Shipping Packaages with USPS & Printed Labels

[Elorra]

Hello fellow inkfroggers. I have some questions about shipping I hope you can help me with.

When you print a label on your home printer for shipping via PayPal and the Unites States Post Office, can you put the package in your mail box at home with the label affixed or do you have to drop it off at the post office? Does this include all mail types like Media Mail, First Class, Priority, i.e., are there any restrictions on the type of mail you are sending?

Or if the package can't fit in your home mail box can you just put it in a US postal box by your house. There is a box close to my house. If I could use this I would not have to go all the way to the post office. I have a Media Mail package that won't fit in my mail box and I was wondering if this is ok.

I thought I read somewhere that you had to take packages with labels that you printed at home to the post office and drop them off.

I am a noob, so thanks for any info you can give me!
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[RockyCockatoo]

I only drop off at the local PO if I am shopping in the same shopping center. If I am diving really close by the main PO I will use the outside drive up box. If I drive in another direction and its before the box pick up time I will leave them there. I have left First-Class and Priority (domestic & international) in the little rack under my mail box and the postman has picked them up. I have also handed them off to a postman in his delivery truck. Haven't had a problem yet! I have yet to use Media mail and don't know about that one but since it can be examined you might want to take it to the PO. Someone else can better advise you with that category.

[cjturtle]

If you have at least 1 priority package, you can use carrier pick up for free. Here's the link:

http://www.usps.com/pickup/welcome.htm?from=home&page=schedulepickup

You can also drop them off at the dock or inside the post office. You may want to check with your local post office and see where they want you to drop them off at.

Disclaimer: This is id (cjturtle) is not my eBay id. Someone else on eBay already had this id. My eBay id is not even close to this one.

[gator]

Hi, I also wondered about this quite some time ago. I went to my local post office and they said I could put the packages in my home mailbox. So my DH went to WalMart and bought a LARGE postal box. If it doesn't fit in your home mailbox then you can drop them off in any drop off box. I also send out Media, Priority and of course First Class Mail. IF the package is under 16 oz. I even put in International mailings. Hope this helps, GATOR in Floridahttp://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/up.gif http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/up.gif

[biggfredd]

It's considered metered mail and can be tossed in any box.

[oldstufftwo]

you can get a free pickup at your house everyday.

[carldc]

As I understand it...

You can put any class item in a usps mailbox (like the one at many intersections - I'm not talking about the mailbox you receive mail) AS LONG AS you're using a pre-printed label with your return address, like pay pal or usps.com AND it'll fit through the opening (of course!)

You can't put in anything one pound or over in a usps mailbox that has a hand written label and stamps (sorry BF). This stopped after 9/11 to discourage bombs in the mail.

You can hand anything personally over to a carrier that has postage on it. I've done this when they are delivering my mail as well as catching a carrier by chance while they were working at their vehicle.

The carrier pick up service was (and may still be) only available in certain areas. To be sure, you'll have to enter your zip at usps.com on the page for carrier pick up to see if your town/zip is covered.

If carrier pick up is available, you'll have to schedule it online no later than 2 am central time the day of pickup. You'll need a minimum of one Express or Priority Mail package. After that, you can add as may Parcel Post, Media, envelopes, etc items you want.

Regards,

Carl

[Elorra]

Thanks for all the info. Everyone on this board is always so helpful.

[Floridachickadee]

You can't put in anything one pound or over in a usps mailbox that has a hand written label and stamps

The boxes here all say that nothing over 16oz. period is to be placed in those boxes.

I once thought that it meant just if I had hand written the address and had stamps on it, and several days later I found it back on my doorstep with a big green sticker on it saying I had to hand it to a postal employee or leave it for pick up at my home. After speaking with my mail carrier, he confirmed that they have been told that anything over 16oz. (doesn't matter how the postage or address is on there, and doesn't matter if it's international or domestic) must be handed to a postal employee or left for pick up at my home...

He (my normal carrier) is really great about picking up any packages I have out, reguardless of if it's Priority or not, or if I've formally requested a pick up. He's given me several of those mail bins to place outside my door (my mail box is right outside my door) and he checks it everyday for packages going out. If there is a sub taking his route for the day they almost NEVER take the packages... But I pass by a contracted outpost PO 4 times a day at least, so if they fail to take the package then the next time I'm headed out that way I just take them and drop them off.

That's how they're doing things here at least

[carldc]

I walked to the corner mailbox today and noticed (for the first time) a sticker above the door that said anything 13 oz or more with stamps gets the ole heave-ho.

I get the impression there's a sliding scale for post office paranoia.

I don't recall anyone near here ever going "postal" but we did have a chief of police the next town over who blew his brains out in a patrol car a few years ago...

We also had a demented girl in fatigues shoot a bunch of people at a shopping mall nearby with a .22 rifle. That happened about 30 years ago...

My wife works 2 block from where Gary Heidnik had his infamous house of horrors in the 80s...

Ahhhh, such is life in (and near) the big city.


Carl

[johnc4x4]

Florida chic
As long as the package has the PayPal label WITH POSTAGE PAID LABEL or the USPS/click n ship label WITH POSTAGE PAID LABEL as long as it will fit in the box, it is OK.
That makes you a known mailer.
From the post office site:>>>

Drop Off
Packages may be handed to your carrier or taken to the Post Office. Packages may also be dropped into a blue collection box with the following restrictions:

>>Stamped packages should weigh less than 13 ounces
>>>Packages with postage printed using Click-N-Ship or another PC Postage provider may weigh more than one pound, but must fit in the collection box

ALL international packages MUST be handed to a postal employee
From the post office site:
We pick up International packages, too
Free package pickup is available for packages being sent by Express Mail or Priority Mail – domestic or international. To have international packages picked up, you must be present at your pickup location to hand the package to your letter carrier.

As said above if you schedule carrier pickup before 2AM that day central time,
Your regular carrier or a designated carrier will pick it up.
You must have at least 1 piece of priority or express and then you can add what ever else you have.
cjturtle was kind enough to provide the link

Media mail labels can be printed via PayPal, but not click N ship