Power Sellers Unite

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17240 Location: Texas

Amazon apparently made a change on Friday to their shipping label program, adding a field that asks customers to declare if the package is an envelope or box. Sellers were unable to get Delivery Confirmation on certain packages as a result of the change.

Stamps.com Director of Online Marketing Eric Nash said with the new change, if the customer marks the mailpiece as an envelope, or if they mark the mailpiece as a box but put in dimensions that don't qualify as a package, then Delivery Confirmation is not available, since the USPS does not allow DC on an envelope.

more.. link to news article

Sidreb · Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 126

Yes, there is a post office regulation that the pkg has to be so thick (3/4"??) in order to have delivery confirmation.

That is so you can't send letters that way and try to get around certified mail.

Juliartz · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 570

This USPS rule actually has been in place for quite a while now. I know this because I also use stamps.com and the USPS click/ship programs.
I just guess that the "envelope" shippers just got away with it for a while. Count your blessings. Use the correct shipping method/package description and everything runs smooth.

Sidreb · Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 126

They seem to allow delivery confirmation on post office flat rate envelopes. Is this oversight or an exemption?

pie4himm · Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 407

a couple small snippets of large style 1/2" bubble wrap alleviates this problem..package is then at least 3/4" thick.. USPS postal clerk taught me this in order to qualify for DC

elpereles · Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 1478 Location: Puerto Rico

Yes, you can use envelopes to send items, but it must 3/4 thick, not flat, and rigid. About envelopes I mean padded or bubble because if you send an item in a paper envelope you have 99.9999999999% that the item get damage.

Quote: › docWrite("quote")Nash said Stamps.com had suggested to Amazon that it change the field messaging from "box" to "Package/Large Envelope," since Large Envelopes are essentially treated like a package and do qualify for Delivery confirmation.

Amazon it is testing and try something different to avoid being called "copy-paste", but are idiots. It is already a standard if use any print postage or label system. Even Stamps.com is telling them. :roll:

Juliartz · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 570

Sidreb wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")They seem to allow delivery confirmation on post office flat rate envelopes. Is this oversight or an exemption?
Not an exemption nor oversight. This envelope you speak of, including their PADDED flat rate envelope comes under PRIORITY mail pieces and are therefore not "considered" first class and subject to the 3/4 inch/ridgid policy. When its 3/4" and not rigid, you can ship this first class, but it would come under the PACKAGE rates.

elpereles · Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 1478 Location: Puerto Rico

Juliartz, that is correct the Priority Envelope is under the rigid and 3/4 thick policy. And also it looks that finally USPS quited and throw away the "not deform" regulation for the USPS Priority Envelope.

Quote: › docWrite("quote")
1.5 Flat Rate Envelopes and Boxes

Any amount of material (up to 70 pounds) may be mailed in a USPS-produced Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope or Flat Rate Box. When sealing a Flat Rate Envelope or Flat Rate Box, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/123.htm#1039158

Juliartz · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 570

elpereles wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")Juliartz, that is correct the Priority Envelope is under the rigid and 3/4 thick policy. And also it looks that finally USPS quited and throw away the "not deform" regulation for the USPS Priority Envelope.

Quote: › docWrite("quote")
1.5 Flat Rate Envelopes and Boxes

Any amount of material (up to 70 pounds) may be mailed in a USPS-produced Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope or Flat Rate Box. When sealing a Flat Rate Envelope or Flat Rate Box, the container flaps must be able to close within the normal folds. Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container, provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way.

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/123.htm#1039158
I'm pretty familiar with the different USPS shipping rules and free boxes as for a very long time I used them almost exclusively for shipping my personal sales, as it was the most cost effecient method for my buyers. They get their items faster then any other method, and since the post office offers many different boxes for free, thats another area where I keep costs down for both myself and the customer.

I work in a warehouse where we most of our customers use UPS. However, last year, our biggest customer wanted to keep his west coast customers happy. It can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days for them to receive their purchase when shipped via UPS/Fedex (depending on day shipped). Customers were getting a little upset that it was taking so long for them to get their goods. I had suggesed that all retail westcoast customers get shipped via USPS. Now, the complaint rate has dropped to almost nothing. Of course, doing it this way only created A LOT more work for me, as the warehouse is not equiped to utilize the click/ship screen, but I don't care... Its more work in one aspect, but less work for me when I have to research an order for a tracking number for them. I pretty much have a good system down pat...

When they first came out with the new REGIONAL A and B boxes (in january 2011), I went onto live chat to ask about them. They are a life saver for any of our packages of 3 plus pounds going from east to west. They are also only for business customers. It has resulted in big shipping cost savings for my customer. REGA (regional A box as I've dubbed it) we now use in place of the cube box. The cube box, while it was a good size for a lot of his products, anything 3+ lbs was costing alot. With the new boxes, there is a max weight per box (15 lbs/20 lbs), but nothing has cost more the 9 bucks and change when its 3+ lbs to ship. It litterally has saved him 2 to 5 dollars PER package in savings.

While I know many will argue about the insurance part, I have had more packages destroyed/lost via UPS/Fedex then I have had in USPS. Putting in claims is a hassle no matter which service you use, and some services have better claim procedures then others. However, all in all, I still prefer to ship my items via USPS.

eBayEXPAT · Joined: 25 Apr 2011 Posts: 96

I just noticed that a "fee" is now being added to shipping cost when using Amazon shipping .... ridiculous ... as Amazons shipping "stipend" usually comes up short.....

portocall · Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Posts: 157

Yes, this is just the latest reason not to sell at Amazon.

I've had three postage labels that were incorrect this past week. I was charged for delivery confirmation, but it didn't come up and the labels printed without a bar-code. This was NOT the way the label appeared before the printout of the label. And, Amazon has no easy way to get a refund either. I've had to go to Paypal to get a good shipping label, and once to the post office. I haven't been refunded for the labels and would bet any amount that I won't be. They'll say I hit the wrong button - envelope instead of box (or whatever stupid hoop sellers have to jump through now at Amazon)

This is all in preparation for Amazon's new threat to it's sellers to monitor shipping and delivery times. These WILL be factored into a sellers ratings. Sound familiar?
Begins with e and ends with bay

Of course ebay's establishment of a shipping company within their corporation is in advance of ebay manipulating shipping costs too. Like Amazon, I bet they'll soon start charging buyers a set amount in each category, with sellers only allowed to charge the set amount. Then, like Amazon, they'll probably be skimming off about 30% of the shipping charge that the buyers pays (and then "allocating" the seller a set amount for shipping)

Yes there has been a shipping charge at Amazon for sometime now, and yes it's on top of the cut that they skim off the shipping charge that buyers pay. It's 7 cents per label. In my case, Amazon takes $1.35 of the $3.99 that it charges buyers (books) and then charges me 7 cents for a label (stamps.com) At least ebay/Paypal doesn't charge for labels (yet)

I said sometime ago that I bet shipping was the next thing that ebay was going to grab onto. No way ebay is going to let Amazon squeeze their sellers dry and not try to get in on the action over at ebay.

just me humable oponion

things4u · Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 1331

from my past experience with shipping it has become a joke and the post office keeps rasing their prices and making the shipper boxes and envelopes smaller and weights less and thickness restrictions and in turn discontinuing certain mailing options
for on line purchase if you ship larger items you better off going to the USPS site and using their online service and arrange a pick up at the same time.
if you ship light items under 13 oz. and want to use first class or parcel post and have delivery conformation you just have to take them to the PO. now or over charge you buyer for shipping and that will affect your sales/profit.
if these new role outs from the USPS and the venues that you sell on haven't affected your sales just hide and watch it will.
Your cost of selling has gone up and your profit is nose diving and soon you will just be trading dollars for no profit and then paying taxes to do so, take time to think and look at what is happening in your business and your sales and what the profit is now and if it is still worth continuing to sell on line.
to have your own web site is good if you can do all that is nessary to keep you in the seo's and keeping up with all those requirements so that you are visible in the on line searches for what you sell