Misuse of Priority Mail Supplies Feedback Help

[decorating_is_my_game]

I bought an item with my selling ID that was mailed First Class. The package arrived safely & in a timely manner. The seller has been selling about 1 year and is a TRS with no negs or neutrals with seller feedback of 300 or so.

When I opened the package I found the seller had used 2 free PM padded envelopes to package the items in. I messaged the seller 2 weeks ago and stated that I would not be leaving them feedback for the following reason:

"I was disappointed when I saw a First Class package & when opened I saw that you had used free Priority Mail shipping supplies to cushion my purchase. Free Priority Mail supplies are to be used ONLY in packages being mailed at a Priority Mailing Rate.

This misuse of supplies costs all sellers. If this keeps up, those free PM supplies will no longer be free. They cost the USPS money to produce. BTW, the post office has a habit of randomly opening packages for inspection. If you are caught doing this, you may get a visit from the inspector and/ or lose your ability to use the USPS for shipping purposes."

Silly me, but I was expecting some type of reply to my message. Maybe something along the lines of "I'm sorry, I did not know the rules about PM supplies." Heck, any type of reply acknowledging my message would be better than nothing!

So far no reply. I am now rethinking leaving feedback but I am afraid if I do that they may retaliate using another ID. I have blocked the sellers ID.

I was thinking of leaving this neutral feedback if I do leave it:

"Nice item. Misused free Priority Mail supplies as packing for First Class mail."

Opinions please. TIA.

[green-night]

You are still dwelling on this after 2 weeks of messaging the seller?  

Yeah I think maybe you should just let it go. 

[decorating_is_my_game]

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@green-night wrote:

You are still dwelling on this after 2 weeks of messaging the seller?  

Yeah I think maybe you should just let it go. 

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I don't think posting this thread is "dwelling on it."

I'm sorry if you think the topic is not worth discussing.

[divwido]

I have four brand new Priority Mail envelopes right now because that's what someone I bought from used for packing.   Except for an occasional coin-I've stopped buying on ebay.

It's gone from trash to USPS supplies.

[divwido]

by the way, I've only ever had this problem on ebay.

[green-night]

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@decorating_is_my_game wrote:

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@green-night wrote:

You are still dwelling on this after 2 weeks of messaging the seller?  

Yeah I think maybe you should just let it go. 

---

I don't think posting this thread is "dwelling on it."

I'm sorry if you think the topic is not worth discussing.

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It sounds to me you are just looking for validation to leave the seller a neutral because they didn't acknowledge your scolding.   What is there to discuss?   

[albertabrightalberta]

"Dwelling" or not, the seller's misuse of USPS property when not used in the intended manner is one of several reasons why USPS is raising rates, losing money and costing all of us (even those who don't cheat) more to send and receive.

We're all paying for misuse of postal supplies and if it continues, I won't be surprised when USPS starts charging for those supplies.

[buyselljack2016]

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@decorating_is_my_game wrote:

I bought an item with my selling ID that was mailed First Class. The package arrived safely & in a timely manner. The seller has been selling about 1 year and is a TRS with no negs or neutrals with seller feedback of 300 or so.

When I opened the package I found the seller had used 2 free PM padded envelopes to package the items in. I messaged the seller 2 weeks ago and stated that I would not be leaving them feedback for the following reason:

"I was disappointed when I saw a First Class package & when opened I saw that you had used free Priority Mail shipping supplies to cushion my purchase. Free Priority Mail supplies are to be used ONLY in packages being mailed at a Priority Mailing Rate.

This misuse of supplies costs all sellers. If this keeps up, those free PM supplies will no longer be free. They cost the USPS money to produce. BTW, the post office has a habit of randomly opening packages for inspection. If you are caught doing this, you may get a visit from the inspector and/ or lose your ability to use the USPS for shipping purposes."

Silly me, but I was expecting some type of reply to my message. Maybe something along the lines of "I'm sorry, I did not know the rules about PM supplies." Heck, any type of reply acknowledging my message would be better than nothing!

So far no reply. I am now rethinking leaving feedback but I am afraid if I do that they may retaliate using another ID. I have blocked the sellers ID.

I was thinking of leaving this neutral feedback if I do leave it:

"Nice item. Misused free Priority Mail supplies as packing for First Class mail."

Opinions please. TIA.

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It is irritating when sellers, or anyone else misuses supplies from USPS, UPS, or FedEx, but it has nothing to do with your item purchased. Rate those areas in your feedback, or leave no feedback if you are that upset about something not related to the transaction.

If you would like to, you can report that person to the USPS for misuse. Do they care? Probably. Will they do anything about it? Probably not.

I am not surprised that the seller did not respond. They most likely already know what they are doing is wrong.

EDIT: buying/selling on same ID is a poor business model,

[decorating_is_my_game]

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@green-night wrote:

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@decorating_is_my_game wrote:

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@green-night wrote:

You are still dwelling on this after 2 weeks of messaging the seller?  

Yeah I think maybe you should just let it go. 

---

I don't think posting this thread is "dwelling on it."

I'm sorry if you think the topic is not worth discussing.

---

It sounds to me you are just looking for validation to leave the seller a neutral because they didn't acknowledge your scolding.   What is there to discuss?   

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I don't need validation from you or anyone else. My message to the seller was not intended to scold but to "inform" what I assumed was a seller that may not have known the rules.

[decorating_is_my_game]

@buyselljack2016

I usually don't use my selling ID to buy with. This was a mistake on my part.

[redline_auto_llc]

This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but considering that I've given the USPS tens of thousands of dollars this year, if I've got a small box and I'm short on packing materials, but have a padded envelope or two? You better believe I'm going to use it. It's just like the priority mail tape isn't supposed to be used as tape, but everyone, including postal employees, uses it that way. Same deal with stacking multiple priority mail boxes to make one bigger box.

There's no way I'd even message the seller, much less still be worried about it two weeks later. First of all, I don't know their situation, and second, it's just not worth my time.

[danif52]

Gee thanks, you're part of why I have to order free supplies and wait for weeks, rather than being able to go get them from my post office

[redline_auto_llc]

No, the reason you have to order them online is that most post offices don't have the capacity to stock and shelve hundreds of boxes in 15 different flavors. They keep the flat rate stuff in stock in low quantities because it's basically an upsell opportunity to people who don't know any better. Keeping enough of them on hand to actually satisfy demand would be incredibly inefficient use of their time and resources. I order the Priority mail boxes by the hundred, pretty sure the clerks at the PO don't want to deal with that.

[fern*wood]

I wouldn't leave feedback since you told them you wouldn't and explained why.  It also annoys me when sellers misuse the Priority supplies and I appreciate you letting them know.

Some people are the type to never say they are sorry, but  I'm sure they heard you.  Hopefully they listen.

[sam9876]

I probably would have negged them.