Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Sandra Brooks91 said:No 😢 you sent it certified, you should've just sent it as a package 😢
So when I said "package" I wasn't just using a figure of speech, I meant you actually show up and say "I'm sending this as a package"..
and fill out the package slip, not the certified one..
Ugh, sorry, now I feel bad because I clearly explained it poorly 😢

now I'm kinda lost

shipping costs $5.00 - so that's not certified then?
Totally confused. I prep these little packages to send out (they're actually in envelopes), and I thought they were sent certified since - $5.00 , shipping?
Now what?
What am I even supposed to tell her at this point? 🤷
And where do I write down the '$27' amount like you guys suggested?

The box goes out as a standard package. Shipping something under 11 pounds with a value of $33 will run you roughly $5.00 plus some change.
If you go with an envelope, you’ll want to send it via certified mail, which actually ends up being MORE expensive than just shipping a package. You can easily check the rates on the USPS website; just weigh your envelopes on a kitchen scale first to get an idea.

You'll need to fill out the details regarding the value and other specifics on the forms you grab at the post office—they have separate slips for certified mail versus standard packages.

Drew Gonzalez75 - Honestly, I feel like delivery fees are just a total rip-off anyway, but I’d much rather pay $1.75 than waste my time and sanity fighting traffic and hunting for parking near New York City. It’s not even on my way. What’s even the point of this post if I still have to trek down to the post office to pick it up? The shipping was already paid for, and my address is right there on the label. USPS is a joke.

Elizabeth Palmer2 - www.usps.com. I’m not saying this to be difficult, but there is actually plenty of information available. Basically, "registered mail" and "insured packages" are two distinct services. If you're sending a light envelope, you might get registered service up to $5.00, but if it's heavy or in a box, it's better handled as a package. In both cases, you get a confirmation that works if you need to track down a missing shipment..

Thanks, that’s enough info for now, just one more thing—please! Where am I supposed to write down the value? Or does she write it first and then I tell her??

On the shipping label, there’s a specific field for the value where you just input the amount, and then they decide whether or not to print it on the package... basically, it's all right there on the label.

So that's how it works. Thanks, I was honestly about to list the wrong value on the package 😂

Thanks 👍

rustywalker17 said:Look, check with the Post Office if you want, but I doubt it will work. What kind of shipment was this if you ended up with a surplus of 100? Were you building a space shuttle or something?

To be specific:

We sent out a massive batch of invitations for an event, and we are left with about 100 extra pieces that we have no use for. :/

I called the USPS, and they told me a return is impossible.😢

Donna Martinez95 said:The box goes out as a package. Sending a package under 11 lbs with a value of $33 usually costs about $5.00 bucks and some change.
An envelope is sent via certified mail, which is actually MORE expensive than just sending a package. You can easily check the rates on the USPS website; just weigh your envelopes on a kitchen scale first.

I honestly prefer sending an envelope as a package. I pay $3.25 for delivery within New York City, and $5.00 for shipping across the whole USA.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Drew Gonzalez75 - honestly, I feel like charging for delivery is a total rip-off anyway. But I’d much rather pay $1.75 than waste my time and sanity fighting traffic and hunting for parking near Branimirov. It’s just not convenient for me. What’s even the point of this post if I have to drive all the way to the post office to pick it up? The shipping was already paid for, and my address is right there on the label. The postal service is such a headache.

Yeah, that's true.

For the first time ever, they’ve actually lost my shipment 😢
So now I’m just sitting here waiting on my refund. Honestly, what a bunch of absolute amateurs—how can a company be this disorganized? 😠

Terrible. Even if you get your money back, it’s just not right. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around how our postal service operates—it feels downright predatory. Am I crazy for saying that? If a package comes from the USA or the United Kingdom, the delivery experience is exactly the same as it is here. So, who's actually the problem? This is why I avoid packages entirely and stick to certified mail; dealing with standard parcels is nothing but a headache.

Sumner of my situation:
Basically, I've spent days going in circles with supervisors and local managers. Here’s the deal: a package arrived, but they claimed they couldn't deliver it. When I called to request redelivery, I was told that if I wanted them to try again, I’d have to pay an extra $1.75 fee, which happened during yesterday's attempt $1.75.

It makes zero sense. If I had simply gone down to the local branch to pick up the package myself, would anyone be charging me for a "redelivery attempt"? No. It seems incredibly poorly defined. Since the sender already paid for the package to be delivered to my door—not to some station in New York City—why am I being charged for delivery all over again? What is the point of using a delivery service if the recipient still ends up footing the bill? Especially for items coming from within the same postal network; I might as well walk to the New York City branch myself since I'm being forced to go anyway. Or, I could just pay the extra fee.

Furthermore, the fact that they charge per shipment is absurd. They informed me that because I have another package coming, I’ll be charged $1.75 for that one too, meaning $5.00 I'm looking at a significant total today for just two packages. I use the postal service constantly—both sending and receiving—and it infuriates me that for a service I've already paid for, I have to waste my time and sanity driving to a post office that isn't even on my route, only to deal with a clerk who acts entitled and won't even provide a proper receipt.

👎🙂:🙂

To top it off, they often don't even bother knocking; they just leave those little slips of paper behind.
I am fed up with the USPS. I'm actively looking for ways to boycott them. Does anyone happen to have a contact inside the postal service? Is there any way to ship something $5.00 where the recipient doesn't get hit with extra fees and it actually arrives at their doorstep? Certified mail is fine, but it gets prohibitively expensive for heavier items.

Sandra Brooks91 said:It’s appalling... even if you eventually get your money back, it doesn't make up for the principle of it all. Honestly, I find it hard to believe how crooked the operations at our local USPS branch actually are. Is it theft? Absolutely. I can call them thieves without hesitation when a delivery from the US or the United Kingdom arrives under the same ridiculous terms—who else would be insane enough to think otherwise? This is precisely why I refuse to have anything sent via standard parcel; I stick to certified mail because dealing with their packages is nothing short of a nightmare.

Sumner of my situation:
To put it plainly, I have spent days going in circles, arguing with supervisors and station managers alike. Here is the reality: they attempted to deliver a package, but for some reason, the delivery could not be completed. When I called to request a redelivery, I was told that if I wanted them to try again, I would have to pay $1.75, which leads directly to yesterday's attempt $1.75.

The whole thing is utterly nonsensical. If I had simply gone down to the post office to pick up the package myself, who would have charged me for a second delivery attempt? No one. It seems to me that their policies are incredibly poorly defined. Since the sender already paid for the item to be delivered to my door—not to some facility in New York City—what is the point of paying extra for delivery? Why am I being billed for a service that should already be covered? Especially when the items are coming from the same postal network; if I have to trek all the way to New York City anyway, why shouldn't I just grab it? Or, conversely, why am I forced to pay more to have it brought to me?

Furthermore, the fact that they charge per shipment is an absolute absurdity. They informed me that since I have another package pending, I will be hit with another $1.75 fee, meaning $5.00 I am looking at a massive total just for two packages today. I utilize postal services constantly—both sending and receiving—and it infuriates me that for a service I have already paid for, I am forced to waste my precious time and sanity driving to a branch that isn't even on my route, only to deal with a clerk who is arrogant and can't even manage to provide a proper receipt.

👎🙂:🙂

On top of all that, they frequently fail to perform the basic courtesy of actually knocking; they just leave a slip of paper and vanish.
I am beyond livid with the USPS. I am actively looking for ways to boycott them. Does anyone here happen to have a connection within the postal service? Is there any method of shipping where the package reaches $5.00 without the recipient being extorted for extra fees at the doorstep? Certified mail works, but it's prohibitively expensive for heavier items...

Precisely. For me, it isn't about the cash; I simply want what I originally sent to arrive intact. 😢

And this idea that you have to pay for a missed attempt from the previous day $1.75? That is quite possibly the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. 🙄 And what about those instances where they show up, don't knock, and just leave a note? Are we supposed to ignore the fact that they failed to deliver then too? Honestly, what kind of lowlifes 😠

Wait, how does the reimbursement process actually work?
Like, what forms am I supposed to fill out, and how does the whole thing function?? Someone please help me out!!😢

If you want to pay via Cash on Delivery, you'll probably need some help from the clerk at the counter. It gets confusing because on the paperwork, the roles are reversed: since you're the one sending the package, you're technically the recipient of the funds, while the person getting the box is the sender. When you label the actual box, just write it normally—you're the sender, they're the receiver. But on those official forms, it's flipped because the person receiving the package is actually sending money back to you, which the mail carrier is supposed to bring straight to your door. I say "supposed to" because I sent a package this way a month ago and still haven't seen a dime. Now I have to head down there and deal with the idiots at the post office; honestly, I've had it up to here with them. One time they even sent my package right back to me without leaving a single notice. They constantly mess things up—it's just typical monopoly behavior. 😠
Also, one more thing: when you ship it, make sure to specify that the recipient covers the shipping costs, even though you'll end up paying that upfront when you drop it off. Once the package arrives, the recipient pays the value of the item (whatever you put on that form) plus the shipping fee, and then the carrier should bring that entire amount back to your house.
I hope that makes sense, since I'm a bit frustrated about this whole thing. 😁 Read it over twice. 😁

Double post, my bad 😉

Alex Watson93 said:How does one actually ship via UPS?
How do you fill out the paperwork, and how does the whole process work?? I need help!!😢

If you look back at my very first post, I laid out a complete example. I explicitly detailed exactly what needs to go where on that shipping manifest you fill out and attach to your package. Just go back and review it. 🙂

Hey, quick question: if someone sends you stuff and you pay cash on delivery, do you have to cover the transaction fee too?
Or is it just $5.00 the shipping costs and the actual price of the item?

Carol Palmer44 said:Hey, quick question: when someone ships you an item and you pay cash on delivery, do you also have to cover the transaction fee?
Or is it just $5.00 the shipping costs and the actual price of the item?

No, you have to pay the transaction fee too. It’s a certain percentage of the total amount, though I don't know the exact rate they charge. 🙂

If I’m sending a small glass bottle inside one of those bubble mailers... what does the postage actually look like? Does it fall under the same category as registered mail, or is it something else entirely $5.00? I had an experience the other day where I tried to ship a 100ml perfume bottle as a package. I packed it up properly, but the clerk at the USPS station told me it was far too small to qualify as a package 😕. Instead, she insisted it had to go as a registered letter and handed me one of those oversized bubble envelopes to use. Naturally, she charged me a premium $7.25, not to mention the extra cost for the envelope itself... honestly, the whole logic of it escaped me. To make matters worse, I sent a T-shirt at the same time, and they charged me the exact same rate for the envelope and the shipping $5.00... 🤷

The reason I'm asking is that I have another small bottle to send tomorrow. It's significantly smaller than the last one, and I'm dreading being overcharged again $7.25. I genuinely don't understand the distinction when it's sent as a letter. In fact, sending this little thing felt more complicated and expensive than when I sent much heavier items, sometimes even exceeding 2kg $7.25 🙄

Linda Williams97 said:Girls, if I send something glass in a small bottle using one of those bubble mailers... what's the shipping cost? Does it count as certified mail or something $5.00??? Because one day I packed a 100ml perfume bottle in a box as a package, and the clerk at the USPS told me that it was too small for a package 😕 and had to go as a certified letter . She gave me that large bubble envelope to use for the shipment and charged me quite a bit $7.25 + I had to pay extra for the envelope itself... nothing made sense to me. At the exact same time, I sent a T-shirt and was charged the same amount for the envelope and the shipping $5.00... 🤷

I'm asking because I'm sending a much smaller bottle tomorrow, and I'm worried they'll charge me the same again $7.25. I don't understand the difference when it goes out as a letter... and this was actually easier than other things I've sent, even items over 2kg... yet they still charged me $7.25 🙄

They’ve tried to sell me on that option many times🙄, but I usually insist and they end up sending it as a package
. Once they refused, so I just went to a different post office and they let me send it there
P.S. If they won't listen to you even when you insist, just pack it right there in front of them in a larger box. That's what I do to avoid the hassle—I'd much rather do that than give them an extra couple of bucks!

Also, they were being incredibly condescending to me yesterday, claiming I couldn't ship it as a package—perfume included—even though I’d wrapped it up perfectly with plenty of padding. And regarding $7.25, they were insisting on their way, but I said "no way." I ended up going to a different branch, and a woman there handled it for me without a fuss. For context, the package was tiny, just 9x14cm. One time, an employee at the USPS even repacked it for me to make it slightly larger because I had been too stingy with the envelope 🙂
Anyway, measure your package. If it turns out to be smaller than the required dimensions, you can either hunt down a branch that won't give you grief or just repack it in a larger envelope.. 🙂
I basically have a Master's degree in navigating the USPS 🙂