2017 Gift Packing & Shipping Tips

Pak Mail recommends shipping gifts early in the month to ensure on-time holiday delivery by Friday, December 22.

2017 Holiday Gift Shipping Countdown

The carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) post holiday schedules. The following cut-off dates are based on these schedules and our holiday shipping experience. Pak Mail includes additional time for potential delays due to inclement weather and increased package volume.

Shipping Week Two: December 11-16

• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx Ground by Wednesday, December 13.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx Ground by Thursday, December 14 (to Maine/northern New England), or Friday, December 15.

Shipping Week Three: December 18-22

• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 3-day on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx 2-day/overnight on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 2-day on Tuesday, December 19.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx overnight on Wednesday, December 20.

Before your trip to Pak Mail – especially if it’s part of your “honey do” list – be prepared with the following shipping information:

• Address and phone number of the recipient (must be a physical address for UPS, FedEx, and DHL).
• Contents of the package (if already packed and sealed). Save time and let Pak Mail pack for you.
• Value of the items.
• When you would like the package to arrive.

You will be asked if the package is safe to leave on the porch. Due to reports of porch theft this time of year, we recommend a delivery signature on most packages. We can also ship to the recipient’s work address.

Merry Christmas!

2017 Gift Packing & Shipping Tips

December has three full weeks before the Christmas holiday. Hanukkah begins in the middle of the second week. Pak Mail recommends shipping gifts early in the month to ensure on-time holiday delivery by Friday, December 22.

2017 Holiday Gift Shipping Countdown

The carriers (USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL) post holiday schedules. The following cut-off dates are based on these schedules and our holiday shipping experience. Pak Mail includes additional time for potential delays due to inclement weather and increased package volume.

Shipping Week One: December 4-9

• Ship Hanukkah gifts this week.
• Ship international gifts DHL/FedEx this week (recipient is responsible for duties and taxes).
• Ship APO/FPO/DPO packages USPS Priority Mail by Monday, December 4.
• Ship APO/FPO/DPO letters/cards USPS First Class by Monday, December 4.

Shipping Week Two: December 11-16

• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx Ground by Wednesday, December 13.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx Ground by Thursday, December 14 (to Maine/northern New England), or Friday, December 15.

Shipping Week Three: December 18-22

• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 3-day on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to Hawaii/Alaska UPS/FedEx 2-day/overnight on Monday, December 18.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx 2-day on Tuesday, December 19.
• Ship to US Lower-48 UPS/FedEx overnight on Wednesday, December 20.

Before your trip to Pak Mail – especially if it’s part of your “honey do” list – be prepared with the following shipping information:

• Address and phone number of the recipient (must be a physical address for UPS, FedEx, and DHL).
• Contents of the package (if already packed and sealed). Save time and let Pak Mail pack for you.
• Value of the items.
• When you would like the package to arrive.

You will be asked if the package is safe to leave on the porch. Due to reports of porch theft this time of year, we recommend a delivery signature on most packages. We can also ship to the recipient’s work address.

Merry Christmas!

Tip on how to opt out of weekend delivery

The holidays are rapidly approaching. Tinsel and twinkling lights abound — started in late summer. Our thoughts turn to gift giving. Shopping on the internet from home increases by leaps and bounds. Online merchants don’t always help you choose a secure delivery location for packages. Some, like Amazon, have weekend delivery set as the default. This includes instructions from Amazon to the US Postal Service to leave packages unattended outside a closed business.

Pak Mail discovered this delivery practice and developed a tip sheet to opt out of weekend delivery. Check your delivery options carefully when placing an online order.

Amazon USPS package

Directional arrows work… sometimes

We recently had a discussion with a customer about shipping plants inside a box with “up” arrows. UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS and other small-package carriers do not guarantee that a package will remain in the “up” position throughout its shipping journey.

This interaction prompted some research; it never hurts to enhance — or confirm — our shipping knowledge. Under Packaging Guidelines for Flowers and Plants on the FedEx Express website, we found the following bullet point: “Secure contents inside the shipping container, because directional arrows cannot always be honored, and plants and flowers may be shipped in different orientations.”

This is true of all small-package shipments. A package is handled multiple times before reaching its destination. There is no guarantee that a package will remain in its original “upright” position. The carrier sorting facilities employ conveyor belts. A question to ask: Can the contents of this package survive a 4-foot fall off a conveyor belt?

At Pak Mail we ensure all items are properly packed based on fragility, value, and even sentimentality, so they arrive at their destination safely.

Packaging with UP Arrow

How to turn off the Sunday-delivery option

Amazon (per contract with USPS) has instructed the Post Office (USPS) to leave Amazon packages outside the front door on Sundays.

If you do not want your packages left unsecured outside your front door on Sundays, do the following:

1. Log in to your Amazon account.
2. Click on Account & Lists.
3. Click on Addresses (sign in if needed).
4. For each address, click Edit at the bottom of the box.
5. Scroll down to Weekend Delivery and click.
6. Uncheck Sunday.
7. Save changes.

Hope this helps!

How to turn off Amazon Sunday-delivery option

Pak Mail – 4419 Centennial Blvd

Pak Mail, 4419 Centennial Blvd, will be closed Memorial Day weekend.

Saturday, May 27       Closed
Sunday, May 28         Closed
Monday, May 29        Closed     UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS are all closed.

Memorial Day: a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered.

Thank you!

Ship UPS packages with Pak Mail

Pak Mail is authorized to ship with UPS, as well as FedEx, DHL, and USPS. Several customers have told us the UPS Store, 6660 Delmonico Dr D, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, is closed.

Come see us at Pak Mail, 4419 Centennial Blvd, and check out what we offer:

Pak Mail – 4419 Centennial Blvd

• Shipping – all shapes and sizes, including large freight items
• Packaging and custom boxes and crates
• Private mailbox rental
• Notary public

We’re conveniently located at the corner of Garden of the Gods Rd and Centennial Blvd, two doors north of Albertsons, only 3-1/2 miles from the closed UPS Store.

Welcome to Pak Mail!

The Centennial Boulevard reconstruction project is underway. Pak Mail, at 4419 Centennial Blvd, is open for business during the roadwork. Two entrances to the West Wind shopping center remain open:

1. Garden of the Gods by Starbucks
   

   Pak Mail – 4419 Centennial Blvd

2. Centennial Blvd traffic light entrance by the ARC donation center

Click here for more information about the Centennial Boulevard project.

Pak Mail is open for business! See you in the store.

Colorado College Student Shipping on a Pallet

Shipping a student from Colorado Springs

Student shipping from Colorado College or UCCS  – home for summer break, to a new college for extended classes, or abroad for intensive studies – is easy with the right help. It’s a small move of the accumulated stuff after a year in a dorm room or small apartment.

Make the necessary shipping arrangements before final exams and clear the plate for studying, final projects, and, of course, socializing. Start the process by organizing. Ask some questions.

• What can be recycled? Organizations like Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado thrive on donations of gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, and electronics. Old cell phones can be donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers.
• What can be discarded? Get rid of the items that are no longer useful and cannot be donated or re-purposed.
• What is absolutely needed for the final few weeks at school? This is anything that can be safely packed in a suitcase. Everything else can be shipped ahead. Pak Mail can also pick up, pack, and store all of the non-essential items, and ship them when the final boxes are ready.
• What items require special packing? It’s a definite no-no to pack electronics in the middle of clothing. Leave those items for the professionals.

There are several ways to ship a student… their stuff, that is. If there are three or four boxes, UPS or FedEx (DHL for international) is probably the best option. If there are more boxes and a myriad of sports equipment, shipping them all together on a pallet with an LTL truck carrier is more cost effective. US Air Force Academy foot lockers are best shipped on a pallet.

Get an estimate, arrange for pickup and shipping, and get on with studying.

Secure Package Receiving

It’s that time of year again! Along with the increase in holiday online shopping comes package receiving and the potential for porch theft. Don’t let your Christmas gifts sit at your front door tempting fate. Open a private mailbox and pick up your packages at our secure location. The benefits of renting a mailbox include:

• A physical Colorado Springs address with unique box number.
  

  Pak Mail Private Mailbox

• Secure package receiving from UPS, FedEx, DHL, OnTrac, and USPS.
• Email notification of package receipt.
• Best value ($144) on a 12-month rental of a medium-sized mailbox.
• Convenient business hours, Monday thru Saturday.

Click here or stop in to learn more about renting a mailbox at Pak Mail.