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I am shipping my first pennies out tomorrow, I am shipping out 30.00 FV. I put them all into a flat rate envelope and planned to wrap it with clear tape to make it stronger but then I read that "the adhesive provided must be the only means for closure". Is it safe to ship in it without anything additional or should I put it in a medium flate rat box?

Keep 'em in the bag, but put the bag into a box. Then use double wraps of strapping tape--with the threads in it--to reinforce the box. You not only have to worry about shipping damage, but rifled boxes.

tinhorn wrote:Keep 'em in the bag, but put the bag into a box. Then use double wraps of strapping tape--with the threads in it--to reinforce the box. You not only have to worry about shipping damage, but rifled boxes.

And put enough packing material in the box so the bag doesn't move inside the box when they drop it.

I had this problem a couple times when i shipped large quantities of silver in small flat rate boxes. I started by completely sealing the box in tape then taping the shipping label over the taped box. obviously since the package contains a valuable amount of PM you don't want to leave this package to chance. (though it doesn't matter the $ amount being shipped). Just tape it up and then tape it up some more. Anyways, my local post office took one look at it and refused to mail it.

They were afraid it wouldn't be delivered past the processing center, or that it could be a non-flat rate box.

There are two ways to avoid this problem. One use clear tape to expose the box so the PO can tell it is a flat-rate box (or envelope). Two, if this doesn't work go to a different PO. For me the second option worked and i didn't have to retape my box before mailing it. Also the first option seems to help my PO accept my boxes.

~JobIII

Here's how I tape boxes. Note that the boxes contain bags, the intent being if that the cardboard itself is destroyed, the bags won't fit between the tape straps. I've also learned to double-wrap the strapping tape, and the only use for "packing" tape--the clear stuff--is to protect the address label from scuffing.

Nice tape job Tinhorn. That is about how my boxes look when I ship them pretty much covered with reinforced strapping tape in all directions. I also leave the flat rate wording exposed in a couple of places. But the biggest key to the whole thing is shipping in sealed canvas bags because as you say even if a corner of the box does open up no pennies will fall out and the person you are shipping to will still get all their pennies.

I have been looking for the caution "heavy parcel" decals. I can't find them anywhere did you get yours?

If the post office gives you crap about the strapping tape for any reason (and this is more for general consumption), a very good second option is Scotch Heavy Duty shipping tape. This stuff is crystal clear and durable. Our business uses it for all of the packages that go out including the international shipments. We've had no issues and we ship some heavy stuff like the 1kg copper bars so it has definitely been put to the test. Wrap them good and tight with a few wraps each way like Tinhorn has in his pics above.

JobIII wrote:Two, if this doesn't work go to a different PO.

This.

Some PO's have clerks that are completely devoid of life, others are just glad to have some business come in period. Just like pickup/dump banks, you just gotta find the right ones.

A) there was a longer, more descriptive, detailed thread on recommended practices for shipping pennies, but i can't quickly find it. I had thought it was a sticky in this thread but don't see it. Help anyone?

B) my local postmaster asked to talk to me in person, and explained that while they had no problems with 60+ lb boxes in flat rate, that they cannot be taped around the box. He said they can charge the non flat rate if that is done. He said the seams can be taped, thats all.

JobIII wrote:I had this problem a couple times when i shipped large quantities of silver in small flat rate boxes. I started by completely sealing the box in tape then taping the shipping label over the taped box. obviously since the package contains a valuable amount of PM you don't want to leave this package to chance. (though it doesn't matter the $ amount being shipped). Just tape it up and then tape it up some more. Anyways, my local post office took one look at it and refused to mail it.

They were afraid it wouldn't be delivered past the processing center, or that it could be a non-flat rate box.

There are two ways to avoid this problem. One use clear tape to expose the box so the PO can tell it is a flat-rate box (or envelope). Two, if this doesn't work go to a different PO. For me the second option worked and i didn't have to retape my box before mailing it. Also the first option seems to help my PO accept my boxes.

~JobIII

I believe this is what he is referring to...

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=201

NDFarmer wrote:I have been looking for the caution "heavy parcel" decals. I can't find them anywhere did you get yours?

I saw my postmaster slapping them on my boxes so I told him that if he gave me some I'd be happy to put them on before bringing the boxes in. He's kept me supplied ever since.

I found out that he has trouble getting the flat-rate boxes but he says customers have no problem getting them. (I've been to other post offices that had NO flat-rate boxes available.) So now I order boxes online 100 at a time--75 for me and 25 for him.

68Camaro wrote:my local postmaster asked to talk to me in person, and explained that while they had no problems with 60+ lb boxes in flat rate, that they cannot be taped around the box. He said they can charge the non flat rate if that is done. He said the seams can be taped, thats all.

That's bizarre. Would they accept that as proper packaging if they had to pay an insurance claim?

I was at a post office in Plymouth where the clerk was giving some gal grief because she was reusing a flat rate box. Even though she had scratched out all the flat rate markings, he said that because it was a flat rate box she had to pay the flat rate price.

I think that some of these people make up their own rules on the fly, just like some tellers do.

tinhorn wrote:I was at a post office in Plymouth where the clerk was giving some gal grief because she was reusing a flat rate box. Even though she had scratched out all the flat rate markings, he said that because it was a flat rate box she had to pay the flat rate price.

I think that some of these people make up their own rules on the fly, just like some tellers do.

The above is a valid rule - just read it in the USPS Domestic Mail Manual. If you use a flat rate box, you pay the flat rate price - doesn't matter.

NDFarmer wrote:I have been looking for the caution "heavy parcel" decals. I can't find them anywhere did you get yours?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Business-Indust ... 6.c0.m1538
http://www.uline.com/Product/AdvSearchR ... 20stickers

tinhorn wrote:

68Camaro wrote:my local postmaster asked to talk to me in person, and explained that while they had no problems with 60+ lb boxes in flat rate, that they cannot be taped around the box. He said they can charge the non flat rate if that is done. He said the seams can be taped, thats all.

That's bizarre. Would they accept that as proper packaging if they had to pay an insurance claim?

I forgot where I saw it, but USPS rules says you can't "modify" the box by taping it up with enough tape to make Red Green envious.

Thank You for the link for the decals Cesariojpn. Don't know if they would stay on the boxes anyway. By the time the 70 lb box gets to where it is going it is pretty beat up but I will get a roll and try them.

If you put the proper postage on it when you ship it, but they abuse the box and knock some of the stamps off can they make it postage due or return it with insufficient postage? They print the little meter strip showing $0, so they know there were enough stamps on it when it left this end.

I am a little concerned about my latest shipment. I shipped it out of the local post office on the 20th, and it has made it all of 50 miles so far. I drive that far to go to work every day. I thought Priority mail was supposed to be 2-3 days. Hope they didn't put my box in a shipment tub and then decide my 69 pound box was over the 70 pound limit and return it to my post office again.

Of course this is nowhere near the record. I shipped a CTU to a fellow member in Southern CA and it went by way of Atlanta for several months. Only took 6 months to get it to him.

Hmmm? If you sent it in spring and it arrived in fall maybe a postal facility used it as a
doorstop over the summer.

I found out that he has trouble getting the flat-rate boxes but he says customers have no problem getting them. (I've been to other post offices that had NO flat-rate boxes available.) So now I order boxes online 100 at a time--75 for me and 25 for him.[/quote]

I was told they dont have trouble getting them, but the cost comes out of their operating budget... the local postmaster wants you to order online to save that expense...