Post Office flat rate envelope alert
 

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.

The "no tape" rule has been around, for years . . . just not enforced. Guess with the price of everything going up, they have to start cracking down on it. :-(

you should have tried a different post office. they do vary a lot in who you get!!
my postman told me to take my quilt to the post office and use a flat rate box. i stood in line forever and was told they didn't have a flat rate box large enough. it wasn't a big quilt. i drove over to Walmart and got a box for .67 cents and then back to the post office. jeesh.

I was told that about the flat rate envelopes but was okay to put in a padded flat rate envelope was okay. But yes they are cracking down and come January I was told the rates are going up. So I have decided to stop doing a lot of swaps as between the fabric cost and shipping it is getting to be too much for my budget. :(

Yes, I was also told that FRE will go up in January. I am finishing up a Civil War block swap, and with the cost of fabric, and postage, I am sad to say that I may not be hosting anymore, even though I enjoy it so very much. I use the padded envelopes ordered on-line, and they will remain $5.30 till January 1.

just glue it down.....

i agree with you!!!!!!!

I think it depends on who is working that day...! So sad to think of our postal rates going up again. When I am sure there is more shipping being done today then ever before ....yet the postal service is "Broke". All I can do is shake my head....

I commenting to my daughter today, if we should check into UPS of Fed Ex. Does anyone know if they are cheaper? I got a weird one a few days ago when I shipped a quilt and the clerk said we had changed the shape of the box. It was okay if it bulged but that it had to meet on top. We hadn't changed anything but the pack of boxes we got looked like they had been dropped a few times so one of the corners was beat up. I'll have to remember not to tape the envelopes anymore.

Interesting. In Canada our equivalent of a flat rate envelope is $10.00 for a small one and when I drop them off at teh post office, the counter clerk adds tape to secure it.

It has been my experience that these are both more expensive. My grandchildren are in WA State and I am in Louisiana so there is a lot of mailing going on.

Personally, i woould have went to another p.o.
where i live on the island, within one half hour, there is at least trn p.o.s maybe more.

Your PO was wrong. As long as you have not changed the shape of the envelope, tape is OK. I use it all the time, I never send a FRE without tape over the closure, sometimes along the edges as well. Maybe next time, bring it in sealed, show the clerk that it is sealed normally, THEN put your piece of tape over the seal.

Some clerks like to make up their own rules. And don't let anyone tell you it has to be FLAT either - the flat refers to the rate!!!!

New Rates according to US Post Office.

http://about.usps.com/news/national-...r12_114.htmNew domestic retail pricing for Priority Mail Flat Rate products include:

•Small box — $5.80
•Medium box — $12.35
•Large box — $16.85
•Large APO/FPO box — $14.85
•Regular envelope — $5.60
•Legal envelope — $5.75
•Padded envelope — $5.95

I use nothing but shoe boxes. I sent out 4 yards of fabric to my friend cost $4.95. all my friends save me kids shoe boxes. Big or small one. Never use PO boxes.

I have mailed a lot of packages, even APO when DD and family were in Japan, and have learned that postal workers do and say different things. I have taken my package and walked out the door. So now if possible, I use the flat rate packaging and pay online. The padded flat rate envelope is $5.10 with free delivery confirmation if you use the online postage method and you can list the recipient's email so they can see the tracking, too. All of the FR packaging is discounted postage with free delivery confirmation.

Ohhhhh, don't get me started on the post office!! I found out yesterday that they returned some mail sent to be as undeliverable - I've lived at the same address since 1994 and it's not out in the boonies! I'm getting mail but I don't know what I'm NOT getting!! I have found out about 2 things - one is getting sent back so we'll see if I get it the second go round. The other one is still missing. Such incompetence!!

Definitely depends on the clerk. I have found that sometimes depending on distance or weight, it is still cheaper to use regular priority than flat rate. Also, it has been a while since I checked, but I think UPS is cheaper for heavier things and the post office is cheaper for bulky light items.

Hmmmm.... our family has had/received 'flat rate' boxes come unglued and arrive empty. So, I've used tape since that incident. Guess I'll start using glue, too.

Problem is people aren't shipping with the post office.

I cannot comment on Fed Ex, but I sure can on UPS. When I was shipping books out last time, I thought I would save some time, and hit the UPS office since its just around the corner. Wow was I in for a surprise. They were almost triple what the PO was charging. But since I was already there and in a hurry I sent them out anyway. But never again. I also had sold a carosel on ebay, and I boxed it myself. Went to the UPS store they wanted $25 to ship!! I had sold it for $25, so I would make no money on it. I loaded it all back up in the car, and went to the PO who charged me $5 or so, and even gave me some bubble wrap things to throw in there free of charge (UPS wanted to charge me for these). So I do very little business with the UPS store now. I do realize they are independently owned and they have to make a profit too, but geez I think they were a bit over board.

It is Broke because Congress keeping interfering and telling them how they have to run it. If they could make business decisions like anyone running a business - would be entirely different!

I ship UPS, but not at the UPS Store where they charge for everything including boxes and bubble wrap. We have a UPS office (where all the trucks load up and they sort the boxes) and I get much better rate there. So, box up my shipments and take them there.

i SAY, IF POSSIBLE, GO TO ANOTHER POST OFFICE. i REALIZE IF YOU AREN'T IN A FAIRLY LARGE TOWN OR CITY, THAT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE. RATS that stupid cap lock, sorry. And it is true, depends on who is waiting on customers at the window. No all clerks are customer orientated.

Exactly. Now I'm not saying they are perfect by any means but Congress does dictate how it is run.

Agree that it depends upon who is at the counter. I have one guy at my PO who really "works to rule"! He once charged me extra on some manila envelopes with those metal closures, saying there is an up-charge for those ...from then on, I always pull the metal closures off and just tape the envelopes shut!

It's a shame that postage is going up again. I have pretty much stopped all e-baying because people will make a fuss about shipping cost, but it's truly not the seller's fault. The power-sellers can give shipping discounts and still make some money...we average sellers cannot. It's just a fact.

I was at the post office yesterday intending to ship 2 casserole covers to Maryland. The boxes were either too big or too small so I asked to have the covers weighed in the plastic bag just to see how much it would cost regular mail. It was much much less than using the flat rate boxes. So I went home, wrapped them a small box I had, and mailed it that way.

Maybe it's because someone was using that flat rate envelope to mail a king size quilt in............LOL
And had to use a roll of tape to close it up.

The PO is broke because the Congress, in all its wisdom, declared that the PO had to fund retirement benefits retroactive to a certain date. That's what driving the PO crisis.

Did you know you can ship UPS from the UPS website, as a guest? Charge it to your credit card and then take it to the UPS depot, or hand it to a driver. You will need a scale however.

I use UPS for heavier items or ones where I need insurance.

Freight of any kind is high. We have a business (25 years) and have watched the prices go up. Just like everything else we buy. Of course, companies want everything cheap. Just the way it is. I wish the PO could drop Saturday mail deliveries. I don't ship anything by the PO. Use email and pay bills through my Bank.

YIKES!!!! When I mail the free dolls I make for kids with devestating illness, it costs from $21 to $23 and $3 to $4.50 of that is for the special box I have to buy to fit the dolls into.....amazing that something so much smaller than my dolls costs so much. I YI YI!!!

how big are the dolls? Wouldn't they fit in one of the Flat Rate boxes?

I use the bubble envelopes as I am shipping fabric, though did use the cardboard FRE in the past. I found the cardboard ones were often torn, or wet, so the little extra it costs is worth it for all of my swappers to have that bubble water resistant packaging.

If you're going to ship something soft and non-breakable, buy a pack of the large Tyvek envelopes. They add VERY little weight and they're practically indestructible.

This is crazy! Every time I take my package in, I stand there and add postage stamp inside the package before i seal it. The clerk then adds her package tape to it and it is still onlly the $5.+ they charge. Don't understand why they should charge you for using your tape instead of the clerk using her tape. Like others said maybe try a different post office if possible.

How frustrating! They have "priority mail" tape and have taped my stuff for me.

BTW: the forever prepaid boxes and envelopes are looking tempting. If I read it correctly, they come with delivery confirmation included. Worth a look at the USPS site.

...............................make smaller dolls?.....

I really get upset when I order something on-line or from a catalog and the shipping/handling comes to almost as much as the item I am purchasing. Then when I receive the item it is usually shipped in a box large enough to hold 10 items and they stuff it with catalogs and advertisements.

And they wonder why the Post Office is going bankrupt!!!