Post office expert

[ConGau1981 56]

I may have a new one for you.

This was sent via USPS express - so we could get the tracking number and everything. Do you know of any reason why they would reject a package to the Lewisville address (see below)? Thanks, any insight would be awesome!

USCIS

Attn: I-129F

2501 South State Highway 121 Business

Suite 400

Lewisville, TX 75067

I will answer your question in the other thread that you started

[ConGau1981 56]

Great thread

I have been wondering why it takes only 5 or 6 days when I send a standard letter from San Diego to Germany, and it most of the time takes more than twice as long for mail to get from Germany to San Diego... I know it is usually put on a plane in Germany after 1 day.

First off I want to say that 5 or 6 days from San Diego to Germany is incredibly fast for a normal letter. Is this a regular occurrence for you? 5-6 days is about average for a letter from, say for example New York to San Diego and vice versa. So from San Diego to Germany in 5-6 days is amazing. A letter from Germany to San Diego would probably take between 10 days and 2 weeks.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Can you tell us about the automated letter sorter?

[ConGau1981 56]

Can you tell us about the automated letter sorter?

Here is a short video that shows how mail is sorted

[The Mean Lady 604]

You should be able to track your package until it clears customs..after that it probably wont get tracked unless you send it express mail or Global express guaranteed. When I send priority to Vietnam I can track it all the way to customs but after it clears customs it stops. As far as going to LA and then on to Canada that happens because the international package dispatches happen at SFO or LAX from the west coast. 2 weeks is actually a pretty good average, you should be happy that you don't have to mail to Mexico...

I live 8 hours from home in canada (ontario to chicago) and it only takes 3 days for packages to go from US to canada.

I prefer it over fedex which charges me $25 for some tiny package when USPS is only $5.

How come I have to pay customs/taxes/duties with Fedex, but not USPS?

My sister accidentally sent a letter to australia a few weeks ago using only (1) standard postage stamp.

How is it that:

1- it actually made it to australia

2- it made it there in less than a week

And, why is it that USPS tracking is so TERRRRIBLE and don't you deny it!

Canada post tracking is FAR superior.

[ConGau1981 56]

I live 8 hours from home in canada (ontario to chicago) and it only takes 3 days for packages to go from US to canada.

I prefer it over fedex which charges me $25 for some tiny package when USPS is only $5.

How come I have to pay customs/taxes/duties with Fedex, but not USPS?

the USPS or Fedex does not charge customs duty....that charge comes from the customs bureau (hence the name"customs duty") and I don't know how they decide which items to charge a duty.

My sister accidentally sent a letter to australia a few weeks ago using only (1) standard postage stamp.

How is it that:

1- it actually made it to australia

2- it made it there in less than a week

1. Because no one in the US saw that your sister used a domestic stamp and not an international stamp

2. The letter got processed and put on a flight to AUS very quickly....and the post office in AUS processed it and delivered quickly

And, why is it that USPS tracking is so TERRRRIBLE and don't you deny it!

Canada post tracking is FAR superior.

USPS numbers

1.3 billion miles driven each year

160 billion pieces of mail delivered

152 million delivery points

31,272 retail offices

Canada Post numbers

233 million miles driven each year

11 billion pieces of mail delivered

15.1 million delivery points

6500 retail outlets

USPS handles 40% of the world's mail volume and ....but maybe Canada does have better tracking

[ConGau1981 56]

Take it from the expert....anyone who is mailing documents by priority mail should ask to have it certified, as it requires a signature in order to be delivered. It is better than the free tracking that is provided with all priority mail now. If you are using express mail, you dont need to ask for certified as express already requires a signature. The VJ guides say to use delivery confirmation but that service was canceled in January 2013...and a return receipt can only be added to express or certified. However I think a return receipt is redundant and not worth the extra money...I used certified when I mailed my I-129F to Dallas.

[The Mean Lady 604]

i used fedex.

It came with delivery confirmation, excellent tracking, and a $5.50 price tag.

[sparkling 0]

Why does it cost more to send via USPS Tyvek Envelope than a USPS Flat Rate Box ....with exactly the same contents? (my documents are over 3 inches thick)

[ConGau1981 56]

Why does it cost more to send via USPS Tyvek Envelope than a USPS Flat Rate Box ....with exactly the same contents? (my documents are over 3 inches thick

The Tyvek envelope is not a flat rate product. The price will vary depending on the weight and distance. Sometimes the Tyvek envelope will actually be cheaper than a flat rate box...for example if you are sending something that weighs less than 2 pounds to your neighboring state.

[Mel&Lal 12]

Ok does Priory Mail really take only 10 days to reach India, do you know? I have been fretting over my package wanting to make sure my fiance gets it before the 13 of Sept, since he is leaving for his interview on the 14th of Sept. I mailed the package off to him on the 26th of August. The postal guy told me that he should get it by the 9th of Sept. I am think I made a mistake by not going International guarantee priority.

[ConGau1981 56]

Ok does Priory Mail really take only 10 days to reach India, do you know? I have been fretting over my package wanting to make sure my fiance gets it before the 13 of Sept, since he is leaving for his interview on the 14th of Sept. I mailed the package off to him on the 26th of August. The postal guy told me that he should get it by the 9th of Sept. I am think I made a mistake by not going International guarantee priority.

The mail service to India is reliable...I don't hear many complaints.

[Jilly30 16]

The mail service to India is reliable...I don't hear many complaints.

Unfortunately, I would beg to differ. My mother mailed a package via USPS airmail to me, a flat rate box under 5lbs which was last tracked leaving the US the first week of July. It has never arrived. My husband and I have called various locations across Mumbai and even tried to bribe someone to look around the inside of the local Mumbai Foreign Post office for the package. They "claim" they delivered it last month, but have no tracking proof and are just going off memory. I find it hard to believe. So either it was pilfered from the post office which is so over-burden and a disaster area or our watchman saw that it was from the US and took it. The problem with it coming regular mail is that it can be handed over to anyone (like a building watchman or a neighbor). DHL & UPS have to deliver to the recipient only. So I'm not really thrilled with India mail delivery right now.

Especially since a simple LETTER which my mom wrote, arrived with no problem and in only 23 days. Clearly the box was more tempting than the letter. :-(

Edited September 3, 2013 by Jilly30

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why can't I block international numbers from calling me?