Thread: USPS First Class Letter Thickness Tester

Thanks for the tip.

Thanks for this tip.

Thanks, good info!

Originally Posted by heyjami

I have created a visio with a box that can be cut out (once you print out this pdf on cardstock or just glue paper to a cardstock holder).

I saw that they use a tool just like this in the post office to test our letters. If it doesn't fly through, they ask for more postage! It fails as a letter and needs Package rate postage (roughly double!).

Many of us send blocks in the mail and I'm am so irritated at how many have come back to me lately.

I hope this helps you! Let me know if there is a way to improve the instructions and I'll edit it with your input!

Thanks, Jami

That is due to the non-machineability of a mail piece.
As with any business, if product can be processed mechanically, it's more cost effective than needing to be all done by hand.

Actually, I'm fine with tacking on 20 cents if they can't get my item through the machine. That's completely reasonable.

It's when they charge me double because it's too thick that I get irritated.

That's why I created this tool so I can insure that my packages are less than 1/4" thick. If they are unavoidably over, I'll pay my package rate, no problem. But a quilt block can be packaged so that it's the right size for first class letter rates.

Originally Posted by postal packin' mama

That is due to the non-machineability of a mail piece.
As with any business, if product can be processed mechanically, it's more cost effective than needing to be all done by hand.

thanks

Thanks for sharing. This will help a lot and solve the mystery of how much postage to use. Always put too much.

I live in a rural area and the PO changed my address without even telling me. I lived in a development and one of the neighbors talked to the mailman. We were going by who put a house in first.# 1 #2 etc. The neighbor decided we should go by where our lots were situated. The next thing I know there are 2 of us with #5. No one even discussed it with us. The post master said the neighbor said it was Ok. Duh

Originally Posted by lucyb

I live in a rural area and the PO changed my address without even telling me. I lived in a development and one of the neighbors talked to the mailman. We were going by who put a house in first.# 1 #2 etc. The neighbor decided we should go by where our lots were situated. The next thing I know there are 2 of us with #5. No one even discussed it with us. The post master said the neighbor said it was Ok. Duh

The county assigns addresses and should have notified you when they informed the PO. Sounds like they (county planning) settled it with the neighbor and left it at that...
duh is right!

Regarding address changes: the orders came from Washington D.C. They sent people out to check the accuracy of residencies and then computers gave everyone a postal machine compatible
address. Believe me the complaints were abundant. However, no one had a choice especially the USPS.