I needed to send an android cell phone and its wall charger overnight to my brother living in Sta Barbara. Our local USPO front counter person insisted I must use its only Express box. That was way too much box for what I needed. Regardless, I did for $18. Should have FedEx'd instead?

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SoCal for now.

All you need is a box or envelope big enough to have the postage and Express label on one side.

A padded envelope would have been fine. A non-padded envelope, even, though if the phone were damaged, it wouldn't be covered.

You can go to usps.com and check the price.

By the by, when I bought my bike, I had to send some documents to Southern CA. The dealer sent me what I *thought* was a prepaid Next Day FedEx envelope, but it wasn't (the cheap bastards!) and it cost me $30. For documents- like two sheets of paper.

I don't *think* you'd have done better at FedEx.

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I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

[lmgtfy.com]

Quote
RAMd®d
All you need is a box or envelope big enough to have the postage and Express label on one side.

The aforementioned items were already well packed in a fitting box but the USPO counter person insisted it was not acceptable. It must be packaged again in the huge Express box else it would not be acceptable. Side note, I had a fallout with that same counter person before. I reported to her boss about her horrid customer service. As a matter of fact, the entire counter personnel is a joke. The mail delivery persons are on the opposite end of customer relation's spectrum. Go figured.

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SoCal for now.

The aforementioned items were already well packed in a fitting box

You know the size of the label, so that definitely should have been enough.

I've repurposed Amazon boxes for USPS Express mail, no problem.

Still, it looks like $18 was a good price, after poking around usps.com.

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I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

You were/are correct, you can use your own packaging for Express Mail. I think you are Zone 1 or 2 to that destination? If so, if you paid $17.40 postage, that was the 2-pound rate, if you paid $18.50 it was the 3-pound rate.

I suggest 2 things: First, if the counterperson tells you that the item must be repackaged, ask to be shown the Domestic Mail Manual reference. Do this anytime they tell you something that doesn't seem quite right. If it's an international shipping issue, ask for the International Mailing Manual reference. Second, next time pre-print your postage! Even assuming that the 2-pound Zone 1/2 rate was correct, by printing your postage at home, you would have spent $15.30, saving $2.10. You would have also been able to hand over your prepaid package at the counter and walked right out, eliminating counter wait times.

Quote
TL
You were/are correct, you can use your own packaging for Express Mail. I think you are Zone 1 or 2 to that destination? If so, if you paid $17.40 postage, that was the 2-pound rate, if you paid $18.50 it was the 3-pound rate.

I suggest 2 things: First, if the counterperson tells you that the item must be repackaged, ask to be shown the Domestic Mail Manual reference. Do this anytime they tell you something that doesn't seem quite right. If it's an international shipping issue, ask for the International Mailing Manual reference. Second, next time pre-print your postage! Even assuming that the 2-pound Zone 1/2 rate was correct, by printing your postage at home, you would have spent $15.30, saving $2.10. You would have also been able to hand over your prepaid package at the counter and walked right out, eliminating counter wait times.

Definitely saving this info. Thanks!

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SoCal for now.