Shipping a Box in a USPS Priority Envelope...
I had to admit some sellers are good at shipping.
Box height is 3 1/2 inches by length 9 inches by 5 1/4 inches and very heavy.
Big seller and I bought like 12+ over the years.
The box is in an envelope which seller wraps it in.
Wonder what the cost is?
For some reason it was free economy shipping but came Priority Mail in this envelope.
And from Virginia to San Francisco : ordered Jan 07 and got it Jan 10...wow!
The box was in a Priorty wrapper in the Priorty envelope with lots of tape.
Seems to be legal...and wonder if it's cheaper this way...I think the height was the reason not using a real Priority Box...I assume sellers got commercial rate also on using this.
19 comments
babyers88
·8 months agosurprisingly you can ship it that way I have done it and have received them as such as well.
Some things will fit in that envelope just right (expanded).
you can load it up to 70lbs, just like any flat rate package.
you put a 70lb lead brick in there and send it.....
stephenmorgan
·8 months agoMy USPS would not accept the paper envelope package that way. They told me that I was not allowed to change to form of the envelope.
The Padded Flat Rate envelope is what I had to use. I can get a 9 X 6 X 3 box in the padded envelope and it just barely closes. I would always tape the flap and the ears so that they were less likely to catch on anything. I shipped hundreds this was and did not ever have a issue.
With the Ground Advantage I will rarely use Priority Mail and have given most of my supplies back the local USPS.
inhawaii
·8 months agoThere may be "technically" nothing wrong with it, but I hate when they do that!
jdbelt1960
·8 months agoI just feel as a seller I would rather not be testing the system and be able to feel confident on package deliveries.
a_c_green
·8 months agoLikewise.
Here's a similar angle that's ripe for abuse: the USPS is now offering these free plastic mailer bags via a tear-off pad on a stand-up display in their lobby:
There are no markings on the bags themselves that I can see, and no rules on usage beyond what you see on the sign: "Tear off bag - Apply label - Drop in box!" The temptation to use a free Flat Rate box to protect a sold item, dropping it into one of these bags for a cheaper shipping rate, is probably overwhelming for some people. (I know of one high-volume seller who uses the Flat Rate Small boxes inside a smaller version of these gray plastic mailer envelopes, and has been doing so for some time despite the angled box flap of the FRS box being easily felt through the bag.)
The USPS could, in theory, maybe limit use of these bags to only Ground Advantage Return labels or similar, but that doesn't seem to be happening.
rudy2828
·8 months agoNot at my p.o. as far as I know, but a great deal for free bags. Just don't be piggy about it.
caldreamer
·9 months agoDiscounted EBAY rate for "flat rate envelope" is about $9.50. The letter "P" on your shipping indicates that Seller sent your item via Priority Mail.
My hubby and I have mailed lots of items (big and small) using Priority Flat Rate Envelopes. As long as it fits inside the envelope USPS doesn't seem to care. Of course, I don't bring my items to USPS counter because you never know if the clerk will be picky.
12345jamesstamps
OP8 months agoI have seen people put clothing in these envelopes without a problem at the counter with a clerk..
jdbelt1960
·9 months agoItems that I have that are boxed and secure I have also tried experimenting with using vinyl shipping envelopes rather than double boxing to save delivery costs. My items are small and 6oz-8oz. I had no complaints. Of course I still bubble wrap the item.
bdmh-enterprises
·9 months agoThere's no way they got away with only paying for flat rate envelope here right?!?
Otherwise I'm pretty sure as long as you pay for some kind of Priority shipping, it doesn't matter how you Frankenstein their packaging.
a_c_green
·9 months agoYou cannot Frankenstein a Flat Rate package (i.e. cut it or mate it with another), but as long as it can close along its original seal, it's good to go.
12345jamesstamps
OP9 months agoYou are correct...I guess...nothing has been cut of the envelope.
Just folding the envelope and lots of tape.
So I assume it was charged as a envelope...because it's not a box.
jdbelt1960
·9 months agoLooked at it again and not sure if that would fly. That is not an envelope. People go to great lengths to save a few cents then complain when it goes wrong.
12345jamesstamps
OP8 months agoWell, this seller sold 550+ thus far this way.
I think I buy one every 3 months for the past 3 years.
It always comes this way.
I can't complain about the free shipping from buyer and getting it so quickly.
a_c_green
·8 months agoBecause it's labeled as a Flat Rate Envelope, it requires Flat Rate Envelope postage, and the weight doesn't matter as long as the envelope can be closed along its original sealing flap. In other words, it doesn't have to be "flat" to travel as a Flat Rate mailpiece as long as it can be closed properly. In this case, it looks like the box did fit inside with a normal closure, after which the sender folded the outer corners around the box shape inside.
That said, I'd be curious to know if all those gymnastics really saved the sender any money over the cost of a calculated (zone/weight/size-based) standard Priority mailing in whatever plain box would be a good fit. The item's actual weight would probably be the major factor in this case. I don't even think about using Flat Rate packaging if the item I'm selling isn't at least several pounds in weight.
robbie31415
·8 months agoYeah, I feel like with what the seller did though it's hard to verify if it closed by its normal flap. Unless you recover it's normal shape.
From the unpacked image it seems it's legit.
But how does the usps really tell that when its all taped up.
So this one would certainly be questionable.
a_c_green
·8 months agoThis package would probably get some close looks along the way, but I can see the closed flap along the upper edge in photos 2 and 3, so technically I think it's okay.
As I said before, this seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, and unless the package was unusually heavy (I'd be curious to know its actual weight), I can't see that it would have saved much (if any) cost as compared to just sending it as a standard weight-based Priority shipment in any convenient box.
12345jamesstamps
OP8 months agoI think about 10 pounds the weight...and it's the height...which it won't fit in those other normal boxes at the post office.
I am thinking it went commercial and not dropped off at a post office...where they just get shipped I guess.
I have gotten maybe 20+ in 2 years...I love the free shipping and 2-3 days received.
Can't beat that...So many sellers here are so concerned about nickel and dime the buyer in shipping.
Guess that's why I keep returning to this seller.
krazzykats
·9 months agoIf it fits it ships.
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