Not all postal clerks charge the same

[Beans]

Needing to make a fast nickel decided to sell some cheap items at cost. Sold three items, took them to the post office. Shipping was 67 cents, 47 plus 20 cent since it would not go thru sorting machine. Ok I can handle that. I go back home adjust shipping cost on about 50 items. Sold 3 more, go to the post office different clerk. He says since they wont go thru the sorting machine they are considered as parcel not letter. Cost now is $2.62. Retail store and Post office made money, and the buyers actually got a free item. It cost me more at the end then at the beginning. Goes to show now matter how prepared and do all your homework sometime you will still get a D on an A paper.

 

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[WhiteTornado]

That is certainly odd. When I calculate postage on the USPS web site, it allows you to pick letter and then there are options saying, "is more than a quarter inch thick, is square not rectangular", etc.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Is # 1 a math problem? I am total confuse.

 

[deserdog]

Were the envelopes lumpy? If so, they go as parcels instead of letters.

 

[OtakuDude]

I sell on ebay regularly but I cannot use my local PO to ship off any items as they fairly constantly quote me higher shipping costs than any of the other post offices in nearby townships. For example, a DVD shipped media mail in a bubble envelope will cost me (around) $2.45 there but only cost (around) $1.60 anywhere else. Unfortunately, as the package gets larger, the price discrepancy increases as well. I don't know why this is as they use the same scales and meters as everyone else.

 

[cyberdan]

Shipping was 67 cents, 47 plus 20 cent since it would not go thru sorting machine. Ok I can handle that. I go back home adjust shipping cost on about 50 items. Sold 3 more, go to the post office different clerk. He says since they wont go thru the sorting machine they are considered as parcel not letter. Cost now is $2.62.

$2.62 sounds correct. It is called First Class Package and weight is 1oz. to 3oz. It entitles you to "free" tracking. I build this price (+26¢ for feeBay) into the sell price of many of my auctions. You can thank feeBay for the customer (that they so dearly love) having to pay more. To win any case with the bay you have to prove that the customer got the package so I have to use tracking and I have to charge for it. A lot of my items will slide through at 67¢ so I add several shipping p-nuts to my envelope. It now forces the clerk to charge $2.62

I try to use ebay for all my postage buys. All my envelopes are 6 x 9 gray, tearproof envelopes, real cheap. ebay gives some kind of discount on every purchase. I just bought $2.62 in postage for $2.60, big deal. But yesterday I got two labels with around a $2.00 discount each.

 

[diggummup]

For consistently "lower" shipping rates, use ebay shipping labels. That's my recommendation. My 12 year old, $50 Big Lots printer has paid for itself numerous times already, on (ebay) shipping costs alone. Even printing labels from the USPS website is less expensive than in person at the local PO. No sense dealing with a half trained Postal clerk who may or may not not know what they are doing.

Of course none of this means anything when the items you are selling are getting shipped in a letter sized/type envelope.

 

[cb73]

I sell on ebay regularly but I cannot use my local PO to ship off any items as they fairly constantly quote me higher shipping costs than any of the other post offices in nearby townships. For example, a DVD shipped media mail in a bubble envelope will cost me (around) $2.45 there but only cost (around) $1.60 anywhere else. Unfortunately, as the package gets larger, the price discrepancy increases as well. I don't know why this is as they use the same scales and meters as everyone else.

My post office told me that the bubble envelope automatically disqualifies the media mail--as the bubbles imply merchandise. I'd sold some patterns and wanted to use the bubble envelopes for protection only and got hit with the higher price also.

The post office has all the information on it's site--and most of it seems to conflict with other info on their site. I ended up going to eBay forums and a lot of people there have posted all kinds of helpful shipping information.

 

[deserdog]

My post office told me that the bubble envelope automatically disqualifies the media mail--as the bubbles imply merchandise. I'd sold some patterns and wanted to use the bubble envelopes for protection only and got hit with the higher price also.

I cannot believe they would tell you such bs!!! Media mail can be mechandise, such as a book, or a dvd!!! What was their reasoning for the higher price for the patterns?