In case some of you are unaware, the US Postal Service will ship to you, AT NO CHARGE, boxes for sending items priority mail. The following URL will get you to their listing of boxes available. http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productCategory.jsp?prodCat=/Shipping%20Supplies/Business%20Use/2.%20Priority%20Mail&prodCatCursor=0&passFlag=1 The labels are # 228. It seems that there is a typo in their ad. The ht. of the label is 4" not 2" as described. I use box O-1096S (used for mailing video tapes) and box O-1096L. It is easy to set up a credit card account, which is necessary even though in this order there is no charge for the items. If you wish to order Priority Mail Stamps by the roll that will be charged to your account. I even ordered a small scale for weighing boxes (for e-Bay sales) of books, etc. When was the last time the Government ever gave us anything free?
Of course, these can be picked up at your local PO as well, but I hate waiting in lines for an hour only to be told "sorry, only have two left" :-( Have fun, Padre. Oh, by the way, feel free to send some filled boxes my way :-)
This message was edited Oct 10, 2004 8:47 AM
Free boxes for Shipping cuttings
A good subject to bring up again .... Thanks Padre.
Normally the local PO will limit the boxes you can get to 2 or 3.
'Get free stuff delivered to your door' ? ? ? .... unheard of nowdays ...... lol.
Don't forget to get the tape they offer also.
PM supplies can only be used for Priority Mail.
You don't have to use the labels; I just write directly on the box although the front looks like a back.
And be very careful. Some of the boxes work for Priority as well as Express Mail, so you have to be sure to put the label on the right side.
Thanks for the info Padre.
Uh-Oh !
Can't find the PM tape any more. Did they discontinue it ?
Thanks for the info, Padre!
Terrie
They dont offer the tape any longer they quit offering it in Aug....
Don't forget the web-site also, where you can print your labels out and get free delivery confirmation ...
http://shiplabel.usps.com/cgi-bin/api/shipping_label.cgi
They will also pick up your completed package if you pay for the shipping on-line!!
They make it so easy for us now...
http://www.usps.com/pickup/
Hi Scoot................ I was looking for the tape just last week and couldn't find it. Looks like it won't be offered any more??? Here is a snippet of what I found on an EBay forum. The poster states he/she is a postal worker and claims the information I've copied came directly from the USPS Customer Service Dept. You might still be able to beg a roll off of someone at you local PO if they happen to have any in stock???
10/03/04 06:36 PM(#11 of 48)
Thank you for contacting us regarding USPS shipping supplies. Priority Mail
and Express Mail Tape is no longer offered online or through our customer
service number. Many of the boxes the Postal Service provides have a
self-sealing transfer tape, and therefore should not require a tape item to
be sealed. This decision will enable the Postal Service to reduce costs
associated with packaging supplies, and will help the organization maintain
its commitment to financial responsibility. Cost curtailment initiatives
like this one are undertaken with the understanding that lower costs help
keep mailing rates low for Postal customers. The tape items had been
intended to help customers identify packages as Express Mail or Priority
Mail. The Postal Service has many alternative products that serve a similar
purpose, such as decals and labels. These items remain available. You may
want to use the following: for Priority Mail, Label 106 or Label 107-R.
For Express Mail, Label 127-R. At this time, the Postal Service offers
tape for sale only at local Post Offices. To find a post office location,
please use the Post Office Locator on the USPS website:
OH SHOOT ! ! ! !
Too bad, I liked using the tape too.
I prefer to order the boxes online. I visited three different post offices and they had a limit on the # of boxes one could have. Even then, they don't always have the size I needed. At our main PO, I requested a box and was told they didn't have any but was promptly shown one of the ones they have for sale which of course was the same size as the free one I requested. I think they are doing it on purpose to get the infrequent users to buy a box rather than getting one for free.
I also recommend to those who haven't yet, to use the USPS website that Patricia posted above to pay for postage on line & ship the packages. It saves a lot of time. I was using the Paypal service but unless you pay for Priority Mail, they charge a .13 cent fee plus a .20 cent label fee which I still haven't figured out why since we are the ones who supply our own label and print it in our own printer. I guess the only advantage is that they do email the buyer letting them know you've got their package postage paid for & mailed & can track it along. This does avoid someone coming back saying they never received it but the USPS website does give you free delivery confirmation.
For those that sell on Ebay. I don't know about you but at my local PO, we can't send any media mail packages anymore without the clerk inspecting it first. I was sending a friend a book and a little note and was refused to send thru MM. I was told to either take the note out or pay for Parcel Post. They have really gotten pretty strict about that.
Gemila
Perrrr-snickety. Indeed !!! I recieved one of those padded envelopes that had more than enough stamps on it for the postage. What happened...was that the sender used one of the USPS priority addy labels. The top was cut off but those tiny little numbers at the bottom weren't. Hardly a noticeable thing except if you are a postal worker-I guess. Instead of the envelope...I found the little green slip stating that I had a package waiting with postage due. Ha....I had to drive all the way to my local P.O.to pick up a padded Envelope that cost an additional $3.11. Bummer. :(
So...Everyone....be careful to remove ANYTHING that may identify your shipping supplies as USPS Priority mail.
P.S. I wonder if the enveloped was handled by the P.O. any differently?