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Finishing up my box for mailing...

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:22 pm
by PaminMaine
So I am finishing up my box to mail.. we arrive May 12th and I figured I better give it a couple weeks to get there..
Anything I am forgetting? Sun tan lotion, shampoo, bug spray, granola bars, popcorn, more snacks.. what else... :roll:

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:52 pm
by Capn Dan and Ruby
We like to take that chicken in a pouch to make chicken salad sanwiches for the beach. (We take wraps in our cary on) I also like to pack a bottle of Nutriagina after bath oil. It is nice to keep the sundried skin hydrated and great massage oil :wink: .

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:54 pm
by andee515
I sent 3 boxes, 2 thru the post office and I ordered sudries and sand toys online at drugstore.com, to be delievered UPS. I mailed them out 5 weeks early. Only 1 of the USPS made it, the other one and the ups never showed up. The person at connections and the customer service for drugstore.com both said that packages often get "lost" going through Puerto Rico, that they run into this problem frequently. I will not be mailing anything again. Just wanted to give you fair warning.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:58 pm
by pleinjane
This is pretty timely! A friend of mine mails things in the standard usps box (flat rate regardless of weight), but didn't mention any problems she faced in getting them on the island. I've thought about mailing food items (peanut butter, beans, lotions, etc), but I waited too long probably, so I'll have to think about it for next year.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:19 pm
by PaminMaine
Oh that stinks Andee.. I am sending 2 boxes! I hope that I receive them.
Ohh forgot I was going to add the tuna pouches too ! Glad you mentioned the chicken. I also like the in shower body lotion by oil of olay, leaves skin super soft.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:43 pm
by GotToGetAway
I mailed two packages through USPS flat rate (1 box and 1 envelope). Both packages took less than one week to arrive. We paid the extra 75 cents for tracking and thought it was well worth it.
We also packed mac and cheese, oatmeal packets, ground coffee, and all-in-one laundry detergent.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:58 pm
by PaminMaine
That is great to know.. never thought about using the tracking.I have the boxes for $15 ( i think) that you can fill as full as you can. I will definately ask about tracking! Thanks. This site is so helpful, love it!

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:14 pm
by Chicken
Packed some dryer sheets with food one year and my Pop Tarts tasted like Bounce. :wink: Just an FYI...

I shipped two boxes last year with the USPS flat rate boxes and had no problems at all. They took less than a week.

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Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:05 am
by susan & herb
I shipped our box priority with tracking and it arrived in 3 days. I really was surprised.

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:28 am
by Xislandgirl
I throw in Crystal Light drink packets, Splenda for morning coffee, small packs of almonds.

Keep food in one box and everything else in the other. been there with the dryer sheets!

USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation!

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:26 am
by TrvlJohn
Xislandgirl wrote:
USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation!
Ditto...No worries.

Be sure you address the boxes EXACTLY the way they tell you to.

(My ticker looks better every day!) :D

-John

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:25 am
by Lovermont
I use the USPS website to create my label and pay for the Flat Rate Box. Doing it online means:
• The address is USPS compliant with all caps
• The label has a barcode so that you increase the chance of swift delivery
• You get tracking for free
• There's a slight discount vs. paying at the PO
My experience is that my box arrives on STJ in 5 to 8 days.

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:04 am
by Gromit
Ditto what Lovermont said.

Follow directions EXACTLY as Connections tells you to and you should have no problems.

I would never send a package from a retailer to STJ because of these issues.

I would send it home first and pack it in a flat rate box and mail according to instructions.

I know it's a pain, but it's the difference bwteeen getting your stuff and not getting it.

Del. Donna Christensen has called for a couple of federal investigations into this issue beginning back in 2007.

For the latest in the saga: http://stthomassource.com/content/news/ ... vel-issues

It's an ongoing issue, but I have always follwoed instructions over the years and my packages have always arrived in a timely fashion and without issue.

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:07 pm
by Need2GetAway
Don't bother sending a box. It won't get there.

I thought sending a box was great advice, but I sent mine 3 weeks out and we just got back from our trip yesterday and it never arrived.

I ended up buying all my toiletries there, which cost a fortune. ($10 for a 3 oz bottle of contact lens wetting solution?!)

Suck it up and check through a suitcase.

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:11 pm
by Need2GetAway
BTW I sent mine Priority Mail Flat Rate, at the Post Office counter (where they told me three days), with tracking. It shows it in Puerto Rico, but that's it. It was addressed to my property manager on St. John. Coincidentally, her family had mailed her a box the same day which she also never received.