I had half my FRE come back so far this year. All because they were over 3/4" thick. That thickness has always been the rule, they have just not started to enforce it until the beginning of this year. They are coming out with flat rate regional boxes, I think these are to make up for enforcing the 3/4" limit on the envelopes. I have already ordered the boxes and they should be here any day. The cost looks to be about the same as a FRE, but we will see when the boxes actually get here what can be stuffed into them. I did resend out the FRE that were returned to me (I always print out 2 labels) I just put them in new envelopes and slapped the label on it, and they did deliver them o.k.. And it wasn't the local post office that returned the FRE, it was the central office here in MI. that all the packages are routed through, so I guess it just depends on who is on duty and if they feel like making the effort to pull the envelope off the line and write all over it and send it back. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. (by the way, that "if it fits it ships, does not apply to the envelopes, only the boxes!). So, take your chances ladies, until the post office decides which rules they are going to enforce. The new rules, effective 1/2011 can be found here:
http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm100/dmm100.pdf