Hi Hoptownracer1,

Rates for First Class Large Envelopes are as follows
Up TO...........Price
1 ounce $0.83
2 ounces $1.00
3 ounces $1.17
4 ounces $1.34
5 ounces $1.51
6 ounces $1.68
7 ounces $1.85
8 ounces $2.02
9 ounces $2.19
10 ounces $2.36
11 ounces $2.53
12 ounces $2.70
13 ounces $2.87

Size limits:
- Rectangular
- No more than 12 inches high by 15 inches long by 3/4 inches thick
- Must not be rigid and must be uniformly thick

It is best to tape your seeds packs down to a piece of paper before inserting them in the bubble envelope. That will assure them being uniformly thick, and keep them from shifting.

If you go to the PO, and they tell you that all bubble envelopes are to go at Package or Parcel rate, starting at $1.17, they are overcharging you as a lot of POs across the country have been since they went to the shape based pricing back in May 2007.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: First Class rates for letters, Large Envelopes, and Packages

I went to the PO yesterday I had a 3 oz and a 4 oz small padded envy, I had 1 stamp on each package. The 4.10 oz would have been 1.85 I had to pay 1.43 more for it, the 3.00 oz was 1.51 and had to pay 1.09 more for it, total for the 2 small bubble mailers were 2.52 I remember being able to send out just about any size bubble mailer for 2 or 3 stamps, not anymore....postage is getting really outrageous...
Everytime I go in to this PO here they charge me more than what Sue has posted, can't tell them I am being over charged, they say this is what it cost..
Fran

Everytime I go in to this PO here they charge me more than what Sue has posted, can't tell them I am being over charged, they say this is what it cost..
Fran

Fran, you might want to write to the Postmaster General. Be sure and give the address of the Post Office that is overcharging you consistently. Maybe ask for a refund too...lol

Address for the postmaster General-write him directly!

You might also want to print out Postal Bulletin 22218

You will see that it states under First Class Mail Quick Tips at the bottom:
For padded bags (e.g., ReadyPost "cushion mailer"), when the thickness is 3/4" or less and the item is flat-size and somewhat flexible, the item should be classified and priced as a large envelope.

Highlight that and show it to the window clerk. If that does not work, then ask for the Post Master/Mistress/Supervisor, and discuss the Bulletin and costs with them. They should have a template with a 3/4" slot, that they can check to see for sure if your padded mailer, aka bubble envelope, is under the thickness requirement to go as a Large Envelope rate.

I would mention that Shape Based Pricing has been in effect since May 2007, and that they have been overcharging/STEALING from the public for 15 MONTHS and that it is high time that they get educated on just what the correct charges are. I think they assume the public is just plain dumb. How on earth could a customer ever know more about what to correctly charge than they do?
Other members have had to make a scene. Go for it, if need be. I am so aggravated to still be hearing of yet more Post Offices who are consistently overcharging.

I'm probably the exception.I mail my padded envelopes(various sizes)for 59 cent.It had been 58cent but I was told to add a 1cent stamp after the postage went up.I mail from home.I've asked several traders if my envelopes had sufficient postage and have been told yes.Debbie

I got a bubble mailer, a small one a few weeks ago, it had 3 regular stamps on it. Beside the stamps the postal worker, whoever it was had written Postage Due 8 cents... I have not given them the extra postage yet, because I am sure what was on the package was more than enough to cover the cost pf postage.

It ticks me off too that they are over chargeing, it would be different if they had exceptational service, but it isn't most of the time 2 day delivery still takes 3 or 4 and a lot of their other services take longer than what we pay for...depending on what I am sending I do not bother with prority cause it is just a slow as regular post!

Fran

I am considering doing something like I will describe below, but will start a new thread on the Conversation side a little later.

I will ask that anyone who is having problems being overcharged, to mail me a bubble envelops, from their PO, with them (the PO clerk) putting the postal charges on a postal tape. That is the proof of what they charged.
2...I will ask that the member enclose in the bubble envelope a paper with the address of the PO that the envelope was mailed from.,,,maybe writing the addy on the back of the envelope might be a good idea as well.
3...I will give it a time frame for all the envelopes to be mailed to me.
4...I will then box them up and mail them ALL TOGETHER unopened to the Postmaster General, and ask that he respond to me and all the others who were overcharged.
That will be the proof that is needed to make him aware of the widespread problem across the whole country that has been going on for 15 MONTHS!

I think that may be the only way to get his attention that this is a huge ongoing problem of the USPS stealing from the American Public.

Is anyone interested in mailing me a BE and then me sending it on with other envelopes that have been overcharged?

This thread may get moved at the Conversation side of the Exchange, as they oftentimes do. If you don't see the thread here, check Conversations. The link to it (conversations) is just above the list of threads on page one here at the Seed Exchange.

Sue

I've gotten a few in the past that say postage due and list the amount due, but I've never paid them anything extra. I know the postage on the envies was adequate and I still get the packages, so I figure they deserve to get "stiffed" on the extra.

I've stopped dealing with the clerks because every answer was different, depending on who I spoke to or the day I went.

I now go to the kiosks at the post office when I have a flat bubble envelope. Yes, I think you have to use a card to use it, but it's worth it to me (and maybe the post office gets charged by the credit card company so double yay) because apparently with those little printed UPCs comes some sort of magical force field... nobody I've sent those to has had any problem (on the flip side, I've had postage come due when people send me bubblers affixed with regular stamps... the carriers themselves pick up the tab, I don't know if they're reimbursed if we don't pay them back, but I fought one of those and won the argument so I *hope* my carrier was reimbursed).

At the kiosk, I click large envelope or whatever, the machine weighs it and tells me how much, I pay it and stick the printed stamp on the bubbler, and my recipients get the seeds for less postage than dealing with the silly waffles at the desk.

I usually don't choose machines over humans, but in this case one is clearly a better choice for me.

if you do that sue, i'd have them staple it shut, so that he won't think you are trying to cheat.
i'm lucky that i don't have that problem. so far. LOL but the people who get messed over by the gov. , it really makes me mad!! ~Medo

Sue ~

I was charged $1.17 for my bubble mailers last week. The next time I send some, I'll send one to you, as well.

~ Amy

The next time I send some, I'll send one to you, as well.

That's great...just email me for my addy when you are ready...be sure and give me your real name, and member addy, as I will be trying to keep track of them.

Sue

I have learned which clerk to go to and usually she is there on Mondays. There is one clerk however that loves to over charge. I recently had a large bubble mailer to send out and so I had to have it weighed. It was light and only cost me $2.77 with a delivery confirmation. The clerk asked if I wanted it priority and told me how much that was, which was double. I know the envelope will get there in the same time frame either way so I did not pay the extra for priority and the clerk gave me a dirty look. Can't stand that particular clerk. If I take a small envelope to her with small seeds, like portulaca or impatien seeds in it she will charge me a $1.17 when it only needs 2 stamps, and I know this because that is what the other 2 clerks charge. So having mailed as many small bubble envelopes as I have this summer I now know by the content what is 2 stamps and what is 3 stamps. So I stamp em and just drop them in the drop box and they get to their destinations just fine. No one has reported any postage being due on anything I have sent. The only thing I weigh these days at the post office are medium bubble envelopes, large bubble envelopes and boxes. I am picky which clerk I go to.

Best to you,
quiltingfox

Sue.
The last time I went to the PO I was over charged too. I would love to send you a bubble. Will be emailing you. Thanks for all your help in this. Sue

Sue.
The last time I went to the PO I was over charged too. I would love to send you a bubble.
Sudsy,

I got your email and will reply in a bit. I also started a thread on the Conversation Side, asking that other members participate in a mass mailing to the Postmaster General. The details are outlined in the thread.

Please post to it, Sudsy, just for my tracking.

Bubble Envelopes-are you being charged correctly?

Thanks! I am so disgusted that this problem is so big and evidently so complex that the USPS has not been able to get it corrected in 15 months.

Shape based pricing dated May 14, 2007

Sue

Yep! It's time to start trading again...I am getting the "PO Twitch"......lol...

I am getting the "PO Twitch"

And be sure and watch out for the Bulge Police

LOL......:D

A few people that sent me their envies for seeds for postage paid 1.17 to send an empty envy to me! I am going to post on the thread a link to this thread,and I will link this thread to any future offers I do! This is ridiculous,I am so tired of them not knowing what their job is! How much is Sue getting paid to make sure things are right? I really think it is wrong that someone who doesn't work for the PO is making sure that the job is being done correctly,I mean don't they pay people to do this? and why is it being left up to "civilians" to make sure the job is getting done? If I get something postage due,you know they want their money,but if they rip us off who is making sure we get ours?
Sue,I am grateful to you for making sure the proper info is out there,I just feel badly that your time is being taken up by something the PO should have straight by now....Momma Mia!
In the future when someone sends me a trade or an envy for postage and they are over charged I am making sure they know it! It just isn't fair,we are the customer,if a retail establishment over charges you,there is a refund or some sort of credit,what does the PO think? That we all should pay more than what they set the prices at,and they can just get away with this? It is bad business if you ask me! Maybe someone should contact Nader....lol....

Sue,I am grateful to you for making sure the proper info is out there,I just feel badly that your time is being taken up by something the PO should have straight by now....
Well really the heck of it is that things are really no better than they were 15 months ago, other than a few that have been individually confronted...either by the member with a printout and won the argument, or the ones I personally called and emailed to get them informed.

The word still has not gotten out there across the board and channeled down to each and every PostMaster/Mistress/Supervisor, and the clerks at all the windows. Come on PO folks...it has been 15 months now. It is high time that someone somewhere take the responsibility of seeing that ALL postal employees are informed, and using the information to charge correctly. I hope/trust that the Post Master General will be the one who can and will take the bull by the horns and see that everyone is doing their job correctly, or that there will be a price to pay if the PostMasters/Mistresses/Supervisors are not seeing to it that their employees are charging correctly.

It seems that the USPS is plagued by insubordination at numerous levels of management, right down to the window clerks.

Their insuburdination is resulting in a lot of theft by deception, leading the customer to believe the must pay more than what is actually owed.

I so wish it was easily possible to get the attention of the media on a national scale, so the problem would really be exposed. I think that would cause a lot of chains to be rattled and would get the problem addressed promptly.

Angie, if you receive in anymore BE that are overcharged, I would appreciate it if you would made a copy of them for me, and then mail them to me later. They would not be actual proof, but might help additionally once the PMG knows that there are some folks who know what a Large Envy is.

Sue

"Angie, if you receive in anymore BE that are overcharged, I would appreciate it if you would made a copy of them for me, and then mail them to me later. They would not be actual proof, but might help additionally once the PMG knows that there are some folks who know what a Large Envy is."

You got it! :)

"It is high time that someone somewhere take the responsibility of seeing that ALL postal employees are informed, and using the information to charge correctly."

It is looking like that person is you,how much do they owe you? ;)

I do agree that we're being ripped off by the postal system. It's their job to know what the rates are. I will certainly be one to send a BE to Sue if I get overcharged. Usually I just stamp them and mail from the house. But if I'm in doubt, I'll take it to the PO.

Given that, I would like to point out something most may not know. When an item is determined as postage due, it's listed and then signed out by the carrier stating that the carrier is responsible for the money that is due. When they return to the PO, they have to pay that money or return the letter to the PO. Many carriers will pay that money (smaller amounts) up front from their own pockets and leave an envelope for you to return the postage due to them. Yes, it's usually only a few cents here and there. However, that can really add up. My husband Cliff is a rural carrier and keeps change on hand to pay those charges up front for his 500+ mailboxes. Some days the amount he fronts for postage due is $0.50. Other times it can really climb. He does this as a courtesy to his customers on his route. When the total amounts for the day are reasonably small, he will just pay it to the PO himself and not even bother with a collection envelope. If a customer doesn't feel they should need to pay the extra postage, the carrier can leave them a slip and they can pick it up at the PO or have it returned to the sender or discuss the additional postage with the Postmaster.

I'm not trying to antagonize here and I most certainly agree that the PO clerks should know their job better and charge the correct amount, and I agree that as civilians, the only way this is going to be fixed nationwide is if we raise a stink about it and bury them in so much detail that it will get on someone higher up's nerves and they will address it firmly.

What I'm trying to point out is that the carrier fronts this money from their own pocket. Yes, carriers are considered to make decent money. However, right now, between one thing and another, we manage to get by on Cliff's pay. But with me not working at the moment, that's difficult sometimes. Gas prices, maintenance on the car (because rural carrier have to drive their own), tires which wear out quickly, etc. And no, the mileage pay they get does not cover all of this, especially here lately with gas prices being so high and the mileage pay being the same as it was last year. We're often in the negative column in weighing what gas and maintenance costs us versus the mileage pay we're re-reimbursed every two weeks. Please keep in mind that not paying the postage due isn't hurting the PO, or the clerks that don't know their job, or the Postmasters who aren't making sure their people know their jobs. It's hurting the carriers. Sure, sometimes it's only by the price of a cup of coffee, or a bottle of water or soda. But there have been days where Cliff's commitment is above $90 on a *single* package, and that *doesn't* include COD's.

Sue, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. I more than support the cause. I just don't want to see the carriers suffering for our issue with the clerks and postal service in general.

I sincerely hope I didn't upset of offend anyone. That was not my intent. These just aren't things that many people know unless they've had a family member or themselves be a carrier. If I did offend or upset anyone, I sincerely apologize.

Kathy

I sent my first trade of the season out yesterday. It was a single packet of 20 or so seeds, very thin padded mailer. The clerk told me it was $1.17. I said 'Yikes! Have you guys raised the rates yet AGAIN?' I told her I was going to take the envelope to another PO, and she said something to the effect, "Oh, wait, I guess it is uniformly thick..." and then she charged me 83 cents. It was clear to me that she knew what the standards are, I think many clerks just routinely charge a larger amount and if you don't complain, you pay.

Kate

Kathy,my brother in law is a carrier,I do understand that they are put in a position that is not fair to them either. But.....the carrier is making up for postage that may not be valid. If Cliff is making up postage on packages that are over charged ,it is not the customer,but the PO that is responsible for that. It doesn't matter if he makes a million dollars a year,he still shouldn't have to pick it up! This is another way the guys in charge pass the buck.....and onto their employees yet, it's outrageous! The carriers are the innocents as far as I am concerned,and it isn't just because I am partial! ;) They are being ripped off too! And never worry about offending anyone speaking the truth! :)

"It was clear to me that she knew what the standards are, I think many clerks just routinely charge a larger amount and if you don't complain, you pay."

I think you are right on that one!

Angie, I agree with you on that. In that case, I would hope the customer would understand the carrier leaving a "pink slip" for the customer to go to the PO to pick up and while there deal with the Postmaster regarding the over charge. Or if they leave a postage due envelope, that the customer would then take package (unopened) and envelope to the PO and discuss it with the Postmaster. And I hope that we all realize that it's not the carrier's doing or fault. It's the clerks that don't know/care. And if a collection envelope was left, that the customer would make sure that that amount is refunded to the carrier if they've "paid out" for the day, after addressing the problem with the Postmaster. Admittedly, it's usually small change, but if several houses have that same amount of higher, it really adds up.

Now the clerks and the Postmaster and the supervisors, they should know better and should be held accountable.

Kathy

I have an electronic scale at home (from weighing my home-grown tomatoes) and just assumed I could figure my postage from reading the usps dot com site, being of average intelligence, lol.

I do a certain amount of seed trading, mostly tomato seeds, which don't need BE. I usually (but not always) add the 17 cent non-machinable charge to the #10 envelope.

When I do use BE for bigger seeds I thought (by reading) that it fit the First Class envelope definition if my BE was under 1/4 inch- so I put a 42 cent stamp plus the 17 cent non-machinable for a total of 59 cents on the BE.

From reading these posts I guess I am in the wrong and should be putting at least 83 cents on any size bubble. I haven't heard from anyone receiving that they've had to pay extra on their end (too polite?)

It's an interesting topic and clearly the PO should make it clearer to us and their employees. How hard can it be.

Thanks for airing this. Good luck with your quest :-)

"Now the clerks and the Postmaster and the supervisors, they should know better and should be held accountable. "

....UGH! The Clerks!!!!!...lol.....