USPS issues

[~*=Phoenix=*~]

Okay, I'm just trying to get an idea of how many other people have this problem..

It seems like ANY time I send a bunch of boxes. No matter what, I have one or two that are sent BACK to me for some unknown reason. It's really making me :banghead:. There's no marks on them to indicate WHY. I can even so much as put new postage on it, and it goes through fine.

I don't have sloppy writing, I address them correctly, and put enough postage on them. This is the THIRD time that this has happend to me and honestly makes me not want to ship stuff at all.

 

[alli713]

I ship boxes and small envelopes out about 4 times a week and I've never had a package returned to me for an unknown reason. Only time I've ever had one returned was due to the person giving me the wrong address.

However, I use paypal shipping now so there's no issues with handwriting. But even when I hand wrote them I never had one returned.

Normally they do stamp something on it to let you know why it was returned. Are you sure everything on the address is legible?

 

[fanofdmb84]

I also send TONS of Priority mail flat rate boxes and envelopes, and have never had a problem. I do know they are picky about how things are taped and packaged. They will not accept them if you put tape over the postage (mainly on stamps or on any barcode that's on a printed label). I'm always very careful to tape my labels on just around the edges and one piece across the middle, leaving both of the barcodes bare. The label also can't hang over the edge of the package at all.

 

[PetProductsByNature]

It sounds like someone (NOT you) is making a mistake. I'd be talking to the post master if it were me. There doesn't sound like there's a reason for you to have to pay double postage.

 

[alli713]

I actually put tape over all of my barcodes, just because when it's raining or snowing out, they can get messed up. I have never had one rejected nor returned. And I talk to my mail delivery woman and she's never said anything negative about that. I've had the edges of the label fold over onto a small box and it also wasn't an issue. I think so long as the major parts are on one side it's okay. But it also probably depends on the worker dealing with the package.

However, they are picky about the flat rate boxes. I know some people jam those full so that they don't shut properly and those may get rejected.

 

[Ash]

However, they are picky about the flat rate boxes. I know some people jam those full so that they don't shut properly and those may get rejected.

Peggy used to send me boxes stuffed full of food that had to be taped in order to stay shut and they always went through fine.

 

[Spoof]

I actually put tape over all of my barcodes, just because when it's raining or snowing out, they can get messed up. I have never had one rejected nor returned.

Same here, I dang near laminate anything going out. Sometimes I ship carriers in that packaging wrap only with a sheet of paper underneath stating To/destination.

I agree, next time you get one back take it back into the post office and ask why.

 

[alli713]

Peggy used to send me boxes stuffed full of food that had to be taped in order to stay shut and they always went through fine.

Yeah, that's why I said they may get rejected. Not all will. It depends on the worker that day. I tried my luck once and the worker sent me back to repack. So it really depends.

 

[~*=Phoenix=*~]

Guess the first thing i'll try is printing out addresses. blargh.

 

[Lmbswimmer]

I would try printing out addresses first. The zip code is the most important part of the address. So if you have legible writing, but it is slightly fancy the computer may not read 4's right, might read it as a 9 - this could really impact destination. Fancy 1's can look like 2's etc...

If it gets returned that postage is still good, don't waste putting more on, talk to the person behind the counter. Maybe they can fill you in on what's going on with your packages, are they even leaving your local USPS? Are they getting turned around at the first sorting facility? Find out from them if they know. My husband is a clerk for the USPS. Pretty much a painted address on a coconut can be mailed.

The package needs to be solid - IE that sticky tape on the ends needs to be trimed, can sometimes cause a fire in the plant when they jam a piece of equipment up. Address needs to be legible. Nothing on the outside should be able to be torn. Also, only put the address and return address on one side of the box. Don't put it on all sides.

 

[~*=Phoenix=*~]

Barbi is guiding me on PayPals features I'll probably get the Merchant account. She says I can pay for the shipping through paypal and print off labels. Sounds so much easier!

 

[Essentia]

It really is. I have no idea what type of account I have but for the most part I use paypal to ship as well. On my little packages I don't (like my chinnie salad) because the label really doesn't fit well on it but everything else I do.

I also ship out many packages at a time and luckily none of them have gotten sent back, even when I hand write the address.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I don't know if you are shipping from your house or not but the rule is (and I know they do not always follow it) that if you are shipping something over 16 oz. you have to HAND it to an employee (or your carrier if you are shipping from your house) so they can ask you those silly questions that no one would answer truthfully if they were up to something anyway (is there anything dangerous etc inside...)...I know I used the machine at the PO to weigh and ship a package and sent it through the big metal box only to receive it back because I was supposed to hand it to the counter because it was over a pound...you would think the machine would flash a big message telling me that since it knows exactly what I was doing but...technology isn't all it is cracked up to be sometimes. Just a thought. I got the package back with not a word, went in to the counter and they told me that was what happened.

 

[PetProductsByNature]

When using PayPal to ship packages, it says, "If you are mailing an item that contains anything fragile without proper packaging, or that is liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous, it must be presented to a Postal ServiceTM employee for acceptance."
We have gone to the same same small post office for 5 1/2 years now with packages that have a PayPal postage label on them. At 1st they would weigh one randomly to make sure our scales were properly calabrated, now we go through the back door and put our packages in the cart with outgoing packages. Out of thousands of packages, I don't recall that we have ever had one returned to us.
BTW...we do not tape over the barcode. We use the wide packing tape and tape the label on the top, the bottom and through the middle.

 

[Riven]

I just had one come back... looked like it had been through a hurricane. Address was correct and all. I guess at least it came back instead of disappearing!

 

[PetProductsByNature]

Guess I should thank my lucky stars...then knock on wood