Post Office Issues: Paying for Postage via eBay

[buymycards]

Chris, if the item is less than 1 oz but it isn't a letter, then there is a "non-standard" surcharge of 17 cents in addition to the 44 cents. This is because this item won't go through the letter sorting machine (at 30,000 letters per hour) and it has to be processed by hand. That is assuming that the bubble mailer isn't rigid, which would make it a parcel that needs $1.22.

This is as confusing as hell. We can't expect our customers to understand it when many of our clerks don't get it.

We need a simpler system, but the reasoning behind the various prices is in the way the different classes of mail are handled. Rigid items go through a machine that is made specifically for parcels, and if a rigid item goes through the flats machine or the letter machine, it may jam the machine and ruin the parcel, along with causing some serious down time for the machine. I would rather pay $1.39 for my 2 oz package and have it go through the correct machine instead of trying to save a few cents and have my package shredded by the flats sorter.

Here is the way that I mail single cards, and I have not had a problem with this after mailing hundreds of cards. Put the card in a top loader. Put the top loader in a team bag, and put empty top loaders on each side of the card for extra support.. Seal the team bag, and add a piece of tape to the seal. Put the team bag in a bubble mailer and add $1.39 for postage and you will be all set.

Rick