Mail & Shipping - Recommendations, Questions, and Answers

Roger Nelson6 said:CASH ON DELIVERY SHIPPING

I frequently ship things via COD—say, a book or two—and the buyer ends up paying someone else $13 just to cover the shipping and those extra service fees (they insist on using HP Express). So, I have to wonder: is it actually possible to send items through standard USPS mail for something like $1 or $2 and still set it up as a COD shipment?

Well, you can certainly ship books as a package; if you declare a value of, say, $33, the shipping cost will be less than $5.00. M

Alex Scott14 said:Help!

For God's sake, HP! 😠 😠 😠

A yellow envelope was sent, but it never reached the destination address.
It hasn't been returned to me either.
Where on earth is it?! 😠

I have the receipt right here, but the post office won't help because it wasn't sent as certified mail.

Man, that’s the risk you take when you use standard mail. I mean, even sending something certified carries risks, but at least then you get some kind of insurance payout. This way? You get absolutely nothing, and you might lose the entire shipment for good.

I usually just send my stuff via certified mail, and it runs me about $13 to $5.00, but if I need to mark it as fragile, the price jumps up to like $20... you get a receipt obviously, and I tell them the value of the package, though that’s really up to you guys. 😉If you try to go the overnight express route, man, they will absolutely rip you off...

I've been using HP since the very beginning.
I run a small business selling various items.
Back in March 2005, someone sent me $300 in a package to pay for some goods. The package arrived, but the cash was missing.
That was five years ago, and honestly, I'm long over it.

A year or two later, I sent out a COD shipment, where the mail carrier was supposed to collect payment at the door. The package was delivered and the customer paid in full, but I never saw a dime.
I filed a complaint, but it went nowhere. They insisted the money was delivered and handed to someone in my house, pointing to a signature that looked like total gibberage—nothing like how anyone in my family actually writes.

But today, I got hit again, specifically with $3033.
A long-term client I've worked with for ten years—someone I trust implicitly—sent me a securely packed box containing service parts and $3.25.

When I opened the package, the parts were there, along with $300.
Looking closer, I noticed the box had been sliced open on two sides with a box cutter. Someone pulled the contents out, then shoved them back in and resealed those cuts with wide tape.
Interestingly, the color of the tape used to patch it up was just slightly different from the original packaging.
It’s pretty obvious this was a "masterpiece" of theft by a mail carrier on the route between Savannah and Washington, D.C.
It makes you wonder: why would they leave those $300 when they already swiped 9100?
Maybe they were in such a rush they missed it, or maybe they thought leaving that amount plus the merchandise would still equal roughly $1.00, which was the declared value.
I'm not filing a formal complaint or anything; I know better than to make a scene.
Plus, there was nothing stating there was cash inside, and you aren't even supposed to send money through the mail like that anyway.
I told my client we'd split the loss fifty-fifty, and from now on, we're strictly doing bank transfers.

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit shaken up, but I wanted to share this as a heads-up.
Don't ever try sending cash through the mail; the US Postal Service clearly has some bad actors among them, and it seems like nobody can stop them.

swiftcyclist42, man, I feel for you—really, I do—but honestly? You should’ve known better than to send cash like that. It’s just how things work. $3333! But hey, what’s done is done, right? Still though... whoever swiped it had to have some idea there was actually something worth grabbing in that package. I highly doubt they’re out here cracking open every single random box they find... otherwise, we'd all be in deep trouble.

hey
quick question—if I grab something here on the forum and want to pay cash on delivery, what’s the damage for shipping?
say I buy something worth $33, how much extra am I handing to the UPS guy when he shows up at my door?

Sophia Rodriguez10
If they send it via certified mail with COD—it’ll be roughly 25-$10
But if you go with HP express, you're looking at 40-$17

🙂

James Adams97 said:Sorry if this has already been covered—I tried searching through the thread but couldn't find anything.

Let’s say I order something and opt for Cash on Delivery. What happens if I’m not home when the mail carrier shows up? Can I just swing by the local post office to pick it up within a certain timeframe, or does it get sent right back immediately?

(Editing my first post to include the answer here)

The package will be held for you for 5 business days. The carrier will leave a notice (that little yellow slip) which includes the tracking number, where you can pick it up, the date, how many days you have before it gets sent back, and the total amount due for the COD. 🙂

Bryan Evans77 said:Hey everyone...

So, here’s the thing...
I've sent plenty of packages before and everything went smoothly—somehow, I guess!...

But there's one thing I'm stuck on. I want to ship my computer using one of those cardboard boxes from the local shipping center via FedEx...
Do I actually need to wrap or pad the box itself, or can I just tape it up and call it a day? Also, where exactly am I supposed to write down the recipient's name and address??

If you have them deliver the supplies to your house, they'll print the labels for you, but honestly, it’s way safer and smarter to hand-write the address directly on the package too (just in case the label peels off).
Bottom right corner—that's for the recipient.
Top left corner—that's for the sender.

Nicole Lee4, thanks for getting back to me

The other day I went to the UPS Store to drop off a package. I’d gone through the trouble of putting everything in a shoebox and wrapping it neatly in white paper, but the clerk told me that wasn't acceptable. She ended up re-wrapping the whole thing in that standard brown kraft paper. Honestly, what is the actual difference between white and brown wrapping paper?

Linda Reyes3 said:The last time I went to the UPS Store to drop off a package, I thought I was being all organized—I put everything in a sturdy shoebox and wrapped it up nicely in white paper. But the clerk there just looked at me and said, "No, you can't do it like that," and then she went ahead and re-wrapped the whole thing in that standard brown kraft paper. Honestly, what is the actual difference between white paper and brown paper??

There isn't any, really. She was probably just having a bad day and decided to take it out on you.
The only thing that actually matters is that the box isn't covered in busy patterns or crazy colors, so the sender and recipient info stays perfectly clear and easy to read.

Quick question for you all—where can I pick up some packing tape? Can I just grab some at the Post Office along with envelopes, or do I need to hit up a big box store like Target or Staples first?

Not really, though I suppose they might tie it for you if you ask nicely at the service desk.
You can pick up some twine at any local stationery shop, a bookstore, or even just grab it while you're running errands at a big-box retailer like Target.

I was wondering if anyone could clarify the timeline for a deposit; my girlfriend sent some money via the post office yesterday morning, and I’m trying to figure out when it will actually hit my account. If anyone happens to have some definitive information on how long these transfers typically take, I’d certainly appreciate it. 😉

It really just comes down to how slammed their processing center is right now.
Maybe two or three days.

and maybe even up to 4 or 5...

Settled in after about a day and a half

Quick question again
If a package gets lost, does USPS refund the full value declared on the box, or do they shave some off? Assuming I have the receipt and everything.

And if they don't give back the full amount, how much actually makes it back to the recipient—you know, the person who paid for both the goods and the shipping?

First off, we really need to see what actually went down here. There's an active investigation underway to track down the package. If it turns out to be lost or completely destroyed, you'll be reimbursed for the full amount listed on the package—which should be right there on your delivery receipt.

I'm a little lost here regarding how to mail something lightweight (just a scarf)
using standard, non-priority shipping: what kind of envelope or packaging should I use if I don't have those yellow bubble mailers?
I'm honestly terrible at wrapping things up,
and I see some girls online who make it look so effortless👍 so if anyone has any tips, please let me know