<p>Note that Amazon does not allow 2-day, 1-day, or same-day shipping to PO Boxes.</p>
<p>I have had some issues with UPS Mail Innovations and FedEx Smartpost where my packages sit in a USPS facility in Atlanta (which happens to be the same city where lost packages are stored and later auctioned off) for 2-5 days before getting to me.</p>
<p>The post quoting me (#16) details how to address packages to PO Boxes. Note that one has to sign up for this service and file 2 change of address forms when closing the box.</p>
<p>It may be interesting to know that FedEx’s largest customer is USPS and USPS’s largest customer is FedEx. Packages shipped priority or express mail are generally carried by between the origin and destination USPS processing centers and FedEx has USPS deliver packages that it deems unprofitable, mainly small packages and those to rural destinations. Both DHL and TNT contract with UPS for many US deliveries except when the city has enough packages to warrant a DHL delivery operation. There seems to be a 50/50 chance on your DHL package being delivered in Tuscaloosa by DHL or UPS.</p>
<p>I have a PO Box with USPS at the Ferguson Center and have not yet signed up for street addressing. I appreciate 24/7/365 access to my letters and am fine with the occasional shipping service mishap. </p>
<p>With all the packages being shipped, I’m surprised that there isn’t an Amazon Locker location in either Tuscaloosa or Birmingham.</p>
<p>FWIW, USPS can very well deliver to Paty, but either USPS or UA put a stop to it. It wouldn’t seem too difficult for USPS to deliver packages to Campus Mail (UA’s on-campus mail service) and have them deliver to Paty just like they do for every other department on campus.</p>
<p>As a word of advice, make friends with the USPS employees in the Ferguson Center post office. They are all very nice people who will go above and beyond to make sure that your letter or package arrives at its destination.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, SEA_tide! Please let me know if you believe the following scenario will work for my S…he plans to order a majority of textbooks through Amazon and Barnes and Noble:</p>
<p>If he has a P.O. Box at the Ferg, but uses the street address “104 Ferguson Center #86XXX”, for shipping purposes for these two suppliers, I am now assuming that he should not have a problem with delivery. It appears as if using the street address at the Ferg would eliminate the need for sending package shipments to Paty…am I correct??</p>
<p>Sorry for my confusion! We are heading down next Friday for move-in on Saturday, and the mail/package issue is on our list of “to-dos”. I am trying to find the least confusing option for him, if there exists such a thing! Your suggestions are greatly appreciated! :)</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, having street addressing for a PO Box will allow all packages to be picked up at the Ferguson Center post office. Keep in mind that lines at the post office can be long, especially during lunchtime hours. When shipping packages from UA, it is easiest to use flat rate boxes/envelopes or regional rate boxes if available (the Ferguson Center post office is one of very few post offices that has them), pay the postage online, which is discounted and has free tracking, and skip the line to leave the package on the counter for the USPS employee to scan in between customers.</p>
<p>One good thing about using USPS is that almost all priority mail packages will arrive in 2 days, which is also how long it takes Express Mail to arrive. My mom will often bake me food on Monday afternoon, mail it to me in a priority mail flat rate box for around $11.00, and I will get it at 9:00 am Wednesday just in time for breakfast. I’m very lucky to have a mom that does this as it allows me to eat foods that are hard to find in Alabama and to have better control over the ingredients in certain foods.</p>
<p>Shipping by a standard UPS or FedEx service such as ground or express (FedEx Home Delivery is not needed as students are at a commercial address, saving the $2.00 or so residential delivery charge) means that one of that company’s employees (or an independent driver in the case of some FedEx operations) will deliver the package.</p>
<p>About that two day USPS delivery: In my Northeast Region, even an envelope or package mailed “Next Day” cannot make it to Alabama in less than 3-4 days. When I inquired why, the USPS employees said that it was because they could not make the connections in time from here. I have tried this just to verify, and they are correct. So, I could send packages or mail “priority” instead of express but they will arrive in the same time frame and the timing can not be guaranteed.</p>
<p>However, if I mail a package from my local UPS store, it arrives in 3 days exactly, discounting a late week mailing because of the “No Delivery” on weekends to Paty Hall. I have verified this dozens of times.</p>
<p>I send items UPS whenever possible. For me, it is much more expedient. FED-EX can ship overnight but the cost is ridiculous and not available on weekends since a signature is required.</p>
<p>Is there word as to whether or not UA will keep a post office (USPS) open until the end of the year. I seem to remember discussion that it was closing…</p>
<p>We had this issue last semester resulting in son not getting some books in time for start of class. Eventually had to cancel all his books and start over. It was much more trouble than necessary. Thrilled that he is now in a house with a real mailbox!</p>