Learning about USPS Priority Boxes

[994]

story deleted -- thread needs to die

summary -- I went to the post office and learned that you can't re-use priority flat rate boxes for standard shipping.

Nothing to see here.

 

[Aegon]

My post office sells non-flat rate boxes. Flat rate boxes are "free", in part, because the price is part of the flat rate, so using a "free" flat-rate box for metered mail is some petty form of theft.

I shipped a heavy metal vice in a flat rate box. Still $15. It cuts both ways, so I follow the rules and use regular boxes for shipping small and light stuff.

 

[994]

Live and learn, am I right??

 

[Wisertime]

I don't really see your beef. They are robots anyway. You can't reason with them. I've had First class turned down for being 13.1 oz.... .1oz over. (that problem is solved dropping it in a mail box instead of the desk). You can't use a flat rate priority box and ship first class either...kinda the same thing...they also printed on the insides of the box so you can't assemble them inside out as a plain box. I save boxes for shipping to reduce costs. Drove my ex mad, but works great for me.

That brings me to a better USPS trick. If you can ship your box inside a flat rate envelope or Flat rate padded envelope, it's significantly cheaper to ship...and most lenses will fit except for the pro ones. Also, Flat rate boxes are a rip off unless you are sending something heavy long distances.

For a while I (unknowingly) got away with using the Tyvek envelops as flat rate envelopes (with box inside) for flat rate price, til they had a special meeting and caught on. I didn't realize I was doing it wrong at the time. Tyvek are weight/metered. I thought they were legal flat rate, but those are the cardboard ones for documents, but you can still fit small boxes in the regular flat rate...it's all silly really.

What pisses me off is in the past year they jacked up regular First class. I can buy something on ebay from China that ships for basically pennies through USPS, but if I want to ship a small envelope (padded) to someone one town over, it's a minimum $2.60, where it was about $.89 a few yrs back.

Another Glitch....ebay/Paypal allows you to meter First class mail up to 16oz, but USPS limits it to 13oz or it has to be priority mail (God knows why). You can get away with it in a drop box, but taking to the store will get rejected every time. Not sure why they haven't changed that.

 

[Wisertime]

I can see what you mean, but ....

They charged $4 more for this than metered. That pretty much covers the cost of the box.

AND it had been used before to ship camera gear to me, so that was probably another +$4

That's $8 to the post office for, what, a $0.30 box? I guess it subsidized your anvil send then

It was just a used box in my closet. Next time I'll know better to not use them. I got charged $4 for NOT using up more resources (and re-using a box). What a deal!

Next time just use an amazon or other plain box. Problem solved. (or use my trick in last post)

 

[994]

They are robots anyway. You can't reason with them.

yeah, that. lesson learned.

 

[Leighgion]

I used to work for the Post Office.

Aegon is quite right. An essential part of the terms of the free flat rate box is that you pay the flat rate. It's not illegal, and perhaps not technically theft, but is a violation of the USPS's terms to use their flat rate boxes and try to pay less, so they're fully in their rights to charge you the flat rate or refuse to accept the package.

Whether or not it makes sense in the larger scheme of sustainability et al is another discussion, but there's no point in trying to have this argument. Next time, just don't use a flat rate box unless you want the flat rate.

 

[Leighgion]

Just to throw in a little word for my former employer, the argument for Flat Rate is consistency and ease of use, especially for businesses that need to regularly mail stuff. It is not, nor is it sold as, the best possible deal for sending stuff economically, but there are many cases where the certain knowledge of all the boxes you need free and a fixed postage rate is very attractive as it makes logistics and expenses much easier to juggle. For individuals, it's a good deal when you have something small but really heavy or if you want some tracking info, but don't want to pay for UPS or FedEx's level of service.

I always dreaded that flat rate box that was packed with heavy machine parts, that almost inevitably would start to destroy the box and fall out because somebody thought cardboard boxes were impregnable. Got one of those every month or so.

 

[DanS]

I always dreaded that flat rate box that was packed with heavy machine parts, that almost inevitably would start to destroy the box and fall out because somebody thought cardboard boxes were impregnable. Got one of those every month or so.

The machinists have found a workaround for that issue, jump to 26m 24s.

 

[994]

So the lesson here is, unless you are shipping anvils or small engines, avoid flat rate boxes

 

[barry]

The machinists have found a workaround for that issue,

My dad had a large set of Facom wrenches I need to sell; I will probably need to do something like that.

 

[PacNWMike]

What irritates me is that once a flat-rate box is used flat-rate as it was meant it becomes trash. Why not allow it to be re-used as flat-rate or whatever paying full price? Seems like a win-win. The USPS doesn't have to pay for a new box nor does the shipper.

They are robots anyway.

I hate robots unless they can clean my house.

 

[tkbslc]

Grrrr...

OK, I took a used Flat Rate box -- that fits the gear I was sending. It was used once or twice already.

Put my stuff in it, weighed and measured, printed the label and my mother in law took it to the Post office for me, and...

They charged her $4 extra because it was in a flat rate box.

What do you think "flat rate" means?

What kind of terrible business model would have a flat rate that only applies when it saves you money?

 

[tkbslc]

What irritates me is that once a flat-rate box is used flat-rate as it was meant it becomes trash. Why not allow it to be re-used as flat-rate or whatever paying full price? Seems like a win-win.

The larger ones you definitely can as they are regular boxes. But, yes, the smallest boxes and envelopes to self-destruct when you open them.

 

[PacNWMike]

What kind of terrible business model would have a flat rate that only applies when it saves you money?

Actually that is the business model. Use a FR box when it saves you money.

The larger ones you definitely can as they are regular boxes. But, yes, the smallest boxes and envelopes to self-destruct when you open them.

No, you can't re-use any FR box for anything other than FR as per UPPS regs. Even after it has been used for its intended purpose and the USPS has recuped their expense. And I wasn't talking about physical destruction of the box. If it gets torn up I dispose.

 

[PakkyT]

OK, I took a used Flat Rate box

Ya I don't see your beef here either. A flat rate box is a box that charges a flat rate. Pretty simple and self explanatory.

So the lesson here is, unless you are shipping anvils or small engines, avoid flat rate boxes

Depends on what you are shipping. First class/Priority mail rates get expensive pretty fast once you get over 13 oz. So always a good idea to weigh what you plan to ship to get an idea of the weight and use their (USPS) online shipping cost tool to find out how much it will cost to ship in a standard box. Many times stuff will fit in a medium flat rate box which is heavy enough that the flat rate box is cheaper. Especially smaller heavier stuff with lots of accessories such as a camera body with batteries, charger, power cords, etc.

P.S. I believe Fedex also has flat rate boxes. Not sure about UPS.

 

[ahinesdesign]

Used to be able to assemble the flat rate boxes inside out to get the lower rates, but they caught on at some point and now print stuff on both sides...

Like everyone else has said, flat rate is unbeatable for very heavy shipments, but otherwise you are better off with a plain box or other packaging.

 

[tkbslc]

Actually that is the business model. Use a FR box when it saves you money.

That's how informed people would use it, but that's not how a profitable flat rate business model works.

No, you can't re-use any FR box for anything other than FR as per UPPS regs. Even after it has been used for its intended purpose and the USPS has recuped their expense. And I wasn't talking about physical destruction of the box. If it gets torn up I dispose.

In the part I quoted you said "Why not allow it to be re-used as flat-rate or whatever paying full price?"
You definitely CAN use most of them again as flat-rate, so that's what I was responding to.

 

[skellington]

The post office has a couple of other oddly named flat rates that they will deliver to you that make more sense than the usual priority mail pricing / sizes.

 

[jyc860923]

Totally understand that. To those people, the procedure is to be followed not to be debated about, which is why we say some kinds of job just don't require any creativity at all. You cover the flat rate box mark however you can and sir, you CAN do that.