eBay

justforfun6 · ‎03-19-2022

I have sold for nearly 20 years. I appreciate the USPS supplying us free boxes and other materials. I also shop on ebay. Lately I am finding seasoned sellers using the USPS padded flat rate envelopes as padding inside first class packaging. I find this disturbing as in the end we as consumers we will be forced to bear the cost in higher rates, along with the fact it is a fraudulent use of government property. Initially when they started suppling us with free shipping materials they gave us tape. People promptly ordered it for personal usage, so we no longer have the use of free priority tape. People turned the boxes inside out so they could use them without having to ship priority. Now they print the inside of the boxes to prevent that. The postal service gives us a discount on shipping prices by shipping through ebay. We should not be taking advantage of that by basically stealing from their kindness. Times are difficult but that is not a reason to deliberately misuse products. When someone has over 30,000 feedback the excuse cannot be made they were unaware of this usage. Let`s keep ebay a respectable business.

symbionics · ‎04-09-2022

Abuse / misuse of USPS supplies is now rampant on ebay. 3 out of the last 4 purchases and 4 out of last 6 sellers for me. One cut up a new priority box just to use the cardboard as packaging material to keep product from bending. Another used two new priority bubble mailers as padding inside package sent parcel. I used to ignore it but now I just give a neg. It wont stop unless it becomes common knowledge that buyers leave negs for it. Ebay should have a warning msg on shipping page for sellers that buyers will leave negs for that.

a_c_green · ‎04-09-2022

@symbionics wrote:
Abuse / misuse of USPS supplies is now rampant on ebay. 3 out of the last 4 purchases and 4 out of last 6 sellers for me. One cut up a new priority box just to use the cardboard as packaging material to keep product from bending. Another used two new priority bubble mailers as padding inside package sent parcel. I used to ignore it but now I just give a neg. It wont stop unless it becomes common knowledge that buyers leave negs for it. Ebay should have a warning msg on shipping page for sellers that buyers will leave negs for that.

Only thing I would suggest for your campaign is that you set up a separate account for selling. I can see you've had at least two fights in feedback already in which the sellers to whom you gave Negs apparently responded with something less than flattering in their feedback to you, as it's not longer visible. If they notice that you're selling items yourself from the same account, you might have to deal with some revenge feedback on a future sale. Good luck.

inhawaii · ‎04-09-2022

I was once told by my local Postmaster that it's ok to use Priority Mail supplies as packing material as long as it's used for something shipped Priority Mail. We specifically discussed things like using a Priority Mail padded flat rate envelope for packing material or cutting up a Priority Mail box for packing material. I'm not saying I condone this. I'm just saying what I was told by a United States Postal Service Postmaster. I'm sure i'm not the only one who has been told this.

So does a seller deserve a negative for doing something he was told was ok by the USPS?

Urgent - Foreigner

a_c_green · ‎04-09-2022

@inhawaii wrote:
So does a seller deserve a negative for doing something he was told was ok by the USPS?

I'd say that depends on what the "something" is, exactly. One anecdotal story about a postmaster saying okay to using Priority Mail Flat Rate padded envelopes as stuffing inside Priority boxes does not make an official policy. Mine, in fact, rolled his eyes when I mentioned the topic to him while bringing excess PFRE envelopes for them to reuse.

I definitely can't see the USPS ever ruling that that's officially acceptable. They do, after all, sell bubble wrap themselves. The free PFRE envelopes are given out for shipping, not stuffing. You can only talk about that for so long before realizing how ridiculous the rationalization gets to be.

I would also add that in the case of @symbionics above, the feedback of those recent Negs states that one package used a covered Priority box sent as Parcel Select; one used a PFRE as stuffing inside a First Class Package; one used a cut-up new Priority box inside a First Class Package, so none even paid the matching rate on the outside for the packaging used on the inside.

inhawaii · ‎04-09-2022

@justforfun6 wrote:
I have sold for nearly 20 years. I appreciate the USPS supplying us free boxes and other materials. I also shop on ebay. Lately I am finding seasoned sellers using the USPS padded flat rate envelopes as padding inside first class packaging. I find this disturbing as in the end we as consumers we will be forced to bear the cost in higher rates, along with the fact it is a fraudulent use of government property. Initially when they started suppling us with free shipping materials they gave us tape. People promptly ordered it for personal usage, so we no longer have the use of free priority tape. People turned the boxes inside out so they could use them without having to ship priority. Now they print the inside of the boxes to prevent that. The postal service gives us a discount on shipping prices by shipping through ebay. We should not be taking advantage of that by basically stealing from their kindness. Times are difficult but that is not a reason to deliberately misuse products. When someone has over 30,000 feedback the excuse cannot be made they were unaware of this usage. Let`s keep ebay a respectable business.

I agree with you on this subject but i'm just curious.

Would you be ok with it if it was used in a package that was sent Priority Mail?

Urgent - Foreigner

farmalljr · ‎04-09-2022

@inhawaii wrote:
I was once told by my local Postmaster that it's ok to use Priority Mail supplies as packing material as long as it's used for something shipped Priority Mail. We specifically discussed things like using a Priority Mail padded flat rate envelope for packing material or cutting up a Priority Mail box for packing material. I'm not saying I condone this. I'm just saying what I was told by a United States Postal Service Postmaster. I'm sure i'm not the only one who has been told this.

So does a seller deserve a negative for doing something he was told was ok by the USPS?

It IS perfectly acceptable and within the rules to use labeled supplies (even multiple packages) for shipment under that program.

Example: Using a padded flat rate priority bubble mailer INSIDE a priority rate box. OR even the padded bubble mailer INSIDE a plain box, that ships WITH priority mail.

Those situations do NOT break the rules.

inhawaii · ‎04-09-2022

@farmalljr wrote:It IS perfectly acceptable and within the rules to use labeled supplies (even multiple packages) for shipment under that program.

Example: Using a padded flat rate priority bubble mailer INSIDE a priority rate box. OR even the padded bubble mailer INSIDE a plain box, that ships WITH priority mail.

Those situations do NOT break the rules.

I think some on this board would disagree, especially the OP.

I myself will do this once in a while but ONLY it's shipping Priority Mail

and ONLY if it's packing material that I myself have received as packing material.

Believe me I have collected quite a lot over the years.

On the topic of leaving sellers negative feedback for doing this

or for failing to respond to the question "why" you did this is just not right in my opinion.

We all have different feelings and we all do things differently. I understand that.

The OP can do what he feels he has to do. That's fine. It's just not my style.

Urgent - Foreigner

farmalljr · ‎04-09-2022

@inhawaii wrote:
I think some on this board would disagree, especially the OP.

They can disagree all they want, it's perfectly acceptable. Priority supplies are for priority shipping only. There are no rules about using more than ONE type of priority product in a SINGLE priority package. Ever Frank-n-box? I have, about a half million times now.

No, I don't get Carried away about it. I have no problems using 2 priority products in the same shipment, IF I need to.

anasazirose · ‎04-09-2022

I agree. I also recycle. When I receive something in a padded envelope, I wash off the label, cut the padded envelope and use it, usually to wrap my items in storage. I'm wondering if maybe this is what your seller did?

anasazirose · ‎04-09-2022

I've had one local PO tell me they aren't allowed to stock #4 boxes, and another have them on display. When I mentioned to the 1st that the 2nd had them, she said if they get caught, they'll get in trouble.

Also, if you donate Regional boxes and someone doesn't pay online, when the box is scanned, I've had the postage come up costing more than both regional rates and regular priority.

The local post office I usually go to also told me I couldn't leave FR padded Priority envelopes because they're not allowed to stock them. When they restocked the kiosks, they would have to discard them.

SO, it really depends on the rules and who knows them or follows them.

anasazirose · ‎04-09-2022

@katzrul15 wrote:

We took a stack of the board game boxes to them at the holidays. USPS would not take them.

Unfortunately, they are stacked on the warehouse floor, soon to hit a recycling bin.

Maybe you could offer those for free on social media, or try another PO.

anasazirose · ‎04-09-2022

@iart wrote:
I don't care how many sellers try to justify this, it is theft. And, along with not paying taxes, is another way some sellers are able to undercut other sellers who actually pay for their shipping material.

I pay $15 for 240' of bubble wrap. That's 6¢ per foot, making those padded envelopes worth <12¢ in bubble wrap, way WAY less after you estimate the time it would take to cut them open to use as a wrap. I really don't think using them as wrap allows a seller to undercut another.

inhawaii · ‎04-09-2022

@farmalljr wrote:
@inhawaii wrote:
I think some on this board would disagree, especially the OP.

They can disagree all they want, it's perfectly acceptable. Priority supplies are for priority shipping only. There are no rules about using more than ONE type of priority product in a SINGLE priority package. Ever Frank-n-box? I have, about a half million times now.

No, I don't get Carried away about it. I have no problems using 2 priority products in the same shipment, IF I need to.

I've Frank-n-boxed before.

I used 2 Priority Mail boxes to make a bigger Priority Mail box.

Once I had a mail carrier reject the box because of that.

I took the box to my local PO and they confirmed you can Frank-n-box

as long as they are not "flat rate" boxes. It is ok to use 2 or more Priority Mail

packages for a single shipment ... as long as it ships Priority Mail.

Urgent - Foreigner

farmalljr · ‎04-09-2022

@inhawaii

Correct. And you CAN Frank-n-box flat rate boxes, but they can't be used at the flat rate price, when you do. They are send regular priority price. I think you have to marker out the flat rate wording too.

But, why mess with flat rate boxes? Plenty of regular priority boxes to use as it is.

lepke1979 · ‎04-09-2022

@farmalljr wrote:
@inhawaii wrote:
I was once told by my local Postmaster that it's ok to use Priority Mail supplies as packing material as long as it's used for something shipped Priority Mail. We specifically discussed things like using a Priority Mail padded flat rate envelope for packing material or cutting up a Priority Mail box for packing material. I'm not saying I condone this. I'm just saying what I was told by a United States Postal Service Postmaster. I'm sure i'm not the only one who has been told this.

So does a seller deserve a negative for doing something he was told was ok by the USPS?

It IS perfectly acceptable and within the rules to use labeled supplies (even multiple packages) for shipment under that program.

Example: Using a padded flat rate priority bubble mailer INSIDE a priority rate box. OR even the padded bubble mailer INSIDE a plain box, that ships WITH priority mail.

Those situations do NOT break the rules.

Yup. Use I think 1097L boxes all the time to stick in flat rate envelopes and poly bags. Or two of them in Tyvek bags (cubic rate). Fits perfectly and better protection for lotions and whatnot. And allowed.