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Keep these shipping tips and deadlines in mind when sending holiday packages

     The gift was thoughtfully chosen and wrapped in festive paper and ribbons, then packaged and shipped across the country as images of the excited recipient gleefully tearing through the paper on Christmas morning danced through the gift-giver’s head. The only problem is that, because close enough attention wasn't paid to mailing deadlines or, worse, due to improper packaging, it didn’t arrive until December 29.
     To help ensure packages arrive on time and undamaged, Steve Goble, vice-president of marketing communications for Annex Brands, parent company of Postal Annex+, and Debby Gagnon of Pack, Wrap and Post offer the following packaging and shipping tips for the holidays.

Packaging tips
     • Ship sooner rather than later. Packages sent on December 22 or later can cost up to five times as much as packages sent earlier.
     • Use a new box. Old boxes may break apart in transit and may display old shipping labels, resulting in the package being delivered back to your own house.
     • Don’t use brown wrapping paper. If it is torn from the package the delivery label will go with it, leaving an unlabeled box for the carrier to deal with.
     • Put an extra mailing label inside the package. If the delivery label becomes separated from the box, the carrier can still complete delivery if a copy of the delivery address is found inside the box.
     • Never use string. It gets caught in sorting machines, mangling packages and their contents.
     • Use proper packing materials. Bubble wrap and packing peanuts protect their packages better than newspaper or old T-shirts.
     • Fill your box completely with packaging materials. This keeps the flaps from caving in, breaking the tape seal and resulting in contents falling out.
     • Use professional grade packaging tape. Don’t use duct tape as it loses its adhesiveness in cold weather. Masking and cellophane tape also won’t withstand the rigors of the shipping process.
     • Don’t ship batteries. Batteries are considered hazardous material and therefore not allowed.
     • Send perishables in airtight containers. Fill in any gaps inside the container with bubble wrap to keep baked goods from arriving crumbled.
     • Send gift cards using tracking. Gift cards cannot always be replaced if they are lost.

Holiday shipping deadlines
     The United States Postal Service recently updated its website, www.USPS.com/holiday, to include shipping deadlines to help postal customers ensure their cards and gifts arrive in time for the holidays.
     The USPS recommends first-class cards and letters be mailed out no later than December 20; packages should be sent by December 15. For procrastinators, December 20 is the last recommended day for Priority Mail, and, as a last resort, postal customers can ship gifts via Express Mail up until December 22. These dates are for domestic delivery only; deadlines for international and military deliveries are available on the website as well.
     In addition, Debby cautions residents to remember that certain items are deemed hazardous materials by the USPS and can only be sent via ground delivery. Prohibited items include a number of popular gift-giving ideas, including perfume, cologne and nail polish, or any aerosol product.
     For additional information or questions concerning holiday mail delivery, deadlines or whether an item may be prohibited, please contact Pack, Wrap and Post at 244-3519 or go to www.USPS.com/holiday. Residents are reminded that Pack, Wrap and Post will be closed both December 24 and 25.

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