Lorrie Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I use flat rate shipping when I can. I always tape my envelopes or boxes shut. Has anyone heard that if you does this the post office is going to charge you more? Well they did it to me yesterday. They charged $5.60 because I taped the envelope shut! My husband took the package in so I didn't get to hear the whole thing but I told him you should have brought the package back to me. That's BS.I guess he told that lady at the post office Would you mail your stuff in that envelope without taping it? I guess she didn't know what to say and than told him I am sorry but this is our policy.Has anyone else heard of this?Oh yeah, This goes for the boxes and envelopes that have adhesive on them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Dani Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 WHAT!!?? NEVER HEARD OF THAT!!! $5.60 versus to what was it supposed to be...or was it added $5.60 on top of the cost??Dani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 It sounds like postal workers have found a way to pocket some extra money. If you have a receipt, take it back to them and ask them to explain the extra charge and show you documentation of that policy. You might want to ask to see the Postmaster.http://pe.usps.gov/text/DMM300/709.htm#6_01.6 Flat-Rate Envelope Any amount of material that can be mailed in the special flat-rate envelope available from the USPS is subject to the 1-pound Priority Mail rate, regardless of the weight of the mailpiece. $4.05 is charged for material sent in a Priority Mail flat-rate envelope provided by the USPS, regardless of weight or destination. $8.10 is charged for material sent in a Priority Mail flat-rate box provided by the USPS, regardless of weight or destination5.1.4 Package Preparation The box flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flap and seams for closure or to reinforce the box, provided the design of the box is not enlarged by opening the sides of the box and taping or reconstructing the box in any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Di_in_AZ Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Just shipped my swap soap flat rate--taped the ends to make sure it was sealed. No extra charges here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJohnson Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I mailed a package the other day....it was one that already had the adhesive on it..and my Post lady grabbed her tape and said....Im going to put tape on this I wouldnt trust these boxes...So mine is the opposite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesprite7 Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I have never heard of that either...I ship flat rate All the time...I tape everything really well...I even put tape over the address I'm sending it to so it doesnt get ruined if it gets wet...lol...I'm tape happy...lolI would do what sockmonkey said and go question them. That's just ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jldorrington Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 man these post offices will charge you anything if they think they can get away with it. if i remember correctly not that long ago someone had a problem with them charging her extra saying insurance was mandatory or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I think section 5.1.4 is what they were trying to enforce when they charged you extra. If the envelope is bulging and you have so much stuff in there that you need extra tape to prevent it from bursting open, then it no longer qualifies as flat rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heirloomoriginals Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I haven't shipped anything flat rate, but I have about had it with our local PO. We received a shipment of dead peeps and the company replaced them and added insurance the second time. 13 out of 25 of the new ones were dead. I had to file the insurance claim and the PO was giving me greif and they sounded like the didn't know what they were talking about or doing. So I called the company to get the information the PO said they needed, and the company said that they fill out the paperwork themselves. I was told by the company to have the PO call them, so I called the PO back. The lady said "it isn't my job to find this information." i was pissed by this point. I called the company back and they were sending it to the president of the company. It is ridiculous.Not to mention I sent out the lip tube co-op packages a week ago Tuesday and this past Tuesday received a letter from the Missing Packages people with my name, the addressee's name, and the postage paid, saying that the label somehow got removed from the package and the package was missing! I was floored! I had it taped on with packing tape because I didn't have any self-adhesive labels at the time. So, now I have to wait and see if they find it! If they don't find it, that is $70.00 worth of lip tubes that is out there somewhere.Sorry, I am just a little miffed at the PO, plus they want to raise rates again. That is bull s$#t in my opinion.Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I haven't heard that at all! I have to go to the post office today so I will ask them what's up with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorrie Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share Posted March 1, 2007 Ok, I called their customer service number--Which was not help at all. SO I called one of the post offices where I know the post master really well and he said that each post office is independant from each other but he said he himself has had problems with this same post office and he actually recommends taping everything.So I called another post office and they told me that this rule is if you put something very large in the envelope and the flaps are forced to stick together by taping it shut. Now, what I mailed yesterday wasn't held together by the tape. I taped it shut because I don't trust the adhesive.Now, I explained to my post office that I am going to be shipping about 40 packages all flat rate w/adhesive and I will be taping them shut. I told them that if this is going to be a problem to let me know so that I can take them somewhere else!! I always click and ship or use paypal to ship my packages and have never had a problem with this. Now, since my computer crashed and I bought a new one I haven't got my printer set up on this one yet so I had my husband take it to the post office. I think that this is why they gave me such a hard time. And the $5.60 was the total charge and the explaination of this charge is when you have a flat rate envelope that is taped shut instead of it being the flat rate charge, they charge you by weight and zip code. I guess that they want us to use the envelopes for documents only! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Yes I think the envelopes were intended for sending documents, and having them arrive more quickly than standard mail. I know they don't want it to be abused and so they made this rule. Unfortunately there's a fine line between what's too fat and what's not, so it is up to each individual PO to decide and that why we have differing accounts of how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 And the $5.60 was the total charge and the explaination of this charge is when you have a flat rate envelope that is taped shut instead of it being the flat rate charge, they charge you by weight and zip code. I guess that they want us to use the envelopes for documents only!They need to learn their own regulations. Somebody is playing games with you and thinks they won't get caught.1.6 Flat-Rate Envelope $4.05 is charged for material sent in a Priority Mail flat-rate envelope provided by the USPS, regardless of weight or destination. Go print out information from the link I originally posted, shove it in their faces and ask them to show you where it specifies using tape will incur extra charges.Every post office is under the gun and is trying to look more profitable than the next. They can do that by ripping off customers one at a time. If your envelope wasn't bulging open, then you should have been charged $4.05. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodle Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 I have never been charged extra, but I HAVE been told that tape is not permitted on a flat rate mailer. SUPPOSEDLY it is expected to remain sealed on its own. My letter carrier told me that too many people abuse the flat rate envelopes by putting in too much stuff. So why is it FLAT RATE REGARDLESS OF WEIGHT? I understand ridiculous use where the envelope and its contents look like they will bust open, but I think that this is false advertising on the post office's end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sudsnwicks Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 So why is it FLAT RATE REGARDLESS OF WEIGHT? I understand ridiculous use where the envelope and its contents look like they will bust open, but I think that this is false advertising on the post office's end.Well that's just it. It's regardless of weight, not regardless of shape. The envelope isn't gusseted, so if you put something in there which isn't flat then they might decide for you that it's too much stuff in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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