magnetick
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:18:08 AM new
I have sold trading cards on Ebay for the past 2 years. I have always shipped them in a manila envelope padded with bubble wrap.
On Saturday, I went to my local post office with a batch to send out. The postal clerks told me they could no longer insure padded envelopes, and I would have to send the cards Priority or in a box to qualify for insurance. Has anyone else encountered this? I told them this was ridiculous -- and I went across town to the other post office, which had no problem sending them with insurance, as they were.
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neglus
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:49:22 AM new
yeah..my post office is giving me fits about insurance too ( you don't live in Maple Grove MN do you by chance?)! I ship my postcards inside rigid plastic sleeves and they are insisting that the package has to be 1/2" thick to qualify..to satisfy them I wrap bubble wrap around the postcards and ship in padded envelopes and no problems..SO FAR!
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Roadsmith
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:52:04 AM new
That's never happened--but then again I rarely insure padded envelopes.
By the way, in case people are interested, there was a thread here last week about the P.O. opening all media mail packages.
I asked a clerk at our friendly little P.O., and he reminded me that it's always been okay for the P.O. people to open any package. He said he knows his customers and doesn't do that with media mail (yet another reason to cultivate one or two clerks and try to deal only with them!) for most of us. But he said there have been occasions in the back rooms of the P.O. where they've opened suspicious packages to check. He assured me they always repack them well.
___________________________________
SMILE ANYWAY!
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ahc3
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:54:11 AM new
I know of no postal regulation where an item can not be insured because it is in a padded envelope. I would talk to the postmaster, and if you don't get anywhere, find out who is supervisor is and go up the change. If you are annoying enough, the post office will usually back down from a stand that is unsupported.
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magnetick
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posted on September 22, 2003 09:21:10 AM new
No, I'm in Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. I am looking on USPS.com to see if there is anything new about this.
My envelopes are always 1/2" thick too, which is why this whole thing perplexes me... the other post office is about 8 blocks away from my "usual" one, and they don't bat an eye.
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BEAR1949
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posted on September 22, 2003 09:35:37 AM new
Print your own postage label's with Endicia.com. Include the insurance on the label & mark it insured & drop the package in the mail box. I do it all the ime & have never had a problem.
“The last hope of human liberty in this world rests on us.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
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AuctionAce
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posted on September 22, 2003 10:44:22 AM new
It really shows how each post office branch interprets the postal regs differntly or even modify or make up their own rules.
Some of the branches may catch heck from a higher authority about excessive insurance claims on padded mailers and modify the rules to stay out of trouble. Some branches may have excessive misuse of Media Mail and may try to scare the offenders with opening the packages for inspection.
The post office is it's own worst enemy. Do you every see a prominent sign warning postal patrons about what constitutes Media Mail? Is a sign that difficult to make and put up?
-------------- sig file ----------- Most costume jewelry is unsigned. After all, the vast majority of it was made to be worn a few times, then discarded. It wasn't made to be durable. --- The Fluffster
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ebayauctionguy
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posted on September 22, 2003 11:06:19 AM new
I self-insure my packages. I charge an extra buck or two and I hardly ever have to send a refund. It's profitable!
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nimat33
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posted on September 22, 2003 05:15:37 PM new
I have been sending photos in padded envelopes for four years now (the last one on 9/16). The post office has never had a problem insuring my packages. As a matter of fact, the clerk suggested it when I had one too many priority mail packages vanish with no recourse. Good luck!
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legacycoin
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posted on September 22, 2003 06:38:19 PM new
"you don't live in Maple Grove MN do you by chance"..... Small world.... I go to the Maple Grove PO all the time (I work across the freeway at Boston Scientific). Not sure of his name, but the one older guy who always works the middle counter is the pickiest about this supposed new rule, among others. The problem is, even the clerks can't get the story straight. Some say 1/2" while others say 1/4" thick or no insurance. If I go to the PO by my house in Coon Rapids I can insure standard size envelopes with Safe-t-mailers with no questions asked.....
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neglus
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posted on September 22, 2003 07:02:05 PM new
Yeah legacy! That middle guy is the one that makes me hand stamp my "fragile do not bend envelopes" while the lady next to him won't let me touch the hand-stamper!! The people in line just LOVE it when I have to stand there and hand stamp all 50 or so envelopes I am mailing that day!! I've probably seen you on line there - seems like I live up there some days!
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stonecold613
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posted on September 22, 2003 07:37:42 PM new
I have as well been to the Maple Grove PO. Not far from Cub and a Krispy Kreme just down the road. I get to many of the PO's in the Twin City area as I bring my parcels with me, then when I happen to be near a PO, I stop in. Cuts down on special trips. Most of the PO's I go to do tell me that the rule is it must be in cardboard to be insurable. Not everyone of them say that, but I usually go with the majority. Some of the best I have gone to is Roseville, West Bloomington, St. Paul Downtown, St. Paul East side.
Some of the worst, St. Paul Arlington hands down the worst. Minneapolis Bloomington Avenue a close second. St. Paul midway, New Brighton, St. Louis Park dishonorable mention.
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bigpeepa
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posted on September 22, 2003 07:44:20 PM new
Shipped padded bags today with insurance no problem. Saw big new sign about Media mail packages being opened for inspection if Post Office see fit.
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mommoo
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posted on September 22, 2003 07:46:57 PM new
Neglus - Ask the clerk to give you one of their old "Do Not Bend" and "Fragile" stamps so you can stamp them at home. If they have none ask them to save them for you the next time they get new ones. When mine get low on ink I take them in and they refill them for me.
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neglus
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:00:33 PM new
MOMOO - I have a "do not bend stamp"...the clerk makes me "hand cancel" (put on the postmark so it won't go through the machine)- the lady clerk says the cancel stamp can't go to the customer side of the counter while the man clerk WANTS me to hand stamp it...i don't make the PO rounds Stone - I NEVER GO ANYWHERE ANY MORE! But I am seriously thinking of driving up to Rogers near xmas time because the maple grove line is out the door most days!
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gousainc-07
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posted on September 22, 2003 08:47:10 PM new
According to the Domestic Mail Manual, S913 Insured Mail.
1.3 Ineligible Matter
d. Articles not adequately prepared to withstand normal handling in the mail. As a rule, any mailable package should be insurable.
SO....
They are able to make a judgement call, and say that any package not in cardboard is ineligible for insurance because it is not adequately prepared to withstand normal handling in the mail.
Their own Domestic Mail Manual suggests that AS A RULE, ANY MAILABLE PACKAGE SHOULD BE INSURABLE.
Meaning, anything brought into the mail system should generally be able to withstand normal handling.
I think the Post Offices are wrong to state that the insurance can not be given to non-cardboard packs.
It becomes something that gets passed around from someone who is ignorant of the true language and intent of regulation, and itgoes from one person to the next.
I have gotten that a lot at the Post Office, where they start believing things that are not true at all.
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sparkz
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posted on September 22, 2003 09:11:39 PM new
Magnetick....Perhaps if you forwarded this thread to the U.S. Postmaster General, he could straighten out the confusion at your local Post Office. In the highly unlikely event the person receiving it fails to forward it to the PMG or accidentally misfiles or deletes it, you should send a C.C. to your assemblyman and U.S. Senator so they can provide him a missing copy if necessary.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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vvalhalla
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posted on September 23, 2003 05:54:53 AM new
Switch to u-pic.com for insurance, save time & money and make the Posties day.
dd
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margie5651
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posted on September 23, 2003 12:41:05 PM new
I also use Endicia for my postage and include the insurance in the postage. But then I fill out a little green slip for the guy at the post office to stamp. Someone mentioned that they just drop their padded envelopes in the mail box with the insurance on them. Don't you have to have the slip stamped at the post office??? Sometimes I wait in line for quite awhile just to get that green insurance slip stamped. I would love it if I didn't have to!
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gousainc-07
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posted on September 23, 2003 02:51:22 PM new
From S913 Insured Mail Again:
2.1W here to Mail
A mailer must mail insured mail at a post office, branch, or station or give the mail to a rural carrier. Such mail may be placed in, but not on, a rural mailbox. Such mail must not be placed in a post office maildrop or in or on a street letterbox. A mailer may leave the mail in a rural box with a note showing the requested amount of insurance, if stamps are affixed for postage and fees or money for postage and fees is left in the box. The USPS is not liable for any article or money left in a rural box until the carrier receipts the article. A mailer at a nonpersonnel rural unit must meet the rural carrier at the unit for insurance service.
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harrywhitehouse
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posted on September 23, 2003 02:52:10 PM new
I don't know of any regulations which would prohibit the use of a padded envelope with USPS insurance. I think the DMM quote posted by another vendio member says it all -- they just want to be sure that the package is reasonable and not falling apart at the seams.
For Endicia users, you have two insurance options -- USPS and UPIC. USPS means you add the insurance value to your printed indicia and take the package down to the PO to get a barcode and complete paperwork.
UPIC costs much less than 1/2 of USPS, and you have no forms and no trip to the PO! Check out:
https://www.endicia.com/endicia-usa/Site/insurance.cfm
http://www.envmgr.com/upicinformation.aspx
[email protected]
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tomwiii
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posted on September 23, 2003 06:52:45 PM new
http://tinyurl.com/ofvu
http://tinyurl.com/ofvx
 
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/vidrat/
[ edited by tomwiii on Sep 23, 2003 06:54 PM ]
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