Where to Leave Package after using Shipping Label

[Former_Member]

I'm finally about to start using the Etsy Shipping Labels. What do you do with your package once it is complete with the shipping label? Do you leave it in a USPS drop box? Do you put it right out in your home mail box? If so does the mail carrier have to come up to your door or is it all set and ready to go like any other letter you are mailing?
Thanks for the help and suggestions!

[Untwistedsister]

My packages are small and unless I need a certificate of mailing I just put it in my rural box for pickup. I have a great postal carrier.

[Former_Member]

We live in a small town so whichever family member is going to be driving by the post office first gets the drop off. :)

[FenderGemsNCrystals]

I leave everything on the front porch for my carrier

[Former_Member]

Great thanks everyone. Will be nice to go out my front door only and not always to my post office. Because they are just all set and ready to go after using the shipping label right?
Have you found any drop boxes around you can use for packages that are a little bigger than your own mailbox?

[Former_Member]

I just put it in my mailbox:-)

[PotteryLodge]

I hand deliver all my packages at the post office, though USPS does have door pickups.

[Former_Member]

I always take them to the drop box outside of the PO. I never leave them in my mailbox because of theft in the past. :\

[rusticcraftdesign]

I usually bring them to the Post Office...or a Local USPS/FedEx drop off center....or sometimes I give them to my Postal Carrier. =)

[SnarkFactory]

I take them in and hand them to the employee and get a reciept. I'm too cautious and scared to leave them in the drop box. I like to physically see them take it haha

[Former_Member]

I leave mine in my mailbox and my carrier is used to picking them up for me.

[Former_Member]

I always take them to the Post Office and have them scanned. You can never be too careful when you've paid for insurance.

[SiggyJewelry]

I put them in one of the blue USPS boxes that are on street corners..

[Former_Member]

Great to hear all of the ideas and thoughts. Lots to consider. Anyone have any comments on the scale they use to weigh packages? What do you use and where did you purchase?

[Former_Member]

I just put it in my mailbox. Live rurally, don't want to drive all the way to the post office every time I have something to mail. I even do pick up if I'm mailing Priority for some reason.

I use a scale I bought on Amazon for $17. Works great. Only goes up to 35 lbs but that's far more than I need. It's possible I even use it to weigh my slow growing 15mo old. lol

[IvoryCatCreations]

I take mine to the post office and have them scan it in. that way tracking shows what time I mailed it out. Not too trusting of our mail carrier. We are rural and she is a contract employee.

[Former_Member]

Same scale as Julie, I think I took a recommendation from this team. It is perfect &if you are concerned that it is calibrated to the same weight as the scale at the post office you can take it in and they will check it for you. At least mine did and I've never had a problem.

[Femailler]

If you have them pick it up at your front door, it's so much easier to schedule the pickups through the USPS mobile app than through the browser. It'll save your information, which makes rescheduling another pickup take just a few taps to do. I can also set a reminder on my phone to place the package outside in the morning (in case the coffee hasn't kicked in yet). ;)

[Former_Member]

I put them in my mailbox, unless they're too big to fit. Then I run them across the street to the contract PO station across the road from where I live.

[twowhiteowls]

I used to just drop it off at the post office counter and bypass the long lines. But when one of my packages went missing (of course there was no info on the tracking, I guess they aren't scanning the packages much anymore). It looked like I had never mailed the package and they told me they didn't know where it was and they couldn't help me.

Now I have them scanned and get a receipt every single time, no matter how long the lines are and how much I just want to drop it off.

[Former_Member]

I usually put them in my mailbox for my letter carrier. We have a fairly large mailbox.

Around the holidays, I'm a little more cautious (and a little busier), and I like to take them to the local post office to have them scanned in.

[Former_Member]

We live a little ways out of town and the letter carrier won't come up to the house. And since it's either a drive or hike down to the mailbox, I always just drop mine off at the Post Office when I drive into town, which is at least 4 times a week.

I print my labels through USPS so I just leave the boxes on the counter and don't need a receipt for the tracking, it's already stored in my USPS online account.