Is the Post Office right?
Touchdown
Posts: 233 ✭
O.k, I bought a coin recently on Ebay paid for Priority Mail to get it shipped to me. It arrived in a Prority Box the smallest one available for Priority Mail about the size of a book. I then flipped that same box backwards used it to send a coin myself. I wrapped it completely with the brown Registered Mail tape at my house. I went to deliver the coin and the Post Office cut a small piece of brown tape off it. They did this to see if it was a Priority Box and sure enough it had the words Priority Mail in blank ink under the tape she ripped.
She said I cannot use these boxes to ship off coins non priority. If I did, they will charge me Priority Mail. She also mentioned all employees will be checking boxes this way to make sure they aren't priority boxes. So, the way I seen it was, if I already paid for th box I can reuse it myself for shipping as long as I tape it completely where it doesn't show anything indicating it is a priority box.
Was the lady at the Post Office just making this up or is she correct? I would appreciate any input.
She said I cannot use these boxes to ship off coins non priority. If I did, they will charge me Priority Mail. She also mentioned all employees will be checking boxes this way to make sure they aren't priority boxes. So, the way I seen it was, if I already paid for th box I can reuse it myself for shipping as long as I tape it completely where it doesn't show anything indicating it is a priority box.
Was the lady at the Post Office just making this up or is she correct? I would appreciate any input.
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Edited to add photo.
PCGS, ANACS, & NGC Certified Coins on My Website.
So, you can buy a small box from Wal-mart for maybe $1.26. Shipping it first class, depending on weight, would cost about $2.50. So, buy the time you add tax and gas money, why not just pay for priority mail shipping and save the time?
Look what this guy is doing with the free fed ex boxes
Guy who builds furniture out of free fed ex boxes
So after they cut off the tape and see it's "their" box what do they do. I'd imagine either they or the the shipper will not throw it in the garbage. Gee, that's makes alot of friggin' sense don't it? That'll teach you dirty USPS box theives. Stupid USPS and their army of snails hard at work to come up with reasons to raise the cost of a stamp yet again. What freaking morons.
Looking for alot of crap.
I know that's not what you did, but I don't know how the USPS can combat the box thieves. It's pretty obvious that once someone has used Priority Mail to use a free box, the USPS should not be able to say how the box gets reused, but they are between a rock and a hard place.
If they allowed people to say that the box had already been used for Priority Mail in order to let them re-use boxes, every two-bit seller on Ebay would be using that story in order to keep getting free boxes.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Recently I ran into the same problem with priority boxes. Asked my old buddies what was up.
According to them the Post Office is getting sued by UPS. Since the post office offers free supplies to mail priority,
and ups charges for supplies, ups is suing saying free supplies given out by the Post Office is unfair business practices.
I think the deal hammered out by lawyers is priority must be used only for priority.
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<< <i>RobertB, I respectfully disagree with your post. I was a window clerk for 15 years. Quit 8 years ago for greener pastures.
Recently I ran into the same problem with priority boxes. Asked my old buddies what was up.
According to them the Post Office is getting sued by UPS. Since the post office offers free supplies to mail priority,
and ups charges for supplies, ups is suing saying free supplies given out by the Post Office is unfair business practices.
I think the deal hammered out by lawyers is priority must be used only for priority. >>
Nothing personal ambluce, but..............
If that's the deal the USPS lawyers worked out then my post is further validated. The USPS apparently has cowardly lawyers who settled a case I believe they'd have probably won. Unfair business practices? How so? This is a capitalist society. A business can give away whatever it wants to. Oh yeah, the USPS isn't really a business are they. Oh wait, they claim to be independant and have independant boards who decide postage rates and award bonuses to managers so they must be a business, but wait again, they have their own police force. A business can't have that? Hmmmmmmmmm
It's just another symptom of a poorly run gov't bureaucracy aka AmTrak, they're real winners too. I have a great idea. How 'bout USPS charge 5 cents per box. Wow! I'm a genius. Maybe I'll get a USPS bonus, oh wait, that's right they seem to only award inefficiency. What was I thinking.
Looking for alot of crap.
I finally got so disgusted that I quit. The unions protect slow, non-productive workers, which in turn
piss off the hard working, caring employees who give a damn. Then in many cases when a postmasters
job becomes available the process for selection becomes political. As a result many people with NO manangment
skills become postmaster. I could go on and on, but do believe the majority of PO workers do give a damn.
my hotels
The USPS labeled supplies are free. The others are not and are private companies that sells packaging.
If you are being charged for USPS boxes, something is wrong.
Actually, I ....do..... see why they don't. It would require some intelligence and an eye toward saving government expenses.
We DO pay for those boxes eventually in higher rates (like this coming January)
I've never paid for Priority boxes. In fact we used to have a postal rep who came by and dropped them off by the bundles.
You = Wrong
Post Office = Correct
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since 8/1/6
I earned every award in the book. I retired with over 1 1/2 years of unused sick leave.
I sweated in the summer.........froze in the winter. I NEVER missed work. except for the dogs that bit me, or the times I slipped and fell off stairs that people didn't clean for me.
When you talk about MORONS.........or about unions......or about Postal Emplyees in general.....
I'd like you to re-phrase your remarks to point to ONLY the people who don't care.
You, for sure....................are NOT talking about me.
Pete
<< <i>I know that's not what you did, but I don't know how the USPS can combat the box thieves. It's pretty obvious that once someone has used Priority Mail to use a free box, the USPS should not be able to say how the box gets reused, but they are between a rock and a hard place. >>
Very simple: Just make ALL priority mail boxes prepaid boxes. The postage is pre-afixed to the box or flat paks for at least a minimum amount of postage if not flat rate boxes or envelopes.
End of problem.
<< <i>Just make ALL priority mail boxes prepaid boxes >>
If they did this, you would need to buy all your boxes first and take them home to pack items. I have a handy supply of these materials kept at home. If they were postage pre-paid, I would not.
I'd with the PO on this. People steal boxes supplied for Priority Mail Use, so the PO is combatting it.
I think the proposed 2 cent rate increase had more to do with fuel costs than box costs!
Funny thing though. USPS has no qualms with taking a Fed Ex box (brown box with purple Fed Ex letters) marked for Priority and shipping it. TWICE, no less. I had an ebay item shipped to me this way with no problems and I in turn reused the same box to ship Priority. Granted, the box did have (semi transparent) Priority tape over the words Fed Ex, but you could clearly see it was a Fex Ex box. I guess USPS picks their battles (in their own favor).
Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.
<< <i>I think a lot of what the USPS does is BS, this included.
Funny thing though. USPS has no qualms with taking a Fed Ex box (brown box with purple Fed Ex letters) marked for Priority and shipping it. TWICE, no less. I had an ebay item shipped to me this way with no problems and I in turn reused the same box to ship Priority. Granted, the box did have (semi transparent) Priority tape over the words Fed Ex, but you could clearly see it was a Fex Ex box. I guess USPS picks their battles (in their own favor). >>
But, those FedEx boxes are not property of the USPS. They are of FedEx. Who are they to tell you you cannot use someone else's box?
<< <i>
But, those FedEx boxes are not property of the USPS. They are of FedEx. Who are they to tell you you cannot use someone else's box?
Apparently UPS was able to tell USPS what to do with their boxes? What's the difference? I'd really like to tell the USPS what to do with their boxes.
Looking for alot of crap.
You guys can cry all you want about the post office priority mail but those flat rate boxes are SWEET. You can mail a package up to 70 pounds anywhere in the country for $7.70. Can't blame the post office for wanting you to use the boxes the way they were intended.
The problem I have with my post office is the manager. This lady is a complete idiot. She only has 2 windows open during the day except during lunch keeps three windows open. It's normal to wait 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. I drive 10 minutes out of my way to avoid this post office but since that is where my mail goes I can't avoid it all the time. It's so disrespectfull to customers to make them wait so long. It's also disrespectful to the clerks who work their rear ends off trying to keep up with everything. I've complained and so has numerous other people. I'm actually thinking of writting my congressman.
blast the post Office personell, contributing nothing to the discussion.
I blame UPS for crying foul, and the lawyers representing upper manangement at the USPS
for caving in.
my hotels
The name is LEE!
I have also received about 50 packages over the years from dealers where they just bend the Priority Envelopes from the Post Office. They use them to keep the coin from moving inside the box. So, no matter how they try, the boxes can still be used for other resons. Also, you can order as many boxes as you need through the 1-800#. So, the boxes can still be used for other resons.
Anyhow, Thanks for all your post. I guess I will stop using the boxes for shipping first class. Someone mentioned, it is just best to pay the extra fee which is $3.85 but if your sending a $50-$100. coin, I don't think it's worth it. IMO
I am Looking to Buy California Tokens too.
<< <i>Simple Solution, Dont take them to the window, Drop them in the drop off box >>
You can't do that with Registered Mail or anything over 16 ounces.
Russ, NCNE
When you factor in things they are a bargain.
<< <i>The way I see it if someone gives you something then it is up to you how to use it !! >>
Ah but they didn't GIVE you something. They provided an item for a specific purpose. It's the difference between "Here we want you to have this." and "If you are going to do that, you may use this at no charge." If you use it for something else other than what it was provided for then you are taking something under false pretenses.
Unless they open your box, then you'd have to tape and rip the inside of your box too. And if they ask why the top layer of your box is all ripped up, just tell them you have a phobia with the top layer of cardboard boxes
<< <i>Well... you could take a piece of tape and put over the printed on part, then rip it off really fast, thus removing the lettering... just a thought
Unless they open your box, then you'd have to tape and rip the inside of your box too. And if they ask why the top layer of your box is all ripped up, just tell them you have a phobia with the top layer of cardboard boxes
Yea, I'm sure that would go over like a led balloon at the post office. That's an awfull lot of effort just for a free box. Might as well just spring for the dollar and change at Wal Mart for a box.
Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.
<< <i>
<< <i>The way I see it if someone gives you something then it is up to you how to use it !! >>
Ah but they didn't GIVE you something. They provided an item for a specific purpose. It's the difference between "Here we want you to have this." and "If you are going to do that, you may use this at no charge." If you use it for something else other than what it was provided for then you are taking something under false pretenses. >>
I just checked with our local PO and they said that technically, the boxes are not for other mail, but he also agreed that as long as the word Priority couldn`t be seen that there should have been no problem !! He stated that many are reused !! He is going to call the main office in Dallas to see if indeed this lady should have opened it !! After all that is what the inspectors are for !! As for Media Mail they are only opened randomly !! Not every one is !! I send out a lot of media mail (books & such) and have never had a problem !! However,if they were magazines with advertising, they cannot be shipped Media Rate !! The Postmaster was taken aback that a worker did this without at least her supervisor present !!
<< <i>Just spray paint the box, come on guys supplies cost buy one or save the non USPS boxes you get