17c non-macniable surcharge

TL wrote :

Pierre,
Tom here,

Cheers Tom,

Oops !!!
I am so sorry for that mix-up :-(((
Tom and Tracy : please accept my apologies !

"Large Envelopes that are rigid, non rectangular, or not uniformly
thick pay package rates." Over 3/4 of an inch thick is a package. The
bubble wrap, cushioned envelopes probably walk a thin line between
envelope and package depending on the criteria of the item. I bet
that a cd can be sent relatively inexpensively in a small box made for
them or in a 6x9 cushioned envelope probably at a low package rate =
$1.50.
http://postcalc.usps.gov/
I find the site slow and sometimes dead but it has a lot of info.
Regards,
Tom

Many thanks Tom for these explanations !

In one of the posts of this thread, I remember having read something on
those cushioned envelopes (under a different appellation ?).
But I cannot find that again :-(
I think I need some rest and am going to have a short nap :-)
(Got awake at 2 am ; 9 am here in Paris now)

Cheers
--
All the best,
Pierre

On Jan 11, 10:04 am, Sir F. A. Rien wrote:
TL found these unused words:



On Jan 10, 8:09 pm, "Pierre Courtiade" wrote:
TL wrote :

John, All of the stamps I ship are inside clear pockets, inside
glassines, taped to the same cardboard that the postal service
packages stamps with. Over this I put a flap of card that is
equivalent to cereal box card. This goes into a security envelope of
size 6-3/4, 10, 6x9 or larger depending on the items.
................

Cheers Tracy,

Interesting ...

Could somebody tell me if in the US, the cushioned envelopes (with
bubbles inside) - is it the right name for this ? - are allowed without
this "non-machinable surcharge" ?

Here in France we have many strange regulations applying to the mail to
be qualified as a "Letter".

The "Letter" (Lettre now called Lettre Prioritaire) rate (which is
relatively cheap[*] compared to the "Parcel" rate) is only allowed
to send some sheets of paper.

[*] As an example a CD in a cushioned envelope weights about 30 g
Letter rate inside France for 20 to 50 g : 0.54 Euro
Parcel rate inside France for up to 500 g : 5.10 Euro
about ten times more !
And the quickness is the same : delivery on the day after in 95 % of the
cases

Books are not allowed (even if the weight of a "Letter" can be up to 3
kg)

Neither CD's under the pretext that it can damage their machines.

Nevertheless, I alway send my CD's or DVD's to my friends inside a
cushioned envelope (they are allowed here for the "Letter" rate) and I
drop it in a mail box.
Never had a damaged CD or an additional fee to pay or a return.
I touch wood :-)

--
All the best,
Pierre Courtiade

to answer me, please replace NOSPAM by my family name

Pierre,
Tom here,
"Large Envelopes that are rigid, nonrectangular, or not uniformly
thick pay package rates." Over 3/4 of an inch thick is a package. The
bubble wrap, cushioned envelopes probably walk a thin line between
envelope and package depending on the criteria of the item. I bet
that a cd can be sent relatively inexpensively in a small box made for
them or in a 6x9 cushioned envelope probably at a low package rate =
$1.50.
http://postcalc.usps.gov/
I find the site slow and sometimes dead but it has a lot of info.
Regards,
Tom

Well at the POs now, there's cardboard 'folder'. If the letter won't slip
through a 1/4" slot in this 'tester', then there's a surcharge. If the
longest dimension won't go through another slot, then there's a surcharge.
If the smallest dimension is below a line, then there's a surcharge.
The old style "Floppy' (5.25") mailers get a surcharge.

I've just gotten two CD-ROMs in such paks, One at $1.69 (CD in a paper
sleeve) and one at $2.16 (CD in a thin case). Both, of course, had the
'surcharge' of $1.09 plus tax, for the 'approved' mailer. I send mine out as
"Media Mail" as those 'rules' don't apply ... yet!

I mentioned the 1/4" slot in my first post. Over a 1/4" makes a letter
a large envelope, not so much a surcharge as a different category.
The categories all have minimums and maximums. Going over the maximum
bumps it up to a different category, going under the minimum possibly
gets a non-machinable surcharge. The key is to package it in the
sizes and ratios that the post office likes. They don't like small
and square. A hard case CD in a cushioned envelope (slightly larger
than 6x9), a total of 5 ounces goes for $1.81 (package rate). If it is
7 ounces it is $2.15. Media rate costs the same and goes by sheep
wagon. Letters and envelopes are thin and flexible, packages are thick
and rigid. One thing that I have noticed is that I often figure the
postage according to the website criteria so I can put commemorative
stamps on it. When I get to the post office I find out that I've done
something wrong. When I know I'm right I've corrected the clerk and
in some cases they have agreed with me. Most of the time there is a
line and doing anything like questioning the cost gets the hairy
eyeball from people in the line. Seems costs can vary according to
who is interpreting the rules.

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:43:52 -0800 (PST), TL
wrote:

On Jan 10, 5:32 am, John Mycroft wrote:
My local USPS office is making a fortune out of me with this new 17c surcharge on
non-machinable mail which they seem to slap on anything with a bit of card in the
envelope. My question is how do they count the value of the stamps I stick on the
envelope and what kind of machine do they use to determine that the envelope is not
machinable?

Cheers - John Mycroft

John, All of the stamps I ship are inside clear pockets, inside
glassines, taped to the same cardboard that the postal service
packages stamps with. Over this I put a flap of card that is
equivalent to cereal box card. This goes into a security envelope of
size 6-3/4, 10, 6x9 or larger depending on the items. I add no
printed matter or extra paper as in a receipt. Although I have done
this hundreds of times there are still clerks who give it a little
bend and there is only one or two clerks who add 17 cents which I
don't kick about. The others say that the rule is a funny one because
if the item fits through a slot of about a quarter inch and it has
give like the thin cardboard does and no lumps then it is okay for
machining. The sizes up to and including the 6x9 go for the rate
according to weight not size or rigidity. The clerks feel that it is
not a clearly defined rule and most of them consider rigid to have no
give what-so-ever and/or thicker that a quarter of an inch. So if you
get a clerk on your side, you know, bring out that charm that so many
stamp collectors have, you will have them hand-canceling and maybe
bypassing the machines. But this I'm not sure about..the machines.
The tape I use is easy-remove artists' acid-free white tape acquired
at any large art supply store for a few bucks and it will last years
and years.

Wow. You guys are having some bad fortune there. I have been sending
out #10 envelopes and have not been hit for an extra fee on 100s and
100s of mailings. I use glassines, stuck inside hanging folder
cardboard and then I wrap that with yellow legal paper.

The only time I'm "hit up" is when the envelope is a bit over the
weight range -or- when the envelope contents get bunched up and it
causes the depth of the envelope to be more than 1/4 inch, as
mentioned.

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:09:34 +0100, "Pierre Courtiade"
wrote:

TL wrote :

John, All of the stamps I ship are inside clear pockets, inside
glassines, taped to the same cardboard that the postal service
packages stamps with. Over this I put a flap of card that is
equivalent to cereal box card. This goes into a security envelope of
size 6-3/4, 10, 6x9 or larger depending on the items.
................


Cheers Tracy,

That was Tom, Pierre. :^)

Interesting ...

Interesting, anyway...

Could somebody tell me if in the US, the cushioned envelopes (with
bubbles inside) - is it the right name for this ? - are allowed without
this "non-machinable surcharge" ?

Here in France we have many strange regulations applying to the mail to
be qualified as a "Letter".

The "Letter" (Lettre now called Lettre Prioritaire) rate (which is
relatively cheap[*] compared to the "Parcel" rate) is only allowed
to send some sheets of paper.

[*] As an example a CD in a cushioned envelope weights about 30 g
Letter rate inside France for 20 to 50 g : 0.54 Euro
Parcel rate inside France for up to 500 g : 5.10 Euro
about ten times more !
And the quickness is the same : delivery on the day after in 95 % of the
cases

Books are not allowed (even if the weight of a "Letter" can be up to 3
kg)

Neither CD's under the pretext that it can damage their machines.

Nevertheless, I alway send my CD's or DVD's to my friends inside a
cushioned envelope (they are allowed here for the "Letter" rate) and I
drop it in a mail box.
Never had a damaged CD or an additional fee to pay or a return.
I touch wood :-)

On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:02:02 +0100, "Pierre Courtiade"
wrote:

TL wrote :

Pierre,
Tom here,

Cheers Tom,

Oops !!!
I am so sorry for that mix-up :-(((
Tom and Tracy : please accept my apologies !

No prob! Tom is a good guy.