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Beware of those adorable cards with the knotted ribbons!!
Well, I didn't mean to make this scary but it did get your attention! I made one of these such cards and went to mail it today. It made the envelope look a bit puffy so I decided to walk it through the line at the post office (I will say the ribbon was a bit wider than SU grossgrain). I figured it needed to be hand stamped and not run through the machine. I was right about that but also found out that I had to pay an extra 12 cents because it was so "thick". Now I have found that different postal workers have stricter rules, but I did want to give you all the warning. Not sure what would happen if you dropped it in the mail box with 37 cents?? I do love these knots and am now in a quandry as to whether to make too many more.
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I had to pay extra when I had a card with buttons. It weighed more :roll:
So, I understand your concern on the extra postage. |
With your beautiful artwork...it would be worth it?
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I had to pay extra when I mailed my Christmas cards in the clear envelopes....this year's cards went in regular envys!
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I have heard some post offices are charging extra to deliver cards inside the clear envelopes.
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I had a card returned for an extra 12 cents as well. It wasn't overweight, just puffy due to embellishments. But it has been my experience that some postal workers will let it through and others won't. So if something is time sensitive I would either take it to the post office or just add the extra 12 cents.
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hey speaking of those cute little knots....I was wondering how everyone on scs got them to look so perfect. mine always looks like my daughers shoe laces.... :shock:
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I've mailed lots of clear envelopes and my upline sends me a card once a month in them and never had the extra postage problem. This was a discussion before and if I remember correctly, it depends on the post office. My post office wouldn't take my credit card today because it wasn't signed. It says "See ID". Luckily I had one that was signed. Again, different post offices, different rules. I've used my "See ID" card before at a post office.
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See ID?
Did you write that on the back of your card intead of signing it? That sounds like a good idea. I never thought of that but it owuld make it harder to steal!
Gina |
WOW :shock: what a surprise to see this....In my mailbox today I had a returned letter that need 12 cents more postage...........it also had a knot tied ribbon. ........at first I thought they were charging extra cause it was in a clear envie! Thanks for mentioning this, next time I can add extra postage right away! :wink:
Spammie your mom's card is going to be late :cry: |
I've been mailing my cards in clear envy's for the past FIVE years and never had a problem with them. Then last week I got a RAK returned to me with a yellow sticker on it that said "not deliverable as addressed, unable to forward" from the post office. I checked with the recipient of the card on the correct address and how I had it addressed was correct. Guess I won't be using clear envy's anymore. :-(
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We have one Post Office around here that charges extra for the clear envelopes! I just make sure I don't use that one! Meanies!
Michele Y |
clear envelopes?? You have to be kiddding me. At least they can see whats in them!
As long as they fit into weight and size catgory we shoudl not be charged extra. :evil: |
fat cards
This is a chronic problem for me because I tend to have knots, brads, etc. on nearly every card I send.
I had an interesting discovery in the past month that is worth sharing.....I make courtesy cards for a group I'm in and another lady in the group usually ends up doing the mailing. In the past I've had problems with brads, etc, breaking through the envelope during mailing (this drives the people at the PO nuts!). In an effort to avoid this envelope destruction problem, I started adding a single sheet of cardstock cut the same size as the card to act as a "bumper"...in effect, it kept the top of brad or a knot on a bow from making a worble on the envelope that would get caught in the machinery. To "fancy up" the useless piece of CS and to make the receiver think it was there for a reason, I would stamp or computer generate a Bible verse or a short poem on the CS. To make a long story short, the bumper card worked like a charm - no more renagade bust-outs. The other interesting thing was that with the extra card inside, it usually made it through the P.O. measuring card (it has a 1/4" slot) and didn't require the extra 12 cents postage. All we can come up with is that the cS sheet smooshed the embellishments enough to allow it to squeek through - think of it as a card girdle! :lol: I recommend giving this a try and see if it helps with some of those lovely embellished cards. Happy mailing! Susy |
I can't understand why the post offices should be so picky about cards mailed in see thru envelopes. I get plenty of junk mail in those clear plastic mailers!!! Billie
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I tried to mail some square Christmas cards a few years back and half came back for extra postage while the other half was ok. I caught a mailman at the drop off box and asked him if the cards needed extra postage and he told me NO that they were fine. Just like everyone else has said, it just depends on the mail handler. Makes no sense to me.
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What I've been told (by the PO and others) is that they have to hand feed the clear envies through their machines, so it takes extra time... so we get charged more :-) Isn't it great??!?!? lol!
Christy |
I've always added the additional .12 to my square cards. I figure it's worth the little extra and do not want to take the chance of the card being returned.
I have a real problem with ribbons, bows, knots. Once I get a decent looking one, I just leave it and sometimes they seem a little bulkier, so I add the .12 to those also. Following is from USPS.gov. The nonmachinable surcharge also will apply to single–piece, Presorted, and automation rate nonletters (flats and parcels) that weigh 1 ounce or less if any one of the following applies: (a) The piece is greater than 1/4–inch thick. (b) The length is more than 11–1/2 inches or the height is more than 6–1/8 inches. (c) The aspect ratio (length divided by height) is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5. The nonmachinable surcharge will be $0.12 for single–piece rate pieces and $0.055 for Presorted and automation rate pieces. Squares fall into (c). |
The automation that speeds the bulk of mail up, gets slowed down on things not of the right dimension (too thick or square, etc.) or of the wrong feel (clear envy). Someone who used to attend my church used to work on those machines.
A lot gets passed through anyway, but they are supposed to charge for all of the previously mentioned reasons. Count yourself lucky if you are not charged...not unlucky if you are charged. |
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I also have heard of the extra postage - luckily it hasn't happened to me (yet). I do have a friend that works at my local post office, so maybe they are just being kind to me. :wink: I wander if they would ever send it on to the recipient with postage due?? I would hate for that to happen. |
postage
I've been thinking about this very topic recently, glad someone brought it up! I've talked with my P.O. about this because I've had several cards arrive at their destination torn up or not arrive at all because of embellishments that were on them. As someone said above, if they're over 1//4 inch thick, they have to be sent non-machinable. Brads are just under this, but this is what I've had the most trouble with (although I've also had cards with brads arrive just fine). The problem is that it has to go through a machine that can't take anything that is over that thickness, it has to be able to grab the letter and not have any part of it get caught (embellishments can have a tendency to get stuck), and it has to bend just slightly as it passes through the rollers (a real problem for a solid metal tag I was sending once). Anymore, I not only add the extra postage if it has embellishments, but I take it to the post office for them to stamp the appropriate caution on the envelope and put it into the correct bin. Your post office might take it as you send it, and they might not require extra postage, but I don't want to take the chance. After my Mom (who just lives a mile away from me) didn't get her Christmas card one year and others I sent out arrived all mangled, I realized it wasn't worth it to let all that hard work go to waste because of a little extra postage.
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I've only had one card returned for extra postage when using clear envies. I use them all the time without trouble. But I do usually add extra postage if one is particularly bulky, just in case. Isn't it frustrating how inconsistent the post offices around the country can be about this? And then it's hard to get the self-adhesive stamps in denominations that are close to 12 cents. I usually have to either use a 23 cent stamp or 4-3 cent stamps. But I do it because I loooooove mailing in the clear envies. They're the coolest!
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I saw a sign on a checkout counter indicating which cards were accepted once that said "see ID" or "check ID" are not considered valid by the card company and that the card must be signed by the cardholder.
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I have to pay the extra postage all the time cuz I use pop dots and ribbon alot. I live in a very small town and they actually left a note in my mail box saying I owed .24 cents for two cards that I mailed for Mother's Day. When I made my Christmas cards I made sure that they were not extra thick so that I didn't have to pay the extra postage on a large amount of cards.
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Dot2Dot to the rescue!! For cards with embellishments just run a card sized square through your crimper and use it as a cushion. I have never had to pay extra for a card done this way. Also, I have mailed literally hundreds of things including 200 wedding invitations I did for a friend in the clear envelopes without problem. The only problem I have is when I send them to my sister in MT she has to pay postage due because they say they have to hand run them. My local post office says there is no need to hand cancel and they go through just fine.
Try the cushion idea! |
Boss, i love your idea of putting a bible verse/ poem on that piece of cardstock! I have put that piece of cs in my envelopes for a couple of years to smooth out the bumps. I usually use this ugly light brown cs I got in a variety pack when I first started stamping and that has never been used!
My funny story: One time I was sending notes to everyone on our worship team at church (my dh is a band member). For some reason that I don't quite remember, I mono-ed the extra cardstock to the envelope, but just at the bottom and middle. My dh opens his envelop and grabs the card AND the stuck in extra piece. He tugged and tugged and tugged and yelled, "Hey, honey! I can't get this darn card out of the envelope! What's the deal?" Guess that wasn't a good idea on my part! I guess I just wanted the cs to stay in the envy like a liner. Your idea of putting something on the cs makes more sense! |
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I had my purse stolen once and it was a pain in the neck. One day I was waiting in a check-out line gabbing with some lady and she told me she had the samp ting happen and that now she writes ASK 4 ID and then signs her name. Now I do that too. The card is signed that way.
As for clear envelopes, my PO does charge extra for them. :-( Stinks! |
The "see ID" only works when the person behind the counter even looks at the credit card! I've actually started thanking the clerks who actually check my ID as I have the same thing on the back of my cards, but 90% of the time, they just run it through, get me to sign it, and never even check it against the card!
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I'm so curious about the clear envelopes? Why do they get spit out by some machines? Are they more slippery? Maybe some places use laser sorting machines and you know how lasers can't handle 3D stuff??? Maybe something like that... any postal workers out there in stamping land??
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When I first started using clears envys I didn't have to pay extra but then one was sent back mangled and I was told by the PO I needed to add the extra postage every time. So I bought a bunch of .11 and .01 stamps because they don't have .12 stamps. I hated the way the whole front of the card was then taken up by postage stamps. The next time I bought some the clerk told me to buy .46 and .03. Equals .49 and only two stamps!
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When I have such a card (which is fairly often), I will use a padded envelope (can usually get them on sale at a reasonable price and buy in bulk too). Since you have to pay extra postage anyway; the padded envelope has not seemed to cost more. The first time I went to the post office to maek sure I had the right amount of postage. Since then I use the same amount of postage (usually 2 stamps $0.74) and just drop it in my mail from home. No more worrying - will they receive it is good condition? Will the bow, brads, etc be ripped off in the mail handling?
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Postal Template
I few years back, I obtained a template that has sizes and measurements for the different sizes and price classes for US mail. It also had a couple of slots that could be used to determine if a letter was too thick for the regular amount of postage.
I got my template from the main post office where I was living at the time. They did not charge me anything for it. Jana |
I went to mail my Christmas cards (some had brads and several layers) and was advised that postage would be $0.49. I didn't want three stamps going across the top of the small envelope so I just bought $0.50 for the cards that brads. They weren't adhesive though. :( It was worth the extra penny to not have to put on 3 different stamps.
RE: Credit card signature... I use Bank of America. Our debit card VISA from them has our photo and signature on the front. That seems to meet the "see photo" or "check id" requrirement and have the signature on it. Just FYI. |
My BOA card also has my photo and sig on the front but the PO still made me sign the back. I thought that was overkill but they wouldn't let me use it until I did.
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My post office also hates the "bumpy" cards! I finally went and talked to the post master after my brother's card arrived torn to shreds! The post master said it must be less than the 1/4" thickness, and that extra postage doesn't help. The problem (evidently) is that these bumps get stuck and maybe it doesn't dammage just your card, but several mailings after that, as they get jammed.
Anyway, we also came up with the idea of the extra 1/4 sheet of cardstock layed on the bumpy side. I sell some of my cards, and always include this piece if there is an embellishment. For my relatives that I send cards to, if there is the extra sheet, I use that to write a note on, rather than crowding it into the card. Haven't had any trouble since I started enclosing the extra sheet of card stock, and it doesn't make it weigh any more. Don't know about the clear envelopes, as I have never used them. Sue |
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The Domestic Mail Manual provides the complete list of rules, and every PO is supposed to follow them. It must be 2000 pages, and then there are lots of places in it which defer to smaller manuals, like transporting hazardous materials. It is hard to expect any person to know all that that is when they are being trained for 3-1/2 weeks. I was a "roving" window clerk. I took the place of someone who was on vacation, extended absence, etc. I think I learned something pretty much everywhere I went. I did go to one station that had open to serve an expanding community. I had SO much trouble there because all the people who went were brand new to the window. No one there was able to learn from a more experienced clerk. Ultimately they had hugh losses and the Station Manager went from up and rising to a part-time job in another town. She could never get a grasp on that part of her job. She too had been a carrier so her delivery systems was great. Everything else was chaos. The majority of this thread dealt with the non-standard surcharge. Because many items are only handled individually by the delivery person (a carrier) they get through without the proper postage. I always say drop it with 37c if you don't care if it takes longer, comes back, or goes on postage due. This is the link for the "customer friendly" DMM 100 they are giving out. http://www.usps.com/customersguide/dmm100.htm The first page or so does outline the correct shape/orientation. If you check under the "Unusual Size and Shape" section, you will see the things which make a simple card considered non-machineable. The part about plastic envelopes is in the actuall DMM, and I know it is rarely enforced. I would tell anyone being charge postage due on a clear envelope to check and see if the item has been barcoded. The surcharge is called the Non-Machinable Surcharge." If it has a barcode, it made it throught the machines and therefore was machinable. And that surcharge is only applicable on items weighing less than an ounce. |
I had the same problem at with my Christmas Cards a few years ago. The next year, I stuffed the "bumpy" side in first (so that when it went thru the machine, the machine wouldn't catch on it) and I haven't had a problem since. Of course this only works if the bow is used on the folded side of the card.
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I learned to tie square knots during sailing lessons a looooooooooong time ago, but it has stuck with me. the little ditty was 'left over right and through, right over left and through' with the sides referring to the ends of whateve you are tying; (just in case anyone reading this has a duh moment), the tricky part to get used to is that you are actually using the same string, 'cause in the first part, it crosses over. Clear as mud, right? :? |
Pendant thanks for the confirmation about the plastic envelopes. I searched all over the USPS site and all I could find was
Nonmachinable Surcharge: An additional $0.12 is required for items weighing 1 ounce or less with any of the following criteria: a. Square letters. b. The height exceeds 6-1/8 inches, or length exceeds 11-1/2 inches, or thickness exceeds 1/4 inch. c. The length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5 (length is the dimension parallel to the address). d. It has clasps, strings, buttons, or similar closure devices. e. It is too rigid or contains items such as pens that cause the thickness of the mailpiece to be uneven. f. It has an address parallel to the shorter dimension of the mailpiece. |
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