Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Ashley Thompson93 said:So, the phone is worth about $133 and he refuses to ship it via Cash on Delivery—basically, he won't let me pay when it arrives because he claims that's not how he does business. He wouldn't even give me his cell number to talk things through; he just gave me an email address that he's already changed twice in one day. It feels shady... I have no idea who I'm actually dealing with. What I need to know is, does anyone guarantee I'll get my money back if I wire $133 directly to his checking account? And how would I even prove the payment was specifically for this phone? I've never done anything like this before. Please, I need advice. Is it worth sending the money upfront, or should I walk away? I've always paid COD, and this guy just refuses to budge.

Walk away. Just don't do it. I see absolutely no reason why he wouldn't agree to ship the package if you're willing to cover roughly $33 for the shipping costs. He isn't losing a dime there, so in my opinion, he’s just running a scam... The fact that he’s dodging a simple phone call only makes my suspicions worse...
There are zero guarantees here. Your only option is to report him to the police, but fraud charges usually don't kick in until the amount exceeds $333, so you'd be looking at a civil suit. Honestly, for such a small amount, who has the time for that? I bet that's exactly what he's counting on...🤷
As for reliability, I wouldn't trust any of our local delivery services anyway...
By the way, back in the day, City Express used to rely on USPS in neighborhoods where they didn't have their own drivers. So...

As for that phone, the listing just vanished from Craigslist. Now I know for sure it was a total scam.😠

Has anyone here actually used Western Union before? I’m curious if you guys were happy with how everything went—like, was the process smooth or just a headache, and did the fees totally rip you off?

Chloe Alvarez said:Has anyone here actually used Western Union before? I’m wondering if you guys were happy with how it went, the fees, and all that stuff.

I’ve probably used them a hundred times by now. The recipient can usually pick up the cash almost immediately, which is great if you actually know and trust the person you're sending it to.
The fees seem a little pricey to me (you can check the rates on the USPS website), but I guess there isn't really a cheaper way to wire money overseas. When I did it for the first time, I didn't even realize I had to deal with exchange rates. I showed up with 100 bucks and told them I wanted to send exactly 100 dollars 🙂, but since you're technically sending it through their system, they calculate everything based on the conversion rate of the destination country. For example, when I sent 50 bucks over to Mexico, I ended up paying $130 plus the service fee.

So, I’m dealing with a bit of a headache here. My package arrived totally damaged during transit, which is just baffling because I did everything by the book. I wrapped the item securely inside, protected the exterior, and even made sure to mark it clearly as "Fragile." When I went to the post office, the clerk there even slapped an extra "Fragile" sticker on the box for good measure. I even opted for FedEx shipping just to be safe, yet somehow, the item showed up broken. It was perfectly intact when it left my hands—I am one hundred percent certain about that.

What kind of moves can I actually make to fix this?

@Kate Murphy77/">@@Kate Murphy77, thanks. I’ll probably have to ship it all the way to Russia, which sounds like a nightmare given how insane the exchange rate for rubles is right now, plus there's the $48 fee. If I can't figure out a way to just use my credit card, I guess that's my only real option.

Is anyone else seeing delays with certified mail this week?
It’s been five days for a shipment traveling from Washington, D.C. to Washington, D.C., and it still hasn't arrived.

Angela Grant22 said:I had a package get damaged during transit through the mail, even though I wrapped it perfectly—protection on both the inside and the outside! I clearly marked it "Fragile," and the lady at the post office even slapped a "Fragile" sticker right on it. I even went the extra mile and sent it via FedEx to ensure it was handled separately, yet the item arrived broken. It was 100% intact when it left my hands, I swear.

What can I even do about this?

Look, just file a formal claim. If everything checks out, you should be able to get compensated for the damage.

Does anyone know roughly how much it’ll cost to ship a small package from somewhere like Austin to Houston using FedEx?
It’s a pretty tiny box, so nothing crazy. Also, if I just go with standard mail, can I have it sent to a local post office for pickup instead of having it delivered straight to my door?

So, some girl just bought a stroller from me and I need to get this
Does anyone know the cheapest—and most reliable—way to ship this thing without having to lug it onto a Greyhound bus? 🙂

What are we looking at price-wise lately? Should I stick with FedEx or maybe UPS, or is there some other way to go?

Susan Castillo98 said:A girl bought a stroller from me on Amazon
Does anyone know the cheapest, safest way to ship this besides just tossing it on a Greyhound🙂

What are the rates looking like? Should I go with FedEx, UPS, or someone else?

I recently bought a stroller myself and had it sent via City express for about $22 😁

Christian Rogers97 said:How much would it cost me to ship a package from, say, Austin over to Houston using FedEx? It’s a small one—nothing crazy—so it shouldn't be too expensive... Or, if I just go through standard mail, can I have it sent to a local post office instead of my house so I don't have to wait around for the delivery guy?

Just grab a shoebox, tape it up, write the value on there, and head down to the post office to send it as a parcel... Usually, the whole thing works where you get a little yellow slip left at your door and then you have to go pick it up at the station—you can't really just send it via regular snail mail and expect it to work that way.

Hey there!

I guess if you drop off the cash at the USPS, it might take a few business days to show up in your account, but honestly, who knows? It probably depends on how fast they process everything. 😕

Does anyone know how long it usually takes for a package to get sent back to the sender if it's undeliverable?
It’s already been nine days, and normally my stuff shows up within two or three.
How much longer should I just sit tight and wait?

I’m totally lost in all this information. Can someone please walk me through the steps? I don't usually use the mail, and honestly, I'm a bit clumsy, so I really don't want to end up 😁
Basically, I'm sending two t-shirts from Washington, D.C. to Miami... Should I pack them in my own box or just grab something at the post office? The girl asked if I could send them via cheap shipping. The value of the package is $33. Please give me some pointers because I can already see myself heading there tomorrow and making a mess of everything at the USPS 😁 All I know is that the recipient's info goes on the bottom right, the sender's info goes on the top left, and I cross out my own details...

Olivia Hernandez45 said:I am completely lost in all this information—can someone please just give me some straight instructions? Between the fact that I don't usually ship things via mail and my own tendency to be a bit clumsy, I'm terrified I’ll end up making a total 😁
mess of things. Anyway, I'm trying to send two t-shirts from NYC to Miami... Should I pack them in something I have at home, or should I just grab packaging at the post office? The girl specifically asked if I could send it via mail with COD (cash on delivery). The value of the package is $33. Please, give me some guidance because I can already see myself showing up tomorrow and just generally screwing everything up at the post office 😁. All I know is that the recipient's info goes in the bottom right and the sender's info goes in the top left, and I cross out my own details...

1. Head down to the USPS and ask for the largest padded bubble mailer they have... make sure those shirts actually fit inside properly...
2. Pack it up nicely, write down both the recipient and the sender info (the lady at the counter will cross out your info for you)
3. Tell her you want to send it via certified mail with COD (cash on delivery)...
4. Since you've never done this before, ask her to help you fill out that yellow form for the COD service... she'll ask how much the collection amount should be—just say $33 plus whatever the shipping cost is, and ask her to write that total under the COD section... you'll pay the shipping fee upfront, but you'll get reimbursed once the girl picks up the shipment and the package itself....
I think that would be it... something along those lines....

All done. Honestly, the guy helping me wasn't some grumpy clerk at all—he was actually super sweet and helpful 😁 I totally forgot to mention that it’s COD first, haha... No, I did say it was COD $33 and told him the recipient covers the shipping, but I ended up writing both under COD and value on the slip $33. Hopefully, I didn't mess anything up! Anyway, it's taken care of now. Thanks, 😁

So, I’m looking to ship out a phone using a COD (cash on delivery) service. If the item itself is valued at $2,700, how much extra is the buyer actually going to be on the hook for in terms of fees—or whatever they call them—to the USPS??!?! 🤷 I just really don't want to end up in a situation where the whole package gets sent right back to me... 🙄

Sophia Harris34 said:Okay, look, I need to ship a phone using a cash-on-delivery service. If the value is set at $2,700, how much extra does the buyer actually have to pay in shipping fees—or whatever they call those surcharges—to the carrier??!?! 🤷 I just don't want the whole package getting sent right back to me... 🙄

shipping (not the COD fee) really depends on how much the thing weighs and which service you choose....
Personally, if I were handling something like this, I’d use FedEx Priority—I mean, heaven forbid the package gets lost if you just send it via standard USPS certified mail—so it arrives by tomorrow evening at the latest (it’s usually the most reliable way even if it isn't the absolute cheapest)... just head down to a local UPS Store or the post office, and they'll give you the exact breakdown... it should probably be around $25 or $30, though it might end up being more depending on the insurance you pick...

Quick question... I sent out a COD package back on March 8th—including the collect fee—and as of today, I haven't seen a dime or the package itself. How long is this supposed to take?? I did this once before and the whole thing was wrapped up in about five days.