View Full Version : Fees for Receiving Mail
Jack Tarlin
05-24-2008, 13:37
There's been some talk in Damascus lately among some 2008 folks about the places that charge a fee for holding hiker mail or parcels.
In most cases on the Trail, this fee (usually at a motel or hostel) is charged only to folks who pick up mail but do NOT stay at the facility in question.
My query: How do folks feel about this? Personally, I'd rather pay someone a few bucks for receiving and safeguaring my mail, especially when it saves me carrying an extra four or five days worth of food, but not everyone seems to agree.
Any thoughts?
If the fee is reasonable I have no problem with it.
And it would sure beat trying to get to a post office by a certain time.
I heard somewhere on here that The HIke Inn charges $30 if you don't stay there.
(I admit I don't know if it's true or not)
But a charge like that is unreasonable.
jersey joe
05-24-2008, 14:55
I think charging a fee like this is a bad move for hostels. The hostels benefit from hikers, why not give back a little. Besides, it makes good business sense. Even if a hiker didn't plan on staying, there is a chance that when they pick up their package, they might change their mind. Or at least buy a candy bar or something.
Any reason my earlier post was removed from this thread? I use USPS mostly. This problem doesn't exist with USPS. In what way is that not relevant?
Johnny Swank
05-24-2008, 15:29
I'd be fine with a nominal fee at a hostel or motel that I wasn't staying at. There's manhours involved with keeping track and dealing with those packages.
It should be gratis if I'm staying there though.
I generally just buy along the way and avoid all this mess.
generoll
05-24-2008, 16:00
It seems perfectly reasonable to me for an innkeeper or business of any kind to charge a fee for holding packages. It would be best if this policy could be communicated to the hikers in advance, however. I can see how hard feelings might be generated if someone showed up to collect their packages and got presented with a bill for services rendered if you'd had reason to expect this for free.
As far as I am aware most places currently do this for free, so until the expectations or assumptions are changed I'd think the provider should go the extra mile to be certain that the charge was made known up front. That gives the person an option to either send a package and expect a charge or send it elsewhere.
Some suprises aren't especially pleasant.
Wolf - 23000
05-24-2008, 16:17
There's been some talk in Damascus lately among some 2008 folks about the places that charge a fee for holding hiker mail or parcels.
In most cases on the Trail, this fee (usually at a motel or hostel) is charged only to folks who pick up mail but do NOT stay at the facility in question.
My query: How do folks feel about this? Personally, I'd rather pay someone a few bucks for receiving and safeguaring my mail, especially when it saves me carrying an extra four or five days worth of food, but not everyone seems to agree.
Any thoughts?
Jack,
I don't mind spending a couple of bucks for a SERVICE that the Place is providing. The only problem I would have is if the Post Office tried to charge the fee. The Post Office was already paid to deliver a package under the no promises that they will deliver unless you paid yet again for insurance that they will perform their job.
Wolf
Ron Haven
05-24-2008, 16:49
As a motel owner I feal that I would do anything I can to help a hiker period. We hold mail drops free.I even hold them for other hikers not staying also without charge even though I wouldn't see a person charging a couple of dollars would be a sin to non guest.
I don't mind spending a couple of bucks for a SERVICE that the Place is providing. The only problem I would have is if the Post Office tried to charge the fee.
Wolf
As I mentioned... this is one problem you won't have with the Post Office. The PO has its problems for sure, mainly with regard to hours of access.
The Weasel
05-24-2008, 18:11
While I understand the need of hostel owners and other trail businesses to make a go of it financially, charging for mail held does give me a sad feeling, as being a bit against the 'trail family' concept. If they wish to, that's fine. But I feel closer, personally, to those who don't. And yes, I know it's a bit inconsistent and selfish sounding, but I don't mean it that way.
TW
Jack Tarlin
05-24-2008, 18:14
Hey, Weasel, ever talk to motel owners about how their places are treated by hikers? Ever wonder why every year there are fewer places that offer hiker discounts or specials?
"Trail family" my eye.
If you had people in your family that behaved this way, you'd likely disinherit them. :D
I'd be fine with a few bucks for them to safeguard my package (hostels, motels, etc) when I DIDN'T stay with them.
Wolf - 23000
05-24-2008, 20:42
As I mentioned... this is one problem you won't have with the Post Office. The PO has its problems for sure, mainly with regard to hours of access.
Hours of operation for one, delivering the packages. I had several packages that were lost one that was never heard from again. It is a real pisser to pay the post office to do a job only for them to lose the package. The only kind of robustly you can receive is told you should have issuing insure your package. That is one of the reasons I avoid sending anything of any expensive by the post office.
Wolf
Reasonable fees for holding packages should be the norm. I would imagine most here who work or own a business don't give away their services. Why should we expect Hostel owners? After all, you do have a choice. You can use the USPS offices and deal with their hours or pay a Hostel owner for the privilege of more convenient hours. As was said in another thread, you should call ahead anyway. The questions should include: a) do you hold hiker packages?; b) what are your hours?; and c) what do you charge?
As a motel owner I feal that I would do anything I can to help a hiker period. We hold mail drops free.I even hold them for other hikers not staying also without charge even though I wouldn't see a person charging a couple of dollars would be a sin to non guest.
That's very generous of you, Ron. If I wasn't staying at your motel, I would leave a few dollars for holding a package.
Cookerhiker
05-24-2008, 22:22
If the fee is reasonable I have no problem with it.
And it would sure beat trying to get to a post office by a certain time.
I heard somewhere on here that The HIke Inn charges $30 if you don't stay there.
(I admit I don't know if it's true or not)
But a charge like that is unreasonable.
Fall '04 on a long section hike, I had a mail drop at the HikeInn and planned to stay there but received some unexpected Trail Magic at when arriving at Fontana which included a night's stay. So I went to the HikeInn for my maildrop and they were real nice about it and did not charge me.
In general, I don't mind hotels/motels charging something. Sometimes those drop boxes take up lots of space.
Seems like a non-issue to me. A business is not entitled to help out hikers if they aren't guests. If anything I think the opposite: It's nice of a business to hold a package for a couple bucks for hikers. I realize it's a way to make money, but often this can become a nuisance if 200 hikers send packages.
A place like the Relax Inn is a perfect example. They hold packages there (near Atkins). Not sure if they charge a fee (I stayed there) but it's an EXTREMELY helpful place to pick up a package. The resupply is horrible, the PO is not close, and it can save you a trip to Bland, and lots of time. Very convenient.
Seems pretty simple. If a business or hostel holds packages for free, offer to throw them a couple bucks. If they charge 2-5 bucks, pay it, or stick to PO's.
charge i keep seeing in my appalachain trail pages book is 5 dollars to hold mail for hikers and seeigns how ill be carrying two weeks of food im not worried about 5 bucks every two weeks
charge i keep seeing in my appalachain trail pages book is 5 dollars to hold mail for hikers and seeigns how ill be carrying two weeks of food im not worried about 5 bucks every two weeks
Yep. If a hiker cannot afford 5 bucks every 2 weeks for a courtesy/convenience provided free by a post office, then they need to reevaluate things. Don't stay in a motel if you don't plan on tipping the maid at a rate proportional to the mess you leave $3-$5 is good, more if you really trashed the place. Don't eat in a restaurant if you cannot afford a 15-18% tip. And you if the Hostel holds your mail and you aren't staying, then $3-$5 is a very appropriate fee or tip. There are no free rides. If too many people take them, then we shouldn't expect the service to be there for people that follow.
Good thread, Jack.
If a motel or hostel charged a fee to hold a maildrop for someone paying to stay there, that might be a controversy worth debating.
But for a hostel, motel, or other business to hold a maildrop for free for someone not intending to patronize them is going beyond the call of duty. Bless those who do it, but don't expect it for free. If I was in their shoes, I'd charge whatever I needed to that would discourage the practice, or at least allow me to make a little $$$ on the transaction if one was not discouraged. I see nothing controversial about that.
Hey, Weasel, ever talk to motel owners about how their places are treated by hikers? Ever wonder why every year there are fewer places that offer hiker discounts or specials?
"Trail family" my eye.
If you had people in your family that behaved this way, you'd likely disinherit them. :D
Okay, so Jack. You think there is no "trail family." Well, maybe. Certainly it's not as dedicated and univeral as we would hope. But I still think it exists, at least in small ways.
Think of us as a microcosm of the "human" family. Like our membership there, none of us are as good members of the "trail" family as we might wish.
But we truly do exist or the trail wouldn't exist.
These issues are easy to distort. For too many, the trail is simply a resource to be exploited. A challenge to be conquered as easily as possible.
But for many others, the trail is a chance to enjoy wildness. To live at least briefly away from everyday cares, concerns and battles. Yes. the jerks will always be with us on the trail and off.
But there remains a family of trail lovers, regardless of you cynics to the contrary.
Weary
Ron Haven
05-25-2008, 00:09
That's very generous of you, Ron. If I wasn't staying at your motel, I would leave a few dollars for holding a package.That is nice of you too.
Okay, so Jack. You think there is no "trail family." I still think it exists, at least in small ways.
... we truly do exist or the trail wouldn't exist.
Well stated!
Jack Tarlin
05-25-2008, 10:21
Um, nobody is denying that there are "trail lovers" out there, Weary.
But there was nothing cynical about my post. Read it again. All I said was that there are a lot of motel owners out there who, for any number of good reasons, wish that the Trail "family" was either better behaved, or picked somewhere else to stay.
You call this cynicism.
If you'd spent more time hiking these past few years, and had actually met and spoken with more business owners along the Trail, I don't think you'd be disagreeing with me.