Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Ashley Perez50 said:stupid question😳
if I order something with COD, will the mail carrier bring the package right to my door and collect payment, or will they just leave a slip so I can head down to the post office?

If you're home, the carrier will stop by, take the payment, and hand you the package.
If you aren't around, they'll just leave a notice... then you go to the local branch, pay, and pick it up there.🙂

Does anyone happen to know how to send something overseas where the recipient handles the payment themselves? I’m a bit lost when it comes to the banking side of things... I know I can't just convert my funds into different currencies and then deposit them directly into an account like that. So, here is my question: is it possible for me, say, to ship something to someone in Canada or Mexico or somewhere else, and have them pay for it so that the money ends up back with me?
I’m really not very tech-savvy when it comes to international transactions... if anyone could lend me a hand, I’d truly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance!😉

Quick question please

Roughly how much would shipping cost from NYC-Chicago to a place like St. Louis for a package containing some shoes?

Alex Scott14 said:I really need some help here!

Does anyone know roughly how much shipping costs from NYC-Chicago to a destination for a package containing shoes?

I’m thinking it’ll be at least $20 or so... and if I remember correctly, when you're sending packages outside of CA, you usually have to go through a specific window at the main post office—like, there's a separate entrance just for international stuff instead of the regular domestic line...😉

Elizabeth Brown90 said:I think it’s over $50—and if you're sending stuff outside the US, you have to go to the specific international shipping desk at the main USPS hub, which has its own separate entrance rather than the standard counter.😉

Thanks for the info!🙂

Oof, that's steep—the shipping costs more than the actual item itself! 😬

Sarah Gonzalez59 said:If you're home, the mail carrier will just swing by, collect the payment, and drop off your package right at your door.
If you aren't around, they'll leave a slip for you—then you just head down to the local post office, pay the fee, and pick up your stuff.🙂

Hmm, in my experience, when I go to pick up a package (like a certified letter or something valuable) that usually requires a fee, $1.75 if they deliver it straight to my house, I don't have to pay anything extra—I only pay if I go down to the post office myself to grab it.🤷

I have to admit, I'm feeling a little frustrated with the USPS lately. I sent out two certified letters today (the contents definitely didn't warrant full packaging, honestly)—with the padded envelopes included, they weighed in at 47g and 177g—and I ended up paying $3.25 and $1.75. This was just for a local delivery within Atlanta-Atlanta.
If I had just sent them as standard packages instead, it would have cost me only $3.00, plus they’d likely charge the recipient about $1.75 for the delivery service.😕 I mean, seriously... 🤷 who is actually making sense here? Is it the system, the pricing, or am I just losing my mind?
How on earth is it cheaper for me, the sender, to send something as a package—which carries insurance value they'd have to pay out if it gets lost—rather than sending it as a certified letter? If anyone here actually understands the logistics behind this, please explain it to me! Thanks! 🙏

analograven5 said:Hmm, well, when I go to pick up a package—you know, like a certified letter or a parcel that I’d usually pay extra for—$1.75 if they just bring it right to my doorstep, there's no extra fee, but if I head down to the local USPS office to grab it myself, I don't pay anything extra at all.🤷

I have to admit, I'm feeling a little let down by the postal service today. So, I was sending out two certified letters (the contents definitely didn't warrant full parcel shipping!), weighing in at about 47g and 177g including the padded envelopes, and I ended up paying $3.25 and 12, $1.75. Just a simple local delivery within Atlanta-Atlanta.
If I had just sent them both as standard packages instead, it would have only cost me $3.00, plus they'd charge the recipient an additional $1.75 for the delivery service.😕 Honestly, I'm sitting here wondering... 🤷 who's actually being crazy here? Who's confused, and who's just totally clueless?
How on earth is it cheaper for me, the sender, to send something as a package—which actually has an insurance value they have to pay out if it gets lost—rather than just sending it as a certified letter? If anyone actually understands how this works, please, help a girl out with an explanation! Thanks! 🙏

It's cheaper because they charge for the delivery service.$1.75 So in the end, it levels out, but the main thing is that it's just more budget-friendly for you as the sender.😉
$1.75They charge a DELIVERY fee, but if you're the one trekking down to the post office to pick up your package, there's no delivery fee involved, so they don't charge it.$1.75

Am I the only one who sees the absolute absurdity here? Why pay a shipping fee when the recipient still gets stuck with the delivery charge?

This might be a silly question, but does anyone know the best way to send someone money for a package?

It's better to use a direct transfer to your checking account. If they don't have one, they can pay cash on delivery when the package arrives, though that adds an extra $1-$2 or more depending on what the package is worth. You could also send money via a money order, which carries its own fee based on how much you're sending.

Not really related to the post 😁

Does anyone know where I can find that green and red status list for the ladies on the forum?

Alex Scott14 said:it’s not even really about the post 😁

I just can't seem to find that green and red user list somewhere on here! Does anyone know where it went?

🤦😬
It should be right underneath this thread...🤣

Hey Cure, I was actually expecting a small package to arrive today. I have this nagging feeling that the mail carrier rang the doorbell early this morning, but it was such a faint, muffled sound that by the time I finally dragged myself out of bed, the coast was completely clear.
Did they happen to leave any sort of note saying they stopped by or mentioning that I need to swing by the local Post Office to pick it up, or is it just me being paranoid?

Just leave a slip if they recommend it, or leave the package. If not, just tuck the delivery in the mailbox or by the door if it doesn't fit inside.

Should I just leave that little slip of paper in the mailbox, or would it be better to tuck it right by the front door?

So where else would you leave the mail? In the mailbox, obviously.

Sandra Brooks91 said:Am I the only one seeing the absurdity here? Paying for shipping only for the recipient to be charged delivery fees on top of it...

They don't have to pay a dime if they just don't open the door for the courier.😬 😂

Elizabeth Brown90 said:🤦😬
right under this thread🤣

Thanks, but that wasn't quite what I had in mind😬

Do you happen to have a definitive breakdown of who's on which side—you know, the "green" versus the "red" teams? I see there's a massive praise and critique thread, but I really don't have the patience to scroll through over 100 pages of that!

I sent off a certified package—wrapped in one of those yellow padded envelopes—more than a week ago, shipping it from New York City to Chicago.
The recipient still hasn't seen a thing, which is wild because these usually make the trip in maybe two days tops. I went down to the local Post Office to complain, and they just gave me the usual runaround, telling me to sit tight and wait because "maybe it’ll turn up eventually."😕
Does anyone actually know how that whole "missing mail investigation" process works once you file a formal claim? If they can't track it down, am I actually entitled to any kind of compensation, or is it just a waste of time?

I believe if you opt for insured shipping, the compensation is only four times the postage cost; so, if there's an expensive piece of clothing inside, you're going to lose a significant amount of money