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I am thinking it might be a good idea for people involved in trades to specify their shipping preferences.

For example, I am currently involved in a trade where the other party sent something to be requiring a signature. The problem is that I am rarely home to sign for things. So, I cannot get my parcel. (No slight to the shipper. They were acting in good faith.)

Obviously, this is not mandatory. But, specifying shipping preferences could help everybody.


Dom

Send things to me in a box. Or, better yet, don't send things to me, as it is unlikely I will ever send your half of the deal out. (I'm trying to be better about this, but recent circumstances makes it difficult.)

I get here to sign for things about half the time. But the mailman knows to just leave stuff outside my door, and apparently the FedEx guy can get into my apartment (or he just left my phone with the apartment manager, either way, saved me a drive).

Worst case scenario, I have to drive to UPS, which is close and actually sort of a fun drive, so I don't stress about it.

This one is as much/more my fault as anyone's. I did not specify shipping preferences, and the other guy actualy went further than one would expect.

Dom
-getting up early tomorrow to hit the PO before class.

Aw Christ, this is mine, isn't it? Sorry, I had no idea. I didn't know that USPS would require a signature for something like this.

Not a huge problem. (ACtually, I was not sure it was you. I have a couple of things in the air.)

Not a worry though. You technically were going the extra mile.

I don't trade anything expensive enough to warrant a signature. On the other hand, I hate when I use a premium service like FedEx or UPS and they leave it at the door for the neighbors to steal or for it to get rained upon (this has happened to me in the past). I generally just go cheapy cheap if I can, and spring for delivery confirmation from the USPS because those know-nothing idiots have lost too many of my packages over the years, including a precious trade this year.

If you have an item that needs signature, you can leave the signature on the tag they left on the door, or can leave instructions to leave package with a signing neighbor or building manager. Don't wait too long, they only hold onto packages for a few days.

Tried that. The USPS was not having it. I tried to sign the tag...and they said they are not re-delivering.

And, because it was addressed to my screen name, I cannot pick it up at the Post Office. (Of course, I could sign for it with no ID in front of the building, but whatever.)

Dom
-is fully aware how absurd this is.

US postal is fine with me. On the few occasions when something has been shipped to me that requires a signature, the mailman has left a note in the mailbox to that effect, which means a little extra effort to make it out to the post office. But regular mail is usually sufficient.

The problem is that the PO around here is only open during hours that most people are not able to stop in, stand in a line, and sign for something. (If people were able to do that, odds are they would have been home to sign for the package to begin with.)

When I was considering a career in teaching, scheduling woudl have been a bonus. My day would start and end before everyone else's, meaning I could get to the PO more easily.

Dom