Shipping costs - USPS

[amalekidad]

I just had a member of this forum send me a half dollar and he was charged $1.24 by the USPS. I sent him a PM that included the following.
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I weighed your letter and it was .68 oz. I’m not sure where they come off charging you$1.24 in postage. My guess is that they didn’t like that the letter was not flat and they wanted to treat it as a package. Also, you covered it with tape. That was great for me but, the USPS doesn’t like things that won’t take their machine bar code.
Here is how I ship a single half dollar using just a 44 cent stamp. I put the half in a 2x2 cardboard flip with 3 staples. I take a flat head screw driver and make sure the staples are pressed down into the cardboard. I take a regular 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and a legal size envelope. I tri fold the flipped half into the paper and place it into the envelope. Seal, address and stamp. Final weight is .855 oz. Goes through every time and I get great feedback. You can even staple the ends of the paper to keep the flipped coin from moving around.
This way the USPS won’t try to charge you for a package, odd size, or non-machine friendly.
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What do the rest of ‘use guys’ think

[NiBullionCu]

Unless you want Delivery Confirmation. (you can't purchase DC for a 1st class envelope/letter).

Then you must send as a parcel, and must be at least 3/4 inch thick somewhere on the package.

(I just add one or two styrofoam peanuts).

Sending a 1, 2, or 3 ounce parcel with delivery confirmation (using USPS Shipping Assistant to print your own label) comes to $1.54

What is sad is I can send a 2 ounce package to Canada for less than that...

[cesariojpn]

The USPS has got to make their money somehow. And you know whats even bad? They apparently have run out of "regular mail."

http://consumerist.com/2010/09/usps-out ... -left.html

[natsb88]

There is a $0.20 surcharge for an "envelope containing a rigid object." It's even an option on the postage calculator.

http://postcalc.usps.gov/

Just because you can get away without paying it doesn't mean that $0.44 is the proper postage. It depends on who handles your mail along the way and how picky they are. I have already received envelopes exactly as you described with "postage due." I, as the recipient, had to go pay the additional $0.20 in missing postage to get the envelope.

It seems that there are basically three points along the journey where it could get flagged for "insufficient postage." The first is when it enters the mail stream, i.e. you hand it to somebody at the post office or drop it in a box. If you hand it to a clerk they might hand it right back; if you drop it in a busy box, chances are nobody will take a second look and it will enter the mail stream just fine. The second stop is where most seem to get caught; it it gets stuck in the mail processing equipment and somebody has to pull it out of the machine, it will probably get flagged. The third possibility is when it's being delivered; the postal worker could notice it's short on postage, but that doesn't seem to happen often (or they just don't bother with it).

[uthminsta]

There is a $0.20 surcharge for an "envelope containing a rigid object." It's even an option on the postage calculator.
http://postcalc.usps.gov/

That picture always reminded me of a box cutter knife. And I thought why are they mailing a box cutter knife?!?

[HoardCopperByTheTon]

The other bad possibility is that when you ship a halve in an envelope like that and try to get away without specifying rigid object or sending at a parcel.. there is a good chance it can become lost or damaged when trying to make its way through the autmomatic postage machine. If you have seen pictures of all the curves in that system you will understand how envelopes with coins can easily get ripped up.

Go ahead and pay the extra postage and ship the item by a safe method. Trust me, I will make sure the post office doesn't make too much by shipping a bunch of flat rate boxes. I sent out 3 of them on Saturday. Set a new record.. 69 pounds, 15.8 ounces. 2 tenths of an ounce under absolute maximum weight!

[beauanderos]

There is a $0.20 surcharge for an "envelope containing a rigid object." It's even an option on the postage calculator.

If I get an envelope like that, from Lorena Bobitt... I sure as heck am not paying the postage due!

[amalekidad]

My shipping and handeling charges just went up $0.20

[misteroman]

There is a $0.20 surcharge for an "envelope containing a rigid object." It's even an option on the postage calculator.
http://postcalc.usps.gov/

That picture always reminded me of a box cutter knife. And I thought why are they mailing a box cutter knife?!?

LOL because they can't take it on the plane anymore, silly!

[misteroman]

One time they screwed with me at the PO we were mailing out invitations for a party at our house. Well being on the water,the wife found these little message in a bottle invitations that had a lil sand and some tiny seashells it it and you could mail it in an envelope. company she bought them from stated they 100% could be mailed in envelopes. Well the guy at the PO said no and wanted to charge some ridiculous charge for each one like $5ea. took them to another PO and they did it for like $.80