Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

But I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around how the pricing works if the package value is $33 and $50..
Under the old system, the price for a value of $33 would be roughly $4.25, and for $50 it would be about $4.75 (give or take a few cents)
However, you can't have that kind of discrepancy under the new rate schedule. If the amount exceeds $33, then the 3% fee applies, and that 3% has to be added to the fixed base price of the package—which in this specific case means adding it to $5.00, not $6.00! Because $5.00 plus 3% of $33 equals $6.00, which covers a value of $33, whereas $5.00 plus 3% of $50 equals $6.50, rather than $7.50 like 😠 is calculating it. Does that make sense? 😁

hmm I get what you're saying, but I mean, maybe it's not even 3% anymore 🙂🙂

Let me help out my buddy from San Francisco here. You gotta realize that when you pay for the $6.00 package, the $33 insurance is already baked into that price. So, if you bump up the value—say, to $50—you're looking at an extra $6.00% of the total, which in this case means $1.50. Then the whole package hits $22.50. Get it now? That's just how we talk shop at FedEx. Honestly, it sucks hearing people complain about postal workers. Believe me, we’re all out here trying our best. And if we refuse to take a package wrapped in cheap plastic, it’s for your own good so your stuff actually arrives in one piece.

I’ve sent packages through my local post office a few times, and they always charged me exactly what HP Inc. lists on their rates.
A couple of times over on Branimirov, though, I was forced to pay extra on top of the standard fee, which caught me completely off guard.

Does anyone know if you can actually get a receipt as proof of mailing for standard shipments? I’ve never been handed one, so I’m asking.

Gerald Wright32 said:Let me try to help out our colleague from Zachary Peterson6. You should probably know that when you pay the rate for a package up to $6.00, it already includes insurance coverage for up to $33. This means any increase in declared value—say, moving it up to $50—triggers that extra 3% fee based on the total value, which would be $6.00, making the total cost $1.50. I guess that’s just how we handle things at the post office. It’s a bit disheartening to hear people complaining about postal workers. Honestly, we really do try our best. If we refuse to take a package wrapped only in plastic, it’s usually for your own sake and the safety of your shipment.

Okay, but the $6.00 price covers a value up to $33.
If a package is worth $101, $100 is covered, but we still need to insure that remaining $1. Since 3% of $0.33 is $3, the total postage comes to $18.03.
A package valued at $34 requires an additional $6 payment...
and so on.
For a package worth $50, you'd have to pay an extra $0.50, bringing the total postage to $19.50.

However, it seems the logic at the post office works differently. As Chris Reed45 mentioned (since I’ve personally never sent anything valued over $33, so I wouldn't know for sure), once you go above $33, they don't just charge the 3% on the difference from $33 that was covered by the $6.00 rate; instead, they apply the 3% to the entire amount, which doesn't seem to make much sense..

So, for a package worth $34, we end up paying $1.00 more, rather than just $0.01. And so on.

🤷

Melissa Phillips4 said:I've sent stuff through my local post office a few times and they always charged me exactly what HP Inc. rates say.
A couple of times over at the branch on Branimirov, though, I actually had to pay extra, which totally caught me off guard.

I was wondering, can you actually get a receipt as proof of mailing for standard packages? I've never really been handed one before, so I figured I'd ask.

You should always be getting a receipt😉just like you would at any other store.👍

Could someone please let me know what the current going rate is for those bubble mailers? Also, am I missing anything else when calculating shipping costs—besides just the envelope itself and the stamp? This is my very first time selling something online, and I want to make sure I'm charging enough to cover everything properly without overshooting.

Thanks 🙂

It depends on the size; 2-$1.00 is what that envelope
weighs. You drop it off at the post office and decide between standard or certified mail. Certified is $2.25 more expensive. Just check the USPS website for the rates, but you'll need to weigh the package since pricing is based on weight.

Chloe Moore65 said:It really depends on how big it is—honestly, maybe 2-$1.00 is what that envelope
will weigh once you drop it off at the post office. You just have to decide if you want standard shipping or certified mail; obviously, going with certified is going to be $2.25 more expensive. My advice? Just head over to the USPS website to calculate the cost beforehand—you’ll definitely need to weigh the package first, since the price is based entirely on weight, after all.

Ah, I see, thanks! I was under the impression that envelope would be much heavier than that.
Could you possibly share the link to that page where you can estimate the shipping costs?
I really appreciate the help, 🙂🙏

Last Monday, I sent a package via FedEx heading out to Maui. Guaranteed 48-hour delivery. By Friday, the recipient calls me up saying nothing has arrived. He even checked with his local post office—nothing. Naturally, I'm pissed, so I head down to my local branch to demand answers. The clerks just shrug. Their excuse? They’ve "never had this happen before" and claim they can't do a thing until Monday because nobody at FedEx headquarters is working over the weekend. After I practically demanded action, they finally called HQ and found out the package was logged at a post office on Maui back on Wednesday—just not the one the recipient was checking. Now the clerks are acting surprised again, wondering how on earth it ended up there. The guy I sent it to called that post office Saturday morning, and since they actually had the box, he arranged for them to drop it off. It finally arrived, three days late. So, what's the point?
I’ve used FedEx countless times before and it’s always been seamless. I intentionally avoid the regular USPS because it's always a headache. I’d much rather pay an extra $10 or $15 in shipping fees just to have peace of mind—especially when I'm sending critical documents or high-value items. I don't like taking risks.
This time, everything went sideways. No apologies, no nothing—just a massive amount of stress for both me and the recipient.

Sophia Garcia12 said:Oh, thanks. I thought it was mostly about the envelope.
Could you send me a link to that page where you calculate shipping costs?
Thanks for the help 🙂🙏

Here you go. Just click whatever you need.

http://www.usps.com/main.aspx?id=194

Last week, I was supposed to receive an international letter sent via priority mail from a neighboring country.
I'm pretty sure it actually went out, though, because this is someone I trust implicitly and they've sent me things before.
What are the odds that it actually got lost in transit, or maybe even stolen by someone along the way?
Also, if I decide to just use standard mail for sending stuff outside of the US in the future—even if it's going somewhere as remote as Alaska—what are the chances it actually makes it to its destination without just vanishing into thin air?
If anyone knows the deal or has dealt with missing mail before, I'd really appreciate the help.

Chloe Moore65 said:here you go—just click on whatever looks relevant to you

Thanks, 🙂.

So, just to make sure I've got this straight—if I'm sending something via standard mail in a bubble mailer, that falls under the first category, right? Just a regular letter? And if I were to send it via certified mail instead, then it would be classified as certified.

I am currently looking into shipping a specific item, and I was wondering what the typical costs might look like to have it transported all the way to San Francisco... It is a roll cage, essentially a bundle of steel tubing roughly 1 meter in length, weighing somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 kilograms.

The starting point would be Sutton, United Kingdom, though I might be able to arrange for it to be sent from a larger nearby hub, perhaps somewhere like Mansfield...

Any guidance regarding how to move this via mail at the most economical rate would be deeply appreciated, as the largest item I have ever personally purchased through eBay weighed only about 3kg...

Customs duties and sales tax shouldn't pose much of an issue for me, as these pipes are quite old and rusted, but still, having this fabricated locally here would be prohibitively expensive...😁

I am debating which courier service would be most appropriate... I have utilized UPS and USPS in the past, but I haven't actually purchased anything from the United Kingdom exceeding 0.5kg...

If any part of my predicament remains unclear, please do not hesitate to ask... I am hoping to receive some insight from an experienced forum member or perhaps someone familiar with postal logistics, because I truly feel as though I am at a bit of a loss... I am willing to spend a few hundred dollars just to see this thing arrive safely in San Francisco.

I have managed to gather all the information I required, so please, do disregard my previous post...

urbanmason15 said:Last week, I was supposed to receive a letter from overseas (a neighboring country) sent via priority mail.
But it just never showed up. I'm pretty sure the sender actually sent it because it's the same person who has sent me stuff before, so I know they're trustworthy.
What are the odds that it actually got lost somewhere or maybe someone swiped it?
And what are the chances that if I send regular mail outside the US in the future, it'll actually make it to its destination—even if it's going all the way to Tungusia—without just vanishing into thin air?
If anyone knows the answer or has dealt with missing mail before, thanks.

I mean, it’ll probably show up this week.😉 Letters don't usually just vanish into nothingness that easily.🤷

Zachary Peterson6 said:I mean, it’ll probably show up sometime this week, I guess.😉 I mean, I guess letters don't just vanish into thin air that easily.🤷

Thanks!
I’m honestly hoping it actually shows up, because this is the first time in two years that I haven't received anything. Up until now, everything with HP Inc. has been pretty much flawless, I guess.
I guess this actually has me feeling pretty uneasy.

Look, don't sweat it too much. I mean, maybe they just lose their way once in a while because of a bunch of different things...

Zachary Peterson6 said:Don't sweat it, they probably just lose their way sometimes due to a bunch of different factors...

Lose their way? I'm not so sure about that. Last year, I had a package sent from Cleveland that just vanished into thin air. It was a huge box. Never showed up. 😁

redtiger53 said:But what about the price tag? $6.00 The package value is covered. $33.
If we’re looking at a value package of $101, we've basically got $100 covered already. That leaves us with just $1 left to secure—which is only about 3% of... $0.33 It’s 3 LP, which puts the PTT at 18.03.
Value Proposition $34 I need to top up another 6 liters.
I don't know.
Value proposition. $50 It looks like we'll need to cover the difference then. $0.50So, the USPS rate is sitting at $19.50.

However, it’s clear that the logic being applied here is a bit different, as Chris Reed45 pointed out (since I personally have never sent a package exceeding that amount). $33 Values? I honestly wouldn't even know where to start with that, let alone how to define them. They’re way beyond my grasp. $33 You aren't even factoring in that 3% margin when calculating the total amount. $33 I've already paid the price for it. $6.00Plus, they’re tacking on an extra 3% to the total amount, which honestly makes absolutely zero sense.

So, let's talk about the value proposition. $34Yeah, we definitely need to top this up. $1.00It seems like you might have hit "send" a little too early! Your message cut off right at the start. What were you going to say? I'm all ears. $0.01...and so on.

🤷

That’s exactly my point. 👍

Gerald Wright32 said:Let me lend a hand to my buddy over in St. Louis. You really need to keep in mind that the price for this package starts at... $6.00 There is already package insurance available starting from... $33So, basically, any further increase in value—say, reaching... $50 It drags everyone else down with it. $6.00 It’s an additional 3% of the total value—in this specific instance, that is. $1.50So, that brings the total package price to $22.50. I think some people might be misinterpreting our local postal jargon, if you know what I mean. Honestly, it breaks my heart a little to hear all the complaints about postal workers lately. Believe me, we all truly give it our best shot. If we refuse to accept a package that’s just wrapped in loose plastic, please understand it’s actually for your own benefit—we do it to ensure your shipment stays secure and doesn't fall apart in transit.

It’s not like I have an issue with all postal workers, though. In my neighborhood, I absolutely adore the lady at my local branch and the gentleman who works there—they are incredibly kind, sharp, and genuinely good people. Every single time I’ve sent something from my local office, everything arrives perfectly intact and on schedule, which is a far cry from the mess you deal with over at the Branimirov branch! And don't even get me started on how much I love my mail carrier, too. 😁
Honestly, there are just certain people—you know the type, they exist in every single industry—who push my blood pressure so high that I’m completely unraveled by the end of it. Once the conversation is over, I can't even pretend to be a functioning human being anymore. I just lose it!
Can you please tell me if that "poly mailer" I'm getting my package in from the USA is actually worse or less secure than those flimsy paper envelopes they keep trying to force me to buy just so I can ship things out? Honestly, I don't get it—it seems like some people over there are just clueless, coming up with the idea to send stuff across such a massive distance in nothing but a cheap little plastic bag... 🤷