FYI ~ CURRENTLY
USPS Flat Rate boxes and envelopes
Both versions of Priority Mail offer the following great features:
- Two to three-day delivery
- Delivery to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands at domestic prices
- Free Package Pickup service (USPS saves you a trip to the post office by collecting your package(s) straight from your home or your office)
- Includes USPS Tracking® when you ship online and at retail
- Packages insured for up to $50 (more insurance is available for a fee)
- No surcharges for fuel or residential, rural, and Saturday delivery
I can't argue with that! Again this was at least a decade ago, maybe more...?
I still feel like at the time, and I MAY be misremebering exactly how I shipped, that to get a 3 day priority small box either wasn't guaranteed delivery in 3 days, or cost more yo get in there in a timely fashion, and I may have paid extra for expedited shipping of some sort, in my effort to be a 'good seller'.
I do know that only a few years ago, I shipped a few things cross-country to a friend half-way between San Fran and the Oregon border which NEVER got there by the promised delivery date due to there only being a local post office and people only had P.O. boxes, stuffy was only flown so far before getting on a truck, and according to the tracking #'s, would often stop in small towns overnight, aIong the way.
I sent some copies of documents there 'overnight' once, via USPS which never arrived at all. I re-sent more copies overnight, which took 3 days to arrive at the post office there. I got back my $19.99 shipping due to the loss, & again for the delay. Fortunately the papers were copies!
I have to think that there are plenty of similar Postal outposts in Alaska. Again, I was doing my best to get the knife there asap without paying for overnight to a customer who didn't disclose being in Alaska, until I got the address with the PayPal payment. Dude still complained it took more than 3 days. My fault? I know I paid more than regular price in an attempt to get a 3-4 day guarantee.
I don't doubt that lots has changed since my experience, and I'll reconsider my thoughts on the matter in the future. But if you do live somewhere WAY out in BFE, please don't harass the seller immediately if you don't get your shipment in 3 days, or *by the date promised by the shipping service*, give it a chance, otherwise sellers may not want to ship to your area again.
Just $0.02 more
& these days I wouldn't buy or sell anything not fully insured.
Tho getting a refund is a PITA process or the SELLER, based on my one experience with an insured, but lost, package. Like pulling teeth from an agitated wild boar!
The lost overnight papers I sent? I was told all overnight deliveries went in a bin together, and if one item went missing the whole bin must have been lost.
USPS is far from perfect.
Thanks for posting the current info RayseM