OT: USPS Breaking My Chops

[glchen]

Yea, it's the same price for 2oz and 3oz packages. Therefore, when I ship, I always use 3oz even if it's under 2oz because it's the same price. I use a baby scale for weighing my packages, and it only has increments of 0.5. I always round up, so if it's 3.5, I use 4oz for the shipping label. If the scale shows 4.0 oz, then I use 5oz. It's only a few cents difference, and it saves the hassle of the package being sent back, or the receiver of the package having to pay postage due which I have heard stories of also. Also when I weigh, I add a full sheet of paper to the top of the package to take into account the label and tape.

[polakoff]

Originally Posted by glchen

Yea, it's the same price for 2oz and 3oz packages. Therefore, when I ship, I always use 3oz even if it's under 2oz because it's the same price. I use a baby scale for weighing my packages, and it only has increments of 0.5. I always round up, so if it's 3.5, I use 4oz for the shipping label. If the scale shows 4.0 oz, then I use 5oz. It's only a few cents difference, and it saves the hassle of the package being sent back, or the receiver of the package having to pay postage due which I have heard stories of also. Also when I weigh, I add a full sheet of paper to the top of the package to take into account the label and tape.

I do exactly what Gary said. I always round up, and if my scale says something close like 4.95, I make it 6. With the new rates the jump is miniscule, it's like 8 cents extra or something. Not worth the hassle. And yes, I always do 3 oz for the small ones. Saves me time having to weigh them too.

[rjackson44]

unreal

[Rollingstone206]

...

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Rollingstone206

At least you weren't told your electronic stamps (purchased from machine) were expired by the clerk at the desk since they had a different date than mailing date like in my case.

What happened?!?

[veleno45]

I just received my copy of the Lew Lipset encyclopedia of baseball cards from USPS. It took longer than I expected and realized the prob when I did the tracking. The book went from Maryland, to NC, back to Maryland, and then to Virginia, where I live. That means the book passed me twice. Then we wonder why USPS is losing money each year.

[Jewish-collector]

On a related note, can some explain WHY a book (media mail) shipped by USPS from Baltimore area or Washington, DC area ALWAYS goes to Greensboro, North Carolina FIRST before heading to its recipient ?

[Rollingstone206]

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[Piratedogcardshows]

USPS recently lost two packages I sent on the same day. One had tracking and made its way to the local PO of the purchaser and then it never moved again. The other didnt have tracking info and was also never delivered. These two instances were the first packages I ever lost. Im still holding out hope they both show up someday,somewhere.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Rollingstone206

No joke. My mailing was refused at the counter and I was told my electronic 1st class postage stamps were expired since I didn't use them the day they were issued.

I had no idea that was possible. Did the postage rate change or something?

[Luke]

Originally Posted by Rollingstone206

No joke. My mailing was refused at the counter and I was told my electronic 1st class postage stamps were expired since I didn't use them the day they were issued.

This happened to me last week as well. I was doing something right next to a terrible post office that I try my best to avoid, but went in to mail my item, and was told "I can't take that" about 10 times as I tried to explain that it is U.S. postage, and of course I can use it any time I like. So, I gave up and went to my main post office, who took it without evening batting an eye. It sucks that we are paying the wages of some of these terrible postal employees. Some of them (most of them maybe) are great, of course.

[Runscott]

I was standing in line the other day behind a woman who was clearly befuddled, and I think for good reason. She weighed her thin, padded envelope at the payment station and ended up giving up and getting in line. When the price the postal employee gave her was much higher, the employee said that it was because this is a parcel, not an envelope. She said that a lot of customers make the mistake of thinking that what she had was an envelope.

According to every dictionary on the planet, it WAS an envelope.

[autograf]

When the post office went to that two tiered small package/envelope b.s. it really confused (and continues to confuse) people. Just weigh the darn package and charge me for it. Letter v. pack. Drop it! And to the guy back a few spots who said FedEx (and me @ UPS) add fees after the fact.....that is correct. We HAVE to make money. We have shareowners to deal with!

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I was standing in line the other day behind a woman who was clearly befuddled, and I think for good reason. She weighed her thin, padded envelope at the payment station and ended up giving up and getting in line. When the price the postal employee gave her was much higher, the employee said that it was because this is a parcel, not an envelope. She said that a lot of customers make the mistake of thinking that what she had was an envelope.

According to every dictionary on the planet, it WAS an envelope.

What's especially funny about that store is that the same customer could hand a different clerk that same kind of thin padded envelope with a tracking label on it and 1st Class Package postage, and they'll get the line about it not being thick enough to qualify as a "package" and therefore cannot have tracking added unless it is upgraded to Priority. Bottom line is that there is a lot of confusion regarding thin padded mailers on both sides of the counter

Rick, could you remind me again what should be written on a PWE with a card in toploader inside to indicate that it is stiff/non-machinable? (In addition to the added 21-cents postage, correct?)

[buymycards]

pbspelly - you are absolutely correct. Our instructions our to "sell up". Offer the most expensive product first.

Lance - you are correct in saying that if you go to one clerk you may get different rates than the clerk 3' over will give you. It really is fairly simple, but many of the clerks don't seem to know the rules.

When you are adding 21cents postage just mark the envelope as "non-machinable" or "non-standard".

Scott - even though something is in an envelope, if it varies in thickness, or if it has something like a pack of gum, or a graded card, it is no longer a flat, because it will not go through the flat sorting machines. It needs to be treated as a parcel, because the parcel sorting machine will handle thicker/uneven envelopes without damaging them. The same thing applies to rigid items, like a photo mailer. An 8x10 photo mailer may seem to be a flat, but since it is rigid it will not go through the flats sorting machine without damage, so it needs be be handled like a parcel and parcel charges apply.

There is a cheap, safe way to mail single cards, thanks to a special ruling that was made for Netflix. For single, ungraded cards, I use a 6x8 photo mailer. It is under 1/4" thick with one card and a topload, it is under 6 1/8" high, which keeps it in the letter category, but it is rigid, which makes it non-machinable. The postage is 91 cents. 2 ounce postage of 70 cents and the non-machinable charge of 21 cents. The only downside is you cannot purchase tracking, so you don't want to send an expensive card this way. If the postal clerk hassles you just tell them it is a non-machinable 2 ounce letter. If you have a problem with it, give me the zip code of the Post Office and I will contact them.

Good luck! Rick