Problems at the post office !

@rlm's cents If you read my earlier posts. You'd see that I do ship via eBay and PayPal and that was my recommendation. I'm not making extra work for my self. If you perhaps read all the prior post's you'd understand that.

 

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The Postal Service has machines that sort every mail type, letters, flats and parcels. Not every mail piece is machineable so that piece will kick off. For example, if a key is mailed in a regular envelope (not uncommon) it will not go through the machine. Unfortunately, the letter with the key will be destroyed and the next 100 plus letters will be damaged. A letter machine kicks out rejects for addresses, not what's inside the envelope. It all about how you package it. A key belongs in a bubble or padded mailer. Yes, it's more costly to mail but it goes through the correct machine.

 

Correct. Just don't mail it Media Mail as coins do not meet the criteria. Any Postal employee can open a media mail package if they suspect it does not contain media mail. This is found in the Domestic Mail Manual.

 

Sorry. I got you mixed up with the OP somehow. But my advice goes for the OP.

 

There have been times when my package was never scanned into the USPS system upon my delivery and that gives an unscrupulous recipient the chance to claim it was never delivered, if their mail delivery person neglects to scan that it was delivered.
I always use the eBay Buy a Mailing Label or PayPals shipping label services, then just wait in line and have my packages scanned INTO the USPS system. Once in their system, it's their problem.
The Delivery Confirmation bar codes are only $0.18 instead of the window clerk's rate.I avoid the Postal Insurance from either service, since the Inc. bar code gets printed instead of the DC#s bar code.
Buying the Insd. at the window adds the appropriate Official Label, Black or Blue, as a 2nd bar code readable label, which only matters if the item is lost, stole, or damaged, which can't be proven or watched online unless the DC bar code is scanned INTO the system.
BTW, don't get the ebay version of insurance, as it does not cover Any Coin.

 

If you want your package or envelope to be non-machinable all you need to do is
read this list:



As far as envelopes, padded or not, item "g" is the easiest if you're using ebay, paypal, usps, Pitney Bowes, etc pre-printed labels. Just affix them vertically on the envelope.

 

Sending any coin/s in anything but/less then a bubble mailer is dangerous.
Adding more bubble wrap around the item will thicken the parcel to more than the USPS minimum of 3/4 inch thick, which are Hand Sorted. Anything sent thinner than the 3/4 will fit through their letter sorting machinery, which could tare open you shipping material and send it to their lost and never traced hell hole.

 

Collecting Nut gave you a good start in what to do with this problem

 

Anything you write on a package other than the address has absolutely NO affect on how the package is handled. Packages aren't machine sorted anyway.

 

Maybe not machine sorted at your local PO.
Definitely at the USPS hubs, if they fit the machines minimum specs.

 

Not if you follow the Nonmachinable Criteria I posted above, e.g., if you send a flat, unpadded 6x9 envelope with the address printed parallel to the short sides it will be hand sorted.

 

Some, not all mind you, Postal Clerks develope a "God Like" complex where "they" want to "enforce" their "will" upon you, as the customer, to do it they way that "they" see fit. These people play upon the ignorance of the average Postal Customer regarding US Postal regulations and often times are completely oblivious to their own ignorance since they are, after all, the Postal God.

It helps to put them in their place but since they are the god's the believe they are, this is often times a difficult task.

You can download and print out the appropriate portions of the postal regulations manual and either present it to them or their immediate supervisor for resolutions. If that doesn't work, then employ the assistance of her coworkers and their specific expertise.

The unfortunate drawback to either of the above is that your going to make her angry at you since she will not like being "called out" for her own ignorance. No self respecting god would!

So, instead, follow the prescribed resolution that was pointed out earlier from someone that actually manages a Post Office. I can guarantee that it'll work for you.

 

Yup. A long time ago, I had a problem with the garbage disposal in my apartment, and a family member decided to be helpful and mail me the Allen wrench I needed to fix it. In a standard envelope. I received an empty standard envelope with an Allen-wrench-sized hole in one end, and a lot of skid marks on the envelope. I shudder to think what it did to the machine, or to the mail that followed it.

 

I likewise sell a lot of coins. Use Ebay and USPS to pay for your postage and then just drop off the package. The USPS will discount the price if you pay online and automatically give you tracking. It has worked for me and I have no hassles at the post office.

 

PLEASE!! Before you give people advice about postal requirements, I suggest you locate a copy of the DMM standards, and READ THEM. If you don't understand, please have someone explain them to you.

I had similar problems with postal employees in the past, especially one who was overly zealous in properly performing her duties, eventually becoming the Postmaster. Upon her promotion to Postmaster, all employees at the front desk, conformed to the DMM standards. These standards generally aren't available at the postal "stations".

I was never subjectively confrontational, and just changed my packaging habits to offset the unique postal standards which may appear nonsensical to a layperson who doesn't understand the workings of the handling system. If I had an objective problem, I would just arrive with the appropriate DMM standard, and ask that it be prominently posted.

Early in my design engineering career where I was implemental in developing the high speed sorting/transfer equipment for the postal system, I visited postal stations to realize the catastrophies caused by improper packaging. "Bubble-wrap" envelopes with improperly shaped/positioned/secured contents can be the Nemesis of automated equipment. The DMM standards were written to avoid these packages which can, in a second, cause severe damage at a transfer point, possibly creating a shut-down condition for the entire line.

The standards are very specific about the packaging of some items which are not flat, thin, rectangular, and properly packaged. The standards specify manual handling for these items, with a special charge for handling.

I strongly recommend that you don't irritate, and make life difficult for a Postmaster. Generally she/he has very little control of the strongly unionized, often part-time, employees.

JMHO

 

Of your package?? How rude....