Adding some colour to your packages... it serves a practical purpose, is this OK with USPS?
So I have a small issue... I went from sending letters with lots of stamps that were colourful to being told I can only use Stallion Express labels on my USPS letters (their contract with USPS for Global Direct Entry, postage purchased outside the US on a platform).
Since I made the change, they've lost three letters. They tend to lose my letters when there's only 1 or 2 in the mail bag, it's a whitish coloured bag with a white letter in it. I'm thinking since it's happened twice (3 letters total) but they never lost them before, and never lose them when there's a whole bunch, that perhaps there's something I can do to help prevent this from happening.
I was thinking of getting a big sticker/label printed up (my store colour is bright blue). I can print a plain label with just my store colours, or have text on it to say something like "Thank you". I should point out the label will be used on letters which ship banknotes under $5, postcards, stamps under $5, first day covers... so whatever this sticker looks like should not advertise there's anything of value to steal. (Which is why I suggested a plain sticker that's blue, so it will be seen easily inside the mailbag).
Someone posted a while ago they use Fragile stickers on bubble mailers to add colour because it's bright red and helps the mail people see the letters. I wouldn't think putting a fragile sticker on a $2 stamp set would make much sense and not create a "nothing to see here" vibe as the mail is being sorted. People use decals to decorate invitations and such, I thought my blue sticker could kind of be used for that purpose.
Any input? BTW, for anyone wondering about one letter in the bag, I give the letter to Stallion Express, they put all my letters from me as a one customer into the same bag and attach a batch label to scan, then the bag goes to USPS. So I can't be sure who's fault it is they are getting lost, but I have a suspicion my three letters are in "empty mailbags" somewhere in the postal system.
If I can do something to reduce these occurrences that never happened when I was using postage stamps, that would be awesome.
C.
chowpit36iw
·1 year agoMaybe that's why my stuff doesn't get lost? I use the eBay RGB tape, stickers, & 'thank you' stickers. Always a 'thank you' sticker & the RGB stickers can help cover markings or partial labels that can't be removed.
onefootflipper
·1 year agoI know I put round red stickers on anything that isn't USPS just so my wife doesn't accidentally drop the Fedex off at the post office.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoI use these labels on all of my shipments.
Letter sized #10 envelopes still go into hiding some of the time. Even when using standard Ebay purchased labels (4x6)
tarotfindsandmore
·1 year agoAs a former carrier, I can tell you bright colors are a godsend. Personally, I buy the holographic metallic bubble mailers in different colors from Temu for all of my small items. I use the full-sized 4"x6" labels for everything I ship and I use a ton of different stickers on my packages ("thank you", "happy mail has arrived", "handle with care"). I put the big label on the face of the bubble mailer, tack it down with stickers on top left and bottom right, and then put another sticker on the back of the envelope to seal it ("hope this makes you smile" or some other pithy little bit of happiness).
USPS carriers case their own mail and most will put spurs (smalls) in a tub or tray of their own. Little, nondescript envelopes often slip under larger ones in the tray or get caught in the sorting machinery long before ever getting to the post office. Using an obnoxious envelope makes it a lot less likely that it will go unseen even if it does slip under other mail pieces (or even falls out of the tray out on the road).
One other thing, the stickers create a childish appearance, making the envelope appear less valuable. I've sent many two hundred dollars decks in bubble mailers this way. It's basically the same concept LEGO uses with their blah boxes. Make your packages look cheap and the odds of theft go down.
nobody*s_perfect
·1 year agoI just love the concept of prompting "obnoxious" packaging because it's usefully visible!
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoI'm marking you best answer since you answered my main concern (is it OK with USPS). Glad to hear the bright stickers are helpful to mail carriers.
I've been in contact with customer service at Stallion about the lost envelopes and we've devised a plan to prevent this from continuing (if I'm only shipping a few that will get lost inside a bag). For one, batch logs will be coloured. I found out they go inside the bag, so if they're white they're non-descript like the envelopes I'm using. The batch log tells them how many letters there are supposed to be, and they're supposed to be checking. Then putting an obnoxious coloured sticker on the envelope to make it stand out.
When I did postage stamps, the envelopes all stood out, even I noticed that when packing my mailbag of stuff to drop off. The labels have taken that away since I'm not allowed to post with stamps anymore.
I'm going to check the dollar store. I'm not worried about the envelopes looking childish, I think stickers are fun, and sometimes we need to be more like children and do fun things. It just has to be bright coloured.
C.
tarotfindsandmore
·1 year agoI love putting together silly looking packages. Almost everything I send out is a different color. Boxes are brown but I use stickers on them as well. My bubble mailers are all of the colors of the rainbow. I even used bright red poly mailers with white polka dots over small boxes to keep everything dry and visible over the holidays.
Black and white mailers are the worst...white for the reasons you've observed and black because you cannot see them if you drop them while out delivering or they fall out of the tray into your vehicle.
Customers seem to enjoy the fun packages as well so it's win-win. I'm glad we could help you find a solution. Enjoy this opportunity to express your inner 12-year-old! 🙂
nobody*s_perfect
·1 year agoI think that the idea of your blue sticker is a good one. If it was light blue, you could even print the buyer's name and address on it; USPS machinery requires a minimum amount of color contrast between lettering and background. I'd skip the "Thank you" if you don't want to advertise that there's something of value inside.
Another possibility would be to switch from white envelopes to a color; even basic manila-tan would be a contrast inside a white mailbag.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoWe have Uline here, I'll see what they have. My postcard, FDC and banknote envelopes are all white and I have lots and lots of them, so switching might not be the best solution now.
The blue stickers (my store colours) is a pretty dark periwinkle blue and turquoise blue gradient. I did it for my business cards and return address labels, thought I could do a plain sticker.
Vistaprint is where we can order custom stickers but they are expensive if they're not just the 1 inch size. (So expensive I would need another solution). On AMZ I can get Canadian flag stickers, but not sure how that would go over. (It's not a secret that I'm in Canada though, my return address in Canada is on a card inside the package, although my shipper will take items back for me if a US buyer wants to return).
It's closed for the holiday but I want to see what I can get at the dollar store... might be able to get something fun that's bright coloured (to use as a decal on the back of the envelope like they do for wedding invites).
C.
meme6253
·1 year agoIt's a nice idea using the color, but if it is causing delivery issues, I would just do away with it.
sin-n-dex
OP1 year agoThat's kind of what I was wondering, if it was a big sticker that was a solid colour (on the non-addressed side), would that be OK for a letter?
I've seen some people use coloured polybags. I use manila coloured bubble mailers (or eBay ones which have some colour), but need a solution for the letters containing inexpensive stuff.
C.