Your experiences mailing Samples

Status
Not open for further replies.
1st class at Post Office, bottle or bottle in bag. Answer no to Q's. Several days to several weeks delivery, but cheapest, with possible exception of drop in USPS box with appropriate stamps or prepaid postage, like ClicknShip. Consider gas $ to drop off/mail location.
 
Originally Posted By: yota4me
1st class at Post Office, bottle or bottle in bag. Answer no to Q's.


Correction: That should read, just answer the questions, as I believe one of the questions is something like, does this contain any liquids.
 
My last sample was sent to Polaris and it was sent First Class with tracking. It took 3 weeks to get there. I emailed the USPS and they said they were sorry this happened and I should expect better.

But this happens every time. I think the sort facility in Albany throws it in the slow pile. When I checked, it had not made it to the sort facility in 2 weeks which is 20 miles away.
 
My blackstone sample i sent in the smallest size box it would fit in 1st class, answered NO to the questions and dropped it off at the 24 hour package deposit box at the local post office. They have an automated mailing station i use after hours to weigh and print the label.
 
I've never mailed a sample, but I deal with USPS daily.
You can't trust that the employees will know all the rules. I think you're better off putting it in a box to obscure the contents so they don't get worried. I like the idea of omitting the word 'Labs' as someone earlier suggested. I'd also enclose a printout of the Blackstone letter, just in case it gets opened somewhere in transit. That should hopefully quickly resolve the issue if one occurs.

It is possible to get tracking on First Class Package, but not through USPS' web site. They do sell tracking for it at retail for added cost. I think tracking is only available for first class 'package', which is more expensive than 'flats' or 'letters', but due to the thickness these should always be a 'package' anyway.

If you happen to have a Paypal selling account, you can print first class package postage there and it will come with free tracking. Other online postage services also probably let you do this.
USPS doesn't sell first class on their own site, because they apparently just want to be difficult. But they can do it with tracking at the retail counter, I've done that several times.
 
The first sample I sent in I used the black mail container they provide. It took like 5 or 6 weeks to get to blackstone.

I now put the little oil sample bottle in a bubble mailer and slap 6 stamps on it and put it in a drop box. Usually gets there in less than a week that way.
 
Just a follow up, this was USPS ( I tracked it ) mailed on Thursday, they received it at 0930am Monday morning, and I had my UOA report on email as of that tuesday. So it basically took 2 or 3 business days from beginning to end.

Not bad!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top