jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 1, 2001 08:03:52 PM new
Well, I guess I will just wait and see if anything gets sent back to me. I bought the postage and have no way of getting labels right now. I live an hour to an hour and half from the nearest Office Depot, and they won't deliver to me. So I guess I am just stuck.
If it doesn't work out with what I sent out today, then I will just cancel the Stamps.com account and forget the "new wave" stuff and go back to the old way of doing things.
I guess this is just another downfall of living in a small town in the country...but I wouldn't want to live in the big city for all the "labels" in the world.
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 1, 2001 08:20:02 PM new
Thanks vargus, I needed to hear that after mailing packages and feeling pretty good about it.
I will check out the site. I don't have anything against buying labels, it is just so inconvient for me to do it on the spur of the moment. A trip to the city has to be planned, not something we can do all the time.
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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lanetzliving
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posted on March 2, 2001 08:50:20 PM new
Joe Kaminski
Just bumping this thread to try to get some help fron Joe on why they keep charging my account when I cancelled in oct.
No one will will respond at stamps.com
I see that Joe from stamps.com is reading these posts and was hoping he would help me!
STILL waiting to hear from some one......
An unsatisfied customer!
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Julietwhosellsonebay
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posted on March 2, 2001 09:13:30 PM new
I tried stamps.com, its not for me.
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joekaminski
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posted on March 2, 2001 10:14:30 PM new
Janet@lanetzliving:
I have asked one of my employees to work with Stamps.com Customer Support to cancel your account. This should be resolved next week.
Joe
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anais
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posted on March 3, 2001 04:37:18 AM new
jwoodcrafts,
I respectfully disagree with daman. I have been using Stamps.Com for over a year. You can use plain paper envelopes or plain paper. I mail a couple of hundred plus packages a month and have never bought labels because I had 1000's of envelopes and tons of plain paper. There are different settings to use for different size labels and paper. You DON't have to worry about getting two part labels for your priority mail either. You can basically print on whatever your printer will handle.
I have loved Stamps.com until just recently. Now I am having troubles. I am going to post a new thread about it.
Good Luck! 
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lanetzliving
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posted on March 3, 2001 04:58:43 AM new
Joe Kaminski
Thanks for answering Joe!
I will post again to let all know that it finally ended well
Blessings from the wheatfields of Kansas,
Janet @ Lanetzliving
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/lanetzliving/
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 3, 2001 06:15:50 AM new
Okay all, my first packages have arrived at their destination. I did use plain paper because I had nothing else. It did work.
I did however conduct an experiment just for my own curiosity (spelling?). I took those Priority mail labels. Cut of the red and blue strips, carefully attached them to a piece of printer paper and printer on them. I then cut them to size and put them on a package. I then put clear packing tape on them because I always do that regardless, I am always afraid they might come off. Anyway, I them printed another postage off on plain printer paper, using the 3-part option. I then cut that to size and applied with the clear packing tape.
I took them to the PO and asked my Postmistress, "Can you tell anything different between these to packages?" She could not tell me which was "offical" priority sticky back paper and which was not.
She also said that the PO does just set things back and forget about them because something may not be up to specs. It would be returned to me at least, but she said that won't happen because there is nothing wrong with the way I am printing postage.
So, like I said before, who can tell if it has a sticky back or not when it is sealed under clear packing tape?
Since some have already made it to their destinations, I feel sure that the rest should also.
I will let everyone know the final results.
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 3, 2001 06:22:34 AM new
Joe Kaminski,
Since you are trying to help out here, I need to know when I will get my postage scale. I can't get anyone but Tech Support on the phone and they say that is not their department.
I was supposed to recieve an email with a link to go and claim my postage scale and have it sent to me. So far I have not gotten this email and no one has just automatically sent it to me.
As much as I like the service, I will cancel if I don't get that scale. It was in the agreement. I have sent a bunch of emails to several different email addy's at Stamps.com and all I ever get back are canned responses
with a list of FAQ's, that in no way applies to MY question about the scale. As a matter of fact there is not even a FAQ about the scale! So why do I get keep getting these emails?
Can you check into it for me?
Thanks
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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hkkozera
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posted on March 3, 2001 07:17:20 AM new
I just finished my free trial with Stamps.com. I know a lot of you love the service, but I have found that it doesn’t meet all of my needs. The things I don’t like the service:
1) Media Mail (Book Rate) is not supported. You can get around this by looking up the rates yourself at and printing the postage as a “correction”. My complaint is that software won’t print the return and mailing address labels with a “correction.” It is such a pain to look up the rate, print two sets of labels, etc. I wish it would just support Media Mail directly.
2) International Mail is not supported. Again, you can get around this by printing a “correction” but you have to put in a US address in order to print the correction. People at the Post Office tell me that the indicia (bar code) contains routing information and this practice could delay the delivery of the package.
3) The address verification program often changes the ZIP+4 to an incorrect value and there is no way to override it .
4) If you want to purchase insurance from the Post Office (instead of UPIC), you still need to take the package to the Post Office counter.
5) If you want to get Delivery Confirmation scanned at the time of mailing, you still need to take the package to the Post Office Counter.
6) No one answers the phone at the customer support #
7) Emails to customer support are answered by an automated email – very difficult to get a response from a real person
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zeenza
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posted on March 3, 2001 08:04:49 AM new
Continual ongoing printer problems. Many take the blame but why does every other software program work great with my printer but theirs?
The REALLY sad part is when you print something there...it costs money!!!
It is a dead with me until I receive my 63.00 in failed printing postage back. Which will never happen.
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dave61bug
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posted on March 3, 2001 08:25:52 AM new
I have been using stamps.com over a year now. Only gripe I have had is not being able to print media mail rates. I never knew I could use a correction feature to adjust the amount. My problem these days is that I can't get the scale to work with my computer. New computer. Worked great with my old one. But I still weigh and manually type in the weight/ounce. Works fine. Thanks for the tip on the media rate adjustment.
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lanetzliving
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posted on March 3, 2001 01:28:35 PM new
"It is a dead with me until I receive my 63.00 in failed printing postage back. Which will never happen."
Hi Zeenza,
I too had that problem, that was why I canceled.Used to be you could get some one on the phone to help, last person I got was a tech who was so rude to me, I begged him to help me and asked for his supervisor but he rudely told to me to "email them and I will not let you talk to a supervisor!!!!!!!!"...the email avenue is useless which as we all know !!
Maybe, Joe will help us all out if we keep this thread going.....I am sure they would like to see it off the first page.
Blessings from the wheatfields of Kansas,
Janet @ Lanetzliving
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/lanetzliving/
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VeryModern
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posted on March 3, 2001 01:47:22 PM new
Well, I have since gotten a response to my email about my problem.
In fact, I have gotten three of them and they all say the same thing:
>>>
Hi XXXX!
Thank you for choosing Stamps.com!
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Customer Care Specialist
Stamps.com
~~~~~
LOL!
Worse than Yahoo.
I respond asking again to answer my question and get this same mail back X 3.
????
VeryModern Space Junk
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hkkozera
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posted on March 3, 2001 02:17:37 PM new
Joe,
Since we have your attention...
Does Stamps.com plan on supporting Media Mail any time in the near future?
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wbbell
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posted on March 3, 2001 08:09:16 PM new
jwoodcrafts re: clear tape on stamps.com indicia
Please don't think that I am trying to start an argument here, but just advising you that regardless of what your local post office person says, doing stamps.com in this manner is against the USPS regulations and you're taking a chance.
True life story: There was a time when I was taking priority mail packages (clothing items in tyvek envelopes) that I had put $3.20 stamps on, and depositing them in the mailbox at my local PO. I had done this for a long time and mailed 100+ items this way.
One week I checked my PO BOX and discovered that of 6 packages I had mailed the prior week, all 6 were returned to me. This is because they were over 16 oz and I did not physically hand them to a window person as per the USPS rules. I only use the PO BOX as a return address and so I only check it once per week. All of those packages had been sitting in there for 3-5 days. One of those people gave me a 1-star feedback on amazon due to slow shipping.
(Of course, now that I am using stamps.com I am allowed to drop oversized packets into the slot! )
The moral of the story: 95% of the time you can get away with breaking the rules. But all it takes is one anal retentive post office person to mess with you, and you'll be sorry you did.
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 3, 2001 08:20:40 PM new
wbbell, you may be right. But I am really not trying to break any rules. I just didn't have any labels at the time.
What you say may happen, but I hope not. I have gotten 2 additional feedbacks already tonight from packages that did arrive safely at there destinations. Thank goodness.
If I continue to use Stamps.com I will get some labels. It isn't worth the worry. I just have to get somewhere that sells them.
But until the scale issue is addressed, I won't be using them anymore anyway.
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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anais
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posted on March 4, 2001 12:10:41 AM new
VeryModern,
I got the very same email. Seems like some employee there is just pushing a canned response regardless of what the question or problem is.
Unreal they care so little about Customers.
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brigette
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posted on March 4, 2001 12:53:28 AM new
Wallyworld (you know the big discount chain) sells labels...
Also paper printing is a BIG NO NO... Why, because anyone then could pick up your package with a stamps.com postage printed on it and scan your package in a scanner and print the postage out on paper and tape it down to package.
Each label is bar coded and they know exactly who mailed the package even if it did not have a return address on it.
For exsample... why Stamps.com and the Post office is not suppose to accept paper printed postage is because some person(a mail bomber, etc...) could find a package with a stamp.com postage on it, zerox or scan the postage, print it out on paper and stick it to their own package (gee what if that stamps.com postage was scanned or xeroxed off your package and the guy decided to send a bomb to some one by printing it out on paper and taping it down to bomb package. Guess who's door the FBI would be knocking on?)
No postal employee is suppose to accept Stamps.Com postage on a package that has been printed on Paper or has tape over it,as paper printed postage or taped on postage could be a counterfit. It must be directly printed on a label (a good sticky one so that no one can pull the label off and stick it on bomb package) Or it has to be printed directly on a envelope.
NEVER should one put tape over a stamps.com postage , as this may cause the package to be rejected, because they do not know if some xeroxed it, used the postage already, or ripped it off a package and decided to tape it down to their own package. (some crook, could get away with this and mail a bomb, drugs, or anything... with your printed label that was removed from the original package that you mailed out) Once again if it is placed on package that has something illegal in it, guess who they are going to visit? (Why risk it?)
For those of you that are doing this and get caught, you can loose your Stamps. Com account and maybe your postal mailing rights(read the website better and user terms better)
[ edited by brigette on Mar 4, 2001 12:58 AM ]
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brigette
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posted on March 4, 2001 01:30:39 AM new
Ok... I have been with stamps.com since 10/99 and when I started the website strongly stated that labels or direct envelope printing was the only acceptable way to use stamps.com
Now I cannot find reference to this at stamps.com, but I am 99% sure that it is against postal regulations to print e-postage on paper and to tape it down. I know that e-postage should never be covered with tape or any section of the label that has the postage on it.
Postage Stamps also are never to be covered with tape as it looks like they have been reused
When I find reference to this I will post it on AWOL
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mustpar65
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posted on March 4, 2001 03:30:26 AM new
I have to agree that it's probably risky and against the rules to print your stamps.com postage on plain paper. You may get away with doing it infrequently but it could come back to haunt you.
I think the inability to print Media Mail is also a USPS restriction rather than an oversight by stamps.com. The thinking there is that people would ship items that do not qualify as Media Mail. Somehow by forcing Media Mail to be handed to a live clerk that will un-nerve dishonest people. Like the clerks have ESP or something.
I remember seeing a recent interview with the PostMaster General on CSPAN where he claimed that "there is no such thing as junk mail". He then had to leave for his Flat Earth Society meeting. That's the mind-set of the Post Office.
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hkkozera
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posted on March 4, 2001 05:46:29 AM new
mustpar65,
I just signed up for a free trial from ClickStamp Online (Pitney Bowes) and they do support Media Mail directly. However, with thier service you have to print a "correction" in order to use Delivery Confirmation. Go figure.
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marlenedz
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posted on March 4, 2001 06:41:48 AM new
Bridgette
I don't get it. What makes the difference if they scan a label and put it on a label compared to a piece of paper.
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 4, 2001 07:08:23 AM new
I have always put clear tape over labels of any kind.
I started doing that when I carried a package to the PO and the Postmistress did for me on her own as a precaution.
I don't get it? There is nothing wrong with doing that.
By the way, more packages were delievered. I got up to more positive feedback this morning.
I just don't understand the whole label thing...paper is paper is paper...sticky or not. And I will still use clear tape over the labels. I have done it for years and will keep doing it. (I haven't used stamps.com for years, but I have mailed packages for years.)
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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marlenedz
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posted on March 4, 2001 07:15:53 AM new
I don't use stamps.com but when it comes to labels, I do the same thing. I was buying labels and then putting a piece of tape over it for water proof protection. Now I just use paper. Saves money.
I don't have a clue if this is relevant or not, but when it comes to regular stamps that won't stick, the PO will allow you to use gluestick or tape the edges of the stamp only and not the entire stamp.
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brigette
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posted on March 4, 2001 09:04:37 AM new
using paper for address labels and taping completely over them is ok... You are not suppose do it on e-postage as it looks like the postage was stolen, reused, counterfeited, etc...
I have had packages returned to the sender because they used tape over the stamp or e-postage. I used to be in fabric swap and the gals would put tape over their postage stamps because they would not stick well to those tylvek envelopes. When they got it back it had a warning on the package... and they just threw it into another tylvek envelope with postage and no tape over it. So I have seen it... personally I would never use paper for e-postage or tape over my e-postage, It's not worth the risk...and it is just a matter of time that your post office learns this is a no no and starts rejecting this type e-postage.
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dman3
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posted on March 4, 2001 09:39:34 AM new
As Well the post office cant post mark your postage lables if they are taped over
All the postage I print is postmarked just like regular stamp to void out the stamp so that they cant even be reused if the date on them is over looked.
Maybe I should start useing plan paper and requesting my buyer pull stamps off and send them back I would even provide a SASE to send it back in.
Im happy to here that your postage printed made it for sure I wish no onw any type of bad luck for sure but do get some labels ASAP
Staples sells avery label # 8163 10 labels per sheet 25 sheets of labels in a package for $7 + tax
this allows you to print 125 stamps and address labels with stamps.com .
walmart sell the same label but they ony sell the 100 avery label package for $12 + tax not as goo of a deal.
also if you go to office depot online store they will ship labels to you UPS no problem.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
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anais
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posted on March 4, 2001 09:29:13 PM new
I'm laughing out loud here. Ryan at stamps is the one that told me I could use plain paper or envelopes for my postage. The post office here picks up 30-40 packages a week from my house. Most are media mail and I have always had the label taped over. Seems to be a great discrepancy in what people are told.
~~Anais~~
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jwoodcrafts
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posted on March 5, 2001 05:44:20 AM new
dman, Office Depot "will not" ship to my house UPS. I even called on the phone and tried to place an order and they said I was "out of their delivery area"
So it isn't as easy for everyone to place order with them.
Office Max is the same, so is Staples. It seems that we are "out of everyone's delivery area"
Oh well
http://www.geocities.com/sandcastless/crafts.html
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vargas
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posted on March 5, 2001 06:03:06 AM new
As Well the post office cant post mark your postage lables if they are taped over
The post office doesn't need to post mark e-postage labels. They already have the date on them.
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