Express Mail requests

[richard1rst]

So I suspect that over the next couple of days all the procrastinators will start asking (pleading?) for overnight  Express Mail. I know we are all anxious for sales and do not want to lose one. BUT there are pitfalls you need to be aware of.

I betting that most buyers have no idea what the upcharge is. Even the cheapest of Express Mail can be upwards of $40.00. That usually turns off the casual requester.

On top of that is the post office cut off time. I’m in Nevada. The cutoff time for express mail to the east coast is 10 AM (4 PM to the wet coast) - obviously because of the time differences. Double check your own post office before you accept. It is my understanding, although I have never used them, that UPS and FedEx have later cutoff times.

If you contact me around noon and ask me to get it out express to the east coast I simply can not. Even if I get it out today as far as the post office is concerned it is actually Two Day delivery.

Then, in all the ads for express mail from the post office, at the bottom it notes that express mail is not available to all ZIP codes. So before you accept their request verify their address and run it through the post office screening program.

While I would not say it to them directly my approach has always been “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part”

[nobody*s_perfect]

And for some ZIP Codes Express Mail is not guaranteed next day; it's second day no matter how early you ship. This is usually because either the sender or recipient is in an area that's farther from the nearest major sorting center, so the package has to go through more hands.  

I wouldn't even consider offering it.

[wastingtime101]

All good advice.

I saw the requests for Express Mail start coming as early as last weekend - people that wanted packages early before they travel to see family for Christmas.

The cost is usually a deterrent, but I did have one buyer go through with it. I usually get a few buyers willing to pay the cost each year.

I was cautious and told her that with holiday volume and Covid, even though Express is traditionally next day to her zip, that she shouldn't expect to receive it before 2 days. I prefer to under-promise in these situations because nothing is guaranteed these days. She did receive the package in time for her trip.

I've had to tell a few disappointed international customers over the past 2 weeks that they missed the deadline (by weeks) for Christmas delivery. The cost for Global Express is way too high of a liability and I won't offer it.