But the good thing is that the cost for mailing First Class Large Envelopes, aka Flats, aka padded mailers, aka Bubble Envelopes is still just 88 cents for the first ounce, and only went up 3 cents per OZ for those that exceed 1 OZ. This is where it is very beneficial to pay attention to your envelope sizes, and to the thickness, and to making sure it is taped in place and uniformly thick.

An empty bubblie (like someone responding to a Seeds for Postage Offer would send) should always still be 88 cents to mail to the 'offering' member, since it would only include stamps, an address label, and a note with GW member name and maybe a list of seeds agreed upon.

It is imperative now, more than ever, that the post offices get on board and get ALL of their employees properly trained to be charging the correct rate for Bubble Envelopes (aka Large Envelopes, aka Flats,) that meet the Large Envelope criteria.

Incorrectly charging Parcel prices in the past was overcharging by 34 cents on the first OZ (88 cents versus $1.22).
In the past charging Parcel prices on the 2nd OZ, was overcharging by 34 cents ($1.05 versus $1.39).
In the past charging Parcel prices on the 3rd OZ, was again overcharging by 34 cents, ETC.

Now, if the PO overcharges by charging Parcel rate when the Bubble Envelope should be charged Large Envelope Rate (ie meets the size requirements of length, width, and uniform thickness, with contents taped into place to avoid shifting, thus not meeting the thickness and uniform thickness requirement)
you will be overcharged
on the 1st OZ 83 cents (88 cents versus $1.71)
on the 2nd OZ, 63 cents ($1.08 versus $1.71)
on the 3rd OZ, 43 cents ($1,28 versus $1.71)

It is really up to the members if they want to try and get their postal workers trained, or else report them for overcharging, as the Shape Based Pricing for First Class mail has been in place since May 2007 (almost four years now). Hasn't this overcharging nonsense gone on far too long?

There are numerous threads from the past 3-4 years about the postal workers not being properly changed and that many of them have the OLD mindset that all padded mailers must go as Parcel rate.

If your PO is still overcharging,
please post here
The name of the clerk overcharging, or the name of the Postmaster/mistress, or supervisor you spoke with,
the street address of the offending PO
The city, state and zip of the offending PO.
Please try to include all of the above information, as it seems to be that things can only get corrected on a case by case basis.

I will attempt to help you with the individual, or the PO, and will also point you to other threads where you can arm yourself with printouts so that you can do battle with the postal workers in trying to get them properly trained.

New First Class Prices as off today.

Scroll down for to 2.0 Physical Standards for Flats ...aka Bubble Envelopes, aka Large Envelopes. I wonder why they don't just consistently refer to them as Large Envelopes?
Scroll down further to 2.3 for Minimum Flexibility Criteria for Flat-Size Pieces.
Scroll down to 2.4 for Uniform Thickness Criteria.

chemocurl...aka Sue

I'd best try to not open this thread until at least tomorrow...sigh

Here is a link that might be useful: New First Class Mail Pricing as of today

Sue, thank you for this information - you are the BEST!

Like Kay said;...Thanks, Sue!

Thanks...I'm just inside on a brief break and decided to just take a quick peak back here. Heading back out now.

I'll just take my buck-77 and buy my own seeds!!!!!!

I was nearly overcharged on a SASE that I sent out today I asked if they had the cut-out and they said they didn't I said that it should be a flat and that I have gotten bubbles through that were marked 44 cents he had said that the machines don't like bubble envelopes however the contents of that envelope was 4 stamps and 1 sheet of paper

He did allow it to go through with just the 88 cents I had on it but he said that the person recieving it would need to pay--how is that possible when I got a bubble with only a 44 cent stamp on it that had no postage due?

If you would like to know where this happened please email and ask it happened about 5 minutes ago and it leads me glad I know the postal regulations

I asked if they had the cut-out and they said they didn't
There is just no excuse whatsoever that they do not have the template right at hand to judge the thickness, and so that they can charge correctly. I'm guessing then that they probably just always charge parcel rate on all bubblies, and thus have been ripping off the public a lot of the time for the past 4 years...sigh.

he had said that the machines don't like bubble envelopes however the contents of that envelope was 4 stamps and 1 sheet of paper
Which envelope, the one you received that had just 44 cents on it, or the one you were mailing out.

He did allow it to go through with just the 88 cents I had on it but he said that the person recieving it would need to pay
What was in the envelope? 4 stamps and 1 sheet of paper that you spoke of above, or was there seeds? If it was just the stamps and paper, then he is certainly mistaken in saying that there will be postage due and he should be reported.

how is that possible when I got a bubble with only a 44 cent stamp on it that had no postage due?
That really was a mistake and wasn't caught anywhere. I would have thought that the person sorting the mail for the local carriers should have caught it. That should be reported also.

If you would like to know where this happened please email and ask
Would you mind posting the information here. It is much easier to keep track of than in individual emails (as I get a lot of GW emails)

I will then post who I have contacted (and when) about what you posted here that you were told.

Thanks!

Sue

The one I was sending had 88 cents on it and contained only 4 stamps and a sheet of paper I want to ask for the template to take home myself perhaps even a new price guide (or I could just use my iPhone app next time?)

I do not know his name and I would prefer not to say the post in public because it is the one in my city

I am aware that a 44 cent bubble with seeds in should have had postage due I do not know if that mistake should have been reported though

I am amazed that on my app it says over 3/4 inch or dosent flex I dont think the bubble was even a half inch

If you can get postage due on undercharged or underpaid can you then get that they owe you on what they over charged? Is there a way to prove they overcharged at some point?

Please email me for the location I'll talk freely about the other offices in the area but my own is a little too close to be putting in the open

The one I was sending had 88 cents on it and contained only 4 stamps and a sheet of paper
Well then 88 cents was correct and they were wrong to tell you there will be postage due when it is received.

I want to ask for the template to take home myself perhaps
It will be interesting if they can and will get you a First Class Mail Shape Based Pricing Template, since they said they don't have one for their own use on the job. Please let us know how that turns out.

or I could just use my iPhone app next time?
I honestly don't know anything about phone apps, or if they are correct or anything.

Here is a link to First Class Mail Prices. Just below the Large Envelope Prices, there is a link for Printer Friendly. There is also a Printer Friendly link for the Parcel Prices too.

I am aware that a 44 cent bubble with seeds in should have had postage due I do not know if that mistake should have been reported though
As far as I'm concerned, it should be reported. Someone, somewhere wasn't doing his/her job, imho.

I am amazed that on my app it says over 3/4 inch or dosent flex I dont think the bubble was even a half inch
I'm confused...if it is 'over' 3/4 " and the contents are not evenly distributed, and if it is 'not' flexible, then it would go at Parcel Rate.

If you can get postage due on undercharged or underpaid can you then get that they owe you on what they over charged? Is there a way to prove they overcharged at some point?
Yes, but the envelope cannot be opened before confronting the PO that either the sending party was overcharged, or that you were overcharged by them requiring additional postage on something you received. Good luck with that though as things are right now. Your PO workers are clueless.

Please see addressing newbie and newer member issues for getting your Member Page email link set up so that you can easily be reached.

Once you get your link set up, I'll email you for the street address and city/town and state.

Ok I believe I have it set up now

I sent you an email via the GW form, since you set it up to show your email address to NONE. GW email is sometimes unreliable, so we shall see if you get it all right.

My iPhone may sometimes be slow in sending me my emails it should have found the message acouple times however as of yet I have not seen it

Thanks for the info i have been getting over charged for years and this info has got me ready to put up a fight with my local po i will not stand for them over charging me no longer!i have even cut a small bubble mailer in half to meet the po guidelines for flats and i still got over charged and the bubble mailer only had 5 packs of seeds and a small piece of paper in it.

it should have found the message acouple times however as of yet
If you haven't gotten it yet, either email me or else change your profile to show to members and I will copy the address and email you directly from my email and not via GW. If you set your profile to show to members, it will not appear in your posts, or where any non member can access it.

Thanks for the info i have been getting over charged for years and this info has got me ready to put up a fight with my local po
I've always wondered just how many people, here on GW and elsewhere that have been being overcharged for the past 4 years. You would think that management at the higher levels would be doing their job of training and knowing that their employees were doing their jobs correctly. I see it that there is fault clear to the top of the PO hierarchy with no one caring enough to do their job correctly....that or they are so stupid that a cave man could do their job.

This post office by my house has been ripping me off for years:

Postmasters: Kip (sorry, don't know the last name)
2082 Stringtown Road
Grove City, OH 43123

If there's something you could do about it I'd be grateful. They've got their own template with no 3/4 inch slot, just a 1/4 inch slot. Everything that doesn't fit through that goes package rate.

TIA,
Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,

According to This PDF document, that address and zip code falls under the jurisdiction of the Vice President of the Eastern Area, Megan Brennan.

According to THIS SITE, which has contact info for all of the VP of Area Operations, her complete contact info is
Megan Brennan
Vice President, Eastern Area Operations
United States Postal Service
1 Marquis Plaza
5315 Campbells Run Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15277-7010
P 412-494-2510
F 412-494-2582
Megan.j.brennan@usps.gov

If you email her with the details of how you have been overcharged by that PO for the last 4 years, would you mind carbon copying me? You might want to also carbon copy all of the Vice Presidents of Area Operations...hint hint...so they too have a heads up.

When I email the VP over the South Milwaukee PO, on behalf of lieblingxdasxkraut, I was going to include numerous links, from over the years, detailing how post offices across the entire country have not been properly trained and have been overcharging for just a few days short of four years. I was also going to carbon copy all of the VP of Area Operations, so they too will have a heads up.

I'll likely include a link to this thread too.
Sue