Mail stopped because of unpaid postage

[mural_man88]

First Mail issue in a while so thats good but anyhow i sent a 9x12 cardboard envelope mailer as a package that weighs 2 oz through Ground Advantage with product in it..paid the postage of $3.75 through eBay and USPS tried to deliver it to the address but it came up on their site as animal interference so back to the buyers post office it went and when i saw that i messaged the buyer they would probably deliver on Saturday. Fast forward to today the buyer messages me saying first of all there was no animal interference and that he called the post office and was told it has been stopped due to postage due of $6.45. So i messaged the buyer saying i would call his post office to see what is going on. 

I call and the lady tells me postage is due because it would need to be mailed priority envelope price not as a package since its not thick enough and is not rigid? The envelope i sent in is my own and is not priority from post office or anything like that so I am totally confused because if you have ever sent a priority envelope from a post office you know how flimsy they are but she is saying it has to be sent as a envelope not a package.

Later on i called a local post office and they looked at the info and was able to see a picture of the label and said it should not be a problem and that his post office is wrong. I called USPS and filed a claim and once again the guy said that it should be fine and should hear back by Friday. 

The buyer is going to post office and talk to the postmaster in the morning so i guess see what he is told but i guess they are not gonna give it up without payment but i don't understand why. Cant I mail a 9x12 mailer for less than what i paid for shipping anyhow. The other post office says i already overpaid.

I don't know if this is worth it anymore with USPS if gonna have to pay that kind of money to ship a 2 oz package?

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

You should have been OK mailing that envelope via Ground Advantage.

The PO employee who wanted to charge you extra was operating under old rules that related to First Class letters, packages, and flats (AKA Large envelopes).  Since you were mailing as Ground Advantage, not First Class, the details about eligibility for various First Class services don't matter even if they were still applicable.

Your envelope probably meets the criteria to be mailed as a First Class flat (AKA Large envelope). This service requires dimensions "[n]ot more than 15 inches long, or more than 12 inches high, or more than 3/4 inch thick" and it also must be flexible and of even thickness, which the USPS defines as a variation in thickness not more than 1/4 inch.  However, First Class flats are not tracked so most sellers would prefer to mail as packages, i.e., via Ground Advantage, so they get tracking even though it costs more.

There used to be a service called First Class package, but last summer it was merged into Ground Advantage. The PO staff who want to charge your buyer Priority rates are thinking about the upgrade that USED to apply when sellers put First Class package postage on a piece that was eligible to be mailed as a First Class flat.  Sellers used to even put things like packing peanuts and bottle caps into their envelopes to make sure they were too thick and/or lumpy to qualify as flats, so they could be sent as First Class packages, with tracking!  But First Class package postage doesn't even exist any more so it's a moot point. I wish you both the best of luck in convincing them of that.

[wastingtime101]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

But First Class package postage doesn't even exist any more so it's a moot point. I wish you both the best of luck in convincing them of that.

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In case you want to make the attempt @mural_man88 , here's the USPS page outlining physical standards for mailing: https://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/101.pdf

I suggest asking to speak with the postmaster instead of the counter clerk.

[mural_man88]

Ya it just seems like a losing battle sometimes. The buyers post office person says they can't do anything with the item except charge more for them to get it. All i know is i have sent flats like this out before with no problem, i have sent manila envelopes out as packages and they have went, but low and behold if you try and send a manila envelope with cardboard in it making it rigid then you can't send as a large envelope it has to be a package so you pay more a lot more..which i have done for years because of the tracking vs. no tracking. 

I am working with the buyer so he will probably have to pay the postage but i told him i would work out something on another item he is interested in.

I know now not to use the flats either without putting extra weight and rigidity of cardboard in them which will result in higher cost most likely due to weight, or not use them at all since i really don't need to ship with them and just use mail tubes!

[mural_man88]

The flat is 9.5"x12.5" and is flexible. I did put plastic sleeve over item and it was a bit puffy but probably flattened out. It is a bummer getting up charged to priority price when the guy bought the item on the 5th I didn't have to ship until the 8th and now its the 18th and its still sitting at post office and they never tried to deliver a second time?

I filed a claim with USPS about it however i believe all they do is take all the info from you and forward it to the p.o. that has the package so virtually does no good as far as a third party from USPS making some kind of a final decision on this like i was told would happen in the phone conversation but i think final decision been made already.

Since 2009 this is the first time this scenario has played out for me so..not bad.