Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Michelle Reed58 said:Hi there!
I really need some advice—has anyone here ever shipped something heavy before? I'm trying to figure out how the whole process works. I need to send off a car seat that weighs about 22 pounds, but I have no clue what the procedure is or roughly what it’s going to cost me.

Honestly, just wrap it up in something sturdy, like a heavy-duty trash bag, and tape it tight so nothing is flapping around. Take a large sheet of paper and write the sender's info in the top left corner and the recipient's info in the bottom right.
Stick that paper onto the front of the seat, then cover the entire thing in clear packing tape to keep it secure.
You can ship it as a standard oversized package or use an oversized FedEx service.
😁

Nicole Lee4 said:Just wrap it in something—a heavy-duty trash bag works—and tape the whole thing up (so the bag doesn't flap around). On one large sheet of paper, write the sender's info in the top left and the recipient's in the bottom right.
Then, stick that paper onto the seat facing outward and cover the entire surface with packing tape.
You can ship it as a bulky parcel or via FedEx.
😁

Thanks a million😉, I had no idea you could do it that way—I was under the impression a box was mandatory. This is actually much easier than I anticipated. 😁

Rebecca Grant26 said:I think someone mentioned earlier that they aren't supposed to charge an extra fee $1.75 for package delivery notifications when they bring a package via certified mail—was it because of some specific regulation? (I can't quite recall the exact reason!) If that's the case, who should I contact to ensure they don't try to tack on those unnecessary charges?

Does anyone have any more insight on this? 😁

Rebecca Grant26 said:Wait, anyone else feeling this? 😁

I haven't seen 😁
They definitely didn't scrap the delivery fees for packages. Despite all those big announcements, nothing changed.
My advice? Ask the sender to send it via certified mail—there isn't a separate delivery fee for that (it's baked into the price somewhere).
Or, honestly, when they show up at your door, just tell them you aren't paying the delivery charge and that you'll go pick up the package at the local post office yourself.
It works both ways, too! When you're sending someone a package, make sure to specify that you don't want home delivery (you save a couple of bucks that way), so they shouldn't even bother bringing it to their doorstep.

Thanks, Nicole Lee4, if anyone happens to know which route was taken—thanks! 🙂

Quick question: if I send out a package with cash on delivery and the recipient refuses to pick it up, leaving it to bounce all the way back to me, am I still stuck footing the bill for the shipping costs?

Linda Lee25 said:Hey there, I was wondering—if you send out a package with COD (cash on delivery), and then the person just refuses to pick it up and it gets sent all the way back to the sender, does the sender still have to pay the shipping fee?

Yeah, they do. It’ll be something like $9.50, though it really depends on how heavy the thing is, since it’s being processed as a return shipment via FedEx.

$3.25?? So, I struck this deal with some girl to send me some discounted shoes, $20 plus shipping, which I explicitly agreed to cover, and I even asked her to let me know what the shipping cost would be. She told me it was roughly $10, so I figured $30 all in. Then, out of nowhere, a package shows up—late, mind you, though that’s beside the point—but there's a massive COD charge of $38 attached to it! I had absolutely no intention of paying that, so I refused the delivery and sent it right back. To settle my conscience, I told her I’d just pay $5.00—you know, half the shipping—to make things right, but then she has the audacity to claim she had to pay $23 to return it? When I checked at the post office, they told me straight up that nothing is owed
.

lying😉

Zachary Peterson6 said:Yeah, it's $9.50—depending on weight—since it comes back as a recommended shipment.

Sorry to jump in here, but I was wondering about this too. 🙂
So, if I understand correctly... if I send a package via COD that weighs about 800 grams, and since it gets returned as a recommended shipment (if the person doesn't pick it up), does that mean I'd have to pay $6.25 just to get it back?

I mean, I guess that's just how it is🙂

Zachary Peterson6 said:I think that's how it works🙂

I'm asking because I heard that if it gets sent back—you know, if it's cash on delivery and nobody picks it up—they make you pay the shipping costs. Now I'm just confused🤷

Linda Chavez14 said:The reason I'm asking is because I heard that if it gets sent back (like if it was COD and nobody picked it up), you actually have to cover the shipping costs, so now you've got me all confused.🤷

Yeah, that's how it works. You end up paying the shipping fee and the whole thing just comes back as a certified mail item...

Zachary Peterson6 said:Exactly, you pay the shipping fee and the package arrives as certified mail...

Aha, so it's not like this scenario where I pay $27.40 because I sent it COD as a package under 2kg, and then if it gets returned, I have to pay that exact same amount again? Instead, I just pay the rate for whatever the weight ends up being as a certified shipment?

Okay, I think I get it now. Thanks for clearing that up. 🙂

By the way, it looks like they lost a package I sent out. It went out on May 15th, and the tracking just disappears after it hit Indianapolis, but according to the timelines on the website, it should have reached its destination by now. I guess what I'm wondering is if it's too early to go file a claim today, and how long the whole search process usually takes before the post office decides to reimburse the value listed on the box?
Thanks in advance.

Linda Chavez14 said:By the way, it looks like one of my packages went missing. It was shipped on May 15th, and the tracking just vanishes after being processed in Indianapolis—even though, according to the website's own delivery window, it should have arrived by now. What I’m wondering is, am I jumping the gun if I go file a claim today? And how long does the whole investigation actually take before the carrier finally decides to reimburse the value listed on the box?
Thanks in advance.

I'd say hold off until at least Monday (personally, I usually wait a full seven days before I even think about filing a claim)...
Basically, they make you file an inquiry first, and if they can't find it—in my experience, they call me by the second day—then you fill out those reimbursement forms. You sign them, then they send everything over to the recipient's local post office, the person who didn't get the package signs off, then it all gets routed back to your home branch, and eventually, the money shows up at your door... if memory serves, the whole ordeal takes at least a week.

Linda Williams28 said:Maybe wait until Monday at least (I usually wait about seven days before I go file a claim)...
They write up a claim first, and if they can't find it, they draft that reimbursement paper. You go sign it, then they mail it to the person who didn't receive the package, that person signs it, and it goes back to your local post office, and eventually, the money gets sent to your house... I think the whole process takes at least a week... if my memory serves me right...

Oh great, thanks so much 🙂
They told me over the phone to go file a claim today, and of course, I went to the post office in the meantime only to be sent home and told to come back Monday. It's total madness 🙂

Rebecca Grant26 said:Thanks, Nicole Lee4, but honestly, who knows when it'll actually show up? Thanks anyway! 🙂

Don't mention it! Happy to help.

Linda Lee25 said:Hey there! I was wondering about something—if someone sends out a package with cash on delivery (COD), but then the recipient refuses to pick it up and it just gets sent all the way back to the sender, does the sender still have to cough up the original shipping fees?

He really has to pay up. $3.25It’s actually pretty great—they charge one flat shipping rate for returns, regardless of how heavy the box is or what specific services you opted for.

Linda Chavez14 said:Sorry to barge in like this, but I'm actually really curious about this too! 🙂
So, if I’ve got this right... if I’m sending out a package weighing roughly 800 grams via COD (cash on delivery), and considering there's always that chance it gets sent right back to me if the recipient doesn't pick it up—which is why I'd recommend that option—then I guess I'd actually have to cover the cost of... $6.25 So, how exactly would she go about getting it back?

She really ought to just give it to her. $3.25

Linda Chavez14 said:Oh, that’s awesome! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! 🙂
They told me over the phone to head down today and file a missing property report, but of course—because life is just one big comedy of errors—I went ahead and swung by the post office first. And what happens? They basically sent me packing! They told me I might as well just go home and come back on Monday. Honestly, what a circus. 🙂

You might want to try checking in over there as well, just in case they haven't already cleared everything for you at the service counter. I was just browsing through the official USPS website earlier, trying to track down some information on my recent orders, and I stumbled upon their main portal again. It’s one of those sites you end up visiting more often than you'd like once you start dealing with a lot of online shopping!

Nicole Lee4 said:she should probably provide $3.25

maybe try checking here too if they haven't already checked at the counter http://

Thanks for this info regarding the return, I finally know exactly 🙂

Regarding checking via the website, that just doesn't work for domestic shipments. I've tried several times. I guess you just have to call their number to get any actual information. They checked for me over the phone and then again at the service counter before sending me home.
The last update they had was that the package left Indianapolis on May 15th, so it obviously got diverted somewhere along the way 🤷

Is it actually allowed, for instance, if I have a package arriving cash on delivery, to just open it right there at the post office? Like, if it’s exactly what I ordered, I take it, but if it’s totally wrong, I just hand it back on the spot?
I still can't get over that recent mess with the smartphone—someone sent me a phone via COD, but when I opened it, the contents were absolutely nothing like what was actually paid for. 🤔

Hannah Barrett61 said:Is it actually allowed to, say, if I have a package arriving with cash on delivery, just open it right there at the post office? If it’s what I actually ordered, I take it, and if not, I just send it back?
I still remember that guy recently who ordered a phone via COD and ended up with something completely different than what he paid for inside the box. 🤔

No, you can't, and that's exactly where the headache comes from. The package could contain literally anything, but you're expected to accept it and pay the money first before you even get to look inside. Honestly, in-person handoffs are the only way to be safe; everything else is basically just a leap of faith. 🙂