Selling fragil items? Don't buy bubble wrap! Just use the free USPS bubble mailers!

[jason_incognito]

Just got a rag tag box. It was sealed with duct tape and packed using maybe 50 USPS priority bubble mailers all bunched up as packing.

Charged me $55 for shipping and the label on it has $24.70......

[moo*cow*corner]

Were the contents safe and undamaged? Shipper paid Priority postage? If so, yay!!!

[yuncreations]

way to overcharge for shipping! hate people doing that!! can we complain to ebay and ask for refund the difference?

[tamaralea]

Maybe the shipper used your extra $30 to reimburse the post office for bubble mailers.

[rdj831]

Just another reason postal rates are set to hike again...

[siamdao]

We received a box from Japan, not from an eBay purchase,  of a watch (no strap) inside of a Nike shoe box (figuring the original shoes would have fit a yeti the box was so large).  Inside the box were compacted pages from every issue of the local newspaper printed since the 1950's ;).  The package was completely covered in some type of brown cloth tape (so as to block out the Nike labels?) and the shipper would have had to exhaust Japan's national supply to do so.    Just don't understand.  The watch arrived safely, but we question the sellers sanity and OCD issues 😉

[mycheaperstuff]

So you shouldn't use USPS supplies in that manner. Seller was wrong.

Okay, we get a chuckle.  Then let it go.

No revenge necessary. No burning at the stake, negative feedback, or even "turning them in" to ebay or anyone else.

Cut others some slack. Nobody knows what trouble might be going on in the seller's life. Still, they got the item to the buyer undamaged.

As for the cost, it's too bad the OP paid "too much", but acknowledge as well that the time to ask why shipping costs are as stated is before you buy. After the purchase, you've agreed.

Prevent overcharging by not buying from that seller.

[escuintla]

No wonder they tell me they ran out of PM bubble wrappers....

[epowerbargains]

I don't question shipping after I pay.....if it makes sense to purchase I consider total price and if that works - then make the deal. It does not matter to me what the shipping cost is as long as the total makes sense. 

That said..... If the USPS bubble mailers were USED - I think giving them a second life as long as they are clean is ok. 

BUT...... If they were new - that is a misuse of free USPS materials and simply not how they were intended to be used.  Not a fan of misusing USPS free supplies. Keep on doing that and someday they will NOT be FREE. 

[oldwestgold]

Not a wise thing to do.  Could you imagine if one of your customers were a Postal Employee? Actually, you are in violation of USPS regulations by misusing their products. Even posting your misuse of USPS products here most likely will bring attention to you by the Postal Inspectors.  FYI - I would remove your post and quick wasting expensive USPS supplies. And seriously, duct tape? Again that is not allowed for taping boxes and mailing with the USPS.  You risk bringing more attention to yourself and getting items returned once caught.  It is only a matter of time.

[websilverjewel]

Well I recycle any undamaged and clean bubble mailers I receive from other sellers and use as stuffing inside as void fill. However, some sellers have sent me items with a priority mail bubble mailer turned inside out but sent as first class. As tempted to report it as I was, how do I know they aren't also recycling mailers that are in good condition?

[a_c_green]

---

@mycheaperstuff wrote:

So you shouldn't use USPS supplies in that manner. Seller was wrong. 

---

Ayup... and I'm going to say that the Priority Mail Flat Rate bubble envelopes are probably the single most widely wasted product of all the USPS's free shipping supplies. In the many purchases I receive each month, I find that the choice of padding inside the box is pretty evenly split between four sources: 

• Crushed newspaper
• Styrofoam peanuts or popcorn
• Bubblewrap
• USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate bubble envelopes

Just as an illustration, this photo below shows what I've accumulated in PMFR envelopes over the past couple of weeks: 

The stack on the left holds ten envelopes that will be going back to the post office shortly. Those were recovered from packages I received, and are clean and ready for (re-)use. Their adhesive pull strips are still intact and they were only mashed up for padding, so they'll return to shape after a few days laying flat at room temperature. There's a lobby rack at the PO holding free PMFR supplies, so I'll be dropping them off during a future visit, to give them a second chance at actually serving their purpose. 

The wastebasket on the right holds two envelopes that didn't make the grade. They were not only mashed up for padding but also had their self-adhesive seals peeled off in order to get them stuck down around the item, so they're going in the recycling, as there's no way to get the adhesive closure to let go of the envelope without tearing. 

If the USPS is really hurting for money, the single best thing they could do for themselves is to stop giving away these specific envelopes. 

[ekmadonna]

If they were not recycled I would report them to the USPS although I am sure it would fall on deaf ears. That is a serious abuse and violation of use. It's actually pretty pathetic that someone would do that, 1 or 2 is bad but 50? This costs all us sellers money in the long run, the heck with turning the other cheek on that guy or gal! REPORT

[inhawaii]

mycheaperstuff: i couldn't have put it any better myself. 

[lovefindingtreasures2]

We received a box from Japan, not from an eBay purchase, of a watch (no strap) inside of a Nike shoe box (figuring the original shoes would have fit a yeti the box was so large). Inside the box were compacted pages from every issue of the local newspaper printed since the 1950's Smiley Wink. The package was completely covered in some type of brown cloth tape (so as to block out the Nike labels?) and the shipper would have had to exhaust Japan's national supply to do so. Just don't understand. The watch arrived safely, but we question the sellers sanity and OCD issues Smiley Wink

Wow, that is just too weird for words.