OT: USPS Breaking My Chops

[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

[Runscott]

Thanks Rick. I know, and for me personally, since I've been dealing with USPS' definitions for 12+ years, it's not an issue. My comment was regarding the postal employee's reference to a customer making the "mistake" of thinking that an envelope is actually an envelope.

Originally Posted by 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

[sb1]

I just mailed a first class legal size envelope that was about 3/8" thick with documents folded, I expected to pay about double normal rate. Got hit up for the "parcel". I have always asked them to meter them in the past and they would with normal postal rates by weight. I guess no more, it weighed 1.3 ounces but cost $2.32. Will fax or email it for free next time, especially now that you can sign documents via the internet.

Instead of promoting business the postal service is pushing it away. More evidence that government has no idea how to run a business.