Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Question:

I recently purchased a large batch of postage stamps from $1.25, but we miscalculated our needs and ended up with quite a surplus. Is there any way to get a refund for the unused portion, or perhaps sell them to someone else? What would you suggest I do?

THANK YOU

I honestly don't get it—is there some kind of explanation buried somewhere on these forums?
If the sender already covered the shipping costs to have the package sent to my house, why on earth am I being asked to pay $1.75 for delivery?
The address on the label isn't some random spot in Smalltown, USA; it's my actual home! It makes zero sense. 😢

Look, I can't make this any clearer for you—package delivery costs extra $1.75, period. It’s how things work everywhere, so just go ask someone at the USPS instead of arguing about it

I mean, sure, I know there are random instances where they don't charge $1.75, but honestly? How they justify that, I have absolutely no clue

I’m dying to know what kind of logic they’re using to justify these extra fees. I finally managed to get a deal with all the local mail carriers to actually ring the doorbell instead of assuming nobody is home between 9 and 5, and then this happens... I don't have any plans to head down to the post office anytime soon, so if anyone is heading that way, could you please ask them for me? I'll check it out myself the next time I get the chance. 👍

Ugh, look, if you actually want to know, just go ask them! It’s not like they’re pocketing the extra cash for fun, for crying out loud. I honestly don't get why everyone is sitting here debating this instead of just getting a straight answer from the source. Just go find 😉
and ask!

Since he didn't issue an invoice, I guess you were wrong after all. Besides, this whole thread would be pointless if everyone just "went and asked." Why don't you find a hobby 😉 if you don't know the answer? You don't have to comment, right? And yet, here we are 😉

Those extra $1.75 fees kick in if you've got some guy in a delivery van dropping off your package instead of your regular mail carrier. In my experience, they charge me the exact same $1.75 right alongside the confirmation that I've actually paid those $1.75. You are entitled to a receipt for that. 🙂

Linda Williams97 said:Thanks so much! I was just wondering, would there be any issues if I tell them I want to send it via regular mail? Like, would they give me a hard time at the post office or say I'm not allowed to just send it that way?

Look, if you're just handing an envelope over the counter and telling them you want standard service, then that's all you do. Simple as that.
The catch? If your package goes missing after they've already processed it, you're essentially on your own. It doesn't matter if you have a receipt; a basic receipt means absolutely nothing other than proof that you handed them money.

You actually need a tracking confirmation because that's where the tracking number lives. Regular mail doesn't come with a number, which means once it vanishes, there's no way to trace it.

Just go back and read the very first post in this thread; everything you need to know is laid out right there. 🙂

Angela Flores76 said:That extra $1.75 fee kicks in if some guy in a delivery van drops off your package instead of a standard USPS carrier. In my experience, they charge me that same $1.75 amount and then I get a confirmation showing I paid the $1.75. They are required to provide you with a receipt. 🙂

Even if they arrive by shuttle, I just don't get it—isn't that supposed to be included in the shipping cost? If it isn't, then what exactly is this $5.00 charge for? That's the crux of the matter. Here is the official statement from the USPS:

Regarding your inquiry, we would like to inform you that shipping fees are generally charged to the sender in advance, unless otherwise specified by the Postal Service Act, the General Terms and Conditions, or a contract established between UPS and the user. Shipping fees for parcel delivery are charged to the recipient.
Please note that the shipping fee for parcel delivery may be charged to the sender if requested. In such cases, the package will be marked with "DELIVERY SHIPPING PREPAID." Therefore, if the delivered package does not bear this mark, you, as the recipient, are responsible for paying the delivery service according to the Postal Services Price List. This price list is provided by UPS in accordance with the provisions of the Postal Service Act, which we have attached. Furthermore, please allow us to note that all terms, methods, and procedures for performing postal services are regulated by the GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR POSTAL SERVICES and the POSTAL SERVICE ACT, both of which are published on the USPS website www.usps.com.

Regardless, this doesn't sit right with me, and I'll certainly be following up with them again...

Sandra Brooks91 said:Since there was no receipt issued, it looks like you might actually be right after all. Besides, this whole thread would be pointless if everyone just "went and asked." If you don't know the answer, maybe find a hobby 😉 instead of commenting, right? It’s really not that deep 😉

I had the exact same thing happen to me recently... they charged me $1.75 without providing a single receipt or even a digital confirmation! 🤷 I was thinking the exact same thing as you, Sandra Brooks91

Angela Flores76 said:If you simply hand an envelope over the counter and opt for standard shipping, that’s all there is to it.
The catch is this: if the package goes missing after the clerks have already processed it, you're essentially out of luck. You can't claim any compensation regardless of whether you have a receipt. A basic receipt proves nothing other than the fact that you handed them money.

You need a formal tracking receipt because that includes the tracking number. Standard mail doesn't provide one, making it impossible to trace.

Take a look at the original post in this thread; I believe everything is laid out quite clearly there. 🙂

Fine, fair enough... personally, I am all for using secure shipping methods and that was my intention, but the recipient insisted on standard mail, so that's how it went... I made sure to ask the clerk at the UPS office exactly how I could prove I sent the package if it happened to get lost... and the woman told me that with standard shipping, they only issue that little slip showing the date and time of the transaction. While that confirms something was sent, it provides zero proof regarding the actual contents of the shipment... and I'm certainly not blind; I read the first page of the thread. I've already read it, but I also went and asked the staff at the post office directly, so I'm not just talking nonsense here! 😉

Help me out here, please...
I sent a certified package to one of our forum members back on November 14th, 2008, and it still hasn't arrived as of today 😠

I have the receipt in hand, so I'm planning to head down to the USPS office later to see what's going on
Has anyone else dealt with something like this before...

It’s happened more than once, unfortunately 😢

You show up, fill out all their paperwork, and they give you the usual runaround—telling you they'll call whenever they happen to track down the package, as if there's some arbitrary deadline they actually follow. In my experience, the lady at the local UPS office always gave me a ring the second they located my parcel, letting me know exactly where it was sitting and what the status was; I don't think they've ever actually lost anything on me 🙂

I'm just hoping everything works out fine 👍

I really hope everything works out smoothly...

Will they just deliver the package to the recipient once they track it down, or am I going to have to pay those fees all over again??

Well, my package just got returned to me...
The recipient didn't pick it up

What should I do now??

Now go ahead and reach out to the recipient to see why they aren't picking up.

The receipt didn't arrive

I'm honestly at a bit of a loss as to what my next move should be... 😢

Do you honestly think she didn't get a delivery notice? If she didn't, then it probably just got stuck in transit. Either the UPS driver forgot to leave a slip, or the notice itself went missing in the shuffle.

urbancanyon7 said:Question:

I recently purchased a large batch of stamps from $1.25. We miscalculated our needs and have quite a surplus left over. Is there any way to get a refund for the unused portion, or perhaps sell them to someone else? What is the best course of action?

THANK YOU

ANYONE?!?!

Michael Sanchez7 said:Do you think she just didn't get her delivery notice? If so, there might have been a hiccup during the drop-off... maybe the mail carrier forgot to leave the slip, or perhaps the notice itself just went missing somewhere along the way...

Yeah, she definitely didn't receive any notification. According to the back of the package, the notice was supposedly issued on November 17th 🤷

Has anyone ever dealt with something like this before? I'm really not sure what my next move should be...