Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

So, my mom tried to send off a little package yesterday, and the lady at the UPS counter insisted it was way too small to qualify as a standard parcel—which honestly feels a bit ridiculous because I’ve sent much smaller things through FedEx before without anyone batting an eye—and because of that technicality, they ended up charging her the full rate for a certified letter, which came out to about $9.00.
She even went ahead and asked what the actual minimum dimensions were for a package, but the clerk just shrugged and said she didn't know, while doubling down on the idea that there was absolutely no way to ship it as anything other than a letter!
It was such a disorganized mess, really.

What a disaster. Your mother really should have been the one to insist on the dimensions. It was supposed to be 9x14 cm, by the way.

Nicole Gray82 said:So my mom sent a little package yesterday and the clerk at the USPS told her it was way too small to be classified as a parcel—which is total nonsense because I’ve sent much smaller stuff before without anyone batting an eye—so they ended up charging her like a certified letter, which cost about $9.00.
Then she asked what the minimum dimensions actually were, and the woman just shrugged and said she had no idea, but insisted it couldn't go out as a package!
What a complete disaster.

They have gone downhill so fast lately..
Honestly, they are just looking for any excuse to nickel and dime you!
I was at the post office the other day and the employee was literally rotating the box around just trying to find some tiny flaw—then she just gave me this massive eye roll.
Absolutely awful 🙄

Nicole Gray82 said:My mom sent off a little parcel yesterday, only to have some clerk tell her it was too small to qualify as a package—even though I’ve sent much smaller things through USPS before without a single hitch. So, what happens? They charged her the rate for registered mail, which came out to about $9.00.
And when she asked what the minimum dimensions actually were? The woman just shrugged and said she didn't know, but insisted it couldn't go through as a standard package!
A complete disaster.

Well, if that's the case, your mother shouldn't have just stood there; she should have gone to a different Post Office branch or waited until someone else was behind the counter. 🤷
That’s my policy whenever I encounter an employee who clearly isn't interested in being helpful. 🤣

Sandra Clark52 said:Well, it really all comes down to how much the package weighs; I had a few shipments $7.00 where the items were heavier than, say, half a pound, I think.

Last week I sent out two packages—shipping was $14 plus some extra fees... and they both weighed over a pound... value was low, obviously.$33 👍
By the way, I just realized she sent them via certified mail... so it’s hardly surprising the shipping cost ended up being over $6.75...

jadeskipper18 said:They hit me with that extra charge on the package I sent out yesterday, too. They didn't even bother to ask first. Honestly, though, nobody’s going to go broke over an extra dollar and seventy cents, and for someone else, it might actually make a difference. 😉

It’s true, but there's something fundamentally wrong about the fact that we aren't given a choice. We should be the ones deciding whether or not we want to donate, yet they've already made the call for us.
Charity loses its soul when it feels forced. If you have to push people into being kind, the whole point is lost. 👎👎

Anyone know how long it takes for a package to get from New York to LA if you use standard shipping (not the expedited stuff)...

thanks.

In my experience, most of my packages—especially the savory ones—tend to arrive within a day or two. As for anything sent via Priority Mail, they generally show up at my doorstep by the very next day.
If you manage to get everything shipped out before 1:00 PM, you can pretty much count on them being right at your door the following morning.
So, really, we're looking at a maximum turnaround of two days. 😉

Rebecca Reed said:Usually, all my packages—especially anything savory—show up within a day or two. Certified mail almost always hits my doorstep the next day.
If it’s sent by 1 PM, it’s at my door the following morning.
So yeah, two days max. 😉

thanks for the quick reply

👍

Does someone else need to pick up my package for me, or do I have to show up in person?

Generally speaking, you’re expected to show up in person with all your identification ready to go. I suppose if you’re dealing with a tiny local post office where everyone knows your face, maybe a family member could swing by to pick up a small parcel for you.
But at my local USPS branch? There is absolutely no way anyone else is picking anything up unless they are the actual intended recipient.

I have a question...
Has anyone else dealt with certified mail taking two whole weeks to arrive? I’ve been using this tiny local post office branch, and the lady working there has a serious personal grudge against me 🙂, so I can't help but wonder if my packages are being delayed because of it. Is that even possible?
After that, I tried a different branch and everything arrived just a couple of days later. To make matters worse, some of my clients mentioned it looked like those first packages had actually been tampered with.
It’s honestly awful. It makes me look completely unprofessional, even though it’s totally out of my control.
I've switched branches now, but still...

I think something’s definitely off here... You should probably just call them up and ask where the shipment is stuck. Since you have the tracking number, just give it to them; they’re required to give you an update. I’ve called a few times myself—they usually just ask for my phone number, check their system, and then call me right back to tell me exactly where the package is.

Michelle Fisher98 said:I have a quick question for the group...
Has anyone here dealt with a situation where you sent a package via certified mail, but it feels like it’s taking forever to actually arrive? I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced a two-day delay or more. I dropped mine off at my local neighborhood Post Office, but the clerk working there seems to have a bit of a personal grievance with me, which makes the whole thing feel even more uncertain. 🙂 I’ve been having my doubts about that too—is it actually possible that's why my packages are taking so long to arrive?
After that initial headache, I tried sending them out via a different carrier, and everything actually arrived within a day or two. It was a much smoother process, though I did hear from some of my girls that those first few packages looked like they had been tampered with or opened before they reached their destination.
Honestly, it feels pretty terrible. I feel like I’m being painted as completely unprofessional, when in reality, I have absolutely zero control over these situations. It’s like being blamed for the weather; you can prepare all you want, but if a storm hits, people still look at you like you caused it.
Alright, I went ahead and updated my post, but honestly... I'm still feeling a bit conflicted about it.

The delivery window was only supposed to be four days, so I’m honestly not sure why things have been dragging on this long for you. You should have the confirmation email sitting in your inbox right now—just give them a call and see what the hold-up is. If they still can't give you a straight answer, your best bet is to just file a formal dispute and let the bank handle it from there.🙂

Honestly, all those packages eventually show up. Every time I call to ask what’s going on, they just tell me to wait the full 14 days before they even start looking for them. And hearing that some of the boxes were actually opened? That's just wild. It honestly feels like it might be that one woman working there, though I have no idea how she'd even manage to mess things up like that...

Anyway, I want to apologize to everyone who was left waiting...
I finally switched up my shipping provider and everything has been smooth sailing since. 🙂

I honestly believe you ought to have filed a formal complaint against them. Why just sit there? Try sending a test shipment first to see how they handle it, then file that report and make it crystal clear that their deliveries are perpetually late and—to make matters worse—your packages are arriving tampered with. 🙂

Laura Nguyen28 said:they’ve honestly gone downhill lately..
it feels like they're just looking for any tiny reason to nitpick everything!
I was at the UPS counter the other day and the clerk spent the whole time turning my package over and over, hunting for some microscopic flaw, and then she just gave me this huge eye roll
It was awful 🙄

🙄
I have to admit, I sometimes feel quite silly standing there while they scrutinize my little box, acting as if I'm trying to smuggle a live grenade through security instead of just sending a gift🤷
The other day, an employee at the post office actually rolled her eyes at me simply because—can you believe it?—I had printed out the label and taped it onto the box myself. As if heaven forbid the adhesive might fail, or as if I were somehow orchestrating a grand conspiracy to cause a panic by being a little too prepared😂

Haha, you meet all kinds. There’s this one lady near my place in Chicago who acts like she’s the CEO of JPMorgan Chase or something. Like, excuse me? I can't even get a reply from her if I message her while she's busy writing something.
btw, quick question. Do they actually charge you for those forms you have to fill out when sending stuff via certified mail or COD?

There are no charges

Yeah, those yellow cabs definitely charge a premium.