Fenton The UPS Store Offers Shipping Tips

Between shipping holiday packages, planning the family trip and baking cookies, the holidays can be anything but happy. Fortunately, The UPS Store  located at 17195 Silver Parkway can help keep the holidays happy and hassle-free.

“Whether it’s helping you personalize and send out your holiday greetings, packing and shipping your gifts so they arrive safely or having someone sign for all your holiday packages, we’re a convenient one-stop shop that can handle many of our customers’ holiday logistics,” said Les Beare, The UPS Store owner.

With extended holiday and weekend hours to accommodate customers’ busy holiday schedules, gives customers more time to get their packages out the door.

Customers lacking the time, expertise or proper packaging supplies to prepare their gifts for shipment can bring them to The UPS Store Certified Packing Experts ®, who offer The UPS Store Pack & Ship Promise ®, which reimburses customers the cost of packaging materials and service as well as shipping costs in the event a center-packed item shipped via UPS is lost or damaged (subject to the lesser of actual value, replacement or repair cost, according to the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service). Visit www.theupsstore.com/psp for details.

For customers who prefer to do it themselves, Beare offers the following tips:

•  Begin with the proper materials: a new cardboard box designed for shipping, professional-grade packaging tape and packaging material like foam packaging peanuts or bubble cushioning (at least two inches all around).
• Include a label on the inside of the package with the destination and return addresses.
• Use a shipping option, like UPS, that provides a package tracking number.
• Take batteries out of toys, electronics, etc., before shipping and wrap them separately to avoid contact with metal.
• Seal home-made holiday treats in an interior airtight container or plastic bag before packing them.  Use an expedited air service, such as UPS Next Day Air ® or Second Day Air.
• Ship wrapped gifts and luggage ahead to your destination, especially if traveling by air.

While many customers know they can rely on The UPS Store to handle the logistics of packing and shipping their holiday gifts, they’re also discovering that they can check other items off of their holiday to-do lists at The UPS Store, including printing holiday newsletters, invitations, greeting cards and programs.  Customers can email their documents for printing to store3351@theupsstore.com for custom printing and finishing options from the comfort of their home or office. They can then pick them up when they come in to ship their holiday gifts.

In addition, for those customers who do a lot of online and catalogue shopping, opening a mailbox at The UPS Store is an added convenience.  ”Rather than leaving online and catalogue purchases sitting on your doorstep when you’re not at home, let us receive them for you,” suggested Beare.  “Plus, we’ll notify you via email or text message when you have a package waiting for pick-up, eliminating unnecessary trips.”

With only 20 shipping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, good timing is critical.  Mondays are typically the busiest shipping days and Dec. 12-16 is expected to be the busiest week of the year, but expect to see the holiday rush as late as Dec. 22 for delivery on Dec. 23.

Most ground packages require five days or less to reach their destination, but if you’re shipping coast-to-coast, it may take longer. Bad weather can also create unexpected delays. If you wait until the week of Christmas, you’ll have to select a premium service for delivery on Friday, Dec. 23:

• Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Ship UPS 3 Day Select 
• Wednesday, Dec. 21 – Ship UPS 2nd Day Air 
• Thursday, Dec. 22 – Ship UPS Next Day Air

The U.S. Postal Service says packages to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan should be mailed by Dec. 3 in order to arrive in time for Christmas; mail going to other military overseas APO/FPO locations needs to be sent by Dec. 18 through the US Postal Service.

*Information provide by