If the postal service takes more than five business days to deliver a package within the US, am I actually entitled to ask for a refund on the shipping costs? And if I want to file a claim, can I just walk into any local post office and handle everything right there on the spot?
EDIT: Actually, my mistake—I misread the situation entirely. A package from someone else just showed up at my door. As for the package that’s seemingly vanished into thin air, I’m sitting here wondering what the point of waiting even is. I filed an official inquiry online, but does anyone actually know how long they typically take to process those things?
I sent the package off on April 3rd, and now the recipient is insisting they never received a thing. Then, out of nowhere yesterday, the package gets sent right back to me... so where does that leave us? I submitted an online claim this past Friday, but I haven't heard a single word back yet. To make matters worse, the label explicitly states "refused by recipient"... so who exactly is lying here? On top of all that, the tracking info on the website is completely useless; it just shows they received the shipment on April 3rd and hasn't updated since.
Alright, so here’s the situation... I sent out a package, and I made sure to include $77 for the COD amount. However, when the recipient checked their mailbox, they got a notification saying they still owed $82, which makes absolutely no sense to me. When I first went down to the local USPS branch, the staff there seemed completely clueless at first, but eventually, they suggested that because the driver attempted a home delivery instead of a pickup, those extra $2.00 were tacked on for that specific service. If that’s actually the case, then I am genuinely struggling to wrap my head around why I was already charged an additional $0.67 for shipping, especially since my receipt explicitly states: "Package, door-to-door delivery up to 2kg." Why on earth am I paying for the doorstep delivery, and then the recipient gets hit with the exact same charge again???
I was just looking over the fee structures, and it seems like they’re tacking on an extra 3.66% for those recommended shipments along with the COD fees—though there's a minimum charge of about $1 to $1.50—but I can't help but wonder, what exactly are they charging when it comes to standard packages?
They made the exact same claim regarding standard shipping, saying the turnaround was three business days... so I have to wonder, if that's the case, what on earth am I actually paying an extra premium for?
I have a question regarding these "Basic Add-on Services" and this "PLUS" option... what exactly are we looking at here? The website states: PLUS If you want your shipment to move through the postal system more quickly, please request the PLUS add-on service.
But what is the actual deadline? When are they supposed to deliver it? The folks at the local post office told me it would be sent out by the next business day... well, I sent my package on Friday and it’s Monday now, and it still hasn't reached the recipient, even though the destination is just San Diego! It was supposed to arrive today... the website is totally vague about any specifics, so I have to wonder, do they actually offer refunds if they fail to meet that next-business-day delivery promise or what? And this part is really throwing me for a loop:
March 26, 2018, 06:55:55 AM, USA, 21200 San Diego, Shipment being prepared for delivery March 26, 2018, 02:55:28 PM, USA, 21200 San Diego, Delivery attempt made: Available for pickup/delivery at post office March 26, 2018, 08:12:52 PM, USA, 21200 San Diego, Shipment being prepared for delivery to the Police Department
What’s actually the difference between standard shipping package versus sending something via certified mail? I mean, if I’m looking at a small parcel weighing somewhere between 100 and 300 grams, or even something a bit beefier around the 1kg mark, does the distinction really matter? Also, when I am filling out a receipt of delivery, am I strictly required to specify whether it was a standard shipment or a certified one? Or are these just considered optional add-ons? My main goal here is simply to find the most cost-effective route because, frankly, all I truly care about is having that official confirmation that my package is actually on its way. And while I have your attention, I have one more question regarding COD—if someone receives a package that requires payment upon delivery, is there any legal way for them to open the box first to verify the contents match what they ordered before they hand over the cash?
Well, look, I was actually notified by the folks who received their deliveries about why they ended up being charged significantly more than what we originally agreed upon. It’s quite frustrating because I clearly marked everything as $100 on the label and throughout the documentation, yet somehow the final cost still ballooned. I remember reaching out to the USPS a few years back to get some clarity on this exact issue, and they essentially told me that they tack on an additional percentage fee to cover the COD processing costs...?!?!?!
Question: Does the USPS take a percentage cut from COD shipments? I was under the impression that the recipient would simply pay exactly what I specified on the package for the cash on delivery, but it seems there's an additional fee being skimmed off by the postal service!
I’ve got someone reaching out from Germany who wants to purchase one of my items, and they’re insisting on sending the funds via western union, so I find myself wondering if this is actually a safe move for me as the recipient. They told me all I need to provide is my full name and then they’ll hand over a code, which supposedly allows me to just head down to the local post office and pick up the cash without any hassle, but I can't help feeling a bit uneasy—is there really absolutely no risk involved for me here?
I was wondering if anyone could point me toward some reliable shops where I might pick up some compatible ink for my HP OfficeJet Pro? I used to be able to find much more affordable ink options over at Walmart, but lately, they've switched to carrying this Xerox brand stuff—it comes in that distinctive yellow and black packaging, specifically the Brother Printer model—and the prices have absolutely skyrocketed, nearly doubling what I used to pay. So, I’m curious to know, what other third-party ink alternatives are actually out there for a printer like mine?
I think I’ve finally made up my mind to just go with a 1TB drive, and honestly, I’ll probably pick it up while I'm traveling through the States since I noticed some pretty decent prices listed there. I’m still weighing my options on which specific model to grab, though, so I'm currently looking at these:
Seagate BarraCuda 1TB Western Digital Elements 1TB Adata AHV100 1TB WD 1TB Elements Crucial MX500
Edward Stewart said:When I order from outside the USA, I usually stick to tiny, low-value trinkets just to dodge any potential headaches, so I'm honestly not sure; perhaps someone here understands the actual procedure and could explain how things work for more expensive items, because even though there aren't customs duties on IT gear, you might still get hit with sales tax if it ends up going through a customs inspection (plus, I suspect the prices listed on their websites are net amounts, so a direct price comparison might actually be a bit misleading). Another thing to consider is that hard drives are incredibly delicate pieces of hardware, and if one fails, the whole idea of saving money goes right out the window because shipping it back for a warranty claim would be prohibitally expensive... I truly believe it’s better to buy these kinds of things at local US retailers. That price I mentioned for the 4TB 2.5" drive was really just meant to illustrate my point, but I assume once it hits our local stores, it'll be around $150 or something similar, which is still quite a deal considering it offers four times the capacity.
Oh, man... I completely blanked on the customs aspect... and then there's Amazon.de (Germany). I actually have family over there, which might make dealing with warranties a lot easier... I'll dig into this a bit more... wait, am I seeing correctly that these 2TB models often come with 16MB of buffering?! Does that directly impact the transfer speeds?
Honestly, these little drives might actually do the trick, provided I can just plug in the USB and call it a day.
I was browsing Amazon earlier and noticed that the 2TB models are hovering around $180, which feels like a much smarter investment in the long run... though I can't quite tell if they actually offer free shipping on those. I did stumble upon a 1TB option with free shipping to the States, but it’s sitting at about $170, which honestly doesn't make any sense because even here in the US, you can find them cheaper than that.
Does anyone happen to know of an external 2TB HDD that comes with free shipping and stays right around the $183 mark?
Thanks so much, but I was wondering if you might be able to point me toward some specific recommendations? And honestly, do you think jumping up to 2TB is actually worth the investment? Like, what kind of price range should I even be looking at to pick them up?
So, I’ve been staring at my late 2009 iMac—it's sitting on a 500GB drive right now—and honestly, it’s absolutely bursting at the seams because I have far too many movies saved on it, and even my old portable hard drives (those 500GB 2.5" Memline ones) are completely maxed out, which has led me to the conclusion that I really ought to pick up a 1TB portable drive. However, I find myself wondering exactly what one should be looking out for during the buying process, you know? My primary goal is simply to secure 1TB of space for home use as an extra storage unit, though I must admit that speed is also a factor I care about quite a bit. Since my Mac doesn't support USB 3.0, unfortunately, I'm stuck looking at 2.0 options, but then again, if the price difference is negligible, would it even make sense to grab a 3.0 drive just to future-proof things? As for brands, which ones are actually reliable, and which ones tend to offer the most robust warranties? Also, I have to ask, is there any actual value in picking up one of those no-name drives from China, or is that just asking for trouble?
EDIT: What's the verdict on these specific models here: - Western Digital's My Passport 1 TB $133 - General Electric 1TB USB 3.0 Canvio Basics $133 - Apple M3 2.5'' 1TB USB 3.0 approximately $133
But now I’ve run into a whole new headache involving my foreign currency Visa card from Chase. I realized earlier today that I couldn't make any online purchases, so I actually drove all the way down to the local branch to get it straightened out, and they told me they needed to manually authorize it for online use. They said it was all set, but then I get back home and—lo and behold—it still won't let me complete a transaction. Does this kind of thing usually require a few days to actually propagate through the system, or am I looking at a deeper technical glitch here? The bank isn't exactly a quick hop from my house, so I'd really rather not waste another trip driving over there for nothing if I can help it, which is why I'm reaching out here first.
So, I went down to my Chase branch earlier today to pick up my new debit card, and I thought I’d finally get around to topping up my Google Ads account while I was at it. But when I tried to process the payment, I got hit with this incredibly frustrating error message stating, "Authorization failed: The financial institution did not provide a reason." I honestly have no idea what the issue could be! I’ve double-checked every single digit, the expiration date, and the CVV, and everything is absolutely perfect, yet the system just refuses to accept it.
Edward Turner56 said:If you're dealing with the USPS, you can actually just refuse the package entirely and tell them you'll head down to the local post office to open it right there in front of an official clerk..
I am honestly wondering about this too... So, what you're saying is there isn't some specific department or specialized service that regulates this differently? It seems almost impossible that I can't simply open the parcel first to inspect the contents and then decide whether or not to pay if I'm satisfied with what's inside?
And regarding what was mentioned above, is that truly a reliable way to handle things?! Are you suggesting that I have to reject the delivery initially, physically go down to the post office, and only then will they grant me permission to open the package before I settle the payment? Because, if I'm being honest, it feels like even under those circumstances, they probably shouldn't even be allowing that at all!
Wait, really? Are we talking about a full 24 hours, or could it actually stretch out even longer than that?
Is this kind of delay just something you deal with at Chase, because I don’t recall things ever being quite that sluggish when I was dealing with Bank of America.