Thanks, Post Office!

[TXGunNut]

Tried to send a few sample boolits to another member awhile back, should have arrived days ago. Last night I open my POB and there they are! [smilie=b: I packed them in a carefully padded envelope (home made!) and determined the weight. Then I went to the USPS website and determined the correct postage and even added the manual cancellation fee. Then I applied enough Forever stamps to cover it, and then a bit. Came back yesterday with a postage due label covering the recipient's address and the envelope badly damaged. Hard to say but envelope may have been opened. I mail stuff like this from time to time, first time there's been a problem. Think I'll visit the PO tomorrow, lay the "required" coins on the counter and see what they say.

[runfiverun]

tyvek and cardboard.

[TXGunNut]

tyvek and cardboard.

Maybe so. I used the shipping plastic that bumper manufacturers use to wrap fascias (bumper covers) inside a regular envelope, then reinforced the envelope a bit. Ticks me off that a project is being delayed because of someone's spite.

[TXGunNut]

OK, I've cooled off now. Rant over. A few dollars' postage is not worth getting on the wrong side of postal employees or postal inspectors. Saying what I felt needed saying yesterday could very well have been construed as a federal offense and none of us need to be in that situation.
Maybe we need to have a how-to thread on mailing materials to other members. Being able to help other members with their projects (and receive help) is one of the huge benefits of this forum. I've sent several packages with no problems but this time a project that I and another member are excited about is delayed because someone calculated the postage due and came up with....oh yeah, rant over. Please excuse me.
R5R gave me a good tip and I'll do it his way, I just think maybe we could all use some pointers to avoid aggravation and unwanted scrutiny.

[jonas302]

I received a letter postage due with forever stamp on it normal size one page letter no not over weight maybe the stamps are not forever or someone made mistake

I mail and receive bunch of packages truly believe most problems can be avoided with better packaging sometimes its a wonder things make it at all

Make sure there is no movement possible small items like a few bullets that bumper foam inside a food saver vacuum bag can really work well its going to be a violent ride and things cant have any momentum to break though the box

Use printed labels handwritten labels are a recipe for disaster securely put the receipt or another label inside the package preferably inside the vacuum bag or in some manner your item is identifiable if it leaves the box Used post office supplied packaging as much as possible its free and one assumes it works well with there machines Tape it up good cross your fingers and send it on

[TXGunNut]

As part of my job I ship certain items all over the country and occasionally abroad with very good results, I also file claims on a regular basis when things don't arrive or get damaged somewhere along the way. Obviously I resent it when someone treats me like I can't get the stamp right side up.

[lightman]

I usually skip the envelop and go with the slightly more expensive small box. I also bag the goods, sometimes add another layer of cardboard and tape it like crazy.

I've had good service from the Post Office, but they move lots of goods long distances quickly. Stuff is going to get beat up. I try to make my packages bullet proof.

[Plate plinker]

As part of my job I ship certain items all over the country and occasionally abroad with very good results, I also file claims on a regular basis when things don't arrive or get damaged somewhere along the way. Obviously I resent it when someone treats me like I can't get the stamp right side up.
The stamp was leaning to the RIGHT. They do not like the RIGHT.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

oh yeah, rant over. Please excuse me.
R5R gave me a good tip and I'll do it his way, I just think maybe we could all use some pointers to avoid aggravation and unwanted scrutiny.


Maybe so. I used the shipping plastic that bumper manufacturers use to wrap fascias (bumper covers) inside a regular envelope, then reinforced the envelope a bit. Ticks me off that a project is being delayed because of someone's spite.


Tried to send a few sample boolits to another member awhile back, should have arrived days ago. Last night I open my POB and there they are! [smilie=b: I packed them in a carefully padded envelope (home made!) and determined the weight. Then I went to the USPS website and determined the correct postage and even added the manual cancellation fee. Then I applied enough Forever stamps to cover it, and then a bit. Came back yesterday with a postage due label covering the recipient's address and the envelope badly damaged. Hard to say but envelope may have been opened. I mail stuff like this from time to time, first time there's been a problem. Think I'll visit the PO tomorrow, lay the "required" coins on the counter and see what they say.

There are a few threads (one sticky in S&S) with hints tips and tricks about shipping items.

While it's rare that people take advice when the suggestion is "DON'T do ect ect..."

I will offer this, DON'T use a regular envelopes for anything other than sheets of paper.

I ship a fair amount of unusually shaped items, usually 2 or 3 items each week.
Anyway, any small or flat Metal item/s that I ship first class, that weigh less than 12 oz, I use a commercially made padded envelope. My items are generally wrapped in bubble plastic packing before placed in envelope...wrapped so it fills the padded envelope. Everything else is shipped in a flat rate Priority package.

I am lucky that I have a small town post office close by, where I can get in and out quickly. They look at the package, ask the questions, check the address on the computer, then weigh it, and print out a computer generated postage sticker...I've never had one of those returned "postage due".
Good luck

[Rufus Krile]

Several years ago I subscribed to 'Shotgun News' that came out every 10 days. At one point I received 3 of them in the same mail delivery, two of which were pretty ragged. Having 'doubled' several times prior, the 'triple' set me off so there I went to the post office to straighten those folks out. Turns out that wasn't the best use of my time nor did it make me any new friends. I was informed in no uncertain terms by the female bureaucrat behind the counter that "They didn't do such things and I was being a troublemaker..." For the next 6 months my bills arrived late or not at all, Shotgun News came out of order if at all, paychecks got lost... you get the picture. So did I. Didn't complain about any of it. I am, it turns out, at least trainable.

[FISH4BUGS]

I just shipped 700 cast H&G #51 bullets to another member here. Swapped for a bunch of 357 nickle brass. The SFRB was supposed to go to VA from NH but it wound up on Los Angeles for some unknown reason. It actually went in and out of LA a number of times before they figured out it was supposed to go to VA.
The box was 16 lbs and wrapped TOTALLY in nylon reinforced tape, with the bullets in zip loc bags. It survived the trip surprisingly enough.
You DO need to make the boxes bullet proof. Marking it FRAGILE means they only throw it 5 feet instead of 15 feet.

[castalott]

If you would have mailed that on my route, I would have paid the postage to send it on and gave you a bill for the amount the next day. I know almost everyone on my route by first name. ( Lived here 61 years in a town of 500.) In 30 years, I have never been cheated. ( Isn't that hard to believe? Live in a small town!) I treat them fair and square and they do the same for me. Yes I follow all the rules and there are many.

Yes... I make mistakes. Sometimes really, really stupid ones. But I'm honest about it and say"I'm sorry!'

I love my customers and would never mistreat one.

Sorry for your troubles....

Dale

[Blackwater]

Did you look at the tellers at the PO? There are some really good, cordial and conscientious ones, but unfortunately, the other kind seem to have become more common since they "professionalized" the jobs there! Ain't it funny how all that works? The more they got into "systems" and away from local, friendly service, the more we've gotten .... well, what we have now. When will Harvard Business School EVER get away from all these lofty "ideas" they keep coming up with, and realize that ALL human interactions are human-based, and that the more of our humanity they take OUT of the equation, the worse things get???? I won't be holding my breath until they learn this! For SURE!

[William Yanda]

I recently shipped 9# of 3 in. pewter ingots to Florida in a SFRB. 13 oz. arrived, marked "arrived in Atlanta damaged". I reshipped in a SFRB, wrapped in a Tyvek envelope in a Legal Size Flat rate envelope. Cost less to reship than the original. I was unhappy to say the least. However to give the PO their due, I filed a claim online and had a $50 check-about half the value-in a few days. Two days after the replacement shipment arrived as I remember.

[castalott]

I could go on a long tirade about how service has changed and how things were done in the old days. That would do nothing but draw unwanted attention to me. I can tell you most of the people I know who actually do the work care about 'their' people. The older ones more than the younger ones but still....

Dale

[WJP]

It pays to stay calm with the clerks. Talk nice and most are easy to deal with and tell you the problem workers. Go in ranting and things change. Of course the mail system has messed me around on more than one occasion. Luckily my local offices treat me good.

[HABCAN]

Well, 'tracking' said my first order of Smoke's PC powder came to me via Miami and Heathrow, England, but, WTH.........it got here. Strange are the ways...........!!

[kmw1954]

I recently picked up an item on ebay tat was coming from Detroit Mi. to Wisconsin. For some reason during tracking it had to go thru Pittsburgh before heading to Chicago.