It seems like forever since I've been able to post. July seems like eons ago. And Christmas seemed like a far-off dream back in July, but here we are giving November a hearty "HELLO!"
I have been working diligently on the annual Mail Box Plus Holiday Shipping Brochure. It should be ready by the end of the first week in November, if all goes well. Some general things to remember are:
I have been working diligently on the annual Mail Box Plus Holiday Shipping Brochure. It should be ready by the end of the first week in November, if all goes well. Some general things to remember are:
- Ship early, ship often. Waiting too long can mean that your packages get caught in the holiday rush. Don't wait!! Also, due to the fact that all the major carriers have gone to dimensional pricing, it can sometimes be cheaper to ship several small boxes rather than one large one.
- Leave the box wild and free!!! You don't have to wrap your boxes in brown paper anymore. In fact, it's not recommended at all, since the paper can get caught in the automation processes that all the carriers use, get ripped off, and there goes your address label! You can ship in any kind of box, although you want to cover up any labels or markings that don't apply to your shipment, such as : hazardous goods markings, something that would imply there is alcohol in the package, etc. Also, make sure you have a copy of the recipient's address inside the box just in case the outer label gets smudged or torn.
- It is expensive to ship unless you're Amazon or Walmart.com. Don't be floored by the sticker shock you will encounter when shipping your packages. Due to the price of fuel and the dimensional pricing scheme that the carriers use, shipping costs have gone up significantly in the last couple of years. Little stores like Mail Box Plus and and individuals like you cannot get the bulk rates that big companies get. If you are gifting a very large, very heavy, or unusually-shaped item, consider ordering it online and having it shipped directly to the recipient. You can often score free shipping deals especially if the item is expensive. Some websites even offer a way to select when the item will be delivered so that if you order it early, you don't have to have it shipped right away.