A trip to the post office
Barry
Posts: 10,100 ✭✭✭
This morning on my way to work, I went to the P.O. to mail some Ebay coins. First package is a #000 bubble mailer with a First Class w/Delivery Confirmation label printed by my computer using USPS' Shipping Assistant software (thanks K6AZ for info on the software - it's pretty nice, though dumb that it works only with Adobe Reader v5 and not Adobe Reader v6, which I already had). The clerk has a puzzled look as he eyes the label. The front desk supervisor is walking by and the clerk whispers something to him as he goes by. They confer momentarily, he comes back, stamps my reciept, scans to DC bar code, and goes to the next envelope.
I say, "Wait a minute, there's no postage on that." He takes another look, then confers with the supervisor again, who I hear mumble something about it being too early in the morning. He puts it back on the scale, it comes up 50 cents (37 + 13 for DC) and he prints the postage.
I again say "Wait a minute. Shouldn't there be a 12 cent charge for it being thicker than 1/4 inch?" After all, I don't want any grief from it arriving Postage Due at the buyer's end. There's that dumb rule that it has to be 3/4 inch thick to use Delivery Confirmation with First Class (one or two styrofoam peanuts in the bubble mailer takes care of that).
He says, "Oh yeah." He grabs an offical form, probably titled The I Made A Dumb Mistake and This Needs to be Credited Back to my Station at the End of the Day Form, starts all over again weighing the envelope, scanning the bar code, and then printing the corrext postage.
Next envelope...
I say, "Wait a minute, there's no postage on that." He takes another look, then confers with the supervisor again, who I hear mumble something about it being too early in the morning. He puts it back on the scale, it comes up 50 cents (37 + 13 for DC) and he prints the postage.
I again say "Wait a minute. Shouldn't there be a 12 cent charge for it being thicker than 1/4 inch?" After all, I don't want any grief from it arriving Postage Due at the buyer's end. There's that dumb rule that it has to be 3/4 inch thick to use Delivery Confirmation with First Class (one or two styrofoam peanuts in the bubble mailer takes care of that).
He says, "Oh yeah." He grabs an offical form, probably titled The I Made A Dumb Mistake and This Needs to be Credited Back to my Station at the End of the Day Form, starts all over again weighing the envelope, scanning the bar code, and then printing the corrext postage.
Next envelope...
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Sending submissions for me has been a pain. Every time I send registered, they give me a different story about the "correct" way to package something for registered. Luckily, I can read (USPS.com) and can defend my packaging until they agree to "let this one go through". Ha.
Hang in there Barry.
collections: Maryland related coins & exonumia, 7070 Type set, and Video Arcade Tokens.
The Low Budget Y2K Registry Set
Then I bought a roll of the gummed paper. Using the small flatter Priority Mail boxes, you can cut one piece that will wrap all the way around the package. Before wetting it, place folds in the tape at each box corner, and cut a slit the length needed so the part coming above the side can be folded over the top. Then wet the whole thing at once and apply.
Result is neat with the minimal seams/tape possible (you only need to round the corners on the hinged side).
The only grief I have had is that Registered is Not Priority, and I should not be using their PM boxes!
<< <i>I had trouble preparing packages for registered shipping... at first.
Then I bought a roll of the gummed paper. Using the small flatter Priority Mail boxes, you can cut one piece that will wrap all the way around the package. Before wetting it, place folds in the tape at each box corner, and cut a slit the length needed so the part coming above the side can be folded over the top. Then wet the whole thing at once and apply.
Result is neat with the minimal seams/tape possible (you only need to round the corners on the hinged side).
The only grief I have had is that Registered is Not Priority, and I should not be using their PM boxes! >>
If it is 12 ounces or less in weight, you are correct. If your package weighs 13 ounces or more (where priority mail rates kick in) you can use them. Don't let ant stupid postal clerk tell you otherwise.
The very first thing I do is some research. Stop by the PO and tell the clerk I want to ship some coins to California. Insurance and delivery signature reciept confirmation. She hands me four priority mail 8x10 envelopes and labels to fill out and a little insurance tag to fill out. I bring them home and package my little submission of about $1200 worth of Morgan dollars and had everything double and triple checked to make sure everything was right. The wife was going by the PO the next day and I asked her to drop this off for me and handed her a $20 for payment.
Well, when she came home she handed me my change and said from now on you do that yourself. I'm puzzled as I didn't understand.
Another PO clerk said you couldn't insure that package and handed her another 8x10 of a different kind that cost 10 cents with other labels to fill out. She had to repackage everything that I had took so much pain in making sure it was correct.
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I also use the Priority Mail boxes for Registered shipments and seal with reinforced brown gummed paper tape.
However, to "fool the clerks", I just fold the box such that the inside is facing out! This doesn't make a perfect box, but it works OK. I then cut four pieces of paper tape and wrap the whole thing in tape. This produces a uniform brown package where the Priority Mail printing does not show thru. Been using it for years with no problems.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
Last time I was at Staples, I noticed several boxes piled up for UPS pickup that were inside out Prio Mail boxes that were stamped USPS!