Fighting with the USPS over ebay standard envelopes - Semi-Rigid vs. Top Loaders?

[goopiecrisp]

I've been in an ongoing battle with the local USPS as despite the ebay standard envelope allowing up to two top loaders, the local post office refuses to ship them if they have toploaders.  I can pay extra at the post office for non-sortable, which I've done, but each time I do, tracking info is never updated and I get dinged in the metrics.  Some people have also reported they never got them.  The local PO has also sent back standard envelopes with toploaders if I've been the buyer. Our local USPS is very shortstaffed and I don't trust them with anything they can't just scan and throw into the pile.  I've switched to either using lots, or single cards with first class shipping that eats into profits, but I have a host of lower-priced cards I can't compete with the standard shipping prices this way.  I've been thinking of maybe using semi-rigid holders like Card Saver I instead of top loaders.  I'm concerned about cards getting bent this way or damaged.  I'm looking for thoughts and advice as I'm staring at a lot of cards without a great way to ship them in a way I'm confident they won't get damaged.

[fortwaynecards]

I ship the exact same way as you do minus the invoice. The problem I am having is the people at the post office in my area know what is in the envelope. So they are considering it merchandise. I had absolutely no issues at all when just using a stamp. Going to deal with it as long as I can. 

[murphy71605]

I would have a talk with the postmaster at that location and not a lowly clerk. It's none of their business what is inside the envelope as long as you are in compliance.

[tripcrown]

I know they don't get scanned at the PO. They get scanned somewhere else down the road, prolly at the first distribution center it arrives at. I'm able to ship with just the toploader in an envelope, no extra padding or protection, except for the topload is in a team bag. Many PO are not familiar with this label, and need some schooling on it.

[wolfscards]

Been using ebay standard envelopes for approximately one year with only a few problems.  Did have two returned when the tear open tags got bent and were greater than 1/4 inch.  Since then I have been cutting the tags off and no further issues.  I do run the envelopes through a roller to loosen them up to some degree.  The current problem today is the address printed out during the shipment process may not be what is registered on USPS for delivery.  I had a postal worker go verify the last two non delivery items in detail, and one was that the receipient was not registered at that address, and the other receipient now longer lived at that address.  The scanning would reject the intransit move when this happens and no further tracking will be shown.  The employee also stated the ebay envelope is considered to be metered mail, which means problem issues are stored in a separate work home until someone has time.

[jessiegarren]

I put any-TYPE of card top-loader (even RIGID) into a folded Card-Stock (*not* Paper)...tape it in-place....fold card-stock over it once (maybe also a good large index card would work)....and tape the folded card-stock together....and it makes it SMOOTH and very machine-able.....3 years of doing it and never a kick-back. 

[1786davycrockett]

@tripcrown 

"Many PO are not familiar with this label, and need some schooling on it."

The ESE is simply one more example of USPS Metered Mail, which is used by hundreds of thousands of postal customers every day -- so it is not anything about which post offices "need some schooling."

The problems that exist with the ESEs seem to be largely resulting from eBay sellers either not making the envelopes FLEXIBLE enough, or attempting to mail contents which are HEAVIER than the the matching price on the meter (eg, a TWO ounce ESE can NOT be mailed at the metered price of 60 cents).

I've been using the ESEs for several years now, with no problems, no returns and no damaged contents.

[slyders_finds]

I think this is a USPS meeting they had to cutdown on workload. I have sold trading cards with no problem until recently. And it was all within Specs. I just think the Employee was having a bad day(or overzealous new employee) and took it out on my little envelope. 

[no-plain-white-envelopes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO8zCVITRTI&t=370s 

check this out you can do either Toploader or Card Saver

[gosumagic]

How is the card saver working out for you?

[fortwaynecards]

They don't work lots of damaged cards and still issues of wanting more postage 

[fortwaynecards]

Huge update Post Office agreed with eBay on the rules for these ESE shipments. Sat down with a postmaster yesterday. They are not honoring their deal and starting February 1st was told post offices in my area are going to start refusing ESE shipments. Fellow sports card sellers beware!! It will probably be every post office at some point.

[1786davycrockett]

@fortwaynecards 

"Sat down with a postmaster yesterday. They are not honoring their deal and starting February 1st was told post offices in my area are going to start refusing ESE shipments."

Since the eBay Standard Envelope is a contracted business mailing service between USPS and eBay (identical to millions of other contracted metered mail services throughout the United States), the post offices in your area will then be in violation of interfering with the delivery of legitimate contracted United States mail, which is a Federal offense.

Contact your Congressional representative, and also send a registered letter of complaint to the Postmaster General in Washington, D. C.  In addition, contact the United States Attorney General to report an interference and interruption of interstate mail by USPS employees.   Also notify the media representatives in your town (newspapers, TV, radio, blogs, etc) that your local post offices are conspiring to violate legitimate contracted USPS mailing services.

Don't be quiet about this:  your local post offices sound like they plan to deliberately interfere with the legitimate delivery of United States mail, and that's a very serious Federal offense.

[rainbowcomicsandcards]

I have found when we send out cards we have it in a top loader and then in a folded piece of thinner cardboard and then use a piece of painters tape to tape it in the center of the envelope so it doesn't slide around and stays in the middle, since doing this have only had an issue with one envelope.  We just use regular sized envelopes that are a little stronger (more for like a Birthday/Christmas card envelope). Also make sure when putting the labels on they are straight so they don't have any issue going through the meter mail machine.

[fortwaynecards]

Thanks for the response. They have been messing with mine already for about the last month. I've been getting stacks back many with the required $1.11 marked as can only ship USPS Ground Advantage. Funny thing is many of them are under the thickness and technically should have only had to pay .63. Also in these stacks were shipments sent by other sellers in my area so they aren't even paying attention to who's shipping things. Lol. Lawsuit is being filed Monday morning.