Overzealous postal employee who doesn't really know their own rules. A couple years ago I had a 1st Class Mail package to Philadelphia that got similar treatment. Only this time they made my customer come pick up the package himself and pay the difference in postage.
It was embarrassing enough to me that I refunded his shipping charge in full along with the amount he was forced to pay by the USPS.
For a little while I took to shipping my flats with a piece of packing popcorn to reach the 3/4" thickness threshold. It bothered me enough that I questioned this ridiculous practice at my Post Office.
One of the women who works there has always been very helpful to me and she promised me she would look it up in the handbook for me.
Next time I saw her she had a copy of the actual rule for me and it turns out it's an either OR thing. 3/4" inch OR the package is Rigid. Being marked "Do Not Bend" seems to help. I always use a rigid backing with my flats, so I was relieved I didn't have to put a packing peanut in there, which in my mind actually subverts the effectiveness of a rigid backing by shifting the weight to several weaker spots if something gets loaded on top of your flat.
This qualifies for the 1st Class Mail "Package" rate, which is a little more expensive then the "Letter Rate".........and you can include Delivery Confirmation with this.........which you cannot using "Letter Rate".
BTW, Ebay and Paypal label printing tools automatically use the "Package" rate...........so it should not have been an issue with you.
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