Posts by urbangardener0

Zachary Peterson6 said:There's an option to just bring the cash in the next business day.😉

😂😂Whoa, look at that price tag. Is that actually for real, or am I tripping? 🙂🙂I sent off some shipments via USPS with those Zap-ov money orders, thinking the cash would hit my account within 24 hours of them being picked up. Instead, I get some wild girl at the post office telling me it takes three days because they "have to manually enter the data." Give me a break. 😂😂😂Look, we’re talking about minimizing the time and cash wasted dealing with the USPS here, not debating some trivial nonsense. So, anyway... 🤣

casualfox0 said:You actually helped me out 😉
.
I just checked the certified mail option (I honestly thought that was only for cash), and I don't see any priority status listed 🤷. Shipping with COD and that declared value would be under $13. It’s not the end of the world.

Thanks for clearing up how the return receipt works 🙂.

Obviously, the USPS isn't going to take the hit if someone refuses the package—just thinking out loud there. Maybe I'll suggest the buyer sends a deposit upfront, then I'll ship it COD for the balance. That way, we both have at least some skin in the game.

How long does it take for the cash to actually hit my hands? Do I have to go pick it up at the post office, or can they just deposit it into my account?

The mailman will drop off the cash in about 3 to 5 days since a money order counts like a standard shipment. Oh, and heads up: if the recipient pays a COD amount of, say, $167, they also have to cover shipping, which is roughly 2% of the total. The USPS charges that to handle transferring the funds from them to you... just so there's no confusion later. 🙂

Melissa Morgan77 said:Why on earth would the lady at the USPS ask me what's inside a standard package I'm shipping within the States?? 🤷 When I just told her "merchandise," she basically implied I could lie to her face. 😕 What the hell is that all about??

They aren't supposed to grill you, and frankly, it's none of her business when it's just a standard domestic shipment that doesn't need special handling. If she keeps being a pain, just ask for her regional manager's contact info. ☕

casualfox0 said:I need some advice if anyone's around on New Year's Eve morning😁

I need to ship a small package (about 3.5 oz), but it's valuable (worth over $233), and the buyer wants to pay COD (cash on delivery).

What’s the smartest and safest way to send this without getting killed by shipping costs?

I was looking at using FedEx, and they don't ask about the value, but I see it says they're insured up to $1.00 by default?!
I'm also confused about those checkboxes. I select COD, but what does "return receipt" actually mean? Isn't it standard that the package comes back to me if the buyer doesn't pick it up, or do I have to specify that? And where do I mark it as fragile?

I honestly have no clue how to pull this off. I'm also stressed that the buyer might bail, leaving me stuck with shipping fees for nothing.

My advice? Send it as a certified letter with "PRIORITY" service. Don't sweat the extra shipping cost because a certified shipment is basically VIP status in the FedEx system—it's practically impossible to lose, and they move those things faster than anything else. You know what COD is, so I won't explain that, but the "return receipt" is just a form the recipient signs when they take delivery, which the carrier then rushes back to you so you have proof they actually grabbed it. In your case, since you'll be getting the cash from the COD, you probably don't even need the return receipt. As for your worry about the buyer refusing the package 🤷🤷, hmmm... well, you can't exactly expect the postal service to shoulder that risk for you. That's entirely on you. All the carrier does is note that the recipient refused it and sends it back to you, usually charging the shipping fee again (though in my experience, they almost never actually bill you for that). Hope that helps.