PSA: USPS Priority Mail

[neonblack]

Yeah, just do that. Whoever buys from you should understand.

[ThurberMingus]

Yah. I have the unfortunate issue of location. My post office is significantly further from me, and inconvenient over the weekend. This means when I ship pedals on the weekend it means I end up losing a fair amount of $$$ in the shipping. Think I spent between $15-$18 per pedal I just sold, versus the more humane USPS priority. USPS is unfortunately just far out of reasonable weekend range for me. It's worth it to me to spend more than the time I'd spend driving back and forth to post offices plus the added inconveniences that entails.

You should check out nearby supermarkets and the like. A lot of them have a USPS shipping center. It's more limited than the PO (obviously) but has worked out fine for me with national shipping.

[oldangelmidnight]

Y'all got 24-hr USPS machines? The post office in town has one and it's pretty great. I almost exclusively use it, even when the human teller is available. It's so quick and easy.

[repoman]

Can anyone give me some tips on how to ship things as cheaply as possible through USPS?

I just got a pedal that must've weighed over 2lbs, tracked insured it cost $6.35 to ship.

I can't for the life of me ever get shipping to under about 8-9 dollars, most times I ship a pedal it costs me 12-13 bucks. I plugged in info on a smaller box with a weight of 1 lbs going back to the original address and the USPS website says it will cost me over $8 dollars with the same shipping criteria (priority, tracked, insured- the insurance was less on this box too compared to the one that only cost 6.35)

Wtf?

[resincum]

did the seller print the shipping label? I think that might have something to do with it.. jwar sent me a box that ran him $9 bucks, they wanted to charge me $15 for the same one!

[repoman]

did the seller print the shipping label? I think that might have something to do with it.. jwar sent me a box that ran him $9 bucks, they wanted to charge me $15 for the same one!

It doesn't look like it, its a sticker with the price on it so I think they did it at the post office (which you would think would be more expensive)?

[lordgalvar]

did the seller print the shipping label? I think that might have something to do with it.. jwar sent me a box that ran him $9 bucks, they wanted to charge me $15 for the same one!

It doesn't look like it, its a sticker with the price on it so I think they did it at the post office (which you would think would be more expensive)?

They don't offer the budget shipping (first class) online. You can only get it in the post office. Also, putting the box in an envelope helps save too (even though it is kind of dumb sometimes). I have had to do that for international a few times to save a few dollars...like it is actually bigger with the envelope but because it is an envelope it is cheaper

eBay has some kind of magic deal where they get shipping cheaper too. Accounts, like resincum, said also saves you some cash.

The best thing to do is to find the smallest box and put it in an envelope...then take it and get the cheapest first class...that is the only way to really get below $8. I've gotten there before online but it was totally random (and maybe through the $.50 reverb discount haha).

[untilshewokeme]

Got another pedal through standard post instead of priority...

[waltdogg]

Sent some casters out Priority to Apple Valley. $8 and some change for priority. Weighed about 13oz. Not terrible.

[untilshewokeme]

Sent some casters out Priority to Apple Valley. $8 and some change for priority. Weighed about 13oz. Not terrible.

13oz or less should be first class. Same time to ship, half the price no mater where it is in the US. Just a pro tip for next time.

[Casavettes]

I have a pedal I sent priority that is potentially lost..
Says out for delivery
Then status not updated
That was Monday.

[untilshewokeme]

I have a pedal I sent priority that is potentially lost..
Says out for delivery
Then status not updated
That was Monday.

I might not be lost. This happened to me about 3 years ago right around the holidays. I ordered something and I swear it was the place trying to pull a fast one on me (they had some sketchy feedback on the internet I read after the fact) because it got to the local USPS facility and didn't update for like 2-3 weeks. I started sending nasty emails saying they had someone on the inside at USPS and we're trying to scam me and I wanted a refund immediately because it was a gift. It literally arrived 2 days before Christmas and I had to eat crow a little. It just never happened to me before.

[Casavettes]

Hmm strangeness.
Yeh I called the post office and they were basically saying
"Yehhhh that's not right... We'll contact our supervisor and call you back AKA not really."

[Casavettes]

annnd it just showed up.

[Strange Tales]

Got another pedal through standard post instead of priority...

But think about the 50 cents (at most) they just saved!