Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

vividnomad15 said:Hey, has anyone here tried using those gray Asus poly mailers to send something via certified mail? I'm wondering if the USPS will actually take them, or if they're going to be sticklers about you using actual envelopes.
thanks 😉

Yeah, I have. Just a heads up though—some of the clerks at the post office might give you a hard time and claim the packaging looks too "budget," but it usually works. You might find they'll only let you send it as certified mail rather than a full package, though personally, I've managed to get packages through in Asus mailers before without any issues.

My trick is just to turn the bag inside out so the logo isn't visible and then slap the address labels on there. That’s what I do...

I have a few questions if anyone can help me out:

1. Does FedEx handle international shipments on Saturdays, or does everything just sit there until Monday?
Yesterday I sent off an airmail priority package.

2. Do letters actually go through customs inspections? Or do they just ship them out immediately?

Thanks!

I need some advice regarding shipping procedures. I am looking to send a collapsible travel crib that weighs about 28 pounds. My plan is to use FedEx, with the buyer covering both the shipping costs and the item's value. First, does the sender incur any extra fees, or do I simply schedule a FedEx pickup to handle everything? How exactly does the sender receive their funds, and what is the typical timeframe for that process? Does the buyer incur any extra fees if they cover both the shipping costs and the actual value of the item? For instance, imagine someone is buying a crib. $167+$20 Shipping costs... are there any other hidden fees being tacked on? I appreciate all the answers.
I believe using FedEx offers the best value. However, if anyone knows of a more affordable option, please share your advice.

silver_čk said:I’m so sorry... I know this is totally off-topic... but please, someone educate me...

I just left the USPS after trying to mail some sneakers I was swapping with this lady... and the woman at the counter charged me $15... I almost passed out right there...🤷

How do you guys even deal with shipping costs of $6.00?? Like, what's the trick? These aren't even heavy, just basic Chuck Taylors...

I'm losing my mind—totally shocked... help me out😲

Did you send it as a standard package? Just regular mail or via FedEx?
I sent some sneakers yesterday (way heavier than Chucks) to Miami, registered mail. It cost me $6.25 and the box I bought at the post office was $2.00.

Btw, you can find the shipping rates online
http://www.usps.com/main.aspx?id=208
You can even use their online calculator to get an estimate.
I've shipped a ton of stuff, and nothing for domestic shipping ever cost me more than $6.75 🤷

I just received my yellow slip to pick up a package with COD fees. I was expecting some textbooks—seven of them, actually—and the clerk told me after checking at the local USPS office that the shipping would be $9.25. Based on that, the total including shipping should have been $54, but this notice says I need to pay $59. Does anyone know what could account for that $4.75 difference?

Olivia Green46 said:Yeah, but you might run into some clerks at the post office who give you a hard time—they might even tell you it looks like it was just social-media packaged. Plus, they might insist you can only send it via certified mail rather than as a standard package (though I’ve managed to get my Asus orders through in their original bags before).

Honestly? Just flip the bag inside out—so the logo isn't visible—and use some Post-it notes to stick the addresses on. That’s my little trick... it works every time.

Thanks, 😉

Chloe Brooks86 said:I got that yellow slip today for a package with COD. I was expecting some textbooks (7 of them, actually) and the clerk told me she checked at the local Post Office and said the shipping would be $9.25. So, everything together including shipping should have been $54, but this yellow slip says I owe $59. Any idea what that $4.75 difference could be?

Maybe it's just a USPS fee.🤷 If it is, looks like they bumped it up—maybe by 6%, which would be about $3.00...🤷 $1.75 old school, haha 😁 ...just ask them when you go to pick it up.👍

Hi everyone, I was wondering if someone could clarify whether non-business days are included in the pickup window.

I just got a notification stating that I have a 5-day window to pick up my package, starting from August 11th. If they include weekends in that count, the deadline falls on this Saturday. However, I’m going to be out of town until Monday, so I need to know if I can still grab it on Tuesday. Will they send it back since Monday would technically be the fifth day?

Carol Mitchell67 said:Is there any way to send a package where the recipient covers the shipping costs? Like, can I just drop the box off at the counter, specify that the receiver pays the postage, and then they handle the payment when they pick it up?

It works if you use FedEx and mark it as "receiver pays." In that case, you don't pay anything upfront; you just get a receipt confirming it was sent... As far as I know, you can't do that with standard economy mail.

EDIT: I've noticed people asking about service rates constantly. Maybe a moderator could pin these price lists to the top of the thread to save everyone some time.

- domestic shipping rates

- international shipping rates

- shipping cost calculator

Austin Rodriguez5 said:Hey everyone, quick question if anyone knows the deal: does the pickup window include weekends and holidays?

So, I got this notification today saying I only have five days to pick up my package, starting from August 11th. If they’re counting weekends, that means the deadline hits this Saturday. The problem is, I won't be back in town until Monday. Does anyone know if I can just grab it on Tuesday, or is FedEx going to ship it right back the second Monday rolls around?

I think they're returning it around that time, so you should be able to swing by and grab it.

Only business days are counted

What's the cheapest way to ship a single paperback
How much would that run me?
Thanks

Just put it in an envelope and send it via standard mail, like a regular letter.

mellowbadger26 said:What's the cheapest way to ship one regular book?
How much does it cost?
Thanks.

Are you kidding me? The price list is literally three posts up... people are incredibly lazy.😲

I actually sent them a very lovely email today... honestly, it's getting ridiculous. This is already my second package to go missing, you'd think I was shipping stuff to a remote village in the middle of nowhere instead of just using standard domestic mail. They just vanish. Either the parcel never arrives, or it gets sent back to the sender without anyone even bothering to notify me that it was supposed to be delivered. To make matters worse, I find myself stopping by the local post office almost every single day to ask what on earth is going on. It’s driving me crazy—it feels completely pointless at this point. 😠

Chloe Brooks86 said:So, I finally got that yellow slip today for a package that needs COD. It’s some textbooks I ordered (7 of them, actually), and the girl at the service counter told me she checked, and the shipping was supposed to be $9.25. So, adding everything up including the shipping, I thought it would come to $54, but this yellow slip is telling me I have to pay $59. I'm kind of wondering where that extra $4.75 is coming from?

$4.75 it's probably just those so-called return costs sent back to the sender, or basically just transaction fees

Ronald Rodriguez13 said:So, I actually sent them a pretty scathing email today... honestly, this is just ridiculous at this point. This is already my second package to just vanish into thin air, you know? It’s like I’m trying to ship stuff to the middle of nowhere instead of just down the street. Things are just disappearing. Either the USPS doesn't deliver it, or they just send it back to me without even bothering to leave a notice that it arrived. And the worst part? I’m basically there almost every single day asking questions. Like, who is actually running this place? It makes zero sense anymore. 😠

Just double-check the address—your own, someone else's, house numbers, whatever—or maybe just have a quick chat with your local mail carrier.

Zachary Peterson6 said:double-check the address—yours, someone else's, the house number—or just have a quick chat with your mail carrier

Everything has been double-checked... and my mail carrier is completely clueless about what I'm talking about. At this rate, I might just have to start making things up myself.🤷

Ronald Rodriguez13 said:Everything's been verified... yet the mailman acts like I'm just making things up. Pure fantasy, apparently.🤷

If your package isn't arriving, are you absolutely certain the sender actually sent it?
It doesn't have to be a USPS issue or a faulty carrier if someone is lying about shipping something they never even touched.

I ship items all over the globe and they arrive in record time, no issues. Same goes for receiving packages from overseas—it always works perfectly fine.

Yes, they have the documentation to back it up... for some people, it's already been served as a formal demand notice.