I just got a PM from the person to whom I sent this box of 6 books.  She said her post office called and told her she had a box with $7.74 postage due.  We take all of our PBS shipping right to our post office, and my husband remembers mailing this box with several other packages and paying that amount.  He remembers because it was fairly steep postage.  I have sent her a PM to have her post office hold the package for her and not to go pay any postage on it.  How can this situation be resolved?

Thanks!

does your husband have the post office reciept?

what type of box did you use -did you reuse an old priorty mail box?

I don't know if he has the receipt, but I think I did use an old priority mail box, but I was careful to mark or cover everything up.  I've never had a problem doing this before, and I tend to reuse everything.

Thanks for replying and for your help in advance!

Using an old priority box was the problem.  You can't reuse priority boxes for anything other than Priority mail.  If the Post Office catches this the receiver will have to pay the priority postage cost.

Why do you suppose the postal clerk on my end didn't say anything about that when she had it right in her hand? I've never heard this and I geuss since I have used old Priority Mail boxes so many times and never had a problem I thought there wasn't a problem with reusing them.  Crumbs. 

Thanks for your help!

Unfortunately, not all POs enforce the rules (or understand the rules) in the same way.  So, your PO might not have caught the error, but someone else down the line clearly did. 

This really annoys me.  I fully understand that the post office doesn't want people using new priority boxes for anything other than priority, since only the higher price of postage covers their costs in providing the materials.  But once someone mails that box once they've paid for it and ownership transfers to them, or arguably the person they send the box to.  This is a sale, not a rental transaction.  At that point, USPS has recuperated their cost, and really should have no right to tell anyone what to do with their used boxes.

Well, I imagine the USPS has to protect itself somehow against those people who would take a new Priority box, rough it up a bit and make it look used, and then try to pay a lower rate by calling it "recycling."  The Priority boxes are now marked on the inside as well, to prevent people from taking them apart and refolding them inside out.

Not saying that's what OP did, just saying that this is why USPS charges the Priority rate whenever anyone uses a Priority box, period.

I would think that unless the OP can prove she paid the Priority rate initially, the right thing for her to do would be to Paypal the receiver the extra money for the additional postage.

its interesting to know if you re use a priorty box  and you get "caught" you would have to pay the priorty cost

yet the USPS doesnt mind if you send the same things in  fedex or UPS Box   (which ytoy can also get free from Fedex (or

UPS) (reused or not)

Thanks everyone for your help.  I am definately going to reimburse my requestor for any additional charges she may have.  She is a sweetheart, telling me not to worry about reimbursing her, she's just glad they didn't lose the package!  :)   But as I just told her in a PM, I'm not worried about it at all, because she will be reimbursed one way or the other.  Michael & Kate it really annoys me too!  Shouldn't all Postal Clerks know this rule in the first place?  And my box really was a used box that some e-bay stuff had come in!  :)

Wow, usually this comes up monthly.  A quick search of the forum show it was discussed just last week.  I really have to get to work on a FAQ for this forum.......

Joy, I'm sorry for the problems you had with this, your postal clerk should have caught this the first time you did it.  It's one of those things we get beat over the head about.

I'm not going to go into detail on this, it gets tossed around this forum quite frequently and I'm tired of repeating it.  Do a search if you're interested, it will come up in early threads.

Natasha does a good job of covering the main reason behind it.  Turnig boxes/tyvek mailers in side out is also a common problem for us.

The USPS makes absolutely no distinction between a new Priority box and a used Priority box. Priority boxes must be sent via the Priority rate.

Sure, the USPS doesn't care if you use a UPS or FedEx box to ship.  Same as FedEx and UPS don't care if you use a Priority box to ship in with them.

Steve;

Thank-you for responding.  Before I posted this topic I did do a search through the site and could not find anything related to this.  Some of the topic postings are a little obscure so perhaps what I was looking for was in one of them.  I apologize for not looking into each and every topic thoroughly.

I also am sorry that you are tired of repeating the answer to this question, but as I asked it in good faith I feel I should have received an answer from you rather than you giving me the impression that it was  a stupid question and has been answered a hundred times, so I should go find it myself.

I appreciate your assistance.

Joy

They don't care if you use the FED EX or UPS box because the PO didn't pay for those boxes.   I've gotten books in brand new Priority boxes where the person cut the box open, turned it inside out, then taped it back together.  THEY were cheating the PO - and if it had been caught I would have had to pay the Priority Price.    Every business sets their rules and regs and we can only wonder why.   lol

Joy,

Sorry if I gave that impression, it wasn't my intention.  This topic more then all others has been discussed on here with the possible exception of stamp combinations.  So far it has almost always gone south and gotten rather hot because some people refuse to see the PO's side of it.  Before I made that comment I did a search and found the last time it came up (last week) but realized it didn't go into any great detail so I didn't link to it.  It would be nice if the messesages in this forum went back farther then they do but they don't so I have to live with that.

I don't doubt you asked the question in good faith.  Rather then get into another such discussion with a fellow member I basically commented on a previous post by another member that explaines the main thought behind it as far as I know.  I was making an effort to avoid going into great detail on it, I didn't have the time last night and for that matter I don't tonight either. 

I agree it was wrong for the clerk to accept it that way.  I'm surprised it was because this is one issue the PO is very strong on and very basic to any window operation.  So much so that you would probably be doing that clerk a favor by pointing it out to him/her before management does.

I really need to put together a FAQ for this forum and make it a sticky.  The problem I have doing that is finding the time to do it.  I'm a very busy person and my time on here is limited by other obligations and to a lessor extent a disire not to play post office for hours at a time off the clock.  I fianlly have some vacation time coming at the end of the month and maybe after I get back from my trip I'll give it a try.

I've never used Priority boxes nor have I ever received any.  I guess from an environmental standpoint it bothers me that it can't be reused.  Unless, if the above posts are true, you use it with UPS or FedEx!  Does the PO honestly only want these boxes used once???  Like I said, never used 'em, never got 'em but as someone who recycles everything that kinda chaps my behind.

Steve;

Thank-you for the apology. I will try to find the topic you are referring to.  It's not a matter really of liking or disliking the PO reasoning behind this rule, if that is the rule, that is the rule and it should be followed.  But I have to feel that when I make the trip to go to the PO and there is something wrong with my package I would like to be told there is before they happily take it and my money, then I get stuck with a problem with another member and frankly, end up looking like an idiot.  And believe me, the clerk has had this pointed out to her.

Hope you have a good weekend and vacation.

Joy

Michelle

I agree with you 100%  I try to recycle everything I can, I even use the plastic sleeve the newspaper comes in as a plastic covering over the books I send out.

I think there is a big back room somewhere where there is a group of people who make decisions based on no knowledge or common sense.  I'm sure that is where the great idea of putting mercury in those wonderful new efficient lightbulbs came from.

Joy

You certainly can reuse the Priority boxes to ship again!  I reuse them all the time.  You just have to send them via Priority Mail.

The video size boxes, I open from the ends so that I can use them again.  The only ones it's tough to re-use are the rectangular ones where you have to use the pull tab to open them.

Here's a legitimate second use for those priority boxes -- boxing up birthday and holiday presents (as long as you're giving the presents in person and not mailing them).  ;->

Here's a legitimate second use for those priority boxes -- boxing up birthday and holiday presents (as long as you're giving the presents in person and not mailing them).

And as long as said "present receivers" know not to try to re-use them again to mail stuff at rates other than priority, since unfortunately this rule is not well known. (I just educated an ebay seller about it yesterday actually.)

The USPS doesn't care if you reuse them as long as you are shipping something via Priority Mail and paying the appropriate rates.

This is a sale, not a rental transaction.  At that point, USPS has recuperated their cost, and really should have no right to tell anyone what to do with their used boxes.

Actually, it's written on the box that the box is USPS property and is only to be used for USPS Priority Mail.
Additionally, the USPS gives out their Priority Mail boxes (in small and large quantities), so it's not like the original poster paid for them. You theoretically should not be "recycling" these boxes (even as storage boxes), except to send Priority Mail.

Just an update everyone:  Requestor went to her post office today and indeed the problem was the, sorry, but I have to say it, stupid box.  Anyway I have sent her some credits to defray the cost of the postage she had to pay and all is well there.  I certainly have learned a very valuable lesson and I thank you all for your help and support!

Blessings;

Joy

i use priority mail boxes & when i assemble them, i put the writing on the inside.  it's a pretty nifty way to make use of these boxes.  you could actually cut a side open & do it if you are reusing it as well.  i have reused those padded envelopes (with that dark grey poofy stuff inside) & got a nasty message from the requestor saying that the envelope was disgusting.  i just chuckled to myself.  why wouldn't you want to reuse an envelope, for heaven's sake?