Using New usps Priority shipping supplies for packaging inside Ground Advantage shipping?
Summary: A participant raised concerns about receiving a package from a seller using USPS Priority Mail packaging improperly, which they viewed as misuse and potentially illegal. christworks explained that though it technically violates federal law, USPS rarely prosecutes such cases as long as the correct postage is collected. Other participants shared mixed views, with some indifferent to the packaging practices and others suggesting ethical issues or sharing personal experiences with USPS packaging. The conversation also touched on broader issues of legal enforcement and practical usage of shipping materials.
Hey, just quoting the USPS website here:
If you use Priority Mail Express service or Priority Mail packaging on other types of mail, like if you seal a Ground Advantage package with Priority Mail tape, they'll charge you the Priority Mail price. And messing with this might even break federal law. Crazy, right?
Is this really a felony?
I've been selling on eBay since '97 with a bunch of different IDs, always used my own packaging, new or used. I get that Priority supplies are for Priority shipping only. But today, I got a package from a big-time eBay seller. This person ships hundreds of items a day. The package had my order inside a Priority bubble wrap inside a regular poly envelope! Really? This seller is probably blowing through hundreds of these Priority bubble wraps daily, thousands monthly... Are you OK with this? Guess what state they are in California........... Real cheap snakes, now they have to content with Karma................ Cheating is wrong , stealing is wrong and when one does wrong Karma catches up to them.
inhawaii
·2 weeks agoNobody's going to throw you in federal prison for using Priority Mail tape on a Ground Advantage package.
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago@junkdrawerstodiefor I'm confused about the last part -what does their state have to do with it? It's FEDERAL law.
mod-paul
·2 weeks agoHi everyone,
This discussion has gotten a bit heated and several comments have been removed. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines.
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oldwestcoins
·2 weeks agoAny shipping packaging abuse is already factored into the cost of mailing items with any delivery service. Fact.
frugalmarketplace
·2 weeks agoSad the way “some people “ think..but we all know where that comes from.
adamcartwright
·2 weeks agoYou should do it then.
Just use the free priority boxes and slap a GA label on there.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoOr a FedEx label!
Go hog wild! Make birdhouses and whatever with them, sell them on Etsy! Ooo, gather a bunch of gal pals and have a Project Runway style challenge with free Priority boxes, tape etc. -post the looks on Tic Toc!
adamcartwright
·2 weeks agoWould you apply that same reasoning to retailers, which have already built shrinkage from theft into their retail pricing ?
oldwestcoins
·2 weeks agoThe USPS doesn't really care. People do the same for UPS and FedEx. DO you seriously believe they would waste the time and expense to even send you a letter about it? Relax.
stephenmorgan
·2 weeks agoActually they may.
Several years ago after making several orders of Priority supplies I received a letter from USPS warning about what the Priority supplies could be used for and stating penalties for improper used.
12345jamesstamps
·2 weeks agoPeople do stuff every day...going driving through red traffic lights, jay-walking(in L.A. you get a ticket...happened to me). not picking up after your dog, baby carriages have the right of way on sidewalks(bet you didn't know that one) and so on and on.
A lot of my best sellers use stuff to use from the post office for packing. Do I care?
Not really.
And drop-shipping items you don't have on hand is something that is a no-no...yet sellers do it all the time...
Recycling is OK...especially boxes from Amazon from you or your neighbors...but do sellers recycle them?
I use recycled stuff all the time...especially boxes.
Do my sellers do it when I make a purchase? Not always...
steve_stuff
·1 week ago"jay-walking(in L.A. you get a ticket...happened to me)"
My all time favorite jay walking story:
1983 - Burbank - Ex New Yorker gets messenger job with production company - Parks the car, waits till it's 'clear' then runs across Burbank blvd to the NBC studio - gets stopped by cop - "what did I do?" he asks - "You jay walked" says the cop - My .... I mean the messenger's answer?
No I didn't [holding up his hand] it's a cigarette, not a joint. Explain to cop that in NY 'jay walking' is getting caught walking with a "J"
Cop said 'that's a new one' - and no ticket
bashort
·2 weeks agoI had a bunch of priority boxes after the USPS basically obsoleted the service, I asked the Local PO and they not only did not want them they asked if I wanted a truck load of regional rate boxes.
I burnt a lot of them and use others for storage boxes.
adamcartwright
·2 weeks agoI had the same situation and just dropped mine back off at the local PO, at their advice.
sin-n-dex
·2 weeks agoI have a big pile of priority bubble mailers. I'm going to pass them along to someone in Canada to use as packing, seeing as how I can't return them to the PO without entering the US (which I'm unable to do unless I want to walk across the Rainbow Bridge, but then I won't be carrying 85 mailers with me if I do).
I recycled all the boxes with the recycling, and I packed up and shipped the cardstock envelopes to a dealer I know who uses them. I spent $50 on shipping, but I hate wasting stuff (so I guess I wasted money instead?) It's OK, my kind gesture is being rewarded with an opportunity to source at their shop at dealer prices.
C.
adamcartwright
·2 weeks agoSo nice to hear your good deed is being rewarded.
sin-n-dex
·2 weeks agoThe dealer lives in California, when I visit my friend we're taking a trip there and he's going to let us look around at all the stuff he's too busy to list on his website. Apparently a few dealers in the area passed away and he acquired their entire stock. I'm excited for what I might find.
adamcartwright
·2 weeks agoSounds like goldmine potential.
frugalmarketplace
·2 weeks agoPriority mail has not been “done with” It is still alive and well..
bashort
·2 weeks agoMy opinion is that Priority mail is almost worthless with the exceptions of a very heavy item in a flat rate box or as a option for the protectorates where priority still makes a difference.
pickapaper
·1 week agoYes, PM is still around. But the last couple of times I used PM, it was very expensive and still took a week to arrive. It appears that Priority Mail no longer takes priority.
dhbookds
·2 weeks agoI'm not OK with it.........
Take everything in to your PO along with the address label showing the return address and let them take care of it.........
oldwestcoins
·2 weeks agoI'm okay with it.
christworks
·2 weeks ago@junkdrawerstodiefor Ruh-roh. A self appointed mail cop has arrived. 👮🚓🫡
You are correct. Free shipping supplies from USPS is the property of USPS and they alone decide how it can be used. PME and PM products are for those specific services only. They are to be used for mailing, not as package filler, even if you are shipping PME or PM.
Yes, it is a criminal act covered in 18 U.S.C. §1707.
Here is the exact text of the statute:
Whoever steals, purloins, or embezzles any property used by the Postal Service, or appropriates any such property to his own or any other than its proper use, or conveys away any such property to the hindrance or detriment of the public service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; but if the value of such property does not exceed $1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Although a criminal act, no case under this statute has been prosecutued for the reasons resellers might generally misuse this packaging. I did audits for USPS for years, and although I have not audted USPS in over two years, a search on WestLaw produces no results.
Years ago people would turn the packaging inside out to hide the PM branding. USPS caught on and started printing the branding on the inside of the box. If you do misuse it in that regard, they have systems in place to ensure you are charged the PM rate. Same if you use a PM box and ship using a GA shipping label. There is no fraud if USPS collects the correct postage. It is far cheaper for them to proactively do that than to spend resourses on these type of investigations. You can make the case there was an attempt, but they are not going after anybody.
People can certainly misuse them by hiding the materials inside other packaging, as your seller did. Again, USPS would have to have valid grounds to open up the package. A mere suspeciion is not sufficent. Sealed packages handed over to USPS have Fourth amendment protection. It is as if the package is inside your home and an government agency cannot go opening it up without just cause. If they wanted they could hold the package until they got a warrant, but they cannot just open it on the spot. There would have to be some type of urgen need, say the package is leaking fluid. This applies to PME, PM, and GA.
Media Mail class is an exception. By using Media Mail you consent USPS may open the package to ensure the contents comply with their Media Mail policy. Indeed they do this. When Media Mail packages are scanned, at random the system will alert the clerk or the postal employee in the back to open the package and inspect it. A lot of times the counter clerks will simply ask you to verify, but they are supposed to open them. If I were to audit them and observe them not following that procedure, then that would go into my report and they would be in trouble once their supervisor got my report.
So, yes, it is against the law. No, nobody goes to jail for it or is even charged. Oddly, this is a triggering subject that influencers will do vidoes on to make easy money as those videos rack up a lot of views.
For me, I could care less. Life is too short to worry about what someone else is doing. Get my order to me. Let it be as described. And if there is an actual issue, follow your return policy.
Buyers can certainly leave feedback about this issue, but I think it would be easy to have the feedback removed, especially if you accuse the seller of doing this all the time, which is what you implied in your post.
kensgiftshop
·2 weeks ago"Buyers can certainly leave feedback about this issue"
You can, but will Ebay leave it up.
I received an order a few years ago, the item was in a PM FR bubble envelope, folded up in a small PM FR box, then put inside a poly mailer and shipped FC.
I left feedback about it and it was removed.
frugalmarketplace
·2 weeks agoThey did on a package I received from a seller..put a priority package in a plain bag, and then sent it UPS. My feedback stands.
oldwestcoins
·2 weeks agoI couldn't care less, also. Here's a scenario: You wrap something you sold in a PM padded envelope, then put that in a PM box. You technically are not in violation because you PAID for PM.
frugalmarketplace
·2 weeks agoI didn’t say anything about that. 🙄