Wanted to try the "flat rate" box at the local Post Office. Saw the display and the $4.95 size looked good. Picked it out of the rack, went home to pack it , did the address etc. Go back to the counter after WAITING long enough. Postal person says "$7.10" :confused: I said this was the 'flat rate box'. "No" she says, "It's the (I forget) box."

Now get this: These two boxes are the same size and look 95% identical... except one modestly says "Flat Rate". The counter person said I would have to repack to get the $4.95 rate!!

This is deception by design. GD clerk put the incorrect box in the kiosk, so it probably wasn't even obvious to him (or her, right?). With the Post Office already broke, I'm sure they sat down and calculated what percent of people would just go ahead and pay the extra charge to get it done with. Not me. I repacked.

If you plan on using the USPS BS method, carefully read the box that it's correct and, as ol' David Horowitz used to say: "Fight back and don't let anybody rip you off!"

I hate the Post Office. They have this "so what?" monopoly mentality about them. I think there needs to be better competition. If I go to FedEx, and pay for 2 day shipping, it gets there in 2 days or I get my money back. I paid for 2 day shipping on a LETTER, and it took almost two weeks....and I only shipped it to northern California from southern California! I was pissed! Pretty much I paid for the 2 day but there was no guarantee it would be delivered in two days. What kind of **** is that?

They're not bad around here. I took an item in a regular box one evening, and the nice clerk told me it'd be cheaper in the flat rate box. I got the box, she went and got newspaper to pack the smaller box into the bigger flat rate box. I got it all in there, and closed the box, then realized I didn't make the new label yet, and the other one was sealed up in the new box. She laughed, and we opened it back up, sorted everything out. All this time, there's a growing line behind me. Finally, I was THAT GUY, instead of usually waiting for THAT GUY. :D

I just shipped parts out to a member here and the post office overcharged. It was only a few dollars so I didn't walk away but I was a little ticked. I brought in the online printout showing $22 after all fees and everything and the guy just looked at me and basically said "That's great. It'll be $28"

I like giving buyers an EXACT quote on shipping but whenever dealing with USPS I will usually round up a few bucks and still end up paying a little out of pocket:sad:

Well I get it the other way. The guy that works the counter at our small post office goes out of his way to make sure we send it the best rate. I think their willingness to help decreases as the size of the office increases.

there was something in the news a while back, where they were supposed to offer the more expensive stuff first-i do know if you buy the 2 day or whatever and it doesnt get there, they will refund, they just dont make it known

Well I get it the other way. The guy that works the counter at our small post office goes out of his way to make sure we send it the best rate. I think their willingness to help decreases as the size of the office increases.
Same here:thumbsup:

I use USPS many times a week But I print my own labels,If price is too high I just send parcel post.I also schedule a pickup and they come to my house and pick them up!Very convienient no waiting in line,no taking up my time and hassle to deliver.Very Easy!

I send out a few hundred packages a year at our local Post Office. People are great, friendly and knowledgable. Rates better than UPS!

I have had good luck getting stuff shipped from the U.S. into Canada with USPS. I just bought some control arms from a member in Long Beach CA and they arrived here in less than 10 working days and that included 2 or 3 days that they get hung up in customs. The price was around 30 bucks iirc, and the weight was about 35 pounds. Had they been shipped with UPS or Fedex, it would have taken at least a week and it would have cost better than 100 dollars to ship. There is no duty on car parts but Fedex and UPS have their own brokerage so they still charge you a brokerage fee. I got 80 dollars in interior parts ( radio knobs etc. )sent UPS from Ground Up a few years back and the brokerage fees were also around 80 bucks. And they came in a padded shipping envelope!! For me, USPS gets 2 thumbs up and if a vendor will not ship with them, then I am not buying.

... If I go to FedEx, and pay for 2 day shipping, it gets there in 2 days or I get my money back. I paid for 2 day shipping on a LETTER, and it took almost two weeks....and I only shipped it to northern California from southern California! I was pissed! Pretty much I paid for the 2 day but there was no guarantee it would be delivered in two days. What kind of **** is that?

Sounds like an isolated incident... They ALL have problems once in a while... 2 weeks from so Cal to Nor Cal is excessive, but not common... I send hundreds of letters and packages from Nor Cal to So Cal (and receive many too), and rarely, if ever, is it more than 2 days for regular first class mail or Priority for the packages...

I have had far more problems with UPS and FedEx not getting there on time... USPS is usually my first choice...

I have always had good luck with USPS. If you do a bunch, you can order the boxes (actually any priority stuff including labels) and they will send them to you for free.

You can't depend on the person behind the counter to be a good Joe, so wanted to give you the heads-up on the boxes if you are going to use USPS this Christmas, etc.

My last 2 experiences with the post office have been bad. I posted about my last one just over a month ago.

The local post office is out of the flat rate boxes, so I tried to order one on online. You can only order in packs of 10.:eek: So I order them anyway. It has been 2 weeks and still no boxes.:noway:

You guys have is sooo good with the USPS.

Canada Post, there is a rip off. Everything is 2-3 times the price of the equivilent US service.

The local post office is out of the flat rate boxes, so I tried to order one on online. You can only order in packs of 10.:eek: So I order them anyway. It has been 2 weeks and still no boxes.:noway:

Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'??

Yup - Time to hoard the Flat Rate boxes. I already mentioned they wouldn't accommodate me for the wrong box. I can see it coming now: Post Office runs out of boxes due to decimal point error :clonk:. Come on guys....... you know it will be on the national news in December. It's all in their plan of not having a plan..........

Well I get it the other way. The guy that works the counter at our small post office goes out of his way to make sure we send it the best rate. I think their willingness to help decreases as the size of the office increases.

Very true.

I'm going to have to check into that 'flat rate' thing, we picked up a priority mail box or two to take home & I did notice the extra printing 'Flat Rate' which I have not really seen before printed on a Priority Mail box. I'm going to get a brown box to have on hand in case it is really too much to ship.
One thing I wish I could get the postal clerk to stop is the 'SPEECH' they are programmed to give about adding extra services. I just want the cheapest fare, if there is something special I need done with the package, I'LL ASK! If they are too busy talking about extra services, they possibly could be distracted & not charge me correctly or get my change wrong.

I filled a falt rate box with new brake pad sets and shipped them to BFE somewhere in the south for $7.80 (rate is up now). Hell of a deal.

I filled a falt rate box with new brake pad sets and shipped them to BFE somewhere in the south for $7.80 (rate is up now). Hell of a deal.

This is what I'm talking about. I think you got nabbed for Parcel Post. Flat Rate means one rate - regardless. I shipped a bunch of brass fittings. First they said $7.10. With the other box it was $4.95.

Steve there is more than one size of flat rate boxes. Each size has a set rate for that size. The way I read Bryan's post, he used the bigger box that had a set rate of 7.80. IIRC you can put up to 70lbs in that box and it is still that same rate (I believe it is now $10.35)

The sizes and their corresponding rates are listed on their website. They also list the priority mail price by pound for corresponding zones if you don't have a flat rate box/envelope. http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

I paid for 2 day shipping on a LETTER, and it took almost two weeks....and I only shipped it to northern California from southern California!

LOL,was that the check for my wheels Tim...?

With stuff like this going on, its no wonder why the post office is having money problems.:sad:

Steve there is more than one size of flat rate boxes. Each size has a set rate for that size. The way I read Bryan's post, he used the bigger box that had a set rate of 7.80. IIRC you can put up to 70lbs in that box and it is still that same rate (I believe it is now $10.35)

The sizes and their corresponding rates are listed on their website. They also list the priority mail price by pound for corresponding zones if you don't have a flat rate box/envelope. http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

Yeah, they didn't have the little ones back then. I like those now, since all I need is usually a smaller box. It is nice having a 70# limit too for the heavy stuff.

Yeah, i like the flat rate boxes, shipped some pretty heavy parts in some of those lately and really like the pricing! I even "extended" one a bit by cutting the seam on one side only needed about another inch, and added a bit of cardboard. Taped it all up and sent it out flatrate no questions asked!

-Daniel

It's not a bait & switch, it's just mildly deceptive... I'll agree the boxes look VERRRY similar, and you have to be careful about choosing the "right" box.

I just used "flat rate box" 2 days ago to ship a E-brake arm to TX. Smallest box and 30 seconds at the Self Serve kiosk and I was outta there! ($4.95 lighter)

I was over in the states at chevellabration and was posting back a very large box to ireland ( new door cards and a complete seat upholstery set) bill and myself went down to the local fed ex or dhl, the quote we got was over $600.
so we went to a local usps post office. the man there could not have been more helpful, he weighed the box. it was ok weight wise but not size wise, ( i already had 2 suitcases full of parts to come home to ireland so i didnt chance that on the plane home ),the clerk in the post office told us if we could reduce the size of the box we could post it to ireland, we managed to reduce the box and posted it to ireland for $146. a saving of over $450.it took a week to get to ireland. amazing :hurray::hurray: