Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Hey everyone, I could use some advice here.

I need to mail out two textbooks... the thing is, I'm stuck on the best method. Usually, when I'm shipping merchandise or similar items, I send them as insured packages, which ends up costing me about $5.00. But for these two books, I'm second-guessing everything. Should I just toss them into one of those large yellow bubble mailers and call it a day? I’m looking for the sweet spot—something cheaper than my usual routine, but still with tracking/certified delivery so they don't vanish into thin air. Given the weight, I'm not sure how much that will tip the scales... honestly, I'm at a bit of a loss. Or, would it be more logical to just pack them in a small box and ship them as an insured package? That might bring the cost down to under $5.00... 🙂

Like a printed flyer.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Just like a printed flyer.

That hadn't even crossed my mind... I just spent some time digging through CNN to wrap my head around everything. So, thank you very much for the insight.👍🙏

No problem at all. 🙂

I bought something from a girl online and agreed to pay the mail carrier upon delivery. We settled on a total price of $15 including shipping, but when the UPS driver arrived, he told me the cost was $53.90. That’s exactly what was printed on the paperwork I signed, regardless of the fact that the package was marked as COD $15. Just a heads-up: don't buy things this way. It's much safer to just use a direct transfer to a checking account
.

If you actually bother to read this thread, you'll see that commuting isn't even an option here. 👍 It’s just not worth the hassle..

I had my suspicions, but she insisted I would only be paying $45.00.

Exactly. Galadriel convinced me of that too, and she certainly learned her lesson 👍

So, after all the trouble I went through just trying to buy those beat-up Converse sneakers... 😢 then, as if that wasn't enough, I run into issues with the USPS. 👎
I opened my mailbox this morning, and what do I find? A total mess. 😲 The package was ripped wide open, completely unpacked, and the original shipping envelope? Gone. 👎 To top it all off, part of my order is missing entirely. 😢 Honestly, I’m speechless. It’s been an absolute nightmare. 👎 I don't think I've ever dealt with such a disaster from the mail service in my life.

Carol Kim14 said:So, after the nightmare of trying to buy those beat-up Converse sneakers, 😢 I get hit with the cherry on top: total incompetence from the USPS. 👎
I check my mailbox this morning, and what do I find? The package has been ripped wide open. It’s been tampered with, unpacked, and the original shipping envelope is just gone. Nothing. 😲 And don't even get me started on the fact that items I actually paid for are missing. 👎 Honestly, I'm speechless. It's pathetic. 😢 I have never dealt with such a complete disaster from the mail service in my entire life. A total train wreck. 👎 ,.-

😲😲😲

I know they can be sloppy and rude, and sometimes they overcharge you—like one time at the post office, $6.00 they billed me more than expected and I didn't even realize it until I saw the receipt—but this... 😕

Exactly. 😢 ,. If someone hadn't pointed it out to me, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Period. 🙂 ,.-

So, what’s actually the best way to mail off a book or two if I want to be absolutely certain they get there and I get some kind of official confirmation... you know, like a tracked package?

Yes, that's $14.40 and you get a confirmation

So, if I go with cash on delivery, when exactly does the money actually hit my account, and what's the deal with the shipping costs?

http://www.usps.com/ship/matrix.htm#

Check out this link—it’s got a shipping calculator where you can play around with different options. Mess with the numbers a bit to see which one actually comes out cheapest for you. 😉

thanks

Jason Newman36 said:If I use cash on delivery, when do I actually get the money and how much is shipping?

Shipping for what would normally be $14.40 comes out to $21.60.
The funds usually hit my account a day or two after they pick up the package.

Carol Kim14 said:So, after all that trouble buying those beat-up Converse, 😢 I get hit with USPS issues on top of everything else. 👎
I check my mailbox this morning, and what do I find? The package is ripped open, unpacked, and the original envelope is just gone. Nothing. 😲 And don't even get me started on the fact that part of my order is missing entirely. 👎 I’m honestly speechless. It's awful. 😢 I have never dealt with anything this bad from the postal service in my life. A total disaster. 👎 ,.-

customer.service@usps.com (USPS Headquarters)
Send him an email; he's the one in charge of handling complaints and resolving these kinds of incidents. He’s always been responsive in the past, so give it a shot.
Just explain the whole situation in detail. You've got nothing to lose.

The USPS can be an absolute disaster sometimes...

I’ve had issues before... but I won't go down that rabbit hole right now. Just look at this recent mess... I was sending a little something to a girl in a bubble mailer. Everything was set—we agreed on the price, she paid, I sent it off. But since I sent it as a standard letter to save on shipping costs (because why pay more?), and we were talking about $2.25, the package just vanished. It never hit her doorstep, and it never even bounced back to me.... meanwhile, I sent something much larger the exact same day and it reached someone else by the next morning..
Where did it end up? Who knows.... I ended up refunding her money.... total loser move on my part, losing both the clothes and the cash because of this garbage postal service.

BOOKS: If I’m sending just one, I use a bubble mailer, which they charge $3.25 (the envelope is maybe 2-$1.00 inches).
If I’m sending multiple, I wrap them myself at home using whatever paper I can find (you won't believe this, but I couldn't find anything except some old unused white wallpaper) and I wrapped the books in that, taped all the edges, and tied it tight with twine.....
That comes out to 14.40 and you get a receipt.

Always make sure you write down or tell them the value is up to $27!!!
That goes for boxed packages too!!!

One day at the post office, I show up with two books, already packed with some filler paper, and the clerk weighs them and says they're about 30 bucks!! I just stared at her like she was crazy, asked how much... and then, blah blah blah... she tries to tell me the new rate is $7.00... and I’m like, no way in hell... I always ship mine insured for only up to $4.75!!! I am not giving them a single extra cent for something I don't need to cover....

So watch out, they'll try to scam you before you can even blink...
You have to stay informed and be prepared when you head to the post office....😉

rapidrider3 said:The USPS can be an absolute disaster sometimes...You seriously always need to write down or state the actual value up to $27!!!
And that goes for packages in boxes too!!!

I'm with you on this. Look, I know we can be a rough crowd—the minority really sets the tone—but when they act like this, it gives everyone else a bad taste in their mouth too.

As for that bolded part, that is honestly the worst advice you could possibly give someone. Don't just come crying to the forum later if your package gets smashed, lost, or damaged after you reported the value $27 , even though it was actually worth way more. 🙄