Community Chat

[KYToby]

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@151949 wrote:

I told my DH we should have taken it down the street to UPS to see what they would charge. I bet it is less, but not significantly less.

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Actually, that is ptobsbly not the cade.  Last year, I sent two identical packages.  I sent the first via USPS and one via UPS.  The package going via uSPS, despite going farther, actually cost less (about half of the UPS cost).

As far as what you paid, you got a bargain.  You cannot include the cost of the envelope in the postage because you could have gotten it cheaper elsewhere.

[Sooner]

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@151949 wrote:

I told my DH we should have taken it down the street to UPS to see what they would charge. I bet it is less, but not significantly less.

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TIme is money. . . 

And don't forget, USPS supplies FREE shipping materials to most of the people who sell on e-bay now.  And lots of people seem fine with that. . . don't we remember?  LOL!!!

[circles]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I thought the envelopes and boxes at the Post Office were free?  I've never had to pay for a box, bags, etc.  They are sitting right out for the taking.

In the future, our Dollar Tree also sells padded envelopes of all sizes for mailing things. 

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Seriously.....you  just take a box or a bag from your post office and walk out...without paying....I have always had to pay for any i needed....or were you just kidding with us....I am never sure about peoples sense of humor...

[chickenbutt]

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151949 wrote:

I told my DH we should have taken it down the street to UPS to see what they would charge. I bet it is less, but not significantly less.

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UPS would actually cost more.  Where you make out better in shipping price with UPS is with heavier/larger nparcels.  USPS is much less expensive for small/light parcels, especially since it was not a high value item.

[Slainte]

My daughter, who's living in California, wanted a favorite picture from her bedroom, 24" x 18", shipped to her from where we are on the East Coast. I wrapped it up in bubble wrap and put it in a box fan box to ship. UPS wanted $30 to ship it ground, cheapest rate. USPS was $22 for ground, cheapest rate. It's not surprising I shop the most at LLBean and Amazon, just for the shipping savings alone.

[Lipstickdiva]

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@circles wrote:

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I thought the envelopes and boxes at the Post Office were free?  I've never had to pay for a box, bags, etc.  They are sitting right out for the taking.

In the future, our Dollar Tree also sells padded envelopes of all sizes for mailing things. 

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Seriously.....you  just take a box or a bag from your post office and walk out...without paying....I have always had to pay for any i needed....or were you just kidding with us....I am never sure about peoples sense of humor...

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I'm not kidding.  Our local post office has a mailing station in the lobby for after hours mailing or if you don't want to go inside. 

Next to the scale you weigh your package on, there is a shelving unit that has all the various sizes of boxes and bags for mailing something priorty mail.  They are all free.  There used to be tape there so you could tape up your box if need be but it kept getting stolen so they quit putting it out there. 

[ValuSkr]

My recent experience, however limited, is that UPS costs considerably more than the Postal Service.  It didn't used to be that way.  By the way, at Staples you can ship by both methods.  They'll gladly price your item both ways so you can see the difference.

[Cakers3]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

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@circles wrote:

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I thought the envelopes and boxes at the Post Office were free?  I've never had to pay for a box, bags, etc.  They are sitting right out for the taking.

In the future, our Dollar Tree also sells padded envelopes of all sizes for mailing things. 

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Seriously.....you  just take a box or a bag from your post office and walk out...without paying....I have always had to pay for any i needed....or were you just kidding with us....I am never sure about peoples sense of humor...

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I'm not kidding.  Our local post office has a mailing station in the lobby for after hours mailing or if you don't want to go inside. 

Next to the scale you weigh your package on, there is a shelving unit that has all the various sizes of boxes and bags for mailing something priorty mail.  They are all free.  There used to be tape there so you could tape up your box if need be but it kept getting stolen so they quit putting it out there. 

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@Lipstickdiva @circles  I haven't shipped at USPS in a long time but the Priority Boxes and the Priority Paper Mailers were free.

The padded envlopes had a fee.

[VanSleepy]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I thought the envelopes and boxes at the Post Office were free?  I've never had to pay for a box, bags, etc.  They are sitting right out for the taking.

In the future, our Dollar Tree also sells padded envelopes of all sizes for mailing things. 

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Once I asked for a small piece of tape because I noticed my package didn't looked sealed well enough.  The clerk's dispenser happened to be empty at that moment.  She told me she didn't have any.  I had to buy a roll!

[Lipstickdiva]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@Lipstickdiva @circles  I haven't shipped at USPS in a long time but the Priority Boxes and the Priority Paper Mailers were free.

The padded envlopes had a fee.

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Right.  I didn't realize padded envelopes weren't included.  I know I've always bought them from the Dollar Tree.  I didn't know the priority mailing stuff was free until someone told me.