Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Rebecca Grant26 said:Yeah, because NEVER again. Honestly, I don't even think it was actually sent.😢 Seriously, they don't give a damn. They couldn't care less about putting in any effort—just totally indifferent. DON'T send stuff via standard mail, people. Don't just send it off blindly. Now I'm kicking myself over those $5.00 bucks I didn't spend on tracking.

Hmm, what if the package is stuck somewhere, right? Like, someone finally finds it after months of sitting there past the holding period at the post office—does it just get sent back to the sender?

If you pay for certified mail, maybe they'd actually give a crap, but with standard shipping? They don't care!
It's total nonsense. Whether you sent it standard or certified, you paid your money and sent the package—it should arrive... isn't it weird how it's always the standard packages that vanish? They don't just "vanish"—they get stolen because they know you can't prove anything without a signature. I mean, certified always shows up, but standard doesn't, right? Someone please tell me there's another explanation.🙄

Anyway, I was at the post office today, and some lady tried to charge me like 6 bucks plus change... basically a week's worth of Red Cross donations.😕 Okay, and? What's that got to do with me? Isn't it enough that their prices are already insane?
If there was any other way to ship things besides the USPS, I'd take it in a heartbeat. This whole system is pure evil.

velvetwalker23 said:If you actually have some solid recommendations, I guess people might bother looking into it, but when it comes down to the actual shipping? They couldn't care less. Honestly, they just don't give a damn once the deal is done.
This is such total nonsense. I mean, seriously? Whether you sent it via standard shipping or went with the tracked, recommended option—you paid for that service and you sent the damn package. It’s not that complicated. I guess I really need to get this sorted out. Look, I don't know... isn't it just a little weird how it’s always the basic, everyday packages that seem to vanish into thin air? And let's be real—they aren't just "getting lost." They're being swiped. It feels like people know exactly what they're doing; they realize if there isn't a signature required, you're basically left high and dry with zero recourse. I mean, isn't it always recommended that these things should arrive safely, but in reality, does that actually happen? Not usually. I guess I'm just looking for someone to give me a better explanation than "it's just bad luck," because something feels seriously off here. 🙄

So, I was at the post office earlier today, right? And this woman there has the nerve to charge me like six bucks and some change... honestly, that's basically what I'd spend on a week's worth of Red Cross donations. It’s just ridiculous. 😕 Alright, seriously, what is their problem with me? Like, is it not enough that their prices are already absolutely insane? I mean, they’re already through the roof, so why am I being singled out? It’s just ridiculous.
I mean, seriously, does anyone know if there’s actually any other way to ship stuff besides the USPS? Because what they're doing right now is straight-up evil. It’s just pure, unadulterated garbage. I guess I'm just venting, but man, it's frustrating.

And who exactly do you think is doing the stealing???!! Seriously, give me a break. I mean, I guess if you're looking for someone to point a finger at, you could throw a dart at a map, but honestly, it feels like everyone's just shouting accusations without actually having a clue what's going on. It’s all just noise at this point, isn't it? Maybe I'm being too cynical, but I don't see any real proof behind half these claims. Just my two cents, though.
I mean, seriously, why on earth would anyone even think about stealing someone's mail??? It’s just pure, unadulterated stupidity. I don't know, maybe it's just a lack of basic common sense, but honestly, it's like saying it's okay for bankers to rob banks or doctors to steal blood or something equally insane... hello? We have a job to do here! Our entire purpose is to deliver the mail, plain and simple. It makes zero sense.
And regarding those Red Cross drives—they run a few times a year, and honestly, you're looking at like, what, maybe $0.25 per shipment? Just pay the fee and stop whining about it!

Zachary Peterson6 said:And who exactly do you think is stealing???!!
Why would anyone steal someone's letters??? That’s just straight-up nonsense—it's like saying bankers steal cash or doctors steal blood... hello? It's our job to deliver the mail!!!
And as for the Red Cross stuff, they run those drives a few times a year where there's a tiny surcharge on all shipments, so quit whining about it!

Then please, by all means, explain to me—where exactly are these packages vanishing to? Since you're clearly such a perfect example of a polite postal worker (though I haven't met one yet, and honestly, I don't see any on this forum either) 🙂
And I didn't say people were stealing letters, I said packages... obviously nobody's stealing letters—who wants a pile of paper? That's why the letters arrive and the regular packages don't.

Fine, the charity drives exist... but shouldn't we be asking if people actually *want* to participate? It's not a big deal for me to chip in a couple of bucks, but it's a real issue when that charge piles up because the drive lasts a whole week and I've got multiple shipments a day... hold on a second, right??
At this rate, am I gonna get hit with some random fee for every little thing $17 according to your logic?
Besides, prices are already hiked up enough as it is for a single standard shipment, lol... if the postal service is so "charitable," maybe they should just fund their own damn causes from their own pockets!

velvetwalker23 said:Then please, by all means, explain to me where all these packages are actually vanishing to, since you’re clearly such a perfect example of a polite postal worker (not that I’ve ever met one, and honestly, I don't see any on this forum either) 🙂
I didn't say they were stealing letters, I meant packages... obviously nobody is out there stealing letters, who cares about paper? That’s why the letters show up, but the actual packages just disappear

I don't know, honestly, I ship stuff every single day and everything always reaches me 🙂 🤣
Maybe your neighbors are stealing them 😉

Okay, look, the surcharges are fine... but then you have to ask if anyone actually wants to participate in this. It's not like I have a problem paying an extra couple of bucks, but it becomes an issue when it piles up because this "solidarity" thing only lasts a week and I have several shipments coming in every single day... so hold on a second??
At this rate, am I going to end up getting hit with some random surcharge $17 based on that logic?
Besides, prices are already high enough as it is for a standard shipment anyway, lol... so if the USPS is being so "charitable," maybe they should just pull from their own pockets to fund their little campaigns!

That's just the law the government set down; the Postal Service didn't just decide on a "week of solidarity" on their own 😉

Look, I’m a polite guy, seriously, I try to be super nice🙂but it just gets under my skin when people start acting like we're nothing but a bunch of thieves...

Zachary Peterson6 said:Look, I'm a real sweetheart, I say please and thank you🙂but people really get under my skin when they start labeling us all as thieves...

Not exactly EVERYONE, though.😁

You make a fair point, velvetwalker23—there's no package because they're being STOLEN. I mean, why would they just sit there? Of course, there are exceptions, like Zachary Peterson6, who isn't stealing, but let's be honest: theft is happening, and it's happening on a massive scale. And I truly don't understand why they even allow people to ship these types of packages through standard channels when it's common knowledge they go missing? Gosh, I feel so incredibly foolish for being naive enough to expect that package to actually arrive. Now, I'm just left walking around with holes in my boots! Well, I suppose I deserve it for being such a dreamer. People warned me repeatedly that this wasn't a secure way to handle things, yet I listened anyway. And don't even get me started on those "hold for pickup" fees—it feels completely arbitrary. Sometimes they charge nothing, sometimes it's $1 or $30, and once it was even $5.25???! It’s practically a scam. Other times, my package sits there for three weeks and they don't charge me a dime; it makes absolutely no sense. Boooo.

Honestly, there’s a decent chance that person didn't even bother sending the package in the first place.😉

Anything is possible—though I’ve actually ordered from her before. It was technically just a recommendation, but I decided to go ahead and trust my gut.

That’s honestly the worst part about it... I do a ton of online shopping myself and I'm constantly using the "buy now, pay later" option...

I’ve got a question... I’m not sure if this has come up here before, but I figured I’d ask rather than go hunting for old threads...

Is there any actual chance of getting my money back through the bank—the one where the transfer went to some stranger's account—if it was all part of a scam?

I have a feeling it's a lost cause, but I'm asking anyway.

Because honestly, it’s starting to feel like I’ve been played for a fool for the first time in my life... (up until now, it’s always been small change—like someone not paying for shipping)... I’ve been buying and selling on Craigslist for about three years now... picking things up here and there, sometimes from classifieds, sometimes from forums.

And since I consider myself a very precise, honest person, I just assumed everyone else operated the same way...🙂

So, here’s the deal: this guy had an ad for weight loss tablets. I reached out, he replied, we worked out the details, and he gave me his checking account info, full name, and cell number. (Don't judge me for not insisting on cash on delivery, but I felt bad because he said he'd cover the shipping, so I thought, hey, $6.75 it isn't like $11.)

I let him know once the transfer went through, and he told me the package was on its way. Well, two days later, nothing. He says it's coming. Four days later, still nothing. (And I know perfectly well how long a standard shipment takes)... so I try messaging him privately, I try calling his cell, I send a text—but the phone has been turned off for two days straight. (I can see the message was delivered, so it's just sitting there ignored.)

We're talking about $67, which isn't exactly pocket change.

What should I do?
I highly doubt that package is ever showing up. 😢

.

Nothing much, honestly. Maybe if you just give him a little bit of a hard time, he might actually get spooked and...

It would be great if I actually had a way to reach him... but there's nothing. His phone is completely dead...

The only way might be if the bank would give me his address, since I've got his account number and full name.

🤷😢

Kimberly Robinson2 said:It would be great if I actually had a way to reach him... but there's nothing, his phone is just totally dead.....

Unless the bank decides to hand over his address, since I've got his account number and full name, but even then...

🤷😢

They aren't going to give you an address, because that kind of info is strictly confidential and banks just don't share client details like that...

Quick question... A friend of mine is planning on shipping a package to me from Spain. It's just a standard box, weighs about 25-30 lbs; she can't find any info online regarding what the shipping costs might look like. Does anyone know where I could actually check that?
The box is just going to have clothes and shoes in it; do you think Customs will give me any trouble?🙄🙄
Thanks for the help!🙂😉

Chris Cruz8 said:I have a quick question... A friend of mine is planning on sending me a package from Spain; just a standard box, but it’ll weigh around 25-30 lbs; since she can't seem to find any info online regarding what the shipping cost might be, does anyone happen to know where we could check that?
The box will only contain clothes and shoes; do you think Customs will cause any issues????🙄🙄
Thanks so much for the help!🙂😉

It’ll be at least $30 for a basic package. It really depends on where she's shipping from and whether she declares a specific value on the box... just like here in the States, the price fluctuates based on distance, weight, total value, and any extra services you add. From there, you're looking at roughly $28 or more depending on the destination.
Tell your friend to rip off any old labels and clearly mark the package as a "Gift"—that should help things go a lot smoother with our Customs agents.

Thanks a million!!!!🙂

Elizabeth Baker38 said:They aren't going to hand over an address—that kind of client data is strictly confidential and they don't just leak it.

Well, I guess you were right... the guy actually went out of his way to DM me, telling me not to freak out since he already sent the package off...😕🤷

Someone mentioned something about how they shouldn't be charging a $1.75 delivery fee when they bring a package via certified mail—I can't quite recall the exact reason why (my memory is failing me today!), but does anyone know what specific policy I should cite to make sure they don't charge me extra?

Hey there.
I could use some advice—has anyone here shipped anything particularly heavy before? I need to send a car seat that weighs about 22 pounds, but I’m totally in the dark regarding the process or what the damage to my wallet might look like.