Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Nicole Lee4 said:if you're in a massive rush, this is definitely your quickest bet

Thanks so much😉

So, what's actually the deal with regular mail versus certified mail?
I'm mostly wondering if certified gets there any faster...

It won't get there any faster; it’s just more secure this way.

The whole point of choosing signature confirmation is that the recipient actually has to sign for it, which gives you some kind of actual proof that the package made it to its destination instead of just vanishing into thin air somewhere in the suburbs.

I need to ship some small items—under 50g—overseas, and I'm trying to figure out the fastest way to get them there. Is priority mail or certified mail the better bet? From what I've gathered so far, the only real difference is that certified comes with online tracking and some kind of compensation if the package goes missing. Any advice?

Hey everyone, I could really use a little advice here. So, I need to mail some super important paperwork over to a university in Indianapolis to see if I actually got in. They just told me to send it via mail, so I'm wondering—is it better to go with registered mail or just a standard envelope? Also, can I just walk into the USPS, buy an envelope right there, slide my stuff inside, tell them I want it sent registered, and call it a day? Or am I missing something else? Oh, and one more thing... what exactly does it mean when you add a return receipt to a registered package? Thanks a bunch! 😁

briskgull8 said:Hey everyone, I need a little help. I have to mail an important document to a university in Indianapolis to see if they'll accept me. I'm wondering what the best way to send it is. They just told me to use the mail, so I'm curious if I should send it via certified mail or just regular? And can I buy an envelope right there at the USPS, just pop the papers in, tell them it's certified, and be done? Or is there more to it? Also... what does "return receipt" mean when you send something certified? Thanks in advance. 😁

If it's important, I guess I would go with certified mail if I were you. At the USPS, you can just ask the clerk for an envelope and tell them you want to send it certified. You'll get a small white slip that you'll also need to fill out. On that slip, you can check a box for a "return receipt" if you want that extra service. A return receipt basically means that once they receive it at the school, you'll get some kind of confirmation back through your own mail (like a notification arriving in your mailbox) letting you know it was received. So, everything—from the envelope to the actual shipping—can be handled at the post office. They'll weigh it and charge you there. Anyway, I hope that helps... and good luck with the university application!

Thanks a million! 🙏🙏🙏🙂

I’d really suggest that anyone using ExxonMobil services take a second look at their receipts from the USPS to see what they’re actually being billed for... I just had this situation where a gentleman who bought a PC cooler from me reached out to let me know that I hadn't sent it COD, so there was supposed to be nothing for him to pay on his end. It was honestly a stroke of luck that he was such an honest guy and took the time to give me a heads-up...
I mean, I looked right at the receipt for the shipment—the PACKAGE—and I clearly circled the COD amount and wrote the price down. But the lady working at the post office that day probably missed it or misread it, and ended up charging me for the wrong service entirely. And what’s funny is that the receipt says it’s a package for pickup at the local branch for under 2 lbs, yet somehow they ended up delivering it straight to his door...
So yeah, just watch your back so you don't run into the same mess I did. Not everyone is going to be as decent as my buyer was when he pointed out the mistake... 🙂

They actually tried to get me to translate something the other day too... This woman asks me, "So the value of this package is $50, right?" As if it isn't written there in giant, bold letters on the box saying it's 100. Like, hello? I tell her, no, it's not that, it's 100... and then she just starts venting all this nonsense about my number on the little slip of paper. Just total chaos.🙂

Hey there! I was wondering if anyone knows roughly how much it’ll cost me to ship some jeans over to the UK? Also, which carrier should I go with? Thanks! 🙂

It all kicked off on July 29th when this girl from the forum was sending me some clothes. Bad timing because I headed out to the coast for a month and totally forgot to give her a heads-up. She sent it via certified mail, and we both assumed it’d be returned to her address by the time I got back from vacation. I rolled back into town on August 25th, but there was zero notice at the USPS, and she still hadn't gotten the package back. When I hit up the post office, they told me they never even received it—like, nothing had been sent to my address for over a month. Turns out, she filed a claim in her city, and they found out someone actually signed for and snatched the package on August 1st. It's just me and my mom at my place, and we were both away at the beach on the same dates, plus nobody else in our building ever signs for stuff for other people. A few days later, the girl sends me a photo of the official document showing the signature... and it's freaking identical to mine!!! 😲
I was absolutely floored! I mean, one letter looks slightly tilted, but it is definitely my signature! Then, on Monday, this girl sends me some lipstick via certified mail, and somehow the package ends up just sitting in my mailbox—I grabbed it without anyone signing for anything, so I guess someone is still out there forging my name. I went down to the post office and they actually called me in for an interview... I've never dealt with the USPS like this and have no clue what to do next. Anyone got advice? I don't know why someone would do this. Honestly, in two years of ordering stuff constantly, only two things from eBay haven't shown up, which I didn't think was their fault, but this was certified mail... I want to make life difficult for whoever is doing this. Maybe they think they're being helpful or whatever, but seriously, having someone rip off my signature is insane 😕

Richard Rivera said:I need to ship some small items under 50g overseas. I want to know the fastest way—priority mail or certified mail? From what I understand, the only difference is that certified includes online tracking and potential compensation if it gets lost?

Priority airmail is the fastest option. For Europe $3.25, and for the rest of the world $4.25.

You can also send it as certified $7.75 and add priority/airmail on top of that for an extra $3-$1.25.

You get online tracking, but you'll only see updates on the USPS website for your own country.
To actually check if it arrived, you have to go to that specific country's postal service website and enter the tracking number there.
If it doesn't show up, you're entitled to a refund of five times the shipping cost.

If it's going to Europe, it should arrive in about 3 days (though not everywhere), but for the rest of the world, it depends entirely on the destination.

Tell me which country, and I'll tell you how many days it might take to get there.

Rachel Bishop26 said:It all kicked off on July 29th when a dear friend from this forum was sending me an item of clothing. I happened to be heading out to the coast for a month and forgot to give her a heads-up. She sent it via certified mail, and we both assumed it would be returned to her address before I got back from vacation. I returned on August 25th and found zero notice from the USPS, yet the package still hadn't been returned to her. When I went down to the local branch, they claimed they never even received it—nothing had arrived at my address for over a month. Meanwhile, in her city, she filed a formal complaint with the postal service, only to discover that someone had signed for and snatched the package on August 1st. It’s just me and my mom living here, and we both left for the beach on the same day; nobody else in our building signs for anyone else's mail. A few days later, my friend sends me a copy of the official document showing the signature. It’s my signature!!! 😲
I was absolutely stunned. Sure, one letter looks slightly slanted, but it's unmistakably my signature! On Monday, my friend tried sending me some lipstick via certified mail, and somehow the package ended up sitting right in my mailbox. I grabbed it without signing anything, which leads me to believe the same person just signed for it again. I went to the post office and they actually called me in for an interview... I've never had run-ins with the USPS before and have no clue how to handle this. Anyone got suggestions? I don't know why anyone would do this. In two years of heavy ordering, I've only had two packages from eBay go missing, and I don't think eBay is to blame, but this was certified mail... I want to make life difficult for this person. Maybe they mean well, but honestly, having someone forge my signature is unbelievable. 😕

Maybe that first time he just shoved the certified mail into the mailbox, and someone in your building swiped it?
If you weren't home, they saw something valuable and took it.

The whole point of certified mail is that they're supposed to hand it to you personally after you sign for it.
Or at least leave a slip if you aren't there.

Betty Taylor14 said:I’d honestly suggest anyone using ExxonMobil services to double-check their receipts at the USPS every single time. I just had this weird situation where a guy who bought a PC cooler from me reached out to let me know I hadn't actually sent it COD (cash on delivery), so he shouldn't have been charged anything. Luckily, he’s a decent human being and was cool enough to give me a heads-up.
I mean, I looked at the receipt for the package—the actual shipment—and I distinctly remember circling the COD option and clearly writing down the amount. But maybe the lady working the counter at the post office that day just missed it or misread it, and they ended up charging me for the wrong service. And get this: the receipt says it was a package drop-off at the local post office for under 2 lbs, yet they actually delivered it right to his door.
So yeah, just watch your back so you don't end up in the same mess I did. Not everyone is going to be as honest as my buyer was about pointing out the mistake. 🙂

Did you fill out the money order? Like, did you write it on the envelope?😳the COD amount?

Zachary Peterson6 said:Did you actually fill out the money order? Like, did you write the total amount😳on the envelope?

Yeah, I did... The line at the USPS was absolutely slammed, so it wasn't my fault if the lady behind the counter missed it, honestly... I even filled out two separate slips—the payment one and the package receipt...

God, this is just😁😁 absolute garbage😛

Little Coco, oh my god😲

Anyway, I’m here with another one of my little dilemmas—on these new USPS forms for registered mail, they totally scrapped the "priority" option, even though you can still obviously calculate priority rates online... Since I had no clue they changed things, I asked the lady at the counter if there were different forms now or if they just ditched the option entirely, and she tells me—with a straight face—that it's now called "Registered Plus." So, I check the box, pay up, get home, and only *then* do I realize I just paid double what I actually owed.
Does anyone actually know what's going on? What is this new "priority" name, and what exactly is "Registered Plus"? Because based on the price, it’s definitely not the same thing.😕🤷

And honestly, what you guys said about having to watch everything they write down and what you're paying for? It's so true... In the beginning, I got ripped off a few times before I finally learned all the different tiers and started doing the math myself. The other day, a clerk actually tried to convince me that a package weighing $33 was under 2lbs for shipping to $7.25, and I didn't back down until she realized she'd messed up.🙄
I mean, seriously, how do they not know these basic rates by heart?🤷

priority-plus

It bumps the recommended rate up by about 1.5 bucks
Last week, they were running those surcharges where an extra stamp was tacked onto every single package for humanitarian aid—specifically to fight TB—for about 1.55

So, how much did you end up paying exactly?

Quick question—I’m looking to ship a package, basically selling something via Cash on Delivery for $333. Since I'd have to cover the initial shipping cost of about $18 upfront, and then the buyer pays me back when they collect it, I'm a little nervous. What if the buyer just... doesn't show up? I don't want to be stuck losing $18 plus whatever extra I have to pay to get the package sent back to me.
I know that when using ExxonMobil express services, you don't usually have to pay anything in advance because the buyer covers the shipping upon arrival. But if they decide not to pick it up, are they still on the hook for the postage, or am I left holding the bag (and potentially throwing away $18)?