Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Oh man, I'm in such a rushhhhhh!🙂

Does anyone know what the shipping rate is for sending a package over to Canada?

Elizabeth Brown90 said:I'm in such a rushhhhhh🙂

Does anyone know what the shipping rates look like for sending a package over to Canada?

from $33 onwards

Nicole Lee4 said:Is there any chance nobody was actually home?

Not a chance—honestly, I spent my entire day hovering around the house because I was waiting on a delivery, only to find a little slip of paper left in my mailbox late in the afternoon. I can guarantee absolutely nobody ever knocked on my door.😉

analograven5 said:not even close. honestly, I spent the whole day pacing my place waiting for a package, only for them to leave some tiny little slip in my mailbox late in the afternoon. nobody actually knocked on my door, guaranteed. 😉

this happened to me twice last week
and that's when my husband gets home from work and finds a notice, meanwhile I've been stuck at home with the kid all day. then, obviously, we can't do anything about it because it's already 7 PM, so we have to wait until the next day—ugh, seriously.

so when I asked the USPS office why they do this, they just told me it’s not their fault, it’s the mail carrier's, and if I want to complain, I should call his supervisor.
🤷

vividcobra3 said:this actually happened to me twice just last week
and it’s always the same deal—my husband gets home from work only to find a missed delivery notice, even though I’ve been home with our little one all day long! And of course, because it was already 7:00 PM by then, we couldn't even swing by the post office to grab it—we had to wait until the next day. Honestly, it’s so frustrating!

When I finally called the local USPS branch to ask why they were doing this, they basically told me it wasn't their fault, but rather an issue with the specific mail carrier—and if I wanted to file a formal complaint, I should probably call his supervisor instead.
🤷

I really don't get what the logic is here. Isn't their entire job to actually deliver the mail? Especially since they used to charge $1.75 per package, and now it feels like they aren't even providing the basic service we paid for. 😂 😂 😂
Don't get me wrong—I don't mind driving to my neighborhood post office to pick up a parcel, but having to trek three neighborhoods over just to get something that should have been at my door? That is definitely a hassle. 🤷

analograven5 It’s funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it? I was just sitting here thinking about what was said, and it really gets you reflecting on the whole situation. It reminds me of those slow afternoons where you realize that everything is interconnected in ways we don't always notice at first glance. You know, like when you're driving down a long stretch of highway through the Midwest and you suddenly realize how much distance you've actually covered without even trying—it's all about the momentum. Anyway, looking at what was mentioned...
I only ever got the notification for it, though—honestly, I was stuck at home all day that day, so there is absolutely no way I missed the actual post!
I honestly don't know, I mean, this was the first time anything like this has ever happened to me, which is saying something because my mailman has always been such a rockstar—he’s been the one personally dropping off all my packages and those certified letters that require a signature right at my doorstep without fail. 🤷

Honestly, you can't really lay the blame on the postal workers for stuff like this! It’s just one of those things where maybe they had an absolute mountain of deliveries that day, and there was simply no way to cram every single box, letter, and magazine into one mailbag without it bursting at the seams. You have to imagine how overwhelming that feels—like trying to pack a massive trunk for a cross-country move in a tiny sedan—so it probably just felt like the easiest, most logical thing to do to let someone know instead of struggling with it all.
Honestly, if you only knew the sheer amount of absolute nonsense we end up shipping out into the world... It’s truly something else, isn't it?

John Wright45 said:The mail carrier isn't the villain here! Maybe it was just one of those crazy days where the volume was insane and they couldn't fit everything in the bag—you know, besides all the letters and magazines and whatever else... so they just took the easy way out and left a note.
If you only knew the absolute nonsense we have to haul around ...

Seriously, what's the deal with the mail carrier excuse?
Look, I get it, your job sucks sometimes, but that whole argument is just plain stupid.
You guys deliver exactly what we sent and paid for.

And if I've already paid shipping, I expect the delivery to actually happen.

I mean, my mechanic fixes all sorts of ridiculous things on my car—doesn't mean I care about his struggle, I’m paying for a service!!

Can I just toss some basic MP3 headphones in a regular envelope, or am I going to need actual packaging for that?

So, I wanted to ask you guys: is it actually possible to send money via a money order if the girl I'm sending it to doesn't have a bank account? I can't find a straight answer on their websites, so I figured I'd just ask here.

The issue is my girlfriend sent me some stuff via cash on delivery (since she doesn't have a bank account), and the idiots at the post office didn't even bother to collect the payment when the package was picked up. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the cash to her.
Honestly, they're just rude. She already paid $4 in shipping fees, and then they just handed the package over to my dad without even asking for the COD amount. 🙄

@Justin Davis75, maybe you could just put the cash in a bubble mailer? Or a box slightly larger than a postcard—just don't show up with something tiny, like I did once 🙂. I usually send things in those padded envelopes or small boxes, basically treating it like a parcel... I'm always paranoid about stuff getting damaged, especially since I've seen how they toss those packages around; they clearly couldn't care less about handling them properly.

You can easily send money directly to her address using a money order; she'll walk you through all the details at the post office.

Olivia Green46 said:The issue is my girlfriend sent some stuff via COD (since she doesn't have a bank account), and the idiot at the post office totally missed the payment when the package was picked up. Now I'm stuck wondering how to get the money back to her.
Honestly, they’re being so rude. She already paid the $3 shipping fee, and then they just handed the package over to my dad without even asking for the collection amount. 🙄

Well, it really depends on how much you want to mess with them.
Check if there's a "Collect on Delivery" sticker on the envelope.
If there is, then it's their screw-up (regarding the postage/fee) and they'll end up short on that cash. Someone else is going to have to cover it eventually.
If no COD amount was listed, then this is strictly between you and your girlfriend—just Venmo her the money.
I mean, if she had actually sent it as a COD shipment, they wouldn't have released the package (to your dad) without getting paid.
They probably just didn't realize what they were doing when the label was being processed.

hey, quick question here.
I’m looking at sending a package worth $27 that weighs about 900 grams, using COD (cash on delivery).
Does anyone know what the recipient would actually end up paying for shipping plus the money transfer fees... like, what's the total damage going to be?

Rebecca Cruz46 said:Hey there, I have a quick question.
I’m looking to send out a package worth about $27 weighing 900 grams via COD (cash on delivery).
Does anyone happen to know how much the recipient would actually end up paying for shipping and the money transfer fee—basically, what's the total damage for them?

Well, how much are you planning to charge for the item itself, $27 on top of the shipping costs?
If so, it’ll probably run you about $6.75 while the COD amount will be $33 plus an extra 8.90.

Nicole Lee4 said:well, it really depends on how much you want to mess with them.
check if there’s a COD sticker on the envelope.
if there is, then it's their headache (the shipping fee) and they're going to be short on that cash. someone else will eventually have to cover it.
if it doesn't say COD, then it’s just between you and her; just mail the money to her address.
I mean, if she sent it cash on delivery, she wouldn't have been able to get the package (to Dad) without paying first.
maybe they just messed up the paperwork when they sent it.

nah. the label just shows the tracking number and a $2.00 shipping charge. 🤷

I'll head down to the local USPS tomorrow and see what's what. I also heard you can use a money order—$3.00 just walk in and I can send it that way.

Has the postage rate gone up lately?
I sent out a COD package (standard fee was $5.50), but when the customer refused to pay, they actually went to my old 5-$2.75😕
house to collect it.

restlesstiger47 said:Has the USPS hiked up their rates lately?
I sent out a COD package (standard rate was $5.50), and when the customer refused to pay, they actually charged my elderly father $2.75 at his front door! 😕

For standard packages, they charge a return shipping fee, but they don't do that for certified mail.
Nothing has gone up as far as I can tell.

Olivia Green46 said:No, the label just shows the tracking number and a shipping fee of about $2. 🤷

I’m going to head down to the local USPS branch tomorrow to see what I can find out. I also heard there’s a way to use a money order—$3.00 basically, I can just show up and handle it that way.

So, it sounds like she didn't actually send it COD (Cash on Delivery), just a standard certified letter.
The Post Office isn't responsible for the payment if it wasn't marked that way; they shouldn't have even been charging extra for it.
When you're dealing with a COD shipment—whether it's a package or a registered letter—the amount owed has to be clearly printed on the shipment, along with that specific COD label.

It seems like the girl who sent it probably had a bit of a misunderstanding with the clerks at the counter.
And yeah, you can definitely pay via money order; it should clear within a day, but make sure you bring the address with you.😁

Nicole Lee4 said:It’s funny how the postal service works sometimes. If you’re sending out a standard package, they hit you with that return shipping fee, but if you just send something via certified mail, they don't charge you for the return. It’s one of those little quirks of the system.
Nothing's actually gone up in price, at least not from what I can see.

They haven't charged me for the last 15 days.🤷

I’m looking to mail a book—it weighs about 2 lbs. What’s the best way to ship this? thanks

Linda Reyes3 said:I want to send a book, it weighs about 2 lbs—what's the best way to ship this? Thanks!

Well, it really just depends on what you're prioritizing here.
- If you're trying to keep costs down: just send it via standard USPS First-Class Mail. You won't get a tracking number, and there’s no option for COD (cash on delivery), but it's cheap. Just make sure you ask for some extra padding or special packaging so it doesn't get crushed.
- If you need the recipient to pay upon arrival: you should go with a package with COD options or a certified mail service.
- If they’ve already sent you the money via Venmo or Zelle: then you can just send it as a standard parcel under two pounds. You could do regular mail without tracking, or if you're feeling a bit nervous, go with Certified Mail so you have proof it arrived—it just depends on how much you want to spend.

Hopefully that clears things up! 😁