Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with USPS

How do I get my package that's been "Inbound Into Customs" in NY for 12+ days?

gemmy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:37:48 -0800

My perfectly boring package from Sweden has been listed as "Inbound Into Customs" since September 4. How can I find out what the problem is? Can I get it cleared somehow? I purchased some Swedish foods (some soft thinbread, a tube of cheese, a box of pearl sugar, a container of baking molasses, and two bags of licorice candy) from an online retailer - a mom & pop type shop that I've used successfully several times before. They shipped the package from Sweden on September 2, and the USPS tracking tool shows it arriving in New York on September 4. Since then, however, the package status has been "Inbound Into Customs" with no further updates. (Compare with my last three orders from them, which got to me in 4-5 days.)

I asked the store if they knew what was up - they say that they have never had this happen before, and their local post office doesn't know why it's been delayed so long. I talked to my postman and to a clerk at my post office, and neither of them had any suggestions or insights. Searching online for others in the same situation, my case seems a bit odd because a) it's taking more than 4-5 days to clear customs, b) the package doesn't contain even possible contraband of any kind, and c) it doesn't contain enough of anything to make them suspect that it's for re-sale.

I'm extra pissed about the whole thing because the bread and cheese would have been fine after five or six days in transit, but will be stale/spoiled now. And I craved it so...

Have you had this happen to you, and if so how did it turn out? Will they send me some sort of form to explain what happened to my package, and if so when? Can I find out what the problem is? Can I get it cleared somehow by explaining the contents? Any idea why this very boring package would be stuck in customs so long? Any help would be appreciated.

How do I get package sent to wrong address?

Awkward Philip — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:05:19 -0800

I purchased an item on eBay which was sent out via USPS Media Mail 2-3 days ago. I just realized that I gave out an incorrect shipping address and that the address I supplied doesn't even exist. Is there anything I can do now to get my package or do I have to wait for it to be returned to the sender? The address given out had one number wrong, as in: 2000 X St. when it should have been 4000 X St. Not only is it a non-existent address, but X St. doesn't have any addresses in the 2000s.

How can I be in two places at once when my mail isn't anywhere at all?

DiscourseMarker — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:29:30 -0800

USPS mail forwarding: Can I have permanent and temporary change of address requests at the same time? In February I moved from Address A to Address B within the same city, and I filled out a permanent Change of Address request with the USPS. I don't actually get very much mail forwarded, because I changed my address with all of the businesses that I could think of back in February, but occasionally some fall through the cracks.

Next week I will be leaving for Address C (in another state) *temporarily* (until mid-August), and I would like to have a temporary Change of Address with the USPS to forward my mail from Address B to Address C.

What I'm wondering is if filling out a temporary request to forward mail from B to C will affect my permanent request forwarding mail from A to B. I looked through the USPS.com FAQ but I couldn't find anything relevant to this situation. Has anyone here ever dealt with something like this before?

Really, I don't get that much snail mail (save Netflix, and there I can easily change the shipping address), but I'm just paranoid that this will be the one time when something important that I totally forgot to account for will arrive, and I won't get it.

Can I put 2 Forever stamps on one envelope?

AlisonM — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:19:11 -0800

Can I put two Forever stamps on one envelope? (This is in the USA.)

I am mailing a size #10 (business sized) envelope that is about 1.5 ounces according to my kitchen scale. The envelope is thickish (think about 10 pieces of paper folded together), but light. It's a knit glove wrapped in a plastic grocery bag inside an envelops that my cousin dropped in my car. I'm mailing it back to her. I'm in NYC, she's near Boston.

According to usps.com, it costs 59 cents to mail this envelope. I have a whole bunch of Forever stamps. The Forever stamp is good to mail a first class letter until the end of time, at whatever price a letter goes for at the time of mailing (currently 42 cents). I am more than happy to slap 2 Forever stamps on there (losing 25 cents in the process based on the current price of a first class letter) to get the envelope mailed and not have to walk to and wait in line in the post office.

My question: would two Forever stamps on one envelope = 84 cents of postage? Or are the Forever stamps only good on letters under one ounce? My googling isn't getting me anywhere. I know that it'll probably get there with even one stamp, so I'm tempted to just throw it in the corner mailbox with 2.

(Mods, couldn't decide if this should go under "government" or "grab bag" or maybe even "work & money" - we're talking cents here! Feel free to recategorize.)

Ship it or leave it

indyz — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:11:45 -0800

Can I ship some camping gear ahead of my travels and pick it up from the post office or UPS Store when I arrive? I'm flying to Florida and can save a bunch on a second checked bag by shipping my sleeping bag, tent, and some other stuff. The problem is, there is nobody at my destination to receive the package. I've heard of cross-country cyclists picking up packages as the reach post offices along their route, but I have no idea how to arrange something like that.

Does anybody have experience with something like this? USPS or UPS/Mailboxes Etc would be best. I have an aversion to FedEx.

Buying a Rottweiler and seeking my revenge

Inspector.Gadget — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:30:12 -0800

My postman or somebody in the mail chain between him and Netflix shipping centers has cracked or destroyed several DVDs en route to me. I know he destroyed one by shutting my mailbox door over the midpoint of the disc, but with the others I'm not sure where it happened. How do I address this so that I don't become liable for the damage or lose my account? And how do I maximize my credibility? Out of 45 discs, I'm on my third replacement, but the damage has all occurred within the past 3 weeks.

How long will my package be at the post office?

Loto — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:08:57 -0800

How long does the United States Post Office hold a package for a missed delivery? I recieved a "Sorry We Missed You!" notice on 11/5, stating the package was available on 11/6. Being lazy, I forgot about it until now. Various places online said they will hold it between 10-15 days, but that I would get a redelivery notice. I haven't gotten any other notice. Will it still be at the post office?

How can I avoid doing Halloween as a ghost?

arnicae — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:09:05 -0800

Just moved- how can I intercept something sent via overnight mail to my old address without waiting for USPS to forward it to my new address? I moved a week ago and set up mail forwarding with USPS 10/18. I haven't received any forwarded mail yet, and I moved one town away (Oakland to Berkeley in the Bay area) from my old address.

Today I got word that an integral part of my Halloween costume got mistakenly shipped today, last-minute, to my old address in Oakland via overnight mail from the east coast.

Is there any way to intercept the package somewhere along its route? I'm not totally clear on how the USPS mail forwarding system works. Should I show up at my local USPS early tomorrow morning and ask for my old mail carrier (who knows/likes me, I gave her gift certificates every Xmas)?

If I can't track the package down, I'll be going trick-or-treating as a ghost in a floral bedsheet. Help!

No mail you say?

NormandyJack — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:47:49 -0800

About 3-4 times a month, no mail is delivered to my building of 5 apartments (7 tenants) is this unusual? It seems I get less mail than I used to these days. Normally that's a good thing, as junk mail has significantly reduced; sometimes it's a bad thing like when magazines aren't delivered (I've missed ~5 issues in the past year out of 3 subscriptions ~10 issues a year).

However, what really strikes me as odd is that on almost a weekly basis there will be one delivery day that no mail is delivered to the building, a large house with 5 apartments (thus 5 mail boxes) and 7 tenants. The frequency of these no mail days has actually reduced lately and it's now almost on a biweekly basis...but still.

It just seems highly unlikely to me that 7 adults living in the city can so frequently have no mail on the same day.

On those days when no mail is delivered, I can't say whether the mail carrier comes or not. The only mostly reliable way i have to tell is if outgoing mail is picked up, and so far there hasn't been any outgoing mail on a no mail day.

So is this as improbable as it seems to me, or is it strange that i've never encountered this before?

Money is tight but I'll do the $16 if I have to

lorimer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:23:47 -0800

Priority Mail or Express Mail? This Saturday I'll mail a flat envelope from NYC to a P.O. box in Bethesda, MD (20824); I want it to arrive by this Tuesday. Do I need to spring for Express Mail? Anecdotes welcome.

Is there a way to get Endicia (for Mac) to validate APO/FPO addresses?

cosmic osmo — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:08:47 -0800

Is there a way to get Endicia (for Mac) to validate APO/FPO addresses? I sell CDs and books on Amazon, and for whatever reason most of my customers seem to be in the military. To ship my items, I use Endicia for Mac and a DYMO printer to print address labels and postage. Prior to the most recent software update, I never had a problem getting Endicia to print labels addressed to FPOs or APOs, but now it won't let me--I get an error message that says "Postal regulations require that all addresses be verified," and it won't let me print postage for an unverified address. The addresses I'm given conform to the USPS standards for overseas military mail as far as I can tell, so what gives? Is there a way to get around this? (I'm thinking like a plugin or something is out there somewhere.)

Endicia used to be the best thing that ever happened to my Amazon/eBay selling, but now with this (and the change in acceptable labels for delivery confirmation barcodes), it's practically useless. Please help! Our troops need their gently used hip hop CDs!

See the tear standin' in my eye

TheSecretDecoderRing — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:53:20 -0800

The USPS lost the contents of a media-rate package. Many books within. What are the odds I'll get any of it back? A couple weeks ago I shipped a box, shortly before moving to a new address. Today I got a letter saying the contents were found to be missing, and included the original address slips from the box, and a form letter asking to provide info on the contents, to be sent to a mail recovery center.

I'd thrown a ton of random books in there, but I'll probably be able to figure out most of the titles. All in all, everything's replaceable so it's not a complete nightmare (although I'd like the Calvin and Hobbes one back in particular), but has anyone had success getting their stuff back in a case like this, especially when nothing was personalized or really unique? I've looked around online on the matter, and some have suggested trying to find a number to call the center directly. Whatever I do, I'm kind of skeptical they'll put that much effort into tracking everything down.

Considering two of my other packages seemed to have endured a lot of rough handling, I'd hate to see what actually goes on during the course of the shipment process.

And one of the frustrating things was the letter advising me to, in the future, include contact info within the package itself. Wish I'd thought of that earlier. (slaps forehead)

Why does the post office sell 42 cent stamps? Why do people buy them?

Flunkie — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:25:04 -0800

Why does the post office sell 42 cent stamps? Why do people buy them? The US Postal Service sells "Forever Stamps", at 42 cents apiece. These are supposed to be valid first class stamps forever, even if the price of a new first class stamp increases beyond 42 cents.

However, it also sells 42 cent stamps, at 42 cents apiece. If the price of a new first class stamp goes above 42 cents, these can only be used in addition with other stamps, making up the price difference.

Why do they sell 42 cent stamps?

I understand that the answer may simply be "Because people might buy them instead of Forever Stamps, and the Post Office makes more money, in the long term, if they do."

So why would people buy them?

Is there any reason, other than being a stamp collector, or reasons like ignorance or carelessness?

Take My Stuff - Please!

lunasol — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:29:06 -0800

Which is the best shipping service to use for moving? USPS, Fedex, or UPS? I would like them to come to my house. Specifics: I'm moving most of my non-furniture stuff about 1200 miles.

- Time is not an issue. I won't need this stuff for a month or so.
- I will have about 6-8 boxes holding clothes, books, and some kitchenware.
- I have one larger item - a TV - which I'd like to have someone come to my house, pack it up and ship it for me. I'll pack everything else myself.
- Budget: I'm willing to pay for pickup, but I'd rather not pay for speed, since I don't need the stuff to get there quickly.

A lot of the info I've found about these options online is sort of confusing and assumes a basic familiarity of shipping classes that I don't have. From what I can tell, USPS only does this for express and priority mail, which is more expensive than I need. Fedex picks up, but all fedex shipping is super-pricey. It seems like my best bet is UPS but I'm wondering if I might be missing something.

Also, will any of these entities send someone to pack up my TV?

Post office change of address card concerns

crapmatic — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:31:34 -0800

If I'm concerned about basic privacy, should I use the US Post Office change of address form? Has anyone had any negative experiences with it? I'm not too concerned with bulk mailers finding me, since that's inevitable, however I do have some concerns about who the Post Office distributes the address change info to since they're roped in with all kinds of private partnerships. Any insight here? Am I going to end up on Zabasearch by filling one of these out?

How do I stop a fraudulent mail redirection from the U.S. to the UK?

satellitebadger — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:12:29 -0800

How do I stop a fraudulent mail redirection from the U.S. to the UK? Someone I do not know has redirected their mail (debt collection letters) from their address in the U.S. to my address in the UK, without my permission.

Can it be stopped, and who do I tell?

Return Address?

Ignatius J. Reilly — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:37:48 -0800

Am I legally required to include a return address when using a first class stamp with the US Postal Service?

Missing package, lying mailman.

IronLizard — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:30:04 -0800

My mail carrier is lying to me about a delivery. I ordered a new fuel pump from an ebay seller with 99.9% good feedback and they sent it to me via USPS priority mail. I kept a watch on the tracking information and it showed as delivered on Monday. The package never arrived. I know it wasn't delivered because I'm here throughout the day, everyday (I work at home).
When I called the post office yesterday, the manager told me she would ask the carrier about it and call me back. Well, she didn't so I called this morning and talked to the carrier himself who swears up and down that he rang my doorbell and left it on my (semi-enclosed) porch. Hah. After some weird and nonsensical replies like: "I'll go pick it up and you can get it from the post office". He just started saying "Well it's your word against mine.". So the super there is once again supposed to call me back. I don't have very high hopes for this and no, the seller didn't offer insured shipping.
I've already sent a complaint to the Postal Inspector, though I doubt this will receive any attention there either. What else can I do? Why is this guy lying about it and what the **** would he want with a fuel pump to a 4wd sentra anyway?
I should probably mention that when I'm expecting a package, I'm fairly obsessive about poking my head out the door to look for it throughout the day.

How can I get a letter there fast?

tomwheeler — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:00:17 -0800

I sometimes want something I send to reach the recipient as quickly as possible, but I don't care to pay for priority service. How can I find out what the quickest local US mail dropoff would be? I'd like some things I mail to arrive ASAP, such as NetFlix DVDs or expense reports where I'm due reimbursement. Common sense suggests sending these directly from the USPS early in the morning, but the drive up mailboxes outside the branches near me just list an afternoon pickup time. I suspect each branch then has some additional delay before that mail gets to the processing station.

Certain businesses (payroll outsourcing, banks, etc.) make a point of knowing how to get things to arrive in the most expedient way. How can I do the same? Is there a master list of pickup times or mail planning app on the Web somewhere?

Validity of a postmark?

luser — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:56:21 -0800

Question about the validity of a "postmark" from the US Postal Service. I mailed a couple of letters last night that needed to be postmarked that day (1/30) for legal reasons. After waiting in line at the only post office open until 7 p.m., I got to the counter only to see a sign saying that after 5:30, they were only postmarking with tomorrow's date. Ugh.

I was directed to the self-service machine. Those machines don't "postmark" your mail per se; they issue a sticker with a bar code that says "sold on 1/30." This is my question: Is this the same thing as a postmark? Couldn't I just buy that sticker and mail the letter a week later? It seems like that defeats the whole purpose of definitively proving the date a letter was mailed. Also, when I put my stamped letters in the slot (which said the next pickup was the next morning), were they stamped again with a 1/31 date? Or does the postage sticker I bought from the machine preclude any further date stamping by USPS?

If it makes any difference, I sent the letters certified mail, with return receipt requested. But again, there's nothing about those forms that indicates any kind of postmark date. In fact, with the certified mail receipt, at the window they put a postmark on that so you can show when the certified mail was sent. Having used the kiosk, I don't even have that.

As you can see I'm a little concerned about whether I have ironclad proof that my letters were mailed last night.

Address in one postal district, PO Box in another?

sparrows — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:53:18 -0800

Can I get a PO Box without proof of an address that's *in that post office's district*? (I want a regular USPS PO Box; private mailbox services are way more expensive.)

I'm moving soon, to a place several miles away (several post office districts away) in the same NYC borough, and for personal security reasons I want to have no connection in anyone's records between my new physical address and my PO Box address.

The application at the USPS page about this is ambiguous but suggests you do need to prove your address. First it says you just need two pieces of ID, one with photo -- but then it has a box for the initials of the USPS employee who "verified physical address."

It also doesn't specify whether the physical address has to be in the same postal district as the post office where you want a PO Box. On that page it says, "Choose a location close to work or home—whatever fits your needs." But that could mean you can choose any location, OR it could mean that the location can be by your work if you can prove your work address.

ID documents I could show them:
- U.S. passport
- social security card
- credit cards
- proof of my *current* address (utility bills, tax returns, etc.).

There are related AskMes but they don't answer the specific question of where the address you have documentation of has to be located in the same PO district as the PO Box.

Has anyone else had this problem with USPS's Click-N-Ship?

likesuchasand — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:55:02 -0800

I got an F in Click-N-Ship. Did I fail Christmas with my botched attempt to mail my packages? I used the USPS Click-N-Ship program to mail off my family's gifts. I weighed everything twice, made sure not to cover any of the barcodes with tape, and then forgot to click the confirmation button that I successfully printed off the receipts. Now they are out in Mail Land and I didn't realize my mistake until 9 hours later.

I have been on hold for over an hour trying to get in touch with a customer service representative from USPS. I have sent an email requesting help and have not gotten a reply yet. I am freaking out and want to see if anyone else has made this mistake and knows what the outcome will be. I tried to go through the motions again and I was charged, but the tracking numbers it printed out were different than the tracking numbers on the original labels.

Has anybody else done the same??

Gotta mail books fast.

mpls2 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:20:44 -0800

I need to mail books fast. Where can I get packaging? The post office doesn't seem to sell generic packaging suitable for a book. Target? Wal-Mart? This is kinda urgent.

I'm in Minneapolis, btw.

Thanks!

USPS shipping options?

princeofpersiaxz — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:52:26 -0800

USPS will ship an inflated ball without it being packaged (sendaball.com), it just sticks the postage information right on the ball.. My question is, what other items can be shipped this way, without being packaged in a box? I want to send something nifty to my niece this Christmas season!

Getting Scammed?

jpcody — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:30:30 -0800

eBay filter: I'm looking to buy a Macbook Pro @ about $2000. The seller will only accept USPS money orders, and that makes me a bit nervous... He has good feedback...just over a hundred. But all his items were sold over 6 months ago so I can't see the items. He's been good about getting in touch with me, and I've even spoken with him on the phone.

I'm still a little nervous I'm headed to the wash though. He assures me that a USPS money order is completely secure for both of us--leaving a paper trail and protected for fraudulent transactions. I asked him about escrow.com and Paypal, and he told me about past problems he's had with them (seemingly legitimate).

Oh yeah, possible screwball--he's in Canada.

FWIW, I'm just buying this computer because it's a great deal, and I'm going to resell it. (College student, gotta pay the bills.) What do you say, am I getting taken? Or am I safe to go ahead?