Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Quote: Hard Candy

Sandra Brooks91 said:Eye... $42 A package... well, it's really more like a letter, isn't it? Or perhaps just a small parcel... $27I suppose if they're recommending something around the $100 mark... though, honestly, it seems a bit counterproductive at that price point...

Good grief, that’s just too much... It really isn't worth it. 😢

William Jones30 said:If the shipping was prepaid, the sender covers 50% of the cost to have an undelivered package returned. If anyone wonders why that’s the case or thinks it sounds stupid, maybe they should actually use their brain for once.

Fine, why don't you do the thinking then and explain to me why I was charged 100% for my return, $4.75 plus $1.75 the delivery fee? Does ANYONE actually audit the invoices these carriers are throwing around?

To top it all off, I had a little "lesson" the other day. The woman sending me the package mistyped the address—just a few digits off. Instead of being a decent human being, the mail carrier decided he'd gone through all this trouble to find the right house and deserved some extra compensation. I told him, what compensation? A tip? Isn't a professional supposed to know their route and the local residents well enough to fix a minor typo without making a scene? But no, he had to squeeze out a little extra...
And in the end, $1.75, I just said, fine, let me see the receipt. And then... the receipt... Honestly, my blood pressure spiked the second I saw it the next morning. 😁

Sandra Brooks91 said:Alright, fine, you do the math then. Why on earth did I get a full 100% refund, $4.75 plus $1.75 shipping costs back? Is ANYONE actually auditing the receipts these mail carriers are handing out around town?

Also, I had this whole thing happen the other day. The woman who sent my package totally messed up the house number—just missed a couple of digits—and my mail carrier basically told me he had to go through all this extra trouble to track down the right address and that he should probably be compensated for the hassle. I was like, compensated? What, a salary? Look, I figure a decent, conscientious mail carrier is someone who knows their route and the people on it, so they just fix a typo without making it a whole production! But no, this guy wanted something extra...
And in the end, I was just like, $1.75, "Fine, can I just have my receipt?" And then... oh man, looking at that bill... it honestly spiked my blood pressure first thing in the morning. 😁

There are only two ways you get a 100% refund. Either they overcharged you, in which case you take your receipt or confirmation to the local USPS office and ask why the amount is so high, or you just miscalculated something on your end. Just tell me exactly what kind of service you used and what the total charge was, and I’ll look up what the standard refund rate is for that specific service.

Second thing, we don't call them "mail guys" like that—it's pretty disrespectful. If your carrier hears you talking like that, don't be surprised if the next time someone sends a letter to the wrong address, he isn't exactly rushing to save your skin. 😉
By the way, if you realized that being off by just two digits can mean a radius of several hundred yards—meaning an entire neighborhood and at least half an hour of wasted time—you might actually appreciate it when a carrier tracks down a package sent to a wrong address. 🙂 Now, obviously, that doesn't mean you owe him a tip or anything, but it's good context to have.

The shipping fees that customers pay aren't decided by the individual carriers; those rates are set by the logistics and distribution departments.

I call them "the package disasters" because I’ve dealt with nothing but headaches from them at this address. Before I moved here, I had an amazing mail carrier—if you'd actually read the thread, you’d understand why I have absolutely zero respect for HP.
I sent out a package and paid $14.40, only for it to sit there unclaimed because the recipient never received a single notification. You want to know the excuse I got at the post office? Apparently, her regular carrier is on vacation, and the substitute is completely incompetent.
And I believe her, too, because even at my old place, my reliable carrier is being replaced by someone who can't manage to deliver a single thing—not even a scrap of paper.
My carrier always marks bills as "delivered" right to me, so I have no idea what you're talking about regarding them being logged at the station.
Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of this process, so I tossed the bills. Once again, I've been robbed blind. Fantastic.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Look, I call them "package people" because I’ve had nothing but headaches dealing with them. At my old place, I actually had a great mail carrier, so if you’ve read my posts, you’d know why I don't have anything but bad things to say about HP.
I sent off a package once and paid $14.40, but it just sat there because the recipient never got a single notification. You want to know the excuse I got at the post office? They told me their regular guy was on vacation and the temp covering for him is basically clueless.
I totally believe her, too, because even at my old apartment, my reliable mailman is being replaced right now by someone else who never delivers anything—at least they leave a paper slip.
My carrier always hands me bills directly, so I have no idea what you're talking about regarding them being filed away at the station.
Unfortunately, I didn't know about this system, so I ended up tossing those bills. Just another way they ripped me off. Great.

See, what the carrier writes right in front of you is just the payment receipt, which is usually on the $1.75, whereas the delivery log shows the actual amount they calculate at the station—like COD fees or shipping costs. Honestly, I always tell customers that if they run into trouble, they should just walk into the post office with or without their receipt and try to sort it out whenever they feel a carrier isn't doing their job properly. There is nothing more annoying than hearing someone on the phone go, "But my mailman has been doing this for years," or "He's done this ten times before..." blah blah blah.
I mean, what do you expect them to say to you? Besides, "Ma'am, you really should have come in sooner instead of complaining about what happened a year ago."
Sadly, we have all sorts of people working at HP, but there are also plenty of incredibly hardworking folks who shouldn't be lumped in with the irresponsible carriers.

No, I just want an excuse to yell at my old man every single time something like this happens. There are basically two culprits here: the local guy and the one from Branimirov who handles the deliveries. So, what—he was supposed to charge 50%? And what about the shipping fee?

I once made a scene and actually managed to get a refund from $1.75 😁, along with a written apology for the "robbery." But that was because I sent the complaint from my official business email; I have a feeling they don't take physical customers quite as seriously...

Sandra Brooks91 said:Nah, I just want to spit on my ancestors every single time something like this happens. Basically, there are two different fees—the local one and the one from Branimirov when they deliver. So, were they supposed to charge 50%? And what about delivery?

I actually spoke up once and managed to get a refund from $1.75 😁 along with a written apology for basically being robbed. But then again, I sent that from an official business email address; I don't think they take individual customers quite as seriously...

From what I know, for all return services—unless the goods are damaged—they pay back 50% of the shipping price, minus any special extras like COD, Saturday delivery, and stuff like that. I don't have the entire USPS handbook memorized by heart :P because things change constantly, and you really only follow the specific departments that affect you. There are so many different divisions in the postal service that run by their own rules, which are always shifting and updating. $1.75 only charges for the package delivery department, whereas FedEx doesn't charge extra for delivery since it's already baked into the service cost. Also, you don't pay $1.75 or delivery fees for things like registered mail, whether it’s COD or not.
So, they gave you back those $1.75 that you pay as the recipient, but they didn't give the sender anything back, even though the sender already paid for the transport service.
It's true that corporations get treated better, but let's be real, that's just how it works everywhere.
Since I'm not sure if they only charge 50% of the postage for a standard package return or if they add $1.75 for delivery, I'll ask tomorrow and let you know.

I was wondering, what exactly is the distinction between urgent and recommended shipping options?
I am particularly curious about how much of a difference there is in terms of delivery speed, and whether both methods offer a way to get your money back if something goes wrong?

Sure, sounds great. Honestly, I’ve dealt with this twice now—once when they hit me with a $14.40+ shipping surcharge $1.75, and again a few months back when the mail carrier charged me for both the current delivery and a failed attempt $3.25, even though there should have only been one charge. Catch you all tomorrow. 🙂

boldstag40 said:What’s the actual difference between expedited and standard shipping?
I'm trying to figure out how much faster the delivery is and if they offer refunds for both options if things go south.

Look, "standard shipping" is pretty much just the baseline. If I remember correctly, the turnaround for those is usually about three days once it hits the local distribution center. Now, if you want to pay a little extra for expedited service, it doesn't cost a fortune, but it basically means the driver gets it out to the field way faster than the regular stuff. Then there's priority shipping, which runs about $3.25 more expensive; those get bumped to the front of the line and are usually part of the very first delivery run of the day. I don't work in that specific department, but that's the gist of it.
Any customer can file a formal complaint if we miss the promised delivery windows for a specific service level. About a year ago, when I dealt with a situation like that, the customer was actually entitled to a refund worth 3 to 5 times what they paid for postage, depending on why exactly the delay happened. Of course, policies might have shifted since then—as I always say, the rules tend to get tweaked or added to all the time. As for getting money back for damaged packages or whatever else, that’s handled by specialized claims departments within each regional hub.
One more thing: with mail services, the sender is the one who technically "owns" the shipment. That means they’re the ones with the right to file complaints or request changes, like changing the delivery address or redirecting the package. So, as the recipient, you aren't really in a position to claim a refund because the sender is the one who actually paid for the service. The only exception is if the sender explicitly waives their right to damages in your favor, or if you're using FedEx, where they sometimes bill the receiver directly.

Thanks, William Jones30 👍
I was wondering, though—if I decide to go with an expedited service for a standard shipment rather than a full package, what does that look like in terms of getting my money back if things go sideways? And realistically, how long should I expect it to take before it actually arrives at its destination?

boldstag40 said:thanks William Jones30 👍
but what if I just send a regular parcel (not a box) with expedited shipping? Can I actually get the value refunded, and how long does it usually take to arrive?

What do you mean by a regular parcel? Like a letter? If I recall correctly, you can just slap an expedited sticker on a standard envelope—you know, besides the stamp, that blue airmail icon or that red "urgent" mark. But with a basic letter, you can't declare a specific value and you won't get any proof of mailing, so if something goes sideways, you're basically out of luck. You can only really insure the value on things like registered mail or expedited packages, whether they have COD or not. Or with FedEx. With FedEx, there’s a maximum limit on what a customer can declare $66667, which basically means that's the most you can legally claim if a package gets totally trashed or lost. Honestly, in my experience, I've never seen or even heard of anyone losing a high-value package worth more than a few thousand bucks, so I don't actually know if people ever successfully claim those refunds. I assume $66667 that applies to packages too.
A standard letter doesn't really have an official deadline. I'd say it's usually not less than five days, but honestly, it all depends on when it hits the office and what time of day it was dropped off. It could show up in a day, or it could take over a week, especially around New Year's. Though, thankfully, that doesn't happen nearly as much anymore.

Quick little update for you guys. I looked into the return shipping situation, and turns out it’s not like FedEx where they just charge you half price for returns. They actually calculate it based on the origin point, the weight, and all that good stuff—basically, it costs pretty much the same to send it back as it did to ship it out in the first place.
Also, just a heads-up: if you want it done fast, you're looking at about $2.50. I mistakenly said priority earlier, but that's not quite how they handle it.

I've got a question... I struck a deal with someone to buy a phone via Cash on Delivery. The package arrived, I paid the agreed amount ($110 including shipping), but when I opened it, there was no phone—just some total junk he shoved in there to scam me. The guy is ghosting me now, so what can I actually do? Is there any way to get my money back!?

thanks

darkfalcon6 said:I’ve got a question... I made a deal with some guy to buy his phone via COD... the package showed up, I paid the agreed amount ($110 including shipping), but instead of the phone we talked about, there was just some absolute junk inside. He’s totally ghosting me now, so what can I even do? Is there any actual chance I can get my money back!?

thanks

As far as I know, the answer is no. Once you accept a package that doesn't have visible external damage and you don't flag it right then and there during delivery, the payment is processed that same afternoon. The post office isn't going to refund you for something they consider a successfully completed service. Even if you go down to the local branch and tell them you got scammed, it won't change a thing because their job is strictly the delivery, not inspecting the contents of the box.
Even if you called immediately after the driver left to report the wrong contents, the postal service isn't just going to take your word for it. The sender would have to file a formal request to release the funds that were collected with the package. Since this guy obviously isn't going to cooperate, you're stuck. Once you sign for a package that looks fine on the outside, getting your money back is an uphill battle. I haven't actually seen it happen in real life. Sometimes companies might be nice enough to let people report damaged goods later, but even then, you aren't getting an instant refund; you have to file a claim that offers zero guarantees. Bottom line is, the guy totally screwed you over.👎

Is an older person actually expected to inspect a package upon delivery before paying the driver, or what? Thanks.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Is the mail carrier supposed to wait while I open a C.O.D. package before paying them? Or what? Thanks.

Nah, definitely not. The mail carrier isn't allowed to hang around while you unbox stuff; you’ve gotta sign for it and settle the payment first, then you can go ahead and rip it open. And I'm talking about a package that looks perfectly fine on the outside, too!! They have a specific protocol for that. Honestly, if every customer insisted on inspecting every single item inside before the driver could move on, those guys would never make it back to the local post office by the end of their shift. Imagine trying to get through 50 or 70 packages like that. That’s not even my main point, just a little side thought.

Look, if I refuse to pay and try to open the package, do you really think they’ll just walk away? Not without a signature first, obviously. My whole point was that I wanted to order something similar, but specifically using cash on delivery so I can actually inspect the goods before handing over the money. If it isn't right, it goes straight back to the sender. Besides, FedEx will just charge the shipper for the return shipping anyway—I've already confirmed how that works.

First off, thanks for the reply. It’s pretty obvious this guy totally played me. 😢

Lesson learned: don't bother with Cash on Delivery if you have even a tiny doubt about the seller—though, let's be real, verifying people is nearly impossible. He could've just stuffed a rock in the box and I would've still handed over my cash. $100 There's zero recourse for me here; I'm left with absolutely nothing to protect myself.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Look, if I don't pay him and try to rip open the package right there, you really think he’s just gonna walk away? Not a chance without a signature first. My whole point was that I wanted to order something similar, but specifically using cash on delivery so I can actually check the goods before handing over the money. If it's not what I expected, it just goes back to the sender. Besides, FedEx is going to charge the shipper for the return shipping anyway—I've dealt with that before.

Honestly, I think he’d leave... but he'd be taking the package with him. :P
No delivery driver is going to be dumb enough to let you tear into a box you haven't signed for or paid for yet. That's just how the rules work out here.