Another eBay Standard Envelope Issue

[brados2112]

Shipping with eBay Standard Envelope

Visited the post office today after my eBay Standard Envelope (ESE) was returned for 20 cents postage due. They informed me it was too rigid to go through the sorting machine. My reply was that it is NOT supposed to go through a sorting machine. I hope everyone is aware that cards are going through a machine that bends them when being tracked. Out of the dozen USPS employees I've spoken with, none of them have had any information communicated to them about ESE. I've gotten several different suggestions on how to proceed from here on, none of them acceptable or even close to the same. Ebay, your idea for ESE was great but the implementation was a failure. Can you at least communicate with the USPS to figure out a solution? What problems are everyone else running into? Any solutions?

[brados2112]

I think you are exactly correct with your attempt at a different post office. It seems as if there is no standardization with what's going on. What works at one post office, isn't working at another. I also believe this carries over to sorting facilities. What works in one sorting belt at one facility, isn't working at a different one.

This was rolled out with little to no communication.

I was told, at my local post office, that the 71 cent option would be the fix all. It covers any extra processing that may be needed (but that obviously did not work with your situation). 

I also just checked all of my tracking and only one out of six show any tracking.

I really want this to work but... maybe joe biden will fix it tonight!

[brados2112]

Doesn't that make you a bit nervous and/or cautious... that your purchased or sold card is being bent while going through a sorter?

[goodnu9]

I have the same problem but on a lessor scale. It's not the post office where you drop off  the envelopes but the processing plant is the problem. Uneducated personnel sees the envelope is kicked out by the machine and automatically returns to sender. They need to understand the new procedure in place between the PO & eBay and send it thru. I follow the specs given by eBay, especially not more than 1/4" thick and it still gets return to me? I don't think so. I print the "same" shipping label again , put the card in a new envelope (same size) and mail it out again. So far, they haven't been returned again. Why should I pay 71 cents when according to the requirements, it should only be 51 cents?

[goodnu9]

We need more sellers calling and complaining to eBay about the lack of educated employees in the PO processing plants. I still used stamps sometimes sending cards in a toploaders thru the mail. The toploader protects the card going thru the machine, so that's not the problem. These employees need to be told to still send these 'eBay standard envelopes" thru and not return them to sellers. Trust me, I retired from the PO and some employees don't give a sheet about the mail.

[goodnu9]

A few months ago, I took a 5" x 5" sturdy DVD mailer to 3 different post offices for mailing. I received three different answers! Counter clerks have no idea what to charge outside the norm of mailing Priority mail packages. Why should I have to pay 71 cents and charge my buyers more when I meet the requirements for 51 cents? I was mailing my single cards with a forever stamp (no tracking) before this new way came along and had a better successful rate and the kicker was I could buy a roll of 100 forever stamps on eBay ($41) cheaper than buying at the PO ($55)! That's 41 cents per stamp, cheaper than "eBay standard envelope" but I want the tracking now.

[lacemaker3]

@brados2112,

The requirements for an envelope to qualify for ESE are virtually identical to the USPS requirements for an envelope to be machinable. So you are misunderstanding something here.

If you ship something ESE, it has to be machinable, and it is going to go through the sorting machines. If you don't want your cards to go through the sorting machines, then don't choose ESE for the shipping. They are not compatible. 

https://pages.ebay.com/ebaystandardenvelope/index.html (see envelope details)

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-the-Non-Machinable-Surcharge-for-First-Class-Mail

[toppsvaultstuff]

Be aware that rolls of Forever stamps sold for that much below cost *might* be counterfeit or rejects that fail  the specialty ink process.

[brados2112]

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

That was my complaint to eBay and USPS. Who in the world wants a collectible card bent during shipment? 

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

Rolled out with little to no communications.

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

I don't believe it's the size of your envelope but rather the rigidity of it that the USPS questions. EBay gives little detail about that point except "not too rigid"

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

That is their description, "not too rigid." Pretty vague, don't you think? Most of us have no clue what an envelope going through a sorter looks like or what happens. Might have been a simple detail eBay could have put in details. Might have given sellers and buyers what to expect.

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

Poor communication by a few at the top that came up with this. I'm grateful for the program but disappointed with the rolling out and utilization of it.

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov

[brados2112]

It doesn't have anything to do with the printing or afixxing of label. It's the rigidity of the envelope's contents. But if you send a birthday card to someone with a non bendable item inside the envelope, chances are it will make it to the destination with no problems and no additional postage needed.

I haven't checked this thread for quite awhile but see a number of responses since I've been away. I'll try to cover many points in this response and copy and paste to all. 

I see many blaming USPS wokers and even suggest they need to conform. Some say I may have "misunderstood" guidelines and that I need to correct my side of this. Others say eBay is at fault for a myriad of reasons. First of all, I have read the guidelines supplie by eBay in great detail many times and have followed them exactly. EBay does a good job of detailing guidelines except when it states the envelope can't be "too rigid." Everything else is well detailed except the vague "too rigid" description.

Blaming the government USPS worker is convenient and typically what I do in every situation but in this case, I don't believe they're at fault. In my case locally, I feel they are a bit over zealous and wanted to appear as if they were doing their job. After I confronted them, the local supervisor got involved. This went up the chain all the way to St. Paul, MN and nobody was even aware of what an ESE is. Next, I was on the phone with eBay several times about this and every person I spoke with had no idea what an ESE is. I was transferred up and up until I reached an eBay supervisor and guess what; they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Lastly, I was in contact with a USPS Shipping and Mailing Solution supervisor named Ashley N. Jacobsen out of Colorado Springs, CO. She took the time to look into this for a little under a month and had no idea what an eBay Standard Envelope is/was. I forwarded her every eBay mailing and guideline provided and after almost a month... still no idea. 

This is a complete failure by two or more people that probably had their hearts and minds in the right place but lack communication skills and abilities to pass along to the rest.

If you wish to contact Ashley Jacobsen I will leave her contact info. She is a USPS government employee paid by our tax dollars so there should be no fear or hesitation to reach out to her. This is also a government email so no need for eBay to flag this or censor it.

ashley.jacobsen@usps.gov