USPS shipping question

[my3kids]

I love being able to print postage to ship items directly from home, but am having trouble figuring weights. How do you weigh packages? Would an inexpensive food scale from Wal-Mart work? Nothing is heavy enogh to register on my bathroom scale, not that I'd want to use that anyway!

Is there anyway to inexpensively weigh and ship from home, or should I just keep going to the post office and making sure it is done right the first time?

Also, with Priority Mail, if I didn't put enough postae on something will it be returned to me, or go to the recipient postage due?

 

[pjlla]

Not sure I'll be much help but....

I bought a fairly inexpensive (maybe $25) scale at Staples that goes up to 5 lbs. I rarely have anything that weighs more than that. If I do I just weigh the part separately (item weight + packaging weight). If you are unsure about your scale, weigh a few things on it and then bring them to the PO and have them weigh it and you will know how close your home scale is. If it is close enough then you can relax. If it is just a bit off you can "pad" you weight by an ounce or two on each package... although you may pay more than you want to in the long run. But I suppose it is better than having a package arrive "postage due"!

I know that you can purchase postage at home online or by owning a postage machine/meter. But I have never done it. But I do print my own Priority Mail labels online at the USPS website. That way I get free delivery confirmation!

Sorry I couldn't be more help...........P

 

[Shannon G]

I paid 28.95, including shipping, for a 35 lb postage scale on Ebay. I really just started to get into selling on Ebay, and this makes it so much easier! Now I just weigh my packages, and include a postage calculator in my auctions. When an item sells, I can go onto USPS.com and print out the correct postage. I also ordered Priority Mail supplies online from USPS, so I have everything I need right at my fingertips.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Technically if your package is postage due, we are told to return it to the sender, not send it on to the recipient. However...., we still have some old timers, and some newer casuals (you get what you pay for ) who send them on. So if you don't want the worry of 'what actually happened to it', it is definitely better to make sure before of the weight.
Have fun.

BTW, does everyone know that standard postage is considred 'one way' only postage? Priority/first class is considered to be 'roundtrip'. And, know that on standard mail it is left up to the clerk to determine if it is of obvious value. Remember, if you want it back in case it is undeliverable and standard mail, put 'return requested' below your return request.
(lesson over for the day) It will come back postage due, but it will come back.
Kim

 

[my3kids]

Thanks for the information. I should buy a scale for the few times I do send packages. It is so much fun to print postage at home that I don't want to go back to the post office again!

I don't use parcel post, so I guess things will make it back to me if they don't make it where they are intended. I've gotten boxes in my mail box before along with a little orange envelope asking me to pay 10 cents or 3 cents or something like that back to my carrier in the envelope.