No more padded flat rate envelopes?

[ajsmother]

I've had an order for these for over 3 weeks now. I placed a second and 3rd order hoping to get something soon. I have only one left lol.

What is going on? I'm assuming they have a production shortage. What are others doing? 

I was able to cram a couple of orders into a cardboard flat rate envelope.

But usually that doesn't work. May have to ship more Fed Ex since their price has gone down.

[stumblebumble]

If you want to include your political opinions into a comment, I suggest you go over to the Soap Box where you can air it.   This post is for policy issues as they relate to selling, buying, etc. and not your pathetic gripes about POTUS.  Learn some respect.    The slow down is due to covid-19 or are you not aware of that....didn't think so.    Did it ever occur to you that staffing at sort facilities is at a shortage.  Employees have to maintain distancing, thus less employees in a given space to handle the over abundance of mail and packages.  The USPS has never seen this volume of packages because people aren't going out to shop.  Do you understand? 

[stumblebumble]

I know for a fact that is exactly what some sellers are doing  and getting away with it.    Using the bubble mail envelopes to pack their fragile items.  I just received a cup I had to replace as  I had broken one of mine and the seller used 3 of the padded envelopes to package it.    I am still debating on what my feedback will be in this situation.   That seller is committing mail fraud by doing that and doesn't even realize it.    I might not leave FB but I have already advised the seller that she is jeopardizing herself by doing this.     One of these days she will get caught.  You know what they say about Karma.

[kateinthe26th]

I ordered 200 at the beginning of April when the demand for cotton went crazy and they arrived at the end of May

I had to use legal size for a two week period while waiting when i ran out of the padded...not good

My second order which i placed about 3 weeks after during May sometime actually arrived first! Ordered another 100 last week, hope these don't take a month but im prepared this time as i know they might. 

[itsjustasprain]

---

@stumblebumble wrote:

I know for a fact that is exactly what some sellers are doing  and getting away with it.    Using the bubble mail envelopes to pack their fragile items.

---

Oh heck yes. Those padded FR envelopes are the single most widely abused pieces of free packaging by a mile. I cannot think of any other giveaway items that get wasted so much. The USPS really needs to start charging for those. Their website is a mixture of pay-for items and free ones so it would not be all that hard to start slapping a price on the padded envelopes.

[burns4thewin]

Where do you order in the 100s? I only see a choice of 10 or 15 pack on usps site

[purple-rain-store]

you click 10 and there should be a drop down to order 10 of the 10 & you'd have a order sent to you of 100 PFRE's . I just ordered some a few weeks ago and they got to me pretty quick. 

[little*blackdog]

No... That'd make too much sense!

[go-bad-chicken]

---

@burns4thewin wrote:

Where do you order in the 100s? I only see a choice of 10 or 15 pack on usps site

---

Go here

https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-padded-flat-rate-envelope-P_EP1... 

and then select

1) "Choose A Format" = Pack Of 15

and then select

2) "Choose A Quantity" = 7

Like this.

[buyselljack2016]

---

@postingid7659 wrote:

I shipped out a $100 piece double boxed with a large video box inside a medium flat rate box to protect it.  But I use my own bubble wrap.   Sounds like this is a no-no too?

---

You would be correct. It is a no-no.

Using Priority packaging as inner packaging/padding is not the intended/correct use of those products.

Wife sometimes get things padded with the PFRE's.  I always attempt to reuse them for proper shipping.

[buyselljack2016]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

---

@postingid7659 wrote:

I shipped out a $100 piece double boxed with a large video box inside a medium flat rate box to protect it.  But I use my own bubble wrap.   Sounds like this is a no-no too?

---

I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

But there have been times where i receive something and it is packed with 20 brand new priority mail padded envelopes.  THAT's a no no. 

---

1, or 20 it is still the same no-no  😁

[burns4thewin]

LOL, thanks. For some reason that never occurred to me.

[goldrushfinds]

Definingcolor - Source please....

[a_c_green]

---

@goldrushfinds wrote:

Definingcolor - Source please....

---

Not speaking for @definingcolor here, but there's some indication that it might be an importing issue (from China) rather than a production issue.

I see this exchange in the Q&A section of the Duck brand website, who make padded envelopes for Walmart, among other places: 

Q: Are you having supply issues? Your padded envelopes are normally available through Walmart, as you said in other answers here, but all our local Walmarts are cleaned out, and I learned this morning that they are Out of Stock on-line as well.

A: Thank you for your question! With more people staying at home and sending packages to family and friends, we are experiencing an increased demand for our Kraft Bubble Mailers. We have been working closely with our partners to meet this need and are hopeful that our products will be back in stock at Walmart and other retailers very soon.

Ref: https://www.duckbrand.com/products/mailing-shipping/envelopes-mailers/manila-6-in-x-9-in 

So here's the relevant part: The Duck brand mailers are made in China; it says so on each envelope. The USPS padded envelopes don't say where they're made, but in comparing one of theirs to a Duck envelope, I noticed that the tear-off strips on the adhesive flap of both envelopes had almost identical printing: four rows of red capitalized printing with the repeated phrase of "PEEL OFF STRIP TO EXPOSE ADHESIVE" or similar, printed over and over. On both envelopes, the first and third rows of printing were right-side-up, and the second and fourth rows upside-down. 

Obviously that doesn't prove that the USPS envelopes came out of the same Chinese factory that produced the Duck brand, but it's interesting how they share details like that.

[stumblebumble]

Years ago, sellers were also abusing the regular tyvek Priority Mail Envelopes.  They were turning them inside out and using to mail first class items because the printing didn't show.    So,  USPS got smart and printed Priority Mail on the inside of those envelopes.  I say good for them.   What is so difficult to understand, a Priority Mail envelope cannot be used for anything other than Priority Mail.    It is also misuse if you put one Priority Box inside another Priority Box.   If the box was damaged and the PO catches it,  the shipper would be charged for double the cost to ship their item and maybe even fined for mail fraud.   If you are going to double box something, use a plain brown shipping box inside a Priority Box and pay for the weight.  USPS doesn't get these envelopes and boxes for free.  They have to pay to have them made and printed.   Geesh.  

[Anonymous]

Bought a coffee mug late week. Listing said free Expedited Shipping (USPS Priority Mail Express®)  Well it arrived Shipped First class with 3 priority mail padded envelopes for padding ... I am tired of Sellers not shipping as listing states and Using Priority mail supplies for First class! I had 4 out of 6 packages last week say Priority mail in listing and shipped First class or slower..... With priority mail padded envelopes!