Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Grace Sanders24 said:So, what’s up? Were you actually asking if they could rush that CD delivery to you?🤔

Give me a break. I tried to just send it via standard certified mail, but apparently, that was off the table. I even asked if I could just go with regular postage, but she was dead set on it—she told me point-blank that from now on, they'll only accept documents sent as letters. It’s ridiculous. I’ve already heard from a few other girls over in Varaždin who ran into the exact same headache; they couldn't even get products sent through certified mail, even when using those bubble mailers.

Sarah Flores said:No way. I tried to just send it via standard certified mail, but they wouldn't let me. I even asked about regular shipping. She was super clear that from now on, only documents can be sent that way—like a basic letter. A few other girls told me they couldn't send products via certified mail from Varaždin either, especially those bubble mailers...

Just checked. You're right. This change kicked in today across Varaždin County and Des Moines. From here on out, you'll have to pack stuff in a small box and ship it as a package. They're restructuring how everything works. 🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:I just went to check on this myself. You're totally right. As of today, they started rolling this out in Varaždin County and Des Moines. From now on, you’ll have to shove your CDs into a tiny box and ship them as actual packages. Apparently, they're "restructuring" their business model. 🍿

Honestly, bravo to them for running a business this way. What kind of logic is it to start in just a few specific counties first? They could have at least given us a grace period where you could still send stuff as standard mail until the rollout hit everywhere else. We aren't talking about shipping bricks here, for God's sake—it's a freaking CD!🙄

Sarah Flores said:Kudos to them for running a business like this. But what’s with the policy of rolling it out county by county first? They could've at least given us a grace period—like, until it hits every county, you can still send stuff like this via standard mail. We aren't talking about bricks here, it's a damn CD!🙄

I'm with you on that. But it is what it is. Life throws curveballs. Especially when it comes to the USPS. 🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:I'm with you on that. But honestly, that's just how it goes. Life really does write its own twisted dramas. In this specific case? It's the Postal Service. 🍿

I've got a feeling this is all just a setup for the privatization of the USPS—they have to wreck the business first so someone can swoop in, take over, and "fix" things. Probably.

☕

It wasn't just Varaždin County either, I sent it from another one too, honestly it’s the exact same deal...

I honestly don't get it—what on earth are they planning to open there now?
How do they even know you're sending a CD?

I mean, honestly? Just try resaving that CD sleeve. You always know if it’s just flimsy paper or actual stuff, let's be real...

But whatever, the whole situation is just a joke at this point. It feels like some weird turf war between News Corp and USPS, if you ask me... since hardly anyone bothers with one when they can use the other, they both just keep trying to outsmart each other. I don't think this little drama will last long, though, mostly because their volume is gonna tank. People are probably just gonna stick to using USPS for heavy packages, while all that small stuff—you know, the random things people flip on Craigslist or those thrift apps—that's all gonna head over to News Corp.
The only real perk for News Corp is that they give you a box, so you don't have to deal with packing everything yourself or standing in those endless lines at the USPS office—especially since the price ends up being pretty much the same anyway.

It’s basically the same thing, except they won't call it "certified mail" anymore—it'll just be a package. That's really the only difference. You still get a tracking number, so there's no real change for us. This was done just to make sorting more efficient for the USPS. Honestly, it was about time. The way people were sending stuff before was a total mess.🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:It’s basically the exact same thing, except they won't call it "certified mail" anymore—just a package. That's the only actual difference. You still get a tracking number, so what's the big deal? This change was just made so the USPS can sort things faster and more efficiently. Honestly, it was about time. The way people used to send stuff through the mail was a total circus.🍿

No shit, Sherlock... I see you're some kind of postal expert, but seriously...🙄

You sent a light item (under 4 ounces—like a CD or a DVD) in an ENVELOPE for $4.25... and the mail carrier brought it right to your door. If you want it as a package, you have to ship it IN A DAMN BOX that you actually have to go out and find... for $6.00... and then the recipient has to trek all the way to the post office to pick it up.

Does that ring a bell now?

Megan Morris70 said:But then the only perk of using News Corp is the box itself and the fact that you don't have to pack stuff yourself or wait in line at the USPS—since the price ends up being pretty much the same.

Oh sure... a total game changer... (just the box, right...)
+ plus waiting at the USPS which is usually... well... legendary! Truly an invaluable experience...

$6.00there's a tiny package at News Corp with their box and $6.00there's a package at the USPS.
Just think about how you actually want to spend your time shipping things.

Btw, I don't work for News Corp—but there's a newsstand on my way to work and I'm in and out in thirty seconds... whereas at the USPS, I’m averaging at least a 15-minute wait. I swear the absolute fastest once was 4 minutes. And the longest I've sat there was 40 minutes.
And that was just to send one certified letter!

🙄

Sarah Flores said:Cut the crap, Sherlock... I see you work for the USPS, but still...🙄

You sent a light item (under 4oz—like a CD or DVD) in an ENVELOPE for $4.25... and the mailman delivered it right to the door. If you want it as a package, you have to send it IN A DAMN BOX that you actually have to find somewhere... for $6.00... and then the recipient has to go pick it up at the post office.

Does that click now?

Is there really no option for home delivery on packages anymore? Honestly, it’s about time they organized this better. It would make sorting way easier. Personally, I'm fine with the change once I remember all the random junk people used to ship. You can just grab those small, sleek mailers for like five bucks, or try DIY-ing something if you're sending a mountain of CDs around. It'd be a riot seeing how that plays out in Washington, D.C. It’ll be a total circus. Can't wait. 🍿

Sarah Flores said:Yeah, right... such a small detail... (just the box, though...)
+ plus waiting at the USPS which is usually... well... legendary! Truly an invaluable experience...

$6.00 is a small package via News Corp using their box and $6.00 is a package at the USPS.
Just think about how you actually want to ship it.

Btw, I don't work for News Corp—but there's a newsstand on my way to work where I'm done in thirty seconds... whereas at the USPS, I'm stuck waiting at least 15 minutes on average. I think the absolute fastest once was 4 minutes. And the longest I've waited was 40.
For sending this, I'd recommend just using a standard letter!

🙄

Basically, just go to the newsstand and get it over with. 👍

Come on, let’s not troll here.
The Postal Service is just making a mess of things again—it feels like they can't help but create more chaos.
I am genuinely curious how this is actually going to work in practice. I mean, how did they even define what counts as "paperwork" versus "documents"?
At least the Associated Press lowered their rates a little bit. 👍

quietfox384 said:Stop trolling.
The Postal Service is just going to mess this up. It’ll be a total disaster.
I honestly have no clue how they plan to handle all the physical paperwork and documentation in practice.
At least the Associated Press dropped their rates a bit. 👍

We'll see. I'm curious too.🍿

Everything’s back to how it was. Turns out they realized they were being idiots after all. 👍

Is there a link somewhere where I can read more about this?

According to what they're saying at FedEx, this rule should start kicking in on February 1st of this year.

Grace Sanders24 said:They finally fixed everything and went back to the old way! Guess they realized they were being total idiots after all. 👍

Where'd you hear that? Just asking so I don't waste an hour standing in line at the Post Office only to find out I'm paying for 24-hour shipping on something that fits in a tiny envelope.

Nicole Bennett30 said:Is there a link somewhere where I can read more about this?

Based on what the folks at FedEx are saying, this rule should kick in starting February 1st.

No link. I am the link.

Megan Morris70 said:Where'd you get that info? Just trying to make sure I don't waste an hour standing in line at the post office only to realize I have to pay for 24-hour shipping on something that fits in a regular envelope.

Seriously, why are you waiting in line at the post office for an hour? It’s 2024, who even deals with lines like that anymore? Just chill and ship it like you always have. It’ll be fine. Take my word for it. 🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:There isn't a link. I am the link.

Mhm. https://www.usps.com/resources/price-lists.page