Signature required at delivery - does this happen?

Mine sat in the mailbox for a day before I got to it. No issues.

Yeah, no signature required in my experience either. Honestly, every order I've gotten came through just like any other first class mail piece — no knock, no door tag, no "sorry we missed you" nonsense. They just put it in the mailbox or, if it didn't fit, left it between my screen door and the main door.

The carrier choice is usually USPS First Class — pretty much what most vendors go with because it's cheap and low-key. Unlike Priority Mail or some international couriers, First Class doesn't trigger a signature requirement unless the shipper specifically pays extra for it. I've never seen anyone do that — kind of defeats the whole purpose of discreet delivery, you know?

Transit hubs are just the typical USPS network — leaves the vendor's regional sort facility, hits a big distribution center, then filters down to your local post office and carrier. Nothing special, but that's the point. Because the package is treated as ordinary mail, it routes through the same plants as like any Netflix DVD or birthday card. No special handling, no attention drawn to it.

Packaging varies but I've always gotten a plain poly bubble mailer or a thick manila envelope. The bubble mailers hold up fine through the automated sorting machines. I did have one envelope that arrived a little beat up — a corner was bent — but the contents were still fine because it was wrapped inside a folded paper sleeve inside the envelope. So durability is decent. If it's a single thin ID card in a plain envelope, it might get folded by accident, but the better vendors use like a cardboard stiffener or something.

Customs observations — if you're ordering domestic, there are none. It's just a letter. If it's crossing a border, first class parcels under a certain value typically don't get held up or need a signature, but they can still hit customs inspection. I've had one international order slip through without any issue, just a slight delay of a couple extra days at the border, no signature required. So the behavior is pretty much the same as any ordinary package.

First class is not fast, tbh. Expect about 2–5 business days for domestic, sometimes up to a week depending on distance and what day of the week it was dropped off. No tracking updates beyond a vague "arrived at facility" scan, so you're really at the mercy of the USPS timeline. But for the peace of mind of not needing to sign for it, that trade-off is worth it for most people, honestly. I'd take a slower, low-profile delivery over a signature-required one any day.

It just goes in your mailbox. No interaction with the carrier needed.

You do not need to be home. It will wait for you.