Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Look, I get all that, but honestly, every single time I go to drop off a package, some lady at the USPS counter finds a way to charge me way more than what their own website quoted me. That’s exactly why I’m asking 🤷

If you just fill out that paperwork and hand it over, she won't have any grounds to argue. If she tries to claim otherwise, why not ask her to actually explain herself? 👍

Seriously, when you see how she acts—just totally worked up and aggressive for no reason—it honestly kills any motivation I had to even send out a package. 👎 It’s a good thing there are only two, otherwise, I’d be losing my mind trying to deal with the second one too. 😁
Anyway, thanks for getting back to me. 😉

Does anyone actually know what the exchange rate looks like for a single dollar against the new currency in America now?

Just another absolute joke. My package got sent back to me, and I actually had to pay $5.00 just because they couldn't get it delivered correctly? Seriously, where is this even happening? And then I have to shell out $1.75 for shipping on the very same package. Only in America! Our postal service is just fantastic—just like the rest of this country!

Wait, does that cheaper shipping rate of $14.40 only apply to the $27 value, or does it cover $33 too??

Just head over to www.usps.com and use their calculator. I suspect the amount is off by a few bucks.

Grace Lee48 said:What’s the exchange rate for a dollar in America right now under the new

Since when is this "new" stuff happening?
$1.25 Give me a break.🙂

Is it possible to send a package via priority mail—and if so, what’s the extra charge for that service?

Ugh, when you send something via 'standard shipping'—how much does the postage actually run you?

I sent off a standard package last week (along with a few others, but those were insured), and I told the lady, "just standard shipping for this one"...
she charged me and gave me a receipt.
later on, I glanced at the receipt and realized she charged me 3x$14.40 for the other packages, plus $2.25 (whatever that "standard" fee was) plus $3.00 and honestly, I have no clue what else I paid for??

By then, I was already way too far from the USPS office to turn back and confront her, so I'm asking here—has this happened to anyone else?
Because I don't get why I paid these $3.00, or if I should've just asked for standard mail instead? I specifically said a standard package... I have no idea if there's even a difference?
If anyone knows, please—help me out 😁

Hmm... maybe she sent it as a package? Or, more likely, it was just a really heavy envelope.

I have a quick question regarding customs—does anyone here actually know how this works? I just had a little package arrive from eBay, and today I got word from Customs demanding that I provide the actual invoice for the purchase. So, here’s the deal: the receipt shows the total was $90, which is roughly $150. My understanding is that they process the duties, send it to my local post office, and then I just settle the bill when I go to pick up the parcel. What I’m really wondering is: what kind of percentage are they taking off the top? And has anyone else actually dealt with them being strict about this lately? Thanks!

p.s. Actually, hold on... I just found the info I needed, so you can all stop worrying about me...🙂 Thanks!

Here’s the situation... I need to mail out a tent that measures about 50 cm by 18 cm in diameter. It’s quite bulky and awkward to package because it’s shaped like a cylinder, and I don't have a box that fits it quite right...

I'm wondering how I can pack this while still staying strictly within their shipping regulations... Or perhaps they have a way of packaging items like this on their end? I'm honestly at a bit of a loss here, and I really need to get this shipped out by tomorrow, so if anyone could jump in with some urgent advice, I would truly appreciate it...

Hey everyone, quick question... Is it actually possible to pick up a package at the local Post Office without having that slip the mail carrier leaves behind when they miss you? Basically, I missed my delivery, and since tomorrow is Saturday and USPS doesn't run our specific service on weekends, I’m stuck until Monday. I really can't wait until then to get my hands on it, so I was wondering if I could just head down there and try to claim it if it happens to be sitting there waiting for me.

Jamie Lee67 said:Here’s the situation... I need to mail out this tent that’s about 50 cm x 18 cm (diameter). It’s pretty bulky and awkward to pack since it's shaped like a cylinder, and I don't have a box that fits it right...

So, I'm wondering how I can package this while still following their rules... Or maybe they have a way to pack it on their end? I honestly don't know what to do, and I really need to get this shipped by tomorrow, so if anyone could please get back to me urgently...

Hey, I'm thinking $1.75 it's up to them to handle the packaging.... 😕

Also, Betty Kim55—how do you even know your package arrived if the mail carrier didn't leave a notice? If you're certain it's there, I think you should be able to pick it up just using your full name, since those slips always seem to get lost anyway...
😘

I’m guessing it probably went out on Thursday? Usually, when I'm waiting on packages like this, they don't show up until Monday since they don't typically deliver on Saturdays... anyway, thanks! Just curious about the timing.🙂

Betty Kim55 said:I'm guessing it was sent out on Thursday? Usually, my packages show up on Mondays since they don't deliver on Saturdays... thanks, just wondering...🙂

Same thing happened to me. Exactly the same. I actually called them this morning to see if anything had arrived, and sure enough, it was there, so I just headed over and picked it up...

Does anyone know roughly how much it would cost to ship a small package back to the United Kingdom? It was an eBay purchase, weighing somewhere around 10 ounces...

Around $42 the package, or maybe just send it as a letter via $27, with certified mail costing about 100 bucks. I'm guessing that's hardly worth it...

Look, I’ve been working at HP for quite a few years now, so let me clear some things up for you guys.

If you sent someone an express package, a certified letter, or used FedEx with a COD (cash on delivery) option, that "express" label applies strictly to the physical package itself—it doesn't speed up the money being returned to you. When cash is sent back via a money order, the postal service treats it like standard mail. It isn't "urgent," so don't expect it to land in your hands the very next day like a FedEx shipment would. From what I see on the job, it usually takes about 2 to 5 business days for that money to actually reach you.

When you're sending regular packages, the rule of thumb is that you need packing paper and twine (especially if the box is heavy), unless you're just dropping it off in a blue USPS collection box (in which case, maybe just some twine for the heavy stuff). But honestly, that's just how it works on paper; in reality, sometimes the clerks will look the other way and let it slide. In major cities that handle package deliveries, like Cleveland or Washington, D.C., the delivery fee is $1.75 and that's always covered by the recipient. The sender is always the one footing the bill for the initial shipping cost of a standard package.
The only service we offer where the recipient can pick up the tab for shipping is FedEx.

If you want to know what causes the biggest headaches when shipping anything, it’s definitely those COD money orders.
At the counter, you’ll pay a fee that's 3.66% of the money order's total value, with a minimum charge of $3.00 and a maximum of $27. For a standard money order, the minimum is $1.75 and the maximum is $27.
So, here's the math: if you send someone a COD package and you already paid $17 upfront, but you're asking them to pay, say, $167, then they're going to end up paying $6.00 for the COD fee plus $1.75 for the actual delivery.
With FedEx, the same rules apply to the money order part, but not to the delivery fee.

Now, listen up: any package that gets sent back to the sender because the service wasn't prepaid (like if it was sent via FedEx marked "bill recipient") will cost you the original shipping price plus an extra 50% penalty for the return trip. This happens if the recipient doesn't pick it up, can't be found, or just refuses the delivery.
If the service *was* prepaid, the sender still has to cough up 50% to get the undelivered package sent back. If anyone is wondering why that exists or thinks it’s a raw deal, just use your head for a second. We drove all the way to Washington, D.C. with your package, and if your recipient doesn't grab it, you don't think we're just gonna drive all that way back for free, right? 😉
If you decide you don't want to pay for the return, the package just sits at the post office until it eventually goes to a public auction or gets tossed out.

There's plenty more I could tell you, but I'm running out of steam here. I'm sure there's a ton of other details I missed, but this should give you a solid starting point.
If you have any specific questions I might be able to answer, feel free to ask. 🙂