posted on November 25, 2005 04:00:40 PM new
I bought a college textbook, and paid for Media Mail - I wanted the cheapest price possible, and as a seller, I am aware it can take a while, and so forth.
The seller shipped the book, inside a plastic grocery bag (from a national chain), and that was inside a Priority envelope that had been turned inside out.
I left a neutral with the following text:
"Item as described. Shipped via media mail in inside-out priority envelope."
Within the seller's own FB, the seller added the reply of "Yes,Then wrapped in HEAVY brown paper. Envelope for protection! Don't get!!".
I do not know what brown paper the seller is referring to. The grocery bag was beige/brown in color. Furthermore, even if the envelope was for "protection", AFAIK it is still not allowed to use Priority packaging in any way unless the Priority rate is being paid, per my understanding of the USPS rules.
The seller also sent me an eBay message:
"DEAR BUYER,
I AM SORRY IF WE OFFENDED YOU WITH THE PRIORITY BAG. YOU PAID FOR MEDIA MAIL WHICH WAS THE CHEAPEST WAY TO SEND YOU YOUR BOOK. IN THE FUTURE YOU MAY WANT TO CONTACT THE SELLER BEFORE YOU LEAVE NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. THANK YOU, _seller name_"
I felt leaving a positive was rewarding incorrect behavior. I sell many items that are sent Media and I always include either in the item price or the shipping price, enough money to pay for a box or other mailer. I try to follow the rules as set out by USPS, since the rates go up enough without people taking advantage. I thought that leaving a very factual neutral was the way to go about this.
The seller has not left me any FB. I figure I will just drop it. I've said my piece, and move on. The book arrived unharmed, and it was indeed cheaper than anyone else (but still in the $50-$100 range).
Does anyone think I should have acted differently?
Yahoo ID: grantje
[ edited by grantje on Nov 25, 2005 04:01 PM ]
posted on November 25, 2005 04:20:35 PM new
I bought a small shipment of beads. The seller very cleverly cut down a PM video mailer to fit the package, then cut the USPS insignia off a large flat Tyvek PM mailer and slipped the box inside, shipping the whole kit and caboodle First Class.
I was so gobsmacked by this that I took pictures and sent them to the postal inspectors and the postmaster of the originating station. No one ever responded.
It's not clear USPS cares.
Is it annoying to those of us who actually buy thousands of mailers every year? Yeah, it sure is.
posted on November 25, 2005 04:23:54 PM new
I think the USPS should have some sort of anonymous we tip hotline for people who abuse this, maybe if there are enough complaints about someone they will do something. It is amazing how many different items I get shipped media mail that have no business being shipped media mail, and how many people use the priority mail supplies when they aren't supposed to. It is annoying, but I wouldn't have left neutral feedback. I would have probably opted to not leave feedback at all.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:14:38 PM new
Yes - you are right, and they should spend a few hundred thousand dollars a year to set up 800 lines and employ people to sit and deal with the phone calls from nitpicky individuals in order to start investigations that will cost a few thousand more dollars in order to recover maybe 25% of those costs by stopping serial misuser.
Sounds like a perfectly logical government endeavor to me.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:19:26 PM new
Fenix,
They already have a toll free number (and they are pretty cheap to set up anyway) and a bureaucracy set up - Postal Inspectors associated with mail fraud. It could even be set up as a website. It wouldn't have to be expensive, and it certainly wouldn't be worthy to investigate every complaint. It would be more of a deterrant more than anything, because those who do this are already costing us more money in terms of postage rates.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:27:51 PM new
Fenix, I disagree with you on this. I see robbery-type crime as being on a continuum, starting at the very beginning of the line with taking office supplies home for personal use and ending with major money fraud, for which a person can go to jail. People who get away with the petty thieveries can feel encouraged to go on to bigger things, sometimes.
ALSO, there's a principle of fairness in this. Rules are rules, and I don't doubt that the seller referred to in this thread is making a habit of misusing P.O. supplies. Not fair to any of us, whether honest sellers or just taxpayers.
I buy postcards for our little museum here, and I'm struck with how many cut-up priority envelopes are used as stiffeners. I do hope those sellers are re-using envelopes rather than cutting up new ones. I fear that before long the USPS will begin charging for all their supplies, just as they now do for the tape, which was misused by so many.
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posted on November 25, 2005 05:29:06 PM new
In Russia,we would report to the KBG,this is totally disgusting for buyers to critique how the sellers go about their business.
I am sure USPS is just a front for your CIA/FBI.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on November 25, 2005 05:34:02 PM new
grantg, who made you the USPS cop?
Seller didn't deserve a neutral....you got the book you wanted ..you weren't overcharged or cheated in any way, were you?
This is between the seller and the Post Office..not you.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:49:15 PM new
At my local PO the Postal Clerks often
tell customers they cannot mail items using USPS supplies intended for Priority, Express,etc. for media or other classes of mail.
I have personally heard them "warn" people to not try it again and hand the package back to them.
I know one postal carrier who was to pickup a seller packages and just left them where they were ( on the porch) with a note and "warning" that this was a violation.
The postmaster told me, that one seller had tried to mail over 100 packages one week "media mail" even after being repeatedly warned. She was stopped cold and got furious because they "embarassed" her in front of a line of people.
She had to carry all the boxes out to her car. She had already tried to have them picked up and they were left because the carrier was aware of her "method"
Long story short - SOME USPS postal people ARE doing their job.
I send everything Priority and do not feel bad at all , that people trying to beat the system are caught. If they want to use the supplies, use the service ..
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The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough. ---------------------------------
posted on November 25, 2005 05:54:30 PM new
Priority tape... UGGGGG! never understodd why people would own it much less misuse it (maybe they misused it to get rid of it). Smells like burnt rubber bands.
I can understand (well, kinda) the moral outrage over the misuse of priority supplies but the fact remains, I don't see it as being fiscally responsible to set up a system to bust the small prercentage of users that misuse. It just does not foinancially make sense to me and considering that there is already one rate hike coming up on us I think it's silly to encourage further needless expenses, especially since this type of thing is already worked into the cost analiysis (did you know that POs with the automated stations have loss perecentage costs built into the cost of the purchasable mailing supplies because they are fully aware that many will use the automated machines and not pay for the supplies?).
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:57:51 PM new
"I am sure USPS is just a front for your CIA/FBI."
Actually its a front for the KGB.....you're not to paranoid over there are ya?? LOL
However I agree with you,dont know what the big deal is about a free box.You go dumpster diving this time of year and there are thousands of them to be had-who cares where they come from.I ship everything priority mail with DL and this still doesnt bother me.As long as its well packed,I get it in a timely matter,I could care less.If they do get caught by the USPS thats their problem.
posted on November 25, 2005 05:59:09 PM new
I bought some kitchen cabinet knobs. Plain old round white thingys. I bid because the shipper stated up front $5.00 first class shipping.
I received them in a box via Media Mail. Inside the box were three VHS tapes. Inside the (empty) VHS boxes were the knobs with the tapes out in the open alongside. Crammed into the box was a bunch of shredded paper. Have I said before how much I hate shredded paper? It was inside the video tapes even.
I didn't quite know how to respond with feedback. The seller even emailed and asked if I would leave feedback and I finally responded with "different shipping but nice item.........." Everyone else said GREAT SHIPPING! I guess due to the free video tapes. (one of mine was Miracle on 34th Street and a couple of unknowns.)
First Class Mail? Not hardly. I just was speechless.
posted on November 25, 2005 06:05:08 PM new
glassgrl-thats a different ball game.When you they state they will send first class shipping,and you pay for first class shipping,you should get first class shipping.
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posted on November 25, 2005 06:36:25 PM new
The simplest way to solve the cheating problem would be for the postal service to eliminate media mail altogether. Why can't buyers of software, books and videos pay the same as buyers of clothes, china or tools? Why should one class of merchandise receive preferential pricing? Give the buyer a choice of priority or parcel post and quit making the users of the other classes of mail subsidize the cut rate classes such as media and bulk rate.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on November 25, 2005 06:58:42 PM new
I recycle boxes. Some of them are even priority mail boxes! If the box has already been shipped priority mail, I feel it has met the PS's requirement for priority mail.
I don't use new Priorty materials for media mail, but I have used the recycle items for padding. I would be seriously PO'd if someone dinged my feedback for that.
posted on November 25, 2005 07:40:44 PM new
If a Seller sends me something Media Mail that shouldn't have been sent that way,they will get negative feedback.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on November 25, 2005 08:08:09 PM new
WOW,I was gone to watch a movie called The Count of Monte Cristo and come back to read more comments/suggestions of what we should do ??
Dont you guys have something better to do?Like improve your packing & sealing and labeling?
Or may be crocheting the US flag?how about using those USPS priority mail supplies ,cut up the white and red and blue patches and make it a patrotic flag.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on November 25, 2005 10:48:48 PM new
I agree it wouldn't hurt to have USPS set up a website to report these unauthorized uses.
And they wouldn't have to investigate all of em - just let the reports come in, and "cherry pick" the top offenders - the ones that are breaking the rule about this day in and day out, like the woman mentioned above with all the various priority/express packages that was going to send it all media and then got upset because they wouldn't let her.
Also, I didn't feel I was "being the post office police", as I didn't report them to USPS directly. I advised other buyers that the seller might do things a little differently than should be expected.
And - I think a non-positive FB is justified because even if I only paid for Media Mail, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that an item priced between $50 and $100 with shipping and a separate handling fee would include some type of box or envelope to ship it in. I sell college textbooks for under $20 sometimes, and I still ship them in new bubble mailers bought for that purpose. I consider it when setting my prices, as a cost of doing business.
(The handling fee, BTW, was not listed in the auction - I had to email the seller before bidding to find out how much "handling" cost - $4, IIRC).
Yahoo ID: grantje
posted on November 25, 2005 11:19:52 PM new
I buy as well as sell, and often re-use/recycle the Priority Mail boxes I receive, cutting them down and resizing them to fit the stuff I sell.
Like someone mentioned above, the boxes have already served the post office's purpose, and I see no sense in throwing away perfectly good cardboard.
And it saves the buyer a little too, since I didn't have to purchase a box.
posted on November 26, 2005 04:25:15 AM new
I bought a college textbook, and paid for Media Mail - I wanted the cheapest price possible, and as a seller, I am aware it can take a while, and so forth.
******* Well you wanted the cheapest rate possible and I am betting they did you a favor so what are you gripping about, it didn't come first class packaging? and they used extra protection for you and you still gripe?
*
Some ppl just want to gripe. They could have passed the cost along to you for all those pretty new packing materials that you just throw away anyway.
*
Personally I reuse everything I have if possible due to cost of materials and I don't pass that along to any of my customers. I have even used huge amounts of costly peanuts on items I don't make anything on. Turned Dollar General boxes inside out so as to not have labels and printing on outside of box. Used glue to extra secure flapps etc tape, peanuts, envelopes, file folders used as stiffeners any. ALL of this is time consuming and I don't pass along the hassel as a handling charge. If all my customers were as picky as you then I would certainly do so. No wonder there are so many shippers charging outrageous shipping. You probably bought from them.
*
YES I use and recycle old USPS priority things instead of cutting up my plain boxes I reuse parts of boxes I have recieved etc. PLUS I cut priority boxes down for shipping smallest possible weight and cut out excess cardboard just to save going to next rate when it is just barely over.....( time consuming!)
If anyone is offended tough... Some day someone will not protect your item well enough and then you can gripe! And you mention grocery sack LOL that is tougher than most brown paper you can buy and SO what save a tree ----ever think of that?
*
I ship a lot and have always tried to save on shipping supplies cause I don't think people want to be over charged on shipping I certainly don't.
*
Rates going up January now that is something to moan about.
posted on November 26, 2005 04:34:46 AM new
Some people just do not have anything better to do then grip about the shipping material used when they received there product. I buy and use only new shipping material and boy does it get expensive.
You got your item safe and inexpensive stop you B#$@#ing!!! And a neutral for that I would respond with a NEG for you!!!
posted on November 26, 2005 04:44:50 AM new
I do not think that anyone is overly concerned or feels it is wrong to recycle the box they received as a result of purchase.
The Priority postage was paid by the seller, you are recycling the cardboard you received.
It is blatant misuse and violation of USPS policy to order them, get them at the PO, etc.,turn them inside-out and use first class or media mail postage.
I do not see how this is so hard to understand- it is using a supply that is distributed solely for those paying for a service.
posted on November 26, 2005 04:54:36 AM new
Do not get me wrong - I would not have given a neutral or negative to a seller if I received a purchase in a USPS box turned inside out.
I think if they are a high volume seller, sooner or later, it will be caught by the USPS and they will be "corrected".
Packages can returned undelivered to the seller, if proper postage is not applied or any violation of USPS is noted.
_________--------------------------------------
I always read the last page of a book first so that if I die before I finish I'll know how it turned out.
posted on November 26, 2005 06:55:52 AM new
Gosh, until I read this thread I always thought brown paper WAS a grocery bag!
And to those of you who use all new packing materials. Thank You. I just have one small favor to ask.... could you use a cheaper label? Those good ones you buy are really hard to peel off when I re-use the envelope
"I'll have what she's having"
From Harry Met Sally 1989
posted on November 26, 2005 07:54:35 AM new
I'm all for recycling. What else should become of those used boxes? I ship mostly priority mail and use USPS boxes when I can.
Personally, I think you are being overbearing and controlling to measure whether you are rewarding incorrect behavior in feedback. You're a buyer in this instance. You got your item [the cheapest way possible - which is what you wanted], undamaged, and shipped as stated, media mail. If you wanted to express your concern or displeasure of him using a priority box, you should have emailed him. But I dont think it has anything to do with the quality or delivery of your purchase.
posted on November 26, 2005 08:52:15 AM new
some folks are just more self righteous than others,remind me of the old days when school teachers have to wear 2 slips underneath their dress.
now they are showing their nipples in classroom!
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on November 26, 2005 08:58:28 AM newremind me of the old days when school teachers have to wear 2 slips underneath their dress.
LOL hwawah!
I just have to wonder when did Feedback become the platform to judge the morality of the buyer/seller; or the place to dictate what shipping materials should be used? I always thought it was about the fullfillment of the transaction as stated in the advertisment?
posted on November 26, 2005 10:17:32 AM new
Nipples in classrooms.. Are you sure before I burn my Diploma and return to school??? Since USPS has never done me any favors I could not care less how anyone uses USPS boxes. I had the Postmaster where I go tell me that I could not cut the top off a Priority label and use it for Parcel Post. She said I was costing them money. From then on when I mailed a Parcel Post package I would tell her that I used hundreds of Priority labels as packing material in each box to try to break the USPS so she would be out of work.
She ended up having to take an early retirement because when they updated and installed the computer system she could not figure it out. Can't tell you how much I miss her.
posted on November 26, 2005 10:33:07 AM new
Hot topic, huh!
I have absolutely no quarrel with people who recycle/cut up priority supplies. And I can usually tell the difference. I recycle everything possible.
I do have a quarrel with those who are misusing new supplies. Ultimately, it affects all of us. It's true that sometimes we're buyers and perhaps we shouldn't be the police on this, but we are ALSO SELLERS who pay the price of increased mailing costs partly because of misuse of supplies and abuse of the system.
Reminds me of one of the reasons to oppose polygamy. Those "extra" wives are all on food stamps and other support--and that affects all of us taxpayers as well.
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