Karyn~It only costs that much if your mailer is over 3/4" thick. If it's under 3/4" thick, flexible, under 1oz and no larger than 15" long and 12" high you should be charged $0.90. ALOT of post offices automatically charge the parcel rate for bubble mailers (which is WRONG), when as long as the mailer meets the criteria, they should be charging the large envelope (or flat) rate. All the criteria and rates can be found on USPS website.

Well, I already had two stamps on it and I asked the clerk to check to see if I had enough postage on it. He said no even before he weighed it. He said it was a parcel. I said apparently you didn't get the memo. He said I go by what my book tells me and proceeded to read me the same old stuff they always tried to go by. I said I know all that stuff already and this memo says that it is wrong. He said that he would have to talk to his supervisor and then continued to try and tell me that if it varied in thickness by more than 1/4" it was a parcel. I read him the requirements from the memo and told him that he needed to get the supervisor for me. Finally he got the supervisor and the supervisor read the post that you put on here and said, "Yes, that's right." He told the clerk that it should be a large envelope and the clerk was still babbling on about the 1/4" difference in size. The supervisor said that from now on cushion mailers under 3/4" in thickness would go as a large envelope. I asked him if he would like to keep the post and he said no that he would print out the memo and make sure that everyone understood it. I don't think that they were any to happy. I had to pay an extra penny in addition to the stamps that I already had on it but that's better than $1.13. Hopefully that battle is won but I'm keeping the post with me when I go back.

I just sent some seeds off on one of my trades. I fit 5 small plastic baggies spread out within the bubble sleeve inside a regular, business-sized envy, so I figure it's anywhere from 1--5 baggies of seeds can go inside very easily, maybe even six. I do know that 5 just went and was weighed by the post office as less than 1 ounce. I got the 42 cent charge and a 20 cent non-machineable charge, so it mailed for 62 cents. (I really don't think it was non-machineable, but I wasn't going to argue this time. Do you know what non-machineable really is or is it anything they say it is? It wasn't rigid or what have you...) Anyways, that's not too bad for a trade of 5 different kinds of seeds. The envelope sleeve, even though brand new, cost only 22 cents each because I cut it down to fit inside a regular envy as a sleeve, so that makes a totaly of 84 cents is all. Plus, my mini-baggies I just got in only cost 1.5 cents a piece since I found them on ebay. Regardless, that's under $1 per trade even with everything being brand spank'en new. When I try to mail the bubble envies, I am being pegged to be over-charged almost every time now if I go inside the post-office. This particular trip I wasn't charged parcel or I would have sent the envy to you that I'm sending soon. But because they usually are overcharging me, I've chosen to mail with the appropriate postage after I've weighed and measured the envies here at home. I just got a scale, so that is already turning out to be much easier. I sure hope this isn't causing anyone I send to end up being charged "postage due". I'll make it right if it does as long as they let me know, but I'm sure not going to pay more every single time I trade than what I really owe just because once in a while someone is charged on the receiving end when they shouldn't be. Ugggh... this does get frustrating... ~Angela

I'm so itching and twitching to respond to this post on you RR thread Diana, but, I'm being a good girl since I haven't traded with the person "Doing my best to do things right. Sorry that I have mailed some seeds not in a bubble envelope due to not having one available and wanting to get seed out at once so I would not get behind. Most seeds sent were flat so thought it would have been ok and when printed on envelope to "Hand stamp" what more can you do? Have learned my lesson, and with some people, learned that you just can't please them no matter what you do. Like I said, lesson learned." BUT. this is just bull crap. Flat seeds should be fine, my arse and marked hand stamp? Who is this character kidding. I got one of those envies several years ago, flat seeds, marked hand stamp. Whoopy. the seeds where flat to start with, that is true, money plant seeds are flat, but those crushers in the PO, don't care that the seeds are flat, fat, round or anything else. When they are done with the envie, there is pulverized dust left, even with the flat money seeds. Every seen what those crushers can do to marigold seeds? Yup, dust with them too. What more can you do? How about a bubble envelope and do things right. forget about getting them out fast. Just a stupid, stupid answer and nasty to boot. No thanks, that one isn't gonna be on my trade or BEAP list. Seeds go out in bubblies only, trade or BEAP and they come in with a Bubblie or bad review is posted. I'm with you Diana, and standing my ground as well. Fran