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I went to the PO today to mail 2 packages of cards for swaps. Of course the packages were open so that I could add the postage stamps for returning swaps. Well, one of my boxes was constructed out of an old Priority Mail box. I had cut it down and turned it wrong side out so it was plain on the outside.
The clerk noticed the Priority Logo on one of the inside box flaps after he had affixed the regular postage. He then said that I had to pay the Priority Mail rates because I had used one of the USPS FREE Priority boxes. I explained that it was a used box, that it had already been sent once on Priority rates. He said that made no difference. "Those boxes are meant to be used over and over and over again. Otherwise we could not give them away for free. You have to pay Priority rate"
So I had to pay $3.85 instead of $1.75. Guess I better use shoeboxes next time.
Huhm, i didn't know that and agree it is odd. I just told DH and he pretty much said of course it is that way. His theory is that everyone would go to the PO and use the boxes inside out and cost the PO a ton of money. i agree with you it was already used once. I guess you learn something new everyday.
WOW! I never thought to turn them inside out AND I would have never thought they would be charged for at a priority rate. YOU LEARN NEW THINGS EVERYDAY! Sorry to hear you got dinged the hardway.
Ok, maybe I'm missing something. Don't you pull the string thing and tear open the box? How do you reuse it????? I figured the PO was making a mint on all of us fools who want our packages in 2-3 days. Like 4 days is too long. That's the normal time it takes a piece of mail to make it from FL to CA. I know because my sister lives in CA and I mail her stuff all the time. I'm sorry but if you want to regulate that kind of stuff then they shouldn't leave the packages out for all to grab. Like make it cost something for the box and ten take that off of the cost for priority when you use it in that manner. If you don't and turn it inside out then the box has been paid for and you can do whatever you want with it. My 2 cents.....
Actually, I think the PO is now changing things? I received a priority mailer box and the postage was already color imprinted" right on the box--looks like a stamp, but it's not.
I think the PO is doing this to cut down on folks snagging the boxes for free at the PO, then turning them inside out and trying to get lower postage on them for sending them out.
Those types of boxes, plain, can cost around $1 or so--just plain, just for the box, I'm guessing. So, the PO was losing considerable monies by folks taking them and turning them inside out that way.
My brother is a postman. I should ask him more about that! ;)
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I saw someone get corrected for using a white label that they cut the priority part off of, they told her that was illegal and she was given a warning. . . . I thought it was a little strange, but I guess I understand where they are coming from
__________________ Kristina Wife, Mommy, Stamper, Nurse Laura 6yo Jack 5yo, James 4/20/08 Megan arrived 3/16/09
The boxes actually have something imprinted on the inside...at least the ones I ordered from usps.com. Something about only using them for Priority Mail. I never knew this until I ordered these and saw that!
I saw someone get corrected for using a white label that they cut the priority part off of, they told her that was illegal and she was given a warning. . . . I thought it was a little strange, but I guess I understand where they are coming from
Yeah, now all the labels have a "Priority Mail" watermark all over them to prevent that. The boxes are put out as a convenience so people can bring their stuff prepackaged and save time for everyone waiting in line. Too bad folks taking advantage of the honor system always ruin things for the rest of us.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I print my own postage labels on usps.com, so I've almost always used their boxes for priority mail. They ought to give a discount to people who ship things priority in their own boxes then!!!!!
Ok, maybe I'm missing something. Don't you pull the string thing and tear open the box? How do you reuse it?????
Actually, I had cut the box completely down from it original size. It was about 11x15x2. I chopped it down with the paper cutter so it was only 6x9x2.
Oh! Maybe you are thinking of the big envelopes. I think they do rip open with a string. This one was a BOX.
I do understand that they can't just keep giving out boxes to everyone for free and then have people reverse them and pay only regular rate. It's just that I never knew they expected the boxes to be recycled --- "over and over and over" is what he said.
Well, I won't do it again! Promise!
thats silly! I see where they are comeing from, but i think she could have given u a warning---but then again, you have them super cheap people out there who would just go to a different clerk and do it agin and again.
Why send priority--
I live overseas on a military base, and it took 6 weeks to get a box from my mom that wasnt sent priority. In that time i got about 5 other boxes sent priority. It takes priority about 7-10 days to get here, Standard Air Mail, well, that gets here on a space available basis--no space, you simply wait and wait and wait for the box. so anything u want, like the 0-3 month sleepers my mom sent for my son, should get sent priority, or you end up with a 4 month old trying to fit into clothes 5 pounds to small!
Actually, I had cut the box completely down from it original size. It was about 11x15x2. I chopped it down with the paper cutter so it was only 6x9x2.
Oh! Maybe you are thinking of the big envelopes. I think they do rip open with a string. This one was a BOX.
I do understand that they can't just keep giving out boxes to everyone for free and then have people reverse them and pay only regular rate. It's just that I never knew they expected the boxes to be recycled --- "over and over and over" is what he said.
Well, I won't do it again! Promise!
I am actually surprised then that they didn't zing you for defacing their box. I saw a gal do this at the Elmwood PO here and WOW. The postman almost had that gal in tears.
__________________ We love SSG R. King-US Army & SGT J. Priest USMC!
ΑΦ#14574 Just sayin'�atie 2005 ND rules!
... I figured the PO was making a mint on all of us fools who want our packages in 2-3 days. Like 4 days is too long. That's the normal time it takes a piece of mail to make it from FL to CA. I know because my sister lives in CA and I mail her stuff all the time. .....
Since I now mail items every day all over the country with my home based business, it turns out parcel post truly depends on the route, volume of mail that goes there and how many people actually live in the area and in some cases the actual postal facility it must pass through. I mail items from the middle of the country. Most of CA and FL have good POs. Parcel post doesn't take ages there. But if I send packages back east....quite a different story. It can take the full 10 days or longer. The PO does work to meet the 2-3 day delivery time frame that you pay for with priority packages. I have never had them miss that service agreement except during the Holiday mailing time. I mailed a customer a priority flat rate box and a first class package (both air mail)--not all of her order fit into the box. She got the priority box one day before the first class package. Once they put the parcel post on that truck....well you just have to hope you are sending it on a well traveled route.
I don't get it - maybe I'm missing something. I know I've gotten priority mail boxes through the mail that were sent to me by others. I could have sworn I've re-used them to mail stuff again non-priority and never have paid anything extra. I could be wrong. But as long as you weren't sending the box priority, wouldn't it be like using any other cardboard box that you'd get anywhere else for free or that someone purchased elsewhere, used it to mail something, then the recipient recycled by mailing something to someone else? Why wouldn't a used priority mail box not become just another cardboard box to be re-used? Doesn't sound very earth-friendly to me.
Don't get me wrong, I love my local post office but I think they could save alot of money and not worry about the cost of boxes so much if they could get their overnight deliveries straightened out. I recently mailed a package to my daughter in Georgia who needed something desperately to start the school year with. She teaches 3rd grade and is in a new school so it was very important to her. Soooo I spent $17.85 to sent this overnight and it took 4 days to get to her.They lost it in Valdosta somewhere. They had to refund my money. When I called to check on it they told me they had up to 15 days to find it and this was something going from Florida to Georgia just 4 hours away!! Gotta love it!!
I don't get it - maybe I'm missing something. I know I've gotten priority mail boxes through the mail that were sent to me by others. I could have sworn I've re-used them to mail stuff again non-priority and never have paid anything extra. ....
Maybe this inconsistency between POs is similar to the issue of mailing cards in clear envelopes. I've never had to pay a spec extra on postage of a clear envelope, yet many other folks on this board have because their PO thinks they can't make it through the automailer and must be hand processed. There is no actual policy to follow, so the individual POs establish their own policy. IMO
Well to solve all your problems, just cover the box in a brown paper grocery bag. They won't open the package to check and it takes an extra minute to "wrap" the box. JMHO. I've had to do this sending something via UPS in a FedEx box. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to do this with NEW priority boxes, but USED ones, I can't see the big deal. They've already gotten their money once.
First my post office doesn't leave the Priorty packaging out I have to go up and get it from the person at the counter. So if they are worried about people just taking them that would solve that issue, I don't mind having to go up to the counter to get my box. The person always helps me get the best sized box for what I am shipping, so I find that helpful, they always try to get the stuff in the smallest box that will work.
Secondly it is my understanding that the cost of the box is worked into the price you are payig for the postage. So once you paid priority postage on that one box, the box itself should be considered paid for. You shouldn't have to keep paying over and over for the same box. Seems odd.
Well to solve all your problems, just cover the box in a brown paper grocery bag. They won't open the package to check and it takes an extra minute to "wrap" the box.
Actually, hon, sometimes they do check -- especially if the box has the same dimensions as a priority box.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
So the PO encourages you to throw away priority mail boxes? I get way more priority mail in PO boxes than send so most go into the recycle bin. I bet my town loves the fact that the PO is encouraging us to toss the boxes when we have such high trash expenses and not enough in tax money coming in to cover it ;(
I read this thread earlier today, then I actually had to go to the PO to send something Priority Mail.
I noticed that the inside of all of the Priority Mail boxes at my PO have print in rather large font all over them stating that the boxes have to be used for PM. So, this would basically prevent anyone from turning these particular boxes over for reuse.
I just sent something PM about 2 months ago, and those boxes didn't have this print on them. I guess it's something new. I basically avoid the PO like the plague anyway.
I noticed that the inside of all of the Priority Mail boxes at my PO have print in rather large font all over them stating that the boxes have to be used for PM. So, this would basically prevent anyone from turning these particular boxes over for reuse.
The clerk yesterday did tell me that new style boxes are coming... printed on both sides.
Quote:
Originally Posted by karinlm
So the PO encourages you to throw away priority mail boxes? I bet my town loves the fact that the PO is encouraging us to toss the boxes when we have such high trash expenses and not enough in tax money coming in to cover it ;(
I was wondering that too. My theory is keep using things until they are worn out before you put them in the recycle bin or in the trash.
Since I hardly ever send anything by Priority, guess I'll have to try to find someone who does to share all my boxes.
Can they really make you open your package to check your box out? I can't imagine that would be their policy. I can see scanning it but to open it?
There have also been a lot of abuses of the Media Mail rate recently. My post office does ask you to reopen sealed packages being sent that way to make sure that you are only mailing things that qualify for that rate.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
Maybe yours does, but mine does not. But you can buy boxes the same sizes and if they checked those I'd be pissed! Whatever happened to privacy!
How quickly people forget the Anthrax mail scare after 9/11.
Here is the information printed on a Priority box that was sent to me for the cardstock ring swap....
"This packaging is the property of the U.S. Postal Service and is provided solely for use in sending Priority Mail. Misuse may be a violation of federal law."
__________________ We love SSG R. King-US Army & SGT J. Priest USMC!
ΑΦ#14574 Just sayin'�atie 2005 ND rules!
I believe that any package is subject to inspection by the Post Office being a Federal Government run department........
A few years ago they never complained about reusing the boxes by turning them inside out now most of them are printed on the inside so you cannot and covering them with paper - sounds like a good idea but like someone else mentioned - they know they are specific sizes! Remember the old saying -
" Nothing in life is 'Free' "
HI!! For the military family member that took forever to get your packages. when your family pays Priority, it only goes priority to New York(if you are in the European theater and middle east, including Iraq). From there, it is sent to the military post depot where it is tossed in with all the "other" mail. It is then either shipped to Mcguire AFB in NJ or Dover, AFB, in DE and it is turned over to the military where it is palletized and labeled according to destination. Then it sits...waits for a plane heading your way or to another base close to you. So in reality, you are only getting Priority to New York. So I always tell people who are mailing pacakges to Iraq, APO's, FPO's to save their $$, it will get there when it gets there. Most of the time it only takes a week to ten days. How do I know this you say?**grin** I used to be on of those "military" who palletized mail, here at Dover AFB and over at Ramstien in Germany. Now I am "just" a spouse of a guy in Iraq. He usually gets his care packages in a week. Just for future reference!
Heidi
__________________ Heidi
Demo since February 7, 2007
How? A heavy duty paper cutter.
