Priority Mail vs. Parcel Post Discussion

17 years ago

I'd like some feed back from members concerning why Priority Mail is mandatory for some swaps. Other than the time element what is the difference? Parcel Post is much less expensive.

I mailed two boxes today. One I sent was heavier by far, yet it cost less to send it. I sent it Parcel Post with a DC#. I saved $4.00. So it takes a few extra days. It has a tracking number so I know where it is. You can get a DC# on anything that is at least 1/4" thick. I would feel responsible for any box of mine that went missing whether it be Priority or not.

Last spring I started trading plants. All of the plants I received were mailed Parcel Post. Not one died and they were in excellent condition.

Thanks for your input.

Mariann

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

earthlydelights
17 years ago
mariann, i use whatever seems to work for what's in the box. it seems of late even paying priority some packages still take 4 or 5 days.

if i have perishables or plants, i use priority. if it doesn't really matter, i'll use parcel post. i play around with postage rates before i go to the post office. i have never printed it from home and did the pick up, because it's always a few days behind in the delivery.

if flat rate is the way to go, i use that.

i always see that confirmation is mandatory, but i guess that's just a precaution. i learned the hard way that you can't use it on an envelope. had i thought about it, or the clerk been more intune, i should have used certified mail. confirmation gives you an opportunity to track, does not in any way guarantee anything.

i for the most part use post office supplies/boxes, so i don't have the option to say parcel post when it is in a priority box - their rule, which makes sense.

it should be your option, it's your dollar. just so you are accountable for it.

maryanne
beth_b_kodiak
17 years ago
Maryanne, if a priority box is the right size but you want to use it for parcel post... carefully undo the seam. Turn it inside out and retape it. You have a plain unmarked box to ship however you like.
If it is in a priority box (right side out with all their pre-printed messages) it will be shipped priority because they only glance at the box not at what you paid or whatever.
true that a lot of the time priority does not save much time. Sometimes it does but the extra postage is not a guarantee.
I love the flat rate boxes and feel like I can stuff them full and get a bargain. Just need to watch the size/shape of what you buy to send.
BB
Related Discussions
mailing plants-options other than priority mail
Q
Comments (12)
Hi valeriepa, I am assuming that you must have used the Large Flat Rate box. The use of the Flat Rate boxes is not always the best deal. It all depends upon what mail zone the box is going to and how much the box weighs once it is packed. Being a veteran trader, I (usually) don't respond to trade posts where the member's location is not shown. I take into consideration what it is that they have, and if I could find it locally. I take into consideration what I have to offer them, and the approximate weight/cost, given their location. I take into consideration what that plant would cost, if I could even find it locally, or what it would cost if purchased on line, and had shipping charges added to the cost. IMHO...all plants are not created equal in value to me, so that is a consideration. In the spring I often trade native spring wildflowers...Trillium (rhizomes), Jack in the Pulpits(rhizomes/bulbs), May Apple roots, among other things. These plants are very inexpensive to ship, usually weighing one LB or less, ($4.95) and can often be mailed in a sturdy box and go as First Class if it is less that 13 OZ, and might be $3, more or less. Here are some links that may help you. If you plan to do much plant trading at all, or even seeds trading, you might want to invest in a Digital Postal Scale from Ebay. $20-$25 is a good price if it includes shipping. You might find that printing out the Postal Zone Chart is a good thing to have handy when packing, along with a Print Out of the Priority Mail Pricing to all zones. This is the Printer friendly version I hope. Here is a list of all the Priority Mailing boxes, and their dimensions. You can order them on line, and have them delivered to your house, or you may be able to pick up a couple of each size at your local Post Office. I salvage small cardboards boxes at the recycling center, for those trades that are especially lightweight ( 13 OZ and under) and that can go First Class, (which is just as fast I am told) but considerably less than a 1 LB Priority (4.95). Last year I did a trade with a member in FL. She was sending me a rooted cutting of a Lacecap hydrangea. I forget what I was sending, but knew it would not be costly to send, but would be a good value to her if she were to buy what I was sending. Well...her 'cutting' had been rooting for over a year, and the root system was massive, and was like a very well rooted 1 GA hydrangea...to the point that it was not even possible to get most of the soil off of the root system. She mailed it Flat Rate and paid about $9 at the time. I weighed it when I got the box, and had she chosen to pay by the pound, it would have cost just $6.40. There are a lot of ins and outs to be considered when trading. For $13.95, I could mail a 19 LB box if it was going to mail zones 1 or 2. I could mail an 11 LB box to zone 3. I could mail a 9 LB box to zone 4 I could mail a 5 LB box to zones 5 and/or zone 6...etc. I could mail a 4 LB box to zone 7 I could mail a 3 LB box to zone 8 Even just 5 LBs is really a lot of weighty plants. I was stuffing daylilies in a flat rate box, and it was hard to get enough packed for the flat rate to be cost effective as opposed to going with paying by the pound. I won't do flat rate box trades. I would maybe consider sending a box of the same dimensions as a flat rate, but would pay by the pound, if it was more cost effective. I know sometimes when folks offer stuff up for postage, they just use the flat rate to keep it simple. Since I have a scale, and printouts, I can offer things up by the LB and tell the member exactly how much it would be that way. Irises, particularly named ones are traded by the fan, and cut away from the mother rhizome, which will not grow anyway. Daylilies, particularly named ones, are usually traded by the fan, and some members cut the foliage back on them...others don't...if is doubt about packing it is best to ask the member, or even inquire as to how they plan to pack and ship, especially if they are a newbie to plant trading. Hostas, too I think are traded as eye divisions...as in X number of eyes, and the soil is cleaned from the roots and the roots only wrapped in moisture. Bulbs, the # is usually designated....daffodils, hyacinths, lily (bulbs), etc. Something like a bigger hosta that is leafed out well, might be best shipped in one of the 2 sizes of the tubular boxes...or better yet, as antique orchid pointed out, just trade it in early spring. 6" X 25" tube 6" X 38" tube I would never use Parcel Post, as there is very little difference in the cost of that and Priority as Karyn1 pointed out. I mailed some bulbs in a small box and forgot to mark it First Class boldly on the outside, though I had put enough postage on it to go FC. I was mailing from my home mailbox. Well, they went Parcel Post, and arrived in 2 weeks. Needless to say, that was way too long, and way too hot for even daffodils to survive well. So many folks say they prefer large trades, well there are those of us to 'like' small trades just as well or better. These are usually trading smaller starts of things that are just smaller by nature...Seedlings, cuttings, small rooted cuttings, iris rhizomes of particularly small by nature irises. Some of my best trades have been where I received in maybe 4 cool things that were shipped for 1 LB or less A lot of consideration goes into being a savvy trader, that both members will be pleased/with what they receive in relation to what they sent and what it cost them. Being in IN, I believe that everyone East of the Mississippi is mail zone 4 or less from me. Those within IN, and some folks in the immediately surrounding states are in mail zones 1 and 2...very cost effective for mailing. zones 3 and 4 are quite reasonable too. Sue...wordy as usual
...See More
Mailing Costs for Bubble Envelopes (BE)
Q
Comments (46)
1.) i had taped it all down to water-proof it, and she said that i cant tape over stamps and that the postage couldnt be used now... Well that is the one thing she said that was correct...sheesh. 2.) all bubble mailers, even with nothing in them, will go as Parcel Post, because they do not have an absolutley uniform thickness (the pressed edges and whatnot). Egads...another postal employee that doesn't know what she is talking about. I imagine she meant to say that they go as First Class Parcels, which is different than Parcel Post...but that is still wrong. Taken from this link...Physical Standards for Flats 1.4 Uniform Thickness Flat-size mailpieces must be uniformly thick so that any bumps, protrusions, or other irregularities do not cause more than 1/4-inch variance in thickness. When determining variance in thickness, exclude the outside edges of a mailpiece (1 inch from each edge) when the contents do not extend into those edges. Also, exclude the selvage of any polywrap covering (see 301.1.5) from this determination. Mailers must secure nonpaper contents to prevent shifting of more than 2 inches within the mailpiece if shifting would cause the piece to be nonuniform in thickness or would result in the contents bursting out of the mailpiece (see 601.2.3). I suggest you go to that link and print it out and take it with you the next time, so the clerks can be trained. I would ask to speak to the post master, or post mistress, so they can be informed that their clerks don't know what they are talking about and that they need to be properly trained and then supervised to see that they are doing their job correctly. So my 1.8 oz mailer had to go for $1.39 (1.22 + 17 cents for each additional oz) That's so sad...overcharged by 34 cents since it should have been $1.05...and so the stealing by the USPS continues. They have been stealing from unsuspecting customers since May 2007 when the USPS initially went to Shape Based Pricing. She said it can be a large envelope if its a flat paper thing only. Aka no padding. Padded mailers used to go for a first class stamp postage and then so much additional for a non-machineable charge. So long as padded mailers meet the criteria at the link below, they can and should go at the lesser rate of First Class Flats. That worker needs to get familiar with the Shape Based Pricing Template. I wonder if she even has one. Anyone who is interested in A Shape Based Pricing Template should be able to get one from the PO, for their person use. She was really friendly about it- Yes, but she still ripped you off. but i dont see anywhere where the USPS website makes a comment about pricing or rules about bubble mailers. Ok, but do you see anywhere that is says that padded mailers (aka Bubble envelopes) must go as Parcel rate? NO, that is a fallacy believed to be true by so many USPS workers across the country. Here ya go...Postal Bulletin 22218 Clearly states down under the First Class Mail Quick Tips: "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. I'd print that out for your PO too. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: 1.0 Physical Standards for Flats
...See More
My Broken Katie Moragne -Me vs. Post Office
Q
Comments (28)
Thanks you guys!!! The check was in the mail yesterday and I deposited it this morning! They didn't reimburse me for shipping costs, only the items but I'm surprised I got anything at all really! I do find it funny that they think it's reasonable to still pay for their service when it failed and leaves you paying shipping for broken items! haha! Andrew - that's another thing that gets me - either just sending it the "scenic route" or when you pay for 2 or 3 day shipping and it doesn't get there in that time. It's so strange they can charge for a service they don't have to fulfill. I am truly grateful I got the item costs back though!
...See More
Post Office mail from coast to coast took too long
Q
Comments (11)
I tried to subscribe to a newspaper from the northern part of the state but it wasn't going to work. Took an average (over a year's time frame) of 7-8 days. Fastest ever was 3 days and often took 15+ days. I asked the PO why and they said it had to be that the paper didn't get the papers to the post office in time. It took 23 days to get my W2 forms this year. I just got some other paperwork, mailed in late March. I can now do my income taxes. I had 4 rebate checks printed at the same time, same place, assumably mailed together arrived separately, only two weeks apart. Although I'm surprised I got it. Even my cousin, who is a former postal worker, er employee doesn't receive all his mail. He blames others in the area with similar names. But I keep asking him whose responsibility it is to deliver it correctly? I must laugh when I think that one of the post offices in town has their paychecks sent FedEx because their own paychecks get lost in the mail so often. I don't send anything that has to be there on time via the post office either. I pay everything possible via EFT and save the postage. At least the price increase will solve everything. Won't it?
...See More
moonphase
17 years ago
The flat rate boxes are $8and some odd cents and priority is only a dollor plus more,so if it is fragile,etc,I send priority just to get it there faster,Thanks for the tip on turning the box inside out,(would have never thought of that)even though for most I send,they are too small but for plants,and some things,they will work fine.
moonphase
diene
17 years ago
I am surprised to hear that there is such a large discrepancy between priority and parcel post for most people. I have found very little difference, never more than a dollar but that may be because of where I am from. There is an old Maine saying "you can't get there from here" because there are alot of place that applies to even in the state. But I think my broader answer would be the growth of this website. In the beginning, there was no priority mail or delivery confirmations or one rate boxes but it was the same people on the site day in and day out. Now I cannot even imagine how many people visit here each day. There did not used to be forums, I think the first one was for Winter Sowing wasn't it? Anyways, my feeling is that you send the box however you can afford without compromising the contents. This is all supposed to be fun!!! diene
columbusgardener
17 years ago
being a hostess in an ongoing swap here is my take on the PO -

I sent the box out - to go less than a 5 hour drive from my home. It took 10 days. I did send priority and used a delivery confirmation. When I went to the PO to find out where it was I was told that

A - I had to wait 14 business days to trace package
B - Priority doesn't mean it gets priority over any other mail- it can take up to 14 business days to get there and be considered on time.
C - you can not track your package only watch to see when they claim it gets there.
D - they make you pay an outrageous fee for a perceived service.

So sending it parcel post makes the most sense $$ wise and as long as it is sent with a DC ( I think this is a token of good faith ) you are getting the same service as you would with priority mail. So save the $$ -
remy_gw
17 years ago
Hi,
I've had a parcel post pkg. take almost a couple weeks to get to me. Thankfully it was iris and they survived. Had it been other plants, no way would they have lived. The box sent cost like $3.90 or so, and the priority box would of cost $4.05. I've never had a priority box take more than 3 days(maybe 4 during holiday time) to arrive and I've mailed quite a few pkgs.
A larger package that contains just swap stuff and no plants with a considerable price difference, I could see sending parcel post.
I do think one thing that helps pkgs. get delivered quicker is writing the zip clearly, large, and below the other info, not in the same line as the city and state.
And of course sometimes weird things happen to pkgs. no matter what you do like the bubble envelope that was all sticky and inside of a plastic bag that came to me. It had been mailed non-sticky,lol, over a month earlier!
Remy
mmqchdygg
17 years ago
Beth & everyone- be VERY careful if you decide to turn a priority box inside out...it's a favorite trick of many an eBayer, and many POs are starting to 'recognize' their own boxes, and will actually charge you the Priority Rate and make you send it Priority. Basically it's because of the courtesy service for those using Priority, and that many people have abused it.

So anyway, that aside, I agree with the OP on the principle, although my preference would be to send plants Priority just because. But I haven't traded a plant yet, I don't think.
I don't make Priority a mandatory thing in my RRs, but sometimes it just works out that it's less expensive. I do, however, make the DC mandatory, and appreciate that most seem to be on the same page with this recently.
klickitat
17 years ago
Have to say that the one irritation I have with the P.O. is when I go in to mail a box, they ask, "Would you like tracking with this package?" Well, it's NOT a TRACKING # they sell... just delivery confirmation. That doesn't sell it for me. And, for heavy or large boxes, I prefer to ship UPS. They have true tracking with free insurance under $100. As long as my swap partner is ok with UPS, that is. The only unfortunate part is UPS costs a little more and charges extra for rural delivery.

Guess I'm a little irritated with the P.O. right now because they lost a payment I sent out recently and now have to go through the process of cancelling and hoping it didn't get into the wrong hands.

There's just no winning no matter what you choose.
dizzydaffodil
17 years ago
I have a digital scale I bought for $15 and generally use the click & ship to print my labels from home, pay for it online, then request free carrier pick up. (They don't offer parcel post as an option on the website, but with my scale I can calculate the difference.)
When you purchase the priority mail from the usps website, it includes free delivery confirmation - they also now have a "scan form" which you can print & place with the package for the carrier to scan, then leave for you. This ensures the package is accounted for & tracked. I know we've all had the problem of the package not getting actually scanned into their system till the day it is delivered! Not with the new scan form! With the carrier pickup, the package is picked up right at my FRONT DOOR!!!

I've generally found priority is within $1 of parcel post cost, plus, doing this from their website, I get del conf free. As an added bonus, I don't have to go wait in those horrible lines at the PO or deal with people.

Like Remy, I've only had one or two packages take up to 5 days with Priority over a holiday, and that's simply because we are in the boonies. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I do a great deal of shipping this way - selling & buying stuff on ebay or swapping packages and plants.

And seeing as they will deliver the mailing supplies to my door for free - why do I want to get dressed, drive to the PO, wait in line and deal with a clerk who may grow fangs, just to "save" a dollar or less? I deal with people all day at work & don't want to do it on my time, so unless it's going to save me more than $2 (with the del conf), no thanks to the PO, and to parcel post.

On the other hand, I will and do use Media mail - big difference there!! Takes longer, but much cheaper for books. Just have to keep enough stamps on hand to pay for it - love it that the grocery store & ATMs now have stamps for sale!!!
klickitat
17 years ago
Ok. Today I went to the P.O. and shipped a box Priority since it only cost an extra 90 cents to ship over Parcel Post. Then I went to UPS and shipped someone else's box and it cost $2 less. They were the same size, around the same weight, but I didn't check with the first girl if UPS was ok with her. She also lives a few states further away which would probably have resulted in higher costs.
susandonb
17 years ago
I was told by the mail store I have been using that I can't get a confirmation # on priority shipping? That didnt sound right. I think I am going to start using the PO again, its just that this mail store is right next to my work place so it is very convenient.
Susan in NC
Violet_Z6
17 years ago
susandonb,

That's ridiculous.

Go to these pages, print them out and bring it to them:
http://www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm
http://www.usps.com/send/waystosendmail/extraservices/deliveryconfirmationservice.htm

Then if they still don't believe you stand there and tell them to call 1-800-ASK-USPS and have them verify.

Then tell the manager they need better training.

;)

Priority Mail vs. Parcel Post Discussion

Comments (12)

earthlydelights

beth_b_kodiak

Related Discussions

moonphase

diene

columbusgardener

remy_gw

mmqchdygg

klickitat

dizzydaffodil

klickitat

susandonb

Violet_Z6

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US