ebay Standard Envelope

[olympiclinic]

Hey fellow ebay sellers, will we be able to use the "ebay Standard Envelope" to ship other things like Event Ticket Stubs, Sports Patches, Pins, Photographs or Postcards and stuff like that.  Stuff that is just an ounce or so and are inexpensive.   If they will not allow this I will be increasing my minimum shipping charge from $3.50 to $4.00.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

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@carlqsportscards wrote:

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@shipscript wrote:

@comics-scifi-collectibles 

7"x9" exceeds the first class letter limits of  6-1/8" x 11-1/2" max.

If eBay recommended the 7x9 chipboard mailer, then something is amiss. This is from eBay's page:

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I think it was a 6x8 mailer that was recommended. But there's another thread where someone said they mailed out 10 of the 6x8 mailers, supposedly following all of ebay's rules, and had 8 returned with postage due.

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@carlqsportscards  The 6 x 8 mailers are plastic so they won't work unless there were other sizes of the cardboard ones that are now sold out.

[indcolts18287-2]

You have to be on a desktop. Wont show up on mobile 

[cpstuff]

I experienced the same situation at my Post Office, they could not scan at the counter, so I just let them mail them, Today Monday I see the tracking working at the next level of service, my local branch cannot track it. Looks like all is working, just a learning curve for a new product. Thank you eBay for making this wonderful experience for both Buyer and Seller...AAA+++ (5 Stars) - Carl

[sweetjamesj]

Why would this only be for sports cards?

[revenue-collector]

It is starting with sports cards. They will be expanding it to other categories.

My hope is that the stamps category will be included. It logically makes sense, therefore eBay won't do it. 😉

I am concerned about the language that eBay uses in the envelope requirements. "Not too rigid" is meaningless and can't be found anywhere in the DMM. By USPS standards, an envelope or mailer is either rigid or it is not. There is no such standard as "not too rigid". The USPS has specific weight/bending tests to determine whether a mailing is "rigid", and the very cardboard mailers that eBay recommends most definitely *ARE* classified as rigid by the USPS and thus garner the nonmachineable surcharge.

eBay needs to stick to using industry-standard terminology, not just making stuff up as they go along.

[shipscript]

@revenue-collector 

Not too rigid — I use the test that if I can bend it around my coffee cup, it is "not too rigid".

In reality, I think only a 22 degree bend is required in the high speed sorters, which would mean an envelope that can be curled a quarter or eighth way around a coffee cup would be good to go.

Stiff CD mailers will NOT work here.

The top image below shows how a rolling feeder tames a dumpster load of letters for the conveyor belts; and the bottom image below shows flipper arms moving an envelope around a 22 degree bend to the chosen fork in a high-speed sorting machine. High-speed means these letters are literally a blur.

Postal Sorting

[revenue-collector]

My point is that we're getting conflicting guidance here. If we're only supposed to toss a card into a #10 envelope with no stiffeners or protection and not use cardboard mailers, why would I ever want to use this service? It's just asking for the contents to get mangled going through those automated sorters.

Right now I pay the 15-cent 1st Class nonmachineable surcharge and ship in cardboard mailers, sans tracking. In the long run, it's far better for the goods being shipped and buyer satisfaction than to try and skimp and not protect the items.

eBay Standard Envelope: Tracking, no item protection, save 20 cents

Nonmachineable 1st class: No tracking, item is protected, costs 20 cents more

YMMV, but assuming eBay is wrong about being able to use rigid mailers, this is a nonstarter, at least for me, once it gets opened up to other categories... I suppose as a middle ground one could throw a card in a top loader and then into a #10 envelope. Then some of it will be rigid and some not, possibly allowing the envelope to go through the sorters, but at least then the card will be protected.

[surfin9al]

So far, I've sent out five of these using the new standard envelope postage. Two have been delivered with no issues. One was supposed to go to Florida, but it's currently sitting in Puerto Rico, according to tracking. Two others were sent out earlier this week but tracking is showing they haven't left my city (although they both show as at least scanned).

I packaged mine using a regular envelope and two strips of thin cereal box cardboard, with the cards in the middle. I've sent a couple in just penny sleeves and team bags and a couple that had cards in top loaders as well. Both types have been sent successfully. The only other thing I did was write "Do not bend" on the front and the back of the envelope. I've sent weights of 1, 2 and 3 ounces, so I'm hoping I followed the instructions correctly on the three outstanding items.

[shipscript]

@revenue-collector 

Like @surfin9al , I've successfully used a PWE (plain white envelope) with two sheets of thin cereal box cardboard to ship a penny through the high speed sorter (I had my post office check it during acceptance). It went through just fine. It just needs to have enough flexibility to bend around the flippers and rollers without jamming.

[schma60714]

My label printed out fine in landscape with address on the longest side, took item to the post office but there's no bar code to scan. I shipped it out 5 days ago and the tracking still says the same thing as the day I printed the label "label created tracking # uploaded" but still after 5 days the tracking has not updated even once and it doesn't say in transit yet and doesn't even say the item was accepted yet. So if the buyer checks the tracking # they'll think I haven't even shipped it out yet. I did everything Ebay said to do but the tracking is not working. Not sure how it can work with nothing for the post office to scan. Anyone else having this problem?

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

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@schma60714 wrote:

My label printed out fine in landscape with address on the longest side, took item to the post office but there's no bar code to scan. I shipped it out 5 days ago and the tracking still says the same thing as the day I printed the label "label created tracking # uploaded" but still after 5 days the tracking has not updated even once and it doesn't say in transit yet and doesn't even say the item was accepted yet. So if the buyer checks the tracking # they'll think I haven't even shipped it out yet. I did everything Ebay said to do but the tracking is not working. Not sure how it can work with nothing for the post office to scan. Anyone else having this problem?

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@schma60714   This isn't true tracking it can only be read by the sorting machines and not by scanners at the counter or handheld devices by a postman. 

The tracking can only be checked using this site>

 https://www.trackmyshipment.co/shipment-tracking

[keystoneiss]

I don't think were going to get an answer to your question.  Among other things, I sell small low cost repair parts and items for scale railroaders and I also sell collector stamps, and most sales are well below $10-$20.  I think this method should be open to any category/product that can ship in a 1st class letter envelope.

I'm hoping that eBay is using sports cards as a "beta test" before opening it up but I'm not holding my breath.

I think we're just stuck with either no tracking or charging for 1st class package rates.  This pushes prices up and seller out of the market on small and low cost items.  I guess that depends on how much value you put on "top rated". Doubt that eBay really cares one way or the other.

There may be an option but I'm not sure eBay would accept their tracking numbers... check out https://trackletters.com/

[nobody*s_perfect]

"I'm hoping that eBay is using sports cards as a "beta test" before opening it up but I'm not holding my breath."

The original announcement did say that they planned to add more categories. But we know that eBay has their own special definition of "Soon."

[keystoneiss]

Thanks, I had not noticed that mentioned in anything I've read.  As you noted, Let's hope soon is a reasonable time frame.

[skatersedge14]

You have to put less than 3 oz weight and the dimension around 1x7x12