Forum

A HEADS UP ON SHIPPING WITH USPS

Posted by Richard L. Sherer on January 11, 2016 at 1:26pm in Welcome to Art Fair Insiders!

A couple years ago I printed out postage for a package and dropped it off at one of our rural post offices. My shipping labels read "SHERER CUSTOM SADDLES, INC.  The package never left the post office but disappeared.  I talked to the postmaster at another rural post office and he said they are supposed to scan dropped off packages immediately and give you a scan receipt. So over the next couple weeks I observed the PO people taking my packages and NOT scanning them but telling me "oh, we scan them later". My reply was "I want a scan receipt now". Jean has observed that they are still stacking packages for people and not scanning them right away which leaves the opportunity for stuff to get stolen. Just a heads up. Somebody in rural Elbert County got some free expensive reins at my expense. 

You need to be a member of Art Fair Insiders to add comments!

Join Art Fair Insiders

★
★
★
★
★
Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Jacki Bilsborrow January 12, 2016 at 10:24pm

    If you don't get the scanned receipt then you would also not have the tracking number, correct?  You can't follow your shipment to see if your customer gets the product. 

    Richard, do they still refuse to give you the scanned receipt when you ask for it?  Ask for the Postmaster if they do.

    • Richard L. Sherer > Jacki Bilsborrow January 13, 2016 at 10:16am
      Tracking number is on postal receipt, but it is also on your prepaid computer receipt. It's routine for us to ask for receipt now, but Jean observed practice of stacking to "scan later".
  • Greg Little January 11, 2016 at 7:19pm

    Never knew about the scan receipt BUT it makes does sense to ask for it. I have been using the UPS Store for shipping and always get a receipt and tracking # however their prices have become outrageous. It cost me $26 to ship small lightweight package thru them (although they did provide the box and packing peanuts).

    I just shipped them same package today thru the USPS ( 12'x4"x4") with a box I provided and taped up and it cost me $8.30... I ordered a package of 25 cardboard boxes 12'x4'x4"  thru Amazon for $10 and some 12"x 10"x 8" boxes for a few dollars more and plan to do my own packing and shipping from now on

    I plan to use USPS more but I will most certainly ask for the scan receipt and most likely a delivery receipt.

    • Richard L. Sherer > Greg Little January 12, 2016 at 9:35am
      You can get Priority Mail boxes free from the USPS postal store on line. No charge for having them shipped either. We recycle the peanuts and air bags that come in with our shipments and I have had friends and clients give me their bubble wrap. I put peanuts, broken styrofoam blocks,etc. in plastic grocery bags and tie handles for filling large voids when shipping saddles - less mess. Of course their are the Aussie ranch gals that put on the music and start dancing in the bubble wrap, LOL
      • Robert Wallis > Richard L. Sherer January 13, 2016 at 9:48am
        I used to keep the noodles or peanuts from packages. Way back years ago when I was a medical equipment tech rep, I would get large boxes shipped to me all the time. Eventually I had quite a few large plastic trash bags of noodles. I changed jobs and had no use for about a half dozen large bags of noodles and put them in the garbage cans at the end of my apartment building. A bunch of kids got into them, scattering them around, then the wind between the buildings caught them and made it look like a snow storm in the summer. There was easily more than a cubic yard of noodles I had thrown away. The maintenance guys were griping and complaining bitterly as they were cleaning them up, wondering where in the devil they came from. I decided to keep mum on that one ;-) it took them a couple of days to clean the mess up and for several weeks afterwards you would still see occasional noodle blowing in the wind. To this day I don't keep noodles from packing boxes.
        • Cindy Welch > Robert Wallis January 13, 2016 at 10:33am

          ^^^ Like!  Very funny!

          I have dh and our employees at our store save packing materials for incoming orders.  The most common is foam sheets in boot boxes.  Occasionally they get the peanuts.  When we had Christmas gifts coming in from Amazon and Ebay we saved the packing materials.  I call myself frugal, not cheap!  LOL

  • Cindy Welch January 11, 2016 at 4:38pm

    There is a lady in New Orleans who sells on Etsy and is having all kinds of problems with USPS, starting the mail deliverer on her street not picking up packages from her where she has requested pick.  She went through the proper channels to do this.  Apparently you can do it online.  Or, the person will pick up one packages and leave all the rest when there are multiple packages all on the same porch, all for pick up.  The stories she tells are endless.  :(  I surmise service is not getting better but much worse.

This reply was deleted.