Rational people living in the US where they have removed most of the blue postboxes that allowed you to place packages in them for mailing, and replaced them with mailboxes that only accept flat letters--forcing you to the post office to ship packages. Probably because a bureaucrat's friend got the mailbox replacement contract.
When I buy/order a CD, I’m just never in a hurry and it gets here when it does. Sometimes I forget about it and surprise, it arrives. OTOH when I sell one I try to get it in the mail asap because I know other want it!
I recently sold several discs here. Much to my surprise, it appears the ones I mailed media arrived just as fast as those I mailed first class. As to why stand in line at the post office even when you have printed the mail label at home and you can just drop in the mailbox? I do it to get the item scanned in as accepted. Despite polite requests, my postperson refuses to scan in the package when picked up at the mailbox. My previous experience with media is that it often is not scanned along its way and only when it is delivered. In the meantime, tracking just says label created and nothing more. By waiting in line and getting it scanned when mailed, my buyer can see for themselves it is on its way, which sometimes can take a couple weeks. It may not be necessary, but when I buy something, I like to see it is on its way and I am assuming my buyers feel the same.
I wouldn't drop records in a blue box regardless. But why wouldn't you print your labels at home them skip the line and drop off at the counter?
I do print labels at home (cheaper), but if you want them scanned in by a rep, you need to wait in line. Personally, I use the "scan yourself" kiosk these days--but that doesn't officially count as scanned in. And sometimes the self-drop box in the USPS is jammed--especially during the holidays.
I'm not dumping my HIGH-PRICED packages at the door into some big opened box and leaving without getting the tracking barcodes scanned. NO! Yeah, I'm just irrational wanting tracking to be active the moment those packed gold discs from DCC and MFSL are tossed into the wind.
I didn't know you could scan in media mail yourself, I've always been told no. But then if it does not count (active tracking) then I guess why bother.
Can you add insurance to the home printed labels? I'm adding at least $50 in coverage to anything $80 and over.
Yup. You can add insurance when you print the labels. You still want to make sure it's officially scanned in, though, which means handing it to a USPS person and having it scanned in in front of you if you want to absolutely sure. Until the package is scanned at least once by a USPS agent, your insurance claim can be (and usually will be) denied.
And until they've handed you a printed receipt. Ok, I'm standing in that line. And I'd rather they print that bit sticker with bar code and save me the paper, ink, and more tape and time. The line is not usually nearly an hour wait.
On US Postal Service the only one guaranteed arrival is "Overnight Rush" which is like starting 50.00+ and up and I'm not even sure of they still do that today. The rest of their service it doesn't matter if its Media Mail to USPS priority., and doesn't matter how much you paid. It will never be guaranteed. Because they are so short staffed right now, you package my be tracking 25 miles away from you and don't be surprise it changes to 1,500 miles the next day. The reason, that's beyond me. If you want it on a certain day, Have it shipped to UPS so you know exactly what day your package is coming. But its more money... I get a USPS shipping to my house its anywhere from 3 to 30 days and I'm already aware of this. On packages that are time sensitive, I always use UPS. if you feel like still using USPS. That's up to you...
Your international sent package labels can be printed from home, and the packages just dropped off? I didn't know about that.
Yes, they can... at least to most countries. I've had buyers in Russia a few times and had to buy that postage at the post office in person, but for more common places like the EU, UK, Australia, Japan, etc., printing at home works fine. I either use ShipStation (via Paypal) or Pirate Ship, both of which are a little cheaper than USPS' published online prices.
The ink in my printer costs more than the gasoline I can buy in Ohio for my truck. And the line at my local Post Office, well it’s not a line. I am usually in and out within five minutes, sometimes less. I am on a first name basis with the clerks. One benefit to living in rural America.
Our post office, only ever 1 clerk, busy or not. After about 30 minutes line is 12 to 15 people deep.
I agree about the cost of printing all of those big labels, not that cheap. And I l live right near two post offices and the lines are not bad unless it's a Monday or I arrived very close to closing. I was told thurs before 4pm is the slowest (best) time to go.
Gosh, I remember when I had to wait in those long lines when I lived in the city. Now that I live in a small mountain town, my local post office here is usually completely empty, except for the clerk. Takes me about eight seconds to drop off a Cd.
I've been tracking some packages coming to me and I've noticed that it's taking 3 or 4 days to get through the Seattle Distribution Center and get delivered to me when it used to take 1 or 2.
I've shipped a lot of stuff using USPS and there are a lot of misconceptions or at least changes over time in the way they do things compared to past years. The regulations are obscure and voluminous to say the least, and subject to the whims and flights of fancy or arbitrary wankery that may infect a postal employee or two along the way. You cannot drop parcels over a certain size in a blue collection box because, they won't fit, obviously. But even if they do, letter carriers are not allowed to pickup or accept mail (over a certain size or weight) that only has postage stamps on it. You have to go to the Post Office to do that. The reason for this is safety and aviation security. Priority mail and first class mail often travels by air. If you print your own postage, purchased through the USPS - then they "know" who you are, I guess. No matter, this opens up a lot more options. Media Mail is less expensive, that is true. If I were selling books online - I wouldn't use Media Mail. Sounds kind of strange, doesn't it? If they were rare or collectible, first edition books, no way would I utilize Media Mail. One thing people aren't aware of usually, Media Mail is subject to inspection at any time, meaning they open it up. They may not pack it back up correctly, they might "lose" it, it might suffer damage. Then there is Insurance. I don't think larger $$$ increments are available for Media Mail. Too lazy to look it up. And this is another reason I use Priority Mail almost exclusively. I don't want to waste my time learning too many arcane Postal Regulations. I haven't mailed LP records, but I wouldn't use Media Mail for that either even if eligible. Not for anything important, collectible or expensive. USPS offers a "carrier pickup" service, where they will pickup First Class or Priority Mail parcels for free at your house along with your regular mail service. They will also pickup everything else including Media Mail parcels, but there has to be at least one Priority Mail parcel for pickup. Again, you can't use postage stamps for this, it has to be pre-purchased printed postage. Pay attention to the Boxes they provide. The "Flat Rate" boxes are convenient, and free - and they will deliver those for free, too. I was mailing something to Alaska, and using a medium flat rate box. I got to looking at it, and noticed while it looked like a flat rate box, it was actually a "regional rate A" box, whatever that is. Well, same size and weight, in theory if someone caught that, it would have arrived with $20 postage due or whatever.
Media mail works for me 99 out of 100 times. It’s that one time it doesn’t that really sucks. Seattle is sucking right now.
I always use media mail for shipping books or LP’s or CDs, even very, very expensive items. And everything always arrives in decent time in perfect condition. And my customers get cheap shipping to boot!
