With the new MSP and reported new rules there will be a need for destinations for USPS shops in different zones. If you are interested in becoming a Post Office Buddy for USPS shops post your zip code. PM the member in the required zone to get permission.

02906

I don't need any boxes coming to my house, but I will hold a place here for animal shelters and women's shelters.
I'll update with addresses later (for people who are in a zone 5 or 6).

20902 I donate to women's shelters, so toiletries and gently used clothing very welcome.

You can use this tool to determine zones: [postcalc.usps.gov]. All you need are the first three digits of each zip code. I am 193xx.

I am really concerned about getting large packages. My concern is that the post office could decide to make me go to the post office to pick them up, especially if I start to get multiple ones at a time. It takes me 20 minutes to drive to my post office, and they are open limited hours. And of course I am going to have to dispose of the box (if the rules don't change, you have to buy a new box each time to prove that you are using an acceptable size), and probably the contents as well. We will have to see how this works out. The devil will be in the details.

So how do you know the new guidelines?

There are several posters who said that they have been told by a scheduler that Scenario "C" will no longer require shipments to a specified food bank once the new MSC takes over. Indeed, people (guilty!) are already worrying about changes which we have not seen yet. There is nothing as a good a a good rumor.

@grille wrote:

So how do you know the new guidelines?

Feel free to use my address if needed. I'm in 20708...

Not so much the exact guidelines as more a general idea of price and type was disseminated in the 8/8 email from Summit. There apparently will be a regular box and larger box ship to someone you know and a food bank that would appear to be a big box.

11106. I will take anything, any size, and I can donate canned goods and toiletries when I send items.

I don't mind picking up at the post office if needed, it is 2 blocks away from my house.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2015 04:25PM by eodermatt.

I signed up for the new company. I have my first shop with the current company this week.

If the first shop goes well and my zone is useful, I will participate in this.

Shop-et-al, Also, please let us know how the shop goes for you overall. Your feedback could stifle many of the rumors - thanks!

Almost anything 990xx, 991xx, and 992xx.

@Lisa4984 wrote:

Shop-et-al, Also, please let us know how the shop goes for you overall. Your feedback could stifle many of the rumors - thanks!

The new company isn't posting any shops until mid to late September, and they will be October shops (per the owner of the new company, so...not a rumor). I believe Shop-et-al was referring to the old company that still has the shops until October 1.

Oh, and I will participate in this (as long as it works out with the new MSC and guidelines) 296XX

801XX, for my area.

84098 is me

I've never bought a new box every time. If anything, I've photographed the bottom of the box, showing the lettering that indicates box size.

@myst4au wrote:

You can use this tool to determine zones: [postcalc.usps.gov]. All you need are the first three digits of each zip code. I am 193xx.

I am really concerned about getting large packages. My concern is that the post office could decide to make me go to the post office to pick them up, especially if I start to get multiple ones at a time. It takes me 20 minutes to drive to my post office, and they are open limited hours. And of course I am going to have to dispose of the box (if the rules don't change, you have to buy a new box each time to prove that you are using an acceptable size), and probably the contents as well. We will have to see how this works out. The devil will be in the details.

@TechSavvy wrote:

I've never bought a new box every time. If anything, I've photographed the bottom of the box, showing the lettering that indicates box size.

@myst4au wrote:

You can use this tool to determine zones: [postcalc.usps.gov]. All you need are the first three digits of each zip code. I am 193xx.

I am really concerned about getting large packages. My concern is that the post office could decide to make me go to the post office to pick them up, especially if I start to get multiple ones at a time. It takes me 20 minutes to drive to my post office, and they are open limited hours. And of course I am going to have to dispose of the box (if the rules don't change, you have to buy a new box each time to prove that you are using an acceptable size), and probably the contents as well. We will have to see how this works out. The devil will be in the details.

For the dim weight, my scheduler always wanted a new box and a receipt to prove it.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@TechSavvy wrote:

I've never bought a new box every time. If anything, I've photographed the bottom of the box, showing the lettering that indicates box size.

@myst4au wrote:

You can use this tool to determine zones: [postcalc.usps.gov]. All you need are the first three digits of each zip code. I am 193xx.

I am really concerned about getting large packages. My concern is that the post office could decide to make me go to the post office to pick them up, especially if I start to get multiple ones at a time. It takes me 20 minutes to drive to my post office, and they are open limited hours. And of course I am going to have to dispose of the box (if the rules don't change, you have to buy a new box each time to prove that you are using an acceptable size), and probably the contents as well. We will have to see how this works out. The devil will be in the details.

For the dim weight, my scheduler always wanted a new box and a receipt to prove it.

yep, a new box and receipt will be required

I'm located in 388xx. If It's a zone that works for you.

My zip is 53215 (Wisconsin). I would love a shipping buddy in the "zone"! Whatever zone that is!

I am waiting for the new rules. At that time I can supply animal and people shelter ideas if needed in 900 (Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City areas).
Zone 5 and above is over 600 miles (double check that as I am going from memory here) according to the info on the current instructions. This is just for an estimation and you should check the zips with your zone calculator. Anything chocolate you can send to me. Everything else can go to the shelter.

So, the companies are changing, too bad these were my favorite and easiest shops. If I have to ship to a different address each time I'm out.

ShoppingDad,

Changes may work out for you.

Personally, I'm waiting to see for myself any changes and go from there. Currently, I have three 'buddies' in zone 4. If these don't work with the new company, I know there are plenty of other forum members that will be in the proper zone(s).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2015 01:35PM by vlade5394.

I need to find out how to use their website.

I love the USPS shops, so I'll join! I can take packages from the A or B scenarios.
28602

I don't think receiving and consuming food from people met in a forum is a good idea, folks. Please take care.

@Robin2 wrote:

I don't think receiving and consuming food from people met in a forum is a good idea, folks. Please take care.

If you match with a shipping buddy, you can just keep shipping the same item back and forth. I have boxes of cake mix that have traveled hundreds if not thousands of miles so far.

@Robin2 wrote:

I don't think receiving and consuming food from people met in a forum is a good idea, folks. Please take care.

I never intended to do that.
My intention was to have people list shelters, and the shoppers could ship there directly, but it went in a different direction.

Plus, I have already been stalked by a shopper. I don't need that again.

Do you really think that the average shelter wants dozens of very large boxes to appear, each with three pounds of pasta? The storage effort and the cost to dispose of the boxes would mount up. I have been of the belief that the current MSC had to have had an arrangement with the food banks they used to cover the disposal costs for the packing and boxes. I would never consider shipping mostly empty, very large boxes with goods of very nominal value to food banks or homeless shelters without their permission.

As far as small toiletry bottles, I travel a lot. Years ago, I took some of the small hotel bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. to a homeless shelter and they would not take them because they often do not come with tamper proof seals. That made sense to me. Out of curiosity, I just weighed a small bottle of lotion (1.7 fluid ounces) and it weighed 2.4 ounces. So, to get to 3 pounds of contents (48 ounces), I would need 20 bottles of the same size and weight. I have 20 of them. They take up less volume than one box of pasta. And they are liquids, so a truthful answer to the HazMat question about liquids would lead to issues as well. And then I would need something to put into the second box.

I think that we may be creating issues by speculating about what the new rules might turn out to be.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@Robin2 wrote:

I don't think receiving and consuming food from people met in a forum is a good idea, folks. Please take care.

I never intended to do that.
My intention was to have people list shelters, and the shoppers could ship there directly, but it went in a different direction.

Plus, I have already been stalked by a shopper. I don't need that again.