Post Office flat rate envelope alert
10-20-2012, 05:27 PM
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Aloha, Oregon
Posts: 421
I couldn't believe the shipping/handling on a recent purchase - it was actually more than the cost of the product - was shipped from the shopgoodwill.com website and it came to me in a "Libby Glass" box that had seen better days - the least they could have done was use a decent box for my money ... probably will not shop this site again unless I can pick it up locally.
10-20-2012, 09:06 PM
#62
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
Flat Rate Envelopes
Originally Posted by Lori S
Just a heads up to all who use the flat rate envelope to ship fabric. I just went to the post office, and was informed that my flat rate envelope was now $9.85 even though it was in the $5.15 flat rate envelope. I was informed that because I had used tape to close the envelope it was no longer "a flat rate". I had 4 1/2 yards of fabric and had shipped this , like this many many times before. I was also informed that they are cracking down on the use of the priority flat rate envelopes.... any tape to close or seal... and regular priority rates will be charged. I expained that I had used tape as I did not trust the glue to hold ... they said "if the glue on the envelope will not hold or I do not trust it to hold" ... its no longer flat rate.
I guess "if it fits, it ships " has new rules. Needless to say I was not a happy camper.
I guess "if it fits, it ships " has new rules. Needless to say I was not a happy camper.
I send a lot of these to family, and routinely add just a touch of Elmer's Glue to the closures. I make sure none
of it can be seen on the outside of the package.
And so can avoid the tapes, except over the address, which is in ink and can run with a bit of moisture.
10-21-2012, 01:54 AM
#63
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 1,526
Anther reason that the USPS is going broke is 90% of the employees are now contract employees. Do you realise that the cost of a government contract is approximately 4-5 X that of the cost of the employees salary. However, there is that never ending fear of having to pay the employee's retirement benefit, insurance, etc, etc. What they fail to understand is the reason that the contract is so high is because you are paying for that contract employee's retirement benefit, insurance, and a company profit
10-21-2012, 03:29 AM
#65
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Vermont
Posts: 6,980
Originally Posted by Lori S
I actually did speak to a supervisor... who took great pleasure in showing me on the envelope it states
"Any amount of mailable material may be enclosed, as long as the envelope is not modified , and the contents are entirely confined within the envelope with the adhesive provided as the means of closure".
"Any amount of mailable material may be enclosed, as long as the envelope is not modified , and the contents are entirely confined within the envelope with the adhesive provided as the means of closure".
Very interesting read here
http://www.micromerchantgazette.com/..._Envelopes.php
"When sealing a Flat Rate Envelope or Flat Rate Box, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds."
"Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way." Flaps -- like the flap you close.
I have been known to print out pertinent portions of the DMM and keep them in my purse to show to PO clerks if they give me a hard time.
Last edited by ptquilts; 10-21-2012 at 03:32 AM.
10-21-2012, 04:31 AM
#66
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 9,268
Originally Posted by MissM
Anther reason that the USPS is going broke is 90% of the employees are now contract employees. Do you realise that the cost of a government contract is approximately 4-5 X that of the cost of the employees salary. However, there is that never ending fear of having to pay the employee's retirement benefit, insurance, etc, etc. What they fail to understand is the reason that the contract is so high is because you are paying for that contract employee's retirement benefit, insurance, and a company profit
Last edited by Chasing Hawk; 10-21-2012 at 04:33 AM.
10-21-2012, 05:24 AM
#67
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: S C michigan
Posts: 2,118
P.O. delivered a UPS package to my house at 11 a.m. i opened it, looked at it, and decided i needed something different. so repacked it and took it to the P.O. with a UPS return label on it, and they wouldn't take it. i told the clerk, but you just delivered it l hr ago. had to drive a half hour to return it. but did wait for a sceduled trip to town.
Postal clerks were not all created equal. some nice, some not so nice. ask me. i worked it.
Postal clerks were not all created equal. some nice, some not so nice. ask me. i worked it.
10-21-2012, 05:41 AM
#68
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 2,521
The FRE problems remind me of when I was in a fabric post card swap. Most of the postcards I recieved from within the US had a regular 1st class stamp, a few had a little additonal postage. My PO wanted to charge me over $1 for each postcard so I went home, put my postcards in an envelope and mailed them with a 1st class stamp. That sort of changed the whole idea of exchanging postcards but I didn't waste my money on postage.
10-22-2012, 02:18 AM
#69
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 5,051
Originally Posted by ging10ging
I guess it's ok if they tape it shut but we can't. It's getting to much to mail things out to bad because it takes the joy out of the holidays also when you want to ship to family and friends. I have an afghan to ship to my daughter and I'm trying to figure who would be cheaper. It seems to me if prices were cheaper people would ship things. They hurt themselves. Sue
I hVe never shipped holiday gifts. Gift cards ship quite cheaply. We are fortunate though, we don't exchange gifts. I just send a check to my one niece and one nephew. $$ talks.
Sandy
10-22-2012, 06:58 AM
#70
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 469
Well, at my post office, it depends upon the person behind the counter and whether they're in a grouchy mood or not! and then it could change at a neighboring town's P.O. Caveat emptor! Our guild had experience with those quilted postcards we did a few years back... everything from the regular postcard rate to over .80 for either hand stamping and/or thicker than 1/4 inch! WHAT-EVAH!
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