Well, that's an interesting development. First I've heard of it. I sent my passport renewal by LBC to the US Embassy in Manila on the 16th and the embassy staff received it on the 17th. No prepaid return though (other than the passport renewal fee).

Take a deep breath. The US Embassy won't lose or throw away your documents. Protecting your documents is one of their mandates. I also tried to get a return shipping label from 2GO, since one US Embassy web page listed 2GO as the preferred shipper (this info changes all the time). After visiting two branches, I found there's no such thing. I sent 3 passports and 2 CRBAs to the embassy with 2GO. I insured them for 25,000 pesos, the replacement cost. I sent them with no return label, and a month later I got the documents back. I'd included a letter with my local contact info. The embassy never called. So yes, they'll pay to get your documents back to you. There's no evil civil servant sitting next to a shredder.

The website says 2GO is the official carrier.

DHL

I believe Air21 is the one the US Embassy asks people to use.