**SIFO** USPS Informed Delivery

NOTE: I got wiped out halfway through writing this so it may read a little weird. Apologies. You can find any missing info by following the links I did manage to provide.

Even though I have complained about the Postal Service, I don't want the USPS gone. And I am not sure about privatizing the service... I didn't plan this post at the time that there is talk of getting rid of the USPS but, here it is.

Thanks to someone in the Reddit community, I learned something pretty useful about USPS mail and packages called Informed Delivery (ID). I will include here what I already knew and what I learned for those of you who might be interested in keeping track of anything coming to you via the U.S. Post Office.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE knowing what's in my mailbox before I go check it. Also, I like being able to flag something I was supposed to receive and didn't. That's handy, right? So, keep reading.

You can, of course, track items. With ID, you get more tracking features than with the standard tracking lookup. There is a Postal Store where you can buy stamps, supplies, get personalized stamps and envelopes, purchase collector items, and more.

Here is the link to the USPS site and I will post a bunch of photos showing toolbars. That way, you can see what's offered in each section. For now, here is how the ID service has been useful for me.

I get a lot of packages because I do almost all my household shopping online. I like knowing what is coming and when so that I know when a package is late or perhaps lost.

This is where you will start and then just select Quick Tools from the menu at the top. This is what you will see:

When you select Informed Delivery, you will have to set up a USPS account and then sign into the account in order to use the ID stuff. I have had a USPS account for a while so I don't remember what all you can use without an account other than the basic tracking.

Once you are in the USPS site, there are all sorts of things you can do. It's probably really handy for someone trying to work from home these days and there are sections of information and services for Business and International sections.

Of course, there are some people who might prefer buying stamps and other supplies online. You can even purchase personalized envelopes and collectors items and gifts. Just like you see in a USPS lobby in lots of places.

Now, I mainly use the basic services for tracking and keeping track of mail and packages. When you use the "plain" tracking service - you know, putting the tracking number into Google which takes you to the USPS page - you only get the information for as long as you are on the page. I used to do this and then, every time I wanted to go back and check on the same package with the tracking number, I had to start all over again.

With the plain tracking, you can at least sign up for notifications about the parcel using your cell number (for text updates) or your email. I would use the text and right now, I still have probably a thousand old texts on my phone about old tracking numbers. Informed Delivery lets you store tracking numbers to a dashboard. You can even nickname parcels (ex: from Amazon, or Target, etc.). That's handy for someone who does most of their shopping online and has things coming from various people or vendors.

Notice that my "dashboard" shows a section for mail and one for packages. When I select one of those packages, I got to more detailed tracking info.

I don't even have to track mail that doesn't have a tracking number (and most doesn't, right?); the post office scans mail and all items addressed to me will show up this way:

Notice that under the envelope, there is a box I can select if I didn't receive the letter.

Of course, I redacted my personal info but, basically, that is an actual scan of the letter that was in my mailbox. I can know what's there without checking the box. This is nice when you are away from home and maybe really anxious to receive a piece of mail. Or when you are away and have someone checking your mail. You can tell them when something important needs to be picked up right away. I like it because there are days when I don't feel well. I will sometimes only bother going to the mailbox when there is something from the bank, clinic, or some kind of bill.

(I was going to post even more screenshots but am getting a little tired this evening. You can see everything mentioned in this post by going to the USPS site and checking the menu and sub-menus. Sorry about the lazy lag here, folks.)

I know that there will be concerns about saving your signature for ID but, think about it, if you ever signed for a package on one of the USPS devices, they already have it somewhere.

Again, I am tired so I will stop here. At least now you know about all the online services available from the USPS. Let's keep those people working and show them some support.

Peace
--Free

Open Letter to Online Retailers

To whomever it does concern:

I think I am speaking on behalf of the many (potential) customers who live in the United States. We don't live in some place accessible only by dogsled or courier dolphins. We live in areas that receive mail via the U.S. Postal service on each and every delivery day. I'm talking about residents of Alaska and Hawaii.

I question why I (and others) must pay the most outrageous shipping and handling costs whenever we order things from your sites. What's your reason for this? Does it cost more for packaging that must endure the alien airspace over Alaska and Hawaii? Do the folks "handling" those products bound for our areas have to wear special clothes during the shipping and handling process?

If you think I am just complaining to complain, I promise you that I am not. For examples of what I face in shipping costs when ordering from your site (and others), I have examples.

Amazon's Standard shipping to L48 compared to same for Alaska & Hawaii:

Ex: $3.99 for L48

and $7.99 for U2

And good old Overstock.com just blows their whole "free shipping" lure when it comes to Alaska & Hawaii... (That may be a good thing, because, otherwise, I'd shop them out of business!)

SMH

Is it just me, or do they seem almost gleeful about it?

I've already had my rant about Miss Jessie's shipping charges. Miss Trudy is like Amy Winehouse on this: "I say no, no, no..."

~sigh~

I understand that we are not "connected" to the Lower 48 states. What I don't understand is why when I mail a letter to someone in those lower states, who are not connected to us, I pay the same amount of postage in the form of a stamp. Wonder why the Postal Service doesn't add another dollar or two to stamps sold to us?

Maybe I am being unfair. Perhaps it is more expensive for you guys to ship things to those of us living in the Upper 2. Perhaps, but I doubt that it's as expensive as what we must assume from your shipping charges.

I was taught by my parents not to complain about something unless I had at least an idea for a possible solution. Here is my proposal to you guys:

When shipping to Alaska - and let's use the bottle of face cream I once ordered from you - how about you calculate what the cheap little bubble-wrap mailer cost you. (I'm pretty sure you get a discount on those since you must order them in bulk. I can get about 25 of them at Costco - way up here in Alaska-land - for around  $28 - and that's without a business account.) After you figure in the cost of the mailer, maybe you could use a postage-meter to weight the package to come up with a price for postage. Go ahead an tack on a your 'handling' charge (the same as you charge for 'handling' mail to the Lower 48 folk), then mail the dang thing to me. I don't think that would come to the prices I have been expected to pay in this instance, or another. What rule says that you guys just have to use the most expensive shipping service? You can't find ways to be more accommodating to the people who really do want to buy your products?

I bet if I get my hands on your product without having to take out a small loan, my satisfaction (or lack of) will be based solely on that product. Who knows, I might even try out your other products. I might even tell my friends why they should try them out. Just imagine.

What if you don't want to alter your shipping methods to accomodate your potential customers in the other 2 states (722,718 in Alaska; 1.4 million in Hawaii), which I will call the "Upper 2"!

Hmm... I have another idea:

I don't know if you realize it or not, but we actually have stores here - Target and Walmart and Walgreen - just like in the L-48. We even have roads and houses with actual doors and windows. (I know, it's hard to take it all in, huh?)

I've seen (some of ) your products in these stores (I'm really talking to you, Miss Jessie's), so I think you have a relationship with them already. If you don't want to ship to individuals like me (who could generate a lot of word-of-mouth business for you), you might consider supplying your retail connections with samples and trial sizes.

Think of the possibilities. You could reach a whole other market of people by extending just a little bit of consideration to the 700,00 + people living in Alaska. Most of us have the same needs and shopping impulses of humans from 'round where you might live. We like eating and bathing and doing cool things to our hair - like putting puddings and creams in it. We love to eat, drink and be merry. I bet you we can out-merry the rest of the nation when we start celebrating the end of winter when we come out of hibernation.

I'm not the only person who wonders about the seeming unfairness of shipping and handling charges when it comes to customers with Alaskan address. There was talk a long while back on ebay here. Like those in that discussion and ones on (ugh!) Facebook, I just don't get why you guys don't use USPS over the other (higher-priced) shipping services.

These are just some of my thoughts. I know you don't care about me as a person, but I bet you a Sea Galley's certificate that you care about the money you could make off my fellow residents. I can almost hear the calculators working as I finish typing this.

Sincerely,
#theupper2 of the U.S.

P.S.: While chatting today with another Alaskan, she informed me of what she was told regarding Walmart's not doing a ship-to-store service here: apparently the reason is that the store doesn't have a warehouse here. She was told by someone that one is being built and that it will service the entire region of Alaska. Hopefully, then we will be able to use Walmart online and request items there for store pick-up.