Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Michelle Fisher98 said:Where on earth am I supposed to pick up those bubble-wrap envelopes? I’m assuming a bookstore might have them, but honestly... I just have no clue 😁

A bookstore could work, but you can always find them at the local Post Office!

You’ve got options in the subway, the metro, and so on.

I placed an order back on June 27th, and while it's supposedly making its way here from across the country, it hasn't quite made its grand appearance at my doorstep yet... I was wondering if anyone might be able to shed some light on a little dilemma I'm facing. You see, I have a rather lengthy trip coming up very soon, and I'd simply hate for the package to be sent all the way back to the sender—I really don't fancy shelling out another $12 in shipping fees just because the timing didn't work out! Would it be possible for one of my family members to pick it up on my behalf? I could certainly provide them with a copy of my ID, like my passport, if that helps facilitate things. Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!🙂

Just head down to the local USPS branch with them and set up a power of attorney. It’ll cost you a few $5.00, but then they can pick up your packages for you using that paperwork. You can set the duration for the authorization however you see fit.

I’ve got a question, but honestly, I don't have the energy right now to go hunting through all these threads for some similar example.

So, I’m selling stuff, and someone just asked me if they can pay via Cash on Delivery.

I did end up sending the items, but I’d much rather they just used a direct transfer or something so the money actually hits my account.

Any advice? What should I do?

Sandra Brooks91 said:You could always head down to the local USPS office with that person and set up a formal power of attorney—it might cost you a small fee, I think, maybe around $5.00—and then they’ll be legally cleared to pick up your packages whenever they need to. You can just specify the exact duration you want that authorization to remain valid, which feels like a pretty solid workaround to me.

thanks so much🙂

rapidrider3 said:I have a question, but I don't really have the energy right now to hunt for a similar example on here.

I'm selling something, and someone just asked if they can pay cash on delivery.

I've done it before, but I'd honestly much rather they just use a bank transfer or Venmo.

Any advice?

I'm not sure I follow—are you the seller?

Either way, you aren't going to lose anything here.
If they transfer the money directly, it's in your account. If they pay COD, the mail carrier brings the cash to you. It really just comes down to what works best for them.
The only thing is shipping is $14.40 for a regular package, but if it's COD, it'll be $21.60...

Michelle Fisher98 said:I'm not sure I follow—are you actually selling this stuff?

Either way, there’s really no downside here.
If they pay via direct deposit, the cash is sitting right there. If they go with cash on delivery, the money comes straight to your door via the mail carrier. It just depends on what works best for the buyer.
The only thing is, shipping is $14.40 for a standard package, or if it's COD, it'll be $21.60...

Yeah, I'm selling. But honestly? I'm a little paranoid about sending things out into the void like that (just sneezed, and man, that was a loud one—bless me, I guess😁). What if the package gets to the address and nobody is home? Or worse, they just never pick it up and it ends up being sent back to me? Then I've basically just thrown my shipping money down the drain, haven't I?

Anyone here dealt with this before? Any horror stories or success stories?

I’ve had both good and bad experiences with this... it really just comes down to the individual and whether they actually show up to pick up the package. There's no real rule for it. My only advice would be that if someone is dead set on that specific shipping method, have them send you the postage cost upfront via Venmo or Zelle. That way, at least you aren't out of pocket if they decide not to collect it.

Is it feasible to send electronics via the mail such that the recipient handles the shipping costs?

Hey everyone... I have a quick question... I sent some money via USPS to a friend back on July 21st, and it still hasn't hit her account! Is that normal when you use the post office for transfers, or is something off?

Kate Watson54 said:Hi everyone... I have a quick question. I sent some money via the post office on July 21st, and it still hasn't hit the recipient's account! Is that normal when you pay through the post office, or does it usually take this long?

Well, if you're making a payment at a post office or at a bank where the recipient doesn't hold an account, it typically takes about two or three business days for the funds to clear. However, if you're transferring money within the same bank where they have their account, it should show up almost instantly.😁

Kimberly Robinson7 said:If you're making a deposit at the post office or at a bank where you don't hold an account—like if you're sending money to someone else—it usually takes about two or three business days to clear... whereas if you're using your own bank where they already have an account, it hits right away. 😁

Oh, I see... I was thinking it would only take a single day, which is why I was getting a little anxious... thanks!

I have a quick question. When you send a package via Cash on Delivery, does the mail carrier bring the money directly back to the sender's door? Is there any need to generate an invoice or anything like that?

@Echoplex: The mail carrier just delivers the cash right to your doorstep; you don't even need an invoice. You just sign for the delivery to confirm you got the money, and that’s the end of it.

Thanks for the heads-up 🙏

So, I stumbled upon this website based out of Mexico that ships over to the United States. I've never actually ordered anything from a neighboring country before, but I just got an email back from them.

Dear Customer,

Yes, we do ship to the United States.

The procedure for you is slightly different; the notice on our site only applies to
the territory of Mexico. We will send you a pro forma invoice for payment,
and once the payment is confirmed, we will ship your items via post express. Your only
potential extra cost would be any customs duties, should the goods be subject to them (you can
look into that). There is always a certain threshold under which no customs fees are charged.

We invoice the goods to you at the price excluding sales tax (which varies between 8 or 18% depending on
what is being ordered).

I am also attaching the post express rate sheet so you can see what the estimated
shipping costs would be.

weight / kg price / USD.
up to 0.5 1,000.00 .....

Now I'm trying to wrap my head around the whole process—payment methods, logistics, all of it. I just want to be absolutely certain that I won't end up getting hit with a bill much higher than what I originally anticipated.

I was just wondering how much shipping would actually run if I sent off a package weighing just under two pounds? Has anyone here ever dealt with something that heavy before? According to the USPS website, it should be about $5.50 but honestly, I feel like some lady at the counter is just going to make up her own rules and charge me triple for no reason 👎 Anyone have any idea? 🙂

For anything up to 11 lbs, the rate for an interstate package is $27$31.75.

Well, you’ll probably find just as much information online as you did on that one specific post. The bottom line is this: grab a slip for the package, circle the right option, and write down the value. Simple enough, right?