Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Elizabeth Brown90 said:Do I have to pay for packages when I pick them up at the post office? I just got into this huge argument with my uncle because I didn't want to hand over $3.25 for two separate packages, and he insisted that I’d have to pay $1.00 per package at the counter, so now I'm sitting here wondering if he's actually right—mostly because he got genuinely upset with me, and honestly, I feel terrible for upsetting an older relative like that...🙂

...honestly, there are times when the clerks at the USPS charge me extra when I'm picking things up, but my local mail carrier has never once asked for anything...

Does anyone know the operating hours for the post office on Broadway? I'm wondering what time they open in the morning

Emily Ramos34, I think it starts at seven in the morning... Actually, I'm pretty sure it's from seven 😁 😁

thanks 🙏😍

Oh my gosh, Emily Ramos34, my bad!! I wasn't even thinking when I typed that—I was totally convinced you were talking about Branimirova (even though there’s zero resemblance in how they're written)! Soooo sorry if they aren't working starting at seven!!! My apologies... 😵

So, does the main office over on Broadway definitely open at 7 AM? I’m talking specifically about the drop-off window for packages... just trying to plan ahead so I don't end up lugging two massive bags all across town on Monday morning...

Broadway stays open 24/7. There’s a small section up top dedicated specifically to emergency shipments.

Can someone walk me through how cash-on-delivery works? Who actually hands me the money—does the USPS process it like a letter or what?

By the way, with FedEx shipments, I don't pay anything upfront, right? My understanding is the buyer covers both the package value and the shipping costs.
thanks!

bluesurfer10 said:Can someone walk me through how COD (cash on delivery) works? Like, who actually hands me the money? Does USPS just deliver it like a regular letter??

By the way, if I use FedEx, I don't have to pay anything upfront, right? Basically, the buyer covers both the item cost and the shipping fees.
thanks!

Exactly. If that's how you set it up, the recipient handles the whole bill. Then, after a few days—usually about three, though sometimes it takes closer to five—the carrier will drop off the cash you're owed right at your door.

Could someone with a bit more sense than me explain how this works? 😳

I’m still getting the hang of using the online portal since I usually just handle my drop-offs in person at the local USPS.
Now I’ve got a jacket, a shirt, and a few other bits to send out—basically, there is no way they're fitting into one of those standard bubble mailers. What’s the best way to pack this stuff up? Also, if the buyer wants to pay via Cash on Delivery, how does that actually play out? What’s the protocol for that? 🤷

I once had an employee at the post office totally screw me over because I didn't know any better, and honestly, I let them get away with it. 🙄

Thanks in advance.

If I got that right, you're sending it via mail?

Anyway, just toss it in a box—maybe an old shoebox or something...
Wrap it up in solid-colored paper, and if you feel like it, tie it with some twine (not strictly necessary though).

When you get to the Post Office, tell them you want to send it COD so they give you three slips.
There’s the standard white one for the value, then a yellow slip and the instruction form.
The key part is on that instruction form (the yellow one)—you have to list the details in reverse, meaning YOU are the recipient, and the person you're sending it to is the SENDER.
Hope that helps clear things up a bit...

I'll shoot you a DM instead of posting here on the public board😉

This is actually my first time running into a situation where someone pays upon package delivery🤷

So, what’s the deal—are they handing an older person cash in person, who then passes it along to me, or how does that even work?
And what does it mean when they say I have to tell the clerk at the Post Office exactly how much money I'm expecting (like $83)?

Any insight would be appreciated

Cash on delivery—basically, the recipient pays the courier when they drop off the package.
www.usps.com has plenty of details on this too.🙂
As for how the money works: yeah, when you fill out the COD form, you just specify exactly how much cash you want the mail carrier to collect from them and hand over to you.

Nancy Watson86, you are such a blonde😁
No offense intended, but if you look at the thread right above yours, there’s already a breakdown on how to ship via COD, and honestly, there are at least three other posts on this exact page covering it too.

You basically have two ways to go about this. You can just send it as a standard package and cover the shipping costs yourself.
Or, you can use an express service—like FedEx or UPS—where the recipient handles all the fees upon delivery.
If you go the package route, you just include a money order for the COD amount. Just make sure you fill it out correctly, listing yourself as the payee and the customer as the sender. That’s how you ensure the cash actually lands in your hands.

Hey everyone, I could really use some help here... does anyone know if those Red Cross stamps are just for packages, or do they apply to all shipments too (like registered vs. standard mail)? thanks!

Elizabeth Brown90, for everyone 😢

You don't really pay for things like FedEx, for example.

I’ve been wondering about how sending insured packages actually works, and honestly, what does it even cost? If I'm understanding this right, once I drop a package off at the post office, they basically hand me cash equal to the value of the contents, and then we're all done... then, when the recipient gets their hands on it, they pay that same amount to the postal service.
It just sounds way too good to be true... I bet they charge a massive premium for shipping stuff like that!

I sent off a return package last week and they absolutely gouged me on the shipping costs $9.75 😠
between the spaghetti, the red Krispies, this, and that... I was honestly tempted to just throw the whole thing at them.

Hey,
when you guys are sending out a bubble mailer weighing somewhere around 250 grams—how do you usually handle that?
Do you classify it as a package or just send it off as a certified letter/small parcel?
And honestly, what kind of shipping rates are you actually paying?