USPS returning my ebay standard envelope for "non-machinable"

[tohnny_jsunami]

Im going increasingly frustrated using ebay standard envelope to ship my trading cards. Heres whats going on.

Recently I shipped 2 plain white envelopes using ebay standard envelope for $0.57 each to ship my trading cards. Both envelopes are under 1oz, less that 1/4in thick, and within the size limits. Each had 2 card in a top loader (per ebays guidance) and half a sheet of paper as the packing slip.

Both envelopes were returned back to me stating I need to pay the "non-machinable" surcharge of $0.42, totaling $0.99 in postage.

HOWEVER I shipped other trading cards, using the same method, last month that were delivered no problem. AND I received trading cards in the ebay semi-rigid cardboard envelop that are much more thick/rigid than the plain white envelopes I am using. 

What gives? What are my options here? USPS is too inconsistent in delivering ebay standard envelopes and ebay does not have an option to add a non-machinable surcharge. Is the only option is to charge the 3oz price of $1.05? but then ebay would be charging more than what USPS is.

What are your other recent experiences using standard envelopes to ship trading cards?

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @tohnny_jsunami 

First off, if you had success previously I would take those 2 envelopes to your local Post Office and ask them WHY they were rejected? 

I have never used the eBay Standard Envelope Service BUT there have been MANY threads about issues with it.  It must be a work in progress, sorry you have to be suffering through the development phase.

[sapphire_studio]

@onefootflipper has great advice on this subject.

You don't want to use a plastic top loader. Just two pieces of cardboard (like from a cereal box or a baseball card) on both sides of the card in a cheap plastic sleeve.

Also tape it in the envelope vertically and off to the side, so the entire envelope can bend in half and it's only bending the envelope not the card. I guess some mail carriers will check to see if they can bend the envelope themselves and reject it that way.

[tohnny_jsunami]

Great advice. I'll be sure to try this method the next time i ship cards. Thank you.

[onefootflipper]

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@tohnny_jsunami wrote:

Great advice. I'll be sure to try this method the next time i ship cards. Thank you.

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Specifically you want to use those sleeves that are designed for game cards like Magic the Gathering or Pokemon, not penny sleeves, as the cards will slide out of those. Someone is always closing out some variety or color of them and you can usually end up getting them 2 cents per sleeve in bulk from one source or another, or for free if you can find a gaming friend to give you their old ones. 

[lacemaker3]

@tohnny_jsunami,

As you have experienced, eBay Standard Envelope items need to meet the standards for "machinable". If your items are being returned to your, then they don't meet the requirements. You would need to change your shipping practices if you want to continue using this shipping method.

Virtually every time, the problem has turned out to be that the package was "too rigid".

The USPS determines what is "too rigid". Your opinion of what is or is not "too rigid" is meaningless. If the USPS says it is too rigid, then it is too rigid. Period. End of sentence.

eBay's policy says "not too rigid". The USPS policy says "too rigid". They are the same. If the USPS says it is too rigid, then it doesn't meet eBay's policy for eBay Standard Envelope. Period. End of sentence.

If you want to send your cards with more-rigid packaging to protect them, then you can't use eBay Standard Envelope. There is no point to fight this. You can't win.

[1786davycrockett]

There are several USPS videos online which demonstrate the series of chutes, belts and rollers through which these envelopes MUST be able to travel at a VERY high speed -- some of these series of rollers bend the envelopes nearly in HALF; and so any envelopes which are not sufficiently flexible will clog up the system, preventing passage of not only the inflexible envelope, but ALL envelopes behind it.  The pathway must be cleared out manually, and the offending envelope will be set aside for reclassification:  sometimes the envelopes are returned to the sender, but sometimes they are sent on to the buyer, marked "postage due."

I have used the ESE multiple times, mostly with stamps and trading cards.  Stamps are inserted into glassine envelopes, and trading cards into thin plastic sleeves.  I then trim two pieces of cereal box or soda pop cardboard to fit moderately snugly inside a simple white envelope, and insert the stamp or card between the cardboard layers.  Seal the envelope, print the label, and drop off at the post office in the "metered mail" slot in the lobby (I have stopped handing the envelope in at the counter, as it seems to slow down the mailing process).

No problems on my end.

[tohnny_jsunami]

appreciate the feedback.

[tohnny_jsunami]

appreciate the insight. 

[oldskoolmadskilz]

Problem is that the bendability requirement is left up to the judgement of the clerk.  Same with thickness.  I've seen clerks reject envelopes because they didn't fall through the thickness gauge under their own weight.  I've been around sorters.  Neither of these parameters are as much of an issue as some clerks make them out to be 

[oldskoolmadskilz]

If you ask ten different postal clerks what too rigid is, you'll get 10 different answers.

[fuestor0]

Just had 3 returned this way today, i had just been putting 40 cent stamps on it, better than paying the $3.67 price gouge they are now for first class under 4oz... and i noticed NONE of them are getting scans at all along the way. That's a problem with plain white envelopes, people get them, but  don't realize it and miss it and say they didn't get it.  So i decided to go back to not adding the 40 cents, sure enough my **bleep**ed post office returned 3 back today as non machinable, which clearly was flagged by my post office, it never even made it to the center 

[schmijos]

Just experienced this for the first time today. I have shipped hundreds of cards through eBay standard envelope but yet suddenly today I have to pay a non-machinable surcharge? 

And to make it even worse eBay support offers no help whatsoever. They tell you to input false dimensions to "trick the system". Why do they not focus on fixing this rather than trying to "trick the system"?

I am done using eBay for card sales from now on. 

[kh-taylarie]

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