Sellers stealing USPS free shipping supplies to use as internal padding

[brandonsvsu]

This seems to be rampant these days - sellers taking free USPS supplies, such as bubble mailers and boxes, and using them as packing material.  At least 1/3 of my stuff I buy comes this way, and today I received the most obnoxious example yet.  I bought 12 sticks of vintage computer ram.  It was packaged as follows:

6 USPS customs declarations pouches, each containing 2 sticks of ram.

2 of these of those each wrapped in a Priority Mail bubble mailer (so 3 mailers)

Each of the 3 mailers packed into a USPS small priority flat rate box.

The entire Priority box enclosed in a cheap plastic outer cover, shipped via FIRST CLASS PACKAGE.

Sure seems like theft and a federal crime to me.

[perry7611]

And the problem is ???

[brandonsvsu]

The problem?  It's illegal.  That's the problem.   It literally says right on the pouches, for example, that "misuse may be a violation of federal law."

Those free materials are technically still property of the USPS and it is not legal to use them for anything other than their intended purpose.  Using them for internal packaging, especially when then shipping via a lower-cost shipping method, is absolutely misuse.

[albertabrightalberta]

It ticks me off when sellers do that! And those scofflaws are the same people who complain when USPS keeps raising rates! Who do they think pays for all that misuse of priority supplies!?!

I'm with you, @brandonsvsu on this! 

[dolcetreasures]

😂

[mtgraves7984]

@brandonsvsu 

Quick question... aside from the seller's thieving from USPS, did you actually pay the seller for First Class delivery? I only ask because if you paid for Priority, you've got a NAD claim. 

[the_fancy_fox]

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@brandonsvsu wrote:

The problem?  It's illegal.  That's the problem.   It literally says right on the pouches, for example, that "misuse may be a violation of federal law."

Those free materials are technically still property of the USPS and it is not legal to use them for anything other than their intended purpose.  Using them for internal packaging, especially when then shipping via a lower-cost shipping method, is absolutely misuse.

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So take it to your post office and complain. I’m to the point I don’t care anymore. If the PO doesn’t care should I?  

I use the free supplies very rarely and I have never received a package such as you describe. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

What does a person do with all the International Pouches when they now sign up for GSP and don't ship direct international anymore? 

[tdebuys]

You are absolutely 100% correct.  Having said that, I no longer ship USPS because they won't pay their insurance claims even when you pay extra. So, I care less about USPS.  If people are stealing off of them it's no worse than they do to people.  Two wrongs don't make a right and I agree, and nobody should abuse the Post Office, but  I just can't find any sympathy for them because they don't keep their promises to  us.  

[simba6]

Even USPS can't seem to say it's not allowed.

"  It literally says right on the pouches, for example, that "misuse may be a violation of federal law."

It "may" be a violation of federal law?    Got to get a lawyer to look at how that law is written. 

[ms.rodriguez*]

Maybe you should care since the post office is funded by everyone that uses the post office. You might not use them to ship but when you buy online and pay a higher shipping cost because the postal rates went up again, then you should care.   I am sure that you get mail shipped USPS at least a few times a week.  It could be bills too or Christmas cards.

[itscalledapostingid]

These threads are always interesting to read the responses.

This topic is a perfect litmus test to show who has ethics and who does not.

[spark-chaser1]

X2.  This is a really big deal, and every time postage goes up, this is certainly a factor. 

[shado-x]

The problem? It's illegal. That's the problem.   It literally says right on the pouches, for example, that "misuse may be a violation of federal law."

Maybe to you, maybe to the seller, but to a Judge, maybe not.  The seller still, disingenuously, shipped the items by "use of the mail", rather than stuff the RAM in those mailers to take to the scrap yard.  That's why the word "may" is ambiguous.  I also do not believe that a third of what you receive are from immoral sellers misusing free USPS products as internal packaging material.

[theteamsetguy]

Bring them back to the post office. That’s what I do when I have usps supplies I no longer need.