, $2.25, only for the clerk to tell me standard mail isn't an option and it has to go via air. Which is just additional $1.75 on top of everything else.
I'm well aware that airmail only saves maybe two or three days, so paying nearly double the price makes zero sense. It’s going by plane anyway; it's not like an AT&T delivery van is going to drive across a massive lake to get there.
Yet, the people at my local branch keep insisting airmail is mandatory. Honestly, give me a break...

slyotter14 said:I have a question!!

How can I ship a package to someone so the mail carrier doesn't just drop it at their doorstep? I want them to get a notice instead, forcing them to go pick it up at the post office.!!??

Thanks much!!

Use POSTE RESTANTE. But they won't get a slip; they'll just have to check the post office to see if it arrived or not.

boldwalker16 said:I guess there's nothing I can do, but it doesn't hurt to ask. 🙄
So, I sent my boyfriend to drop off a package for me for the first time (usually I handle everything). I told him specifically to send it certified, but the woman at the post office (the one on Main Street! 😠) "convinced" him it was better to just send it standard. She claimed it would get there just fine and save him the expensive shipping fees. Poor guy gave in, and of course, the package never reached the girl. 😢 (He didn't think anything was wrong until the recipient started asking questions. When I asked him for the receipt so I could scan it once I got back to Seattle, he said he didn't have any paperwork because the lady told him standard was best. 🙂)
Is it possible for a package to show up even though it's been over two weeks? I'm going to refund the money to the girl who paid me, but I'd really like her to actually get those shoes. 🙏

Maybe she's lying about not receiving it.
Believe me, you meet all kinds of people.
The same thing happened to me once—something was supposed to arrive, but people just never sent it, and I almost went off on everyone at the post office for no reason.
If it was actually sent, there is zero chance it gets lost. Not even standard mail.
I send standard packages to the other side of the world and they arrive in 10 days without a single issue.

I see no reason why it would just vanish here in America.

Kimberly Young43 said:Maybe I'll swing back by around 5:30 PM? Either way, I'd go just to check since I honestly have no idea if I can make it any other day.

Give it a shot. Honestly, who knows.🙂

Kimberly Young43 said:I have a question and it’s pretty urgent, so I’d really appreciate some help from anyone who knows what’s going on.
I wasn't home this morning, but I knew an important package was scheduled to arrive today. Since I was at work, I figured the mail carrier would just leave a slip in my mailbox. When I got home, there it was—the yellow slip. It had my name on it, so I rushed straight to the USPS office to grab it while I could. The clerk told me my package is here, but according to the paperwork, the five-day pickup window doesn't start until June 16th—which means tomorrow. I just stared at her, totally confused, and left. I don't get why I can't pick up my own package today when they already have it sitting right there. Maybe the carrier messed up the date and thought today was the 16th instead of the 15th?

You couldn't pick it up because the mail carrier hasn't returned to the station yet.
I know because it happened to me. You can't grab it the same day because they haven't processed the return trip.
It won't be ready until tomorrow.

Chris Reed45 said:I agree. It isn't the mail carrier's fault. It’s the people receiving the packages and passing them along that are the problem.

One day I sent a package to myself just to test the system. It arrived today without any issues.
The USPS is doing its job perfectly fine. The issue is that those specific people never actually sent me anything in the first place.
Great. Now I can finally receive things at home knowing they'll actually show up, instead of constantly checking the tracking numbers to see if they even exist.🙂

Nicole Lee4 said:It’s rarely actually about the mail carrier.
Theft usually happens because they’re at the very end of the line—between the sender and the recipient.
Even if she reports him, what’s he going to say? "Yeah, I saw the package and just decided not to deliver it"?
If the carrier felt like stealing, she’d be out of luck.
But those people working in the massive distribution hubs...
She should just file a report.

Which centers are you talking about specifically? The ones near Branimirov or somewhere else in the US?
I agree, my mail carrier isn't stealing from me.
As for the area around Branimirov, everything I've ordered via standard international mail has arrived without issue. In fact, the delivery times have been record-breaking... so far as I can tell, things are fine there.

Zachary Peterson6 said:Just tell me who's out here stealing mail?? In my opinion, it's far more likely this person never sent it at all.😉
I constantly send all sorts of things via standard mail and, lo and behold, everything reaches its destination just fine.🙂

Everything has arrived normally so far. Everything was fine.
Sometimes I just drop stuff in the mailbox without even stepping foot inside the post office, and it arrives without issue.
I'm also increasingly convinced they didn't actually send it. Sometimes they claim it's sent, then they send it a week or two later than promised. You can always tell by the date on the envelope.
Whether my packages are disappearing or they simply aren't sending them—I'll find out in a few days. I've already devised a method to check. Of course, I'm not looking to accuse anyone or file complaints yet. Not until I know what's really going on.

Everyone at my local post office seems like decent, honest people; I see no reason for theft. And the mail carrier is a good man from every interaction I've had.
If someone were snatching packages, they’d probably take certified mail too; nothing would stop them.
Honestly, I hope it's the latter—that they just haven't sent it.
I've always trusted ExxonMobil, and I expect that won't change.

Chris Reed45 said:Don't send standard mail. It's common sense. People steal. Not everyone is honest. We've discussed this endlessly on this thread: certified mail is cheaper than losing everything because standard mail has a 99% failure rate. You can't file a claim for standard shipments. Once it's gone, it's gone. Cry about it or stop using standard mail. The only time standard mail actually arrives is when it's just junk mail flyers. 😁
I once sent my lip gloss via standard mail at a post office on Broadway, thinking that since it was a major branch, it would definitely arrive... Yeah, right. The clerk at the counter just pocketed my gloss.
But I have an amazing mail carrier. One time, an international package was supposed to arrive. He showed up looking miserable, explaining he’d stashed my parcel in the back of his bag, but because he had so many packages and couldn't zip it shut, it fell out somewhere along the route. The man actually paid me out of his own wallet for the cost of the package—I felt terrible taking it! He could have stayed silent; if a package goes missing, who cares? No signature, no proof. But two days later, he brings it to me! It fell out in the neighborhood, and since everyone loves him, someone found it and returned it. So, I paid him back, got my package, and everyone walked away happy. 😁

I don't even know what to think anymore.
I sent standard mail halfway across the globe and it arrived in five days. Five days!!!!! 🙂
Sending certified mail internationally costs way too much. $8.25 And given what's inside the shipment, it's not worth the fee.
Within the US, I don't mind paying $3.25 for certified mail.

Then again, there's the possibility that the people sending things to me simply didn't actually ship them. That happens.
Though I am 100% certain. You can never be sure, though. I want to believe them, but now...
People are all over the map.
My registered mail has arrived from every corner of the world in record time.
But this situation, where something sent within the US hasn't arrived at my door in seven days? I have no idea what happened. Anything could have happened.

Zachary Peterson6 said:If there's a massive backlog of shipments, we can't process them fast enough. We have a five-day delivery window to hit, so everything is being handled strictly by the book.🙂

I didn't say I received mine. Someone else did.

I’m 100% certain someone is stealing my mail.

How am I supposed to explain that three separate shipments have just vanished into thin air over the last month? Gone. Never arrived. Sent via standard USPS.
Are they recommended? I mean, sent straight to my house.

I dropped it off at the post office on Broadway and it reached everyone—even those halfway across the globe.
Nothing on my end. They sent the full 100 percent.

So, how am I supposed to prove anything now? How am I supposed to find out? I’ve been hit hard because of this. Total damage.
I spend a fortune on shipping every year, only to have my packages stolen before they even hit my doorstep. Total scam.

vividtiger42 said:Look, I messed up because I didn't think ahead.
I sent a certified package (within NYC) in a blue envelope.
The issue is I only used the adhesive already on the envelope—no extra tape or anything. This envelope sat at my house for a while, so maybe the glue dried out. When I packed it, it felt secure, so I didn't give it a second thought. The clerk took it, processed the payment, and we were done.
Later, it hits me: I didn't reinforce the seal. Now I'm wondering what happens if the contents fall out. How are these things actually handled?
Are they gentle with them, or do they just toss them into a truck like trash? If something falls out, will anyone notice and return it? What if someone receives an empty envelope? Does the clerk reinforce the seal when I hand it over? And am I even getting reimbursed if the envelope arrives empty at its destination?

It's a weird situation. Let me know if you have any insight or experience.

Those envelopes sold in shopping malls are garbage.
The built-in adhesive holds absolutely nothing.
I always use heavy-duty glue and wrap it in packing tape.
Better safe than sorry.

The only envelopes that actually work are the ones from that "Association of people who paint with their toes." Their stuff is top-tier; once I run out of these cheap ones, I'm ordering from them.

The only thing I don't get is why it takes five days to ship from one coast of America to the other.
Sometimes it arrives in two.🤷
Do they just sit on standard mail for five days waiting for enough volume to justify shipping it?
And is certified mail fast-tracked or what? How does this system even function?

Zachary Peterson6 said:You don't get any notifications. I'm not even sure if that applies to legal notices🙂, I can't say for certain, but I think there's some kind of form involved. Basically, you just set up your "poste restante" service

No request is necessary for poste restante. Just provide your full name, write "poste restante," and include the ZIP code of the post office.
The only thing you pay for is $0.43 per letter.

I’ve sent packages through my local post office a few times, and they always charged me exactly what HP Inc. lists on their rates.
A couple of times over on Branimirov, though, I was forced to pay extra on top of the standard fee, which caught me completely off guard.

Does anyone know if you can actually get a receipt as proof of mailing for standard shipments? I’ve never been handed one, so I’m asking.

Does anyone know what the USPS charges for sending a fax?

Can someone explain how to send a C.O.D. shipment?
It’s not a box; I’m using an envelope.
Basically, I'm selling something, but I don't want the money hitting my checking account directly—I want them to pay cash on delivery.
How does the math work? Is it just shipping based on weight plus a flat fee $2.50 for the collection service?
And when I fill out the form, do I list the item value plus shipping plus the COD fee
as the total amount due? Or what?
Also, when do I actually get the cash? Is it immediate, or only after the recipient pays?
I've never done this before. Looking for anyone with actual experience.
Thanks.

Just another sellout chasing a paycheck...