Cheez

Guys, I am a homeless guy. I'm going back to wilderness in a week and will be living in a shed. My biggest concern is the way to receive packages from UPS, USPS, and FedEx.. Amazon has hub lockers for pickup for packages but they have to be small.. Big items they don't deliver to hub lockers. In the past I had bad experience with the UPS... they didn't allow "Hold for Pickup" unless the package has already made at least 1 attempt of delivery... When I go homeless I won't have a valid address to give. So this would be useless for me. At least that's the experience I had with the UPS last year. I don't know about today. Is there any way to have UPS/USPS/FedEx to hold my package for pickup at their store location before the package is being sent from the sender? By providing them tracking number and have my package put on hold for pickup? Has this been successful to any of you guys out there?? I did browse through their website about Hold for Pickup but I am not sure they actually work...

sdmc530

I know you can use Fedex to be dropped off at a Walgreens. I do that when I have something coming Fedex and I am not home to get it and I want it secured. So my Walgreens signs for it and holds it. I believe your are required to have a fedex account? I have a Fedex, UPS and USPS accounts they are all free so they do come in handy. Don't know if UPS does this but the wifes computer shipped to a UPS store for safe keeping so I think they are the same at their UPS store locations.
I don't think the USPS will allow this kind of deal but I am not 100% sure.

good luck

Cheez

Thanks for the reply. How do you have FedEx to drop off package at Walgreens? Do you provide FedEx your local Walgreens address for pickup on their website? Can you show me how do you go through this process.. btw I live in Indianapolis area.

clemsongirl 

here

Juan Foote

There is a method by which items can be shipped and held at a local post office for pickup. I don't know what the exact restrictions are, specifically in light of size, but read about bike tourists doing it a lot to stash or store future supplies for pickup. I know you can do so with at least at item as large as a non folding tire/rim.

sdmc530

thanks for posting that. I use the app actually.

Cheez

Ok I signed up an account for FedEx, UPS, and USPS however the USPS needed identity verification and it failed. USPS is no good.. It directed me to apply for getting an instruction on how to verify identity and they will mail out the instruction 7 business days this must be some kind of joke.

genec

OK so you may be homeless, but is there a Mailbox Etc near you? Or similar type service... perhaps they can be your package "hub."

Just guessing.

Some campgrounds will receive stuff for you... If you are camping there.

sdmc530

I don't know your situation or your travel habits but you could take genec advise and rent a box at the USPS location or a mailbox type business. Where do you get mail now?

Cheez

I have an OutReach lady who helped me getting a welfare temp housing last Dec. She has my name in her address so she used to get mails to me. I'm currently at temp housing and using that address. Once I move out I will have to tell the housing agency that I will no longer live there. I guess I could use her address as my home address but I gotta check with her first.. I don't want to bother her with packages too much which is why I want to pick up packages from postal/shipping office. I don't know how to setup a mailbox at USPS... don't you gotta pay for that stuff every month? and the storage size is limited isn't it?

sdmc530

yes, there is a yearly fee to hold a USPS po box not sure the cost though. The size of the box doesn't matter. You could rent the smallest one and if fit they just hold it and you will have to pick it up during business hours that's all. Not an issue for the size of the box. My wife says you can get a yearly box depending on location of course for under $50...…..but you will have to check.

here is the basics on the boxes.
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/PO-Box-The-Basics

you can get rates for your area by this link:
https://www.usps.com/manage/po-boxes.htm

Good luck.

Cheez

That's awesome.. Thank you for the valuable info I will check in to that. I feel better now.

Steve B.

I think using a PO Box means you have to have stuff shipped only via USPS. I don’t think UPS and FedEx will ship to a PO Box, or wouldn’t last I checked.

Cheez

In the past I did try using a "General Delivery" USPS office address to have a package shipped from Amazon via UPS (I have no control over choosing shipping carrier) and the UPS delivery guy did not deliver to that address and shipped the item back to the sender... I guess UPS had a fight with USPS in the past and they don't get along... Oh well I can live with that. I will have to check tracking info to get the number and who the carrier is so I can make arrangement with FedEx or UPS accordingly before they deliver the package.

sdmc530

Correct, UPS/FEDEX will not ship to a PO box. That is why a mailbox storefront with an address might be a better option. Might cost a bit more but you can get anything at a private shipping business place as opposed to the USPS.

I seriously hope you do get something figured out that suits your needs. I was thinking about this last night before bed and I seriously was thinking I take for granted some things sometimes that are just everyday normal stuff that might be a challenge for others.

I don't know you or anything about you but you Cheez are on our family's prayer list now.
bless

Cheez

Thank you for your kindness and prayer! Appreciate it.

Cheez

Ok guys I got some sad news. I did use Hold for Pickup feature on USPS delivery to have a package picked up at one of the postal offices near me and they charged me a huge shipping fee for it. So I paid shipping double times, one from the seller and one from the USPS. It was a tiny winnie item (weight of an envelop with a few Li-ion batteries) and they charged me $7.40 for it.
I tried the FedEx delivery for Hold for Pickup. I tried the FedEx delivery app and signed up for FedEx Delivery Manager and I went in there but there is no option for me to choose "Hold for Pickup" nor does it give me any option to select nearest FedEx office to pickup. The only options listed for me are:

- Alternate Names
- Delivery Address
- Vacation Hold
- Delivery Instruction

I went in to the Delivery Address to add a nearest FedEx office address and it says I can't do that as it only accepts residential address. I tried the Vacation Hold and it only gives me the dates to choose for hold but it does not give me a location of the FedEx for me to pickup.. It won't direct me to "Hold for Pickup". It is a FedEx Home Delivery and I have a tracking number.

I tried the UPS but they don't have Hold for Pickup. The website says the UPS driver has to make at least one attempt to deliver the package and leave a UPS Info Notice Number for me to use. That wouldn't work for me once I move out. The recipient will reject the package and it would get shipped back to the sender.. UPS also mentioned about fee rates for hold for pickup...

This is very difficult for me to get packages.. I will have to get with one of the people in the OutReach (charity organization) to see if I can use their address for package delivery...

sdmc530

Bummer!!!!

Steve B.

Yeah, bad news

I suspected all along that your only option was going to be a local friend of friendly business who you can use to hold the package, maybe time to explore that.

Rage

If your usps office offers what they call “premium services,” you can ship through Fedex or UPS. Not sure about the pricing in your area. Not even sure they offer it in your area. But something to look into.

dedhed

For USPS shipments. I don't believe Fedex or UPS will deliver to this.

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-General-Delivery