View Full Version : Free USPS Boxes, really...
Cirrus
03-14-2005, 08:14 AM
I'm sorry if this has been discussed before, but if it has, I still think it will be useful for some for me to post this. This is a site where discussion of getting boxes is in nearly every thread, which makes a thread about this hard to search for.
Anyway, you can get 25 free USPS shipping boxes (per day!) through the USPS site:
http://ebaysupplies.usps.com/
No shipping, delivered right to your door. You have to be an ebay member, but that's about it. I think you can get 25 of each type of box, once per day. Sort of nice considering how pricey they can get when you are sending multiple games to folks.
We could certainly use them for shipping games to each other. Hope this helped someone. :)
digitalpress
03-14-2005, 08:33 AM
You don't have to be an eBay member. You can order them directly through the www.usps.com site. I've been doing it for years.
Thanks for the link... no more Staples runs for me!
Except for today :(
asnozz
03-14-2005, 09:23 AM
lol what a surprise! they dont supply the UK :angry: (although Im not surprised since it is the US postal service ;) )
oleanhosting
03-14-2005, 10:21 AM
My wife get very mad at me yesterday when a USPS truck showed up with 500 boxes (20 cases) as she had to lug them downstairs as I was out. :evil:
WanganRunner
03-14-2005, 10:26 AM
Wow, I had no idea you could do this....
Thanks!
Sniderman
03-14-2005, 10:57 AM
I'll do you one better:
http://www.usps.com/cgi-bin/api/shipping_label.htm
1. Punch in your address.
2. Punch in address where your parcel's going to.
3. Hit Enter.
4. Website will check first, to make sure recieving address is valid. No more problems with "Lexington St." vs. "Lexington Ave." vs. "Lexington Dr."
5. Website will pop up a fully finished USPS Priority Mail Shipping Label complete with shipping receipt. You just have to print the screen.
6. Did I mention that label comes with FREE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION PRINTED ON IT? Yup, Delivery Confirmation and it doesn't cost you or your customer a single extra cent. At 40 cents a crack, that saves you money, while ensuring your stuff gets delivered. A great freebie service.
tholly
03-14-2005, 02:31 PM
sweet....i never knew that you could get all that stuff for free shipped to you....it was always a pain driving to the post office to get boxes
Drexel923
03-14-2005, 03:18 PM
Cool...just ordered some boxes. Thanks for the info.
Stingray
03-14-2005, 03:33 PM
FYI, you can get the same stuff here:
http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/home.jsp
The ebay link requires that you have sold something on ebay in the last 30 days. All of the deals that I do are through the various gaming forums.
-S
Cirrus
03-14-2005, 05:08 PM
Where exactly on that page can you get the free boxes? I'm having trouble finding it...
edit: Found it! Took a bit though, it's here:
http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/display_products/productCategory.jsp?prodCat=/Shipping+Supplies/Flat+Rate+Boxes
Also, if you just mark off the priority part, could you still send stuff first class, etc...? Or will that be too obvious?
Sph1nx
03-14-2005, 07:31 PM
I used to do this and they shipped to canada. Think they stopped allowing us to though. (No idea why)
Insaneclown
03-14-2005, 10:09 PM
Thats old news!
racecar
03-14-2005, 11:33 PM
I used to do this and they shipped to canada. Think they stopped allowing us to though. (No idea why)
damn !! i was hoping to get some to pack up my pcb's and cps2 stuff :(
Sniderman
03-15-2005, 06:16 AM
Also, if you just mark off the priority part, could you still send stuff first class, etc...? Or will that be too obvious?
NOOOOOO! They will NOT accept that. Since they are providing free stuff to ship Priority Mail, they will ship it Priority Mail REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU MARK THE BOX. Turn it inside out, mark out Priority MAil, wrap it in brown paper, etc. It doesn't matter. Use their boxes, it goes Priority MAil.
Want to ship First Class? Get your own damn box.
(learned the hard way after trying to ship $4 worth of First CLass mail and they charged me $25+ for Priority MAil shipping 'cause "It's in a Priority Mail box." I suggest you not even try, for they are serious about it.)
Sph1nx
03-15-2005, 06:34 AM
wrap it in brown paper?
I don't see how they could possibly do that if it was wrapped in brown wrapping paper.
Sniderman
03-15-2005, 08:29 AM
wrap it in brown paper?
I don't see how they could possibly do that if it was wrapped in brown wrapping paper.
Priority Mail boxes are a very distinct size and shape. They fold together in a very specific way (the smaller "video" boxes). Then go ahead and try it. I bet they'll still catch ya.
And, by the way, the Post Office frowns upon the whole "brown paper wrapping" thing. You might as well bale it up with twine like they for packages back in the 1940's.
Cirrus
03-15-2005, 10:04 AM
Oh well, I suppose Priority shipping it is... right? Also, doesn't priority come with tracking/confirmation automatically?
Drexel923
03-15-2005, 10:05 AM
Oh well, I suppose Priority shipping it is... right? Also, doesn't priority come with tracking/confirmation automatically?
No...tracking is extra.
Sniderman
03-15-2005, 10:19 AM
Oh well, I suppose Priority shipping it is... right? Also, doesn't priority come with tracking/confirmation automatically?
6. Did I mention that label comes with FREE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION PRINTED ON IT? Yup, Delivery Confirmation and it doesn't cost you or your customer a single extra cent. At 40 cents a crack, that saves you money, while ensuring your stuff gets delivered. A great freebie service.
vulcanjedi
03-15-2005, 02:27 PM
Hmm
I'm spoiled.
I live less than 2 blocks from a post office. And I can think of nothing better than standing in a 20 minute line to get a few empty boxes :)
VJ
Griking
03-16-2005, 12:22 AM
wrap it in brown paper?
I don't see how they could possibly do that if it was wrapped in brown wrapping paper.
Priority Mail boxes are a very distinct size and shape. They fold together in a very specific way (the smaller "video" boxes). Then go ahead and try it. I bet they'll still catch ya.
I guess I've just been really lucky for the past few years then because nobody's ever questioned me about it in my local post office.
Griking
03-16-2005, 12:27 AM
I'll do you one better:
http://www.usps.com/cgi-bin/api/shipping_label.htm
1. Punch in your address.
2. Punch in address where your parcel's going to.
3. Hit Enter.
4. Website will check first, to make sure recieving address is valid. No more problems with "Lexington St." vs. "Lexington Ave." vs. "Lexington Dr."
5. Website will pop up a fully finished USPS Priority Mail Shipping Label complete with shipping receipt. You just have to print the screen.
6. Did I mention that label comes with FREE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION PRINTED ON IT? Yup, Delivery Confirmation and it doesn't cost you or your customer a single extra cent. At 40 cents a crack, that saves you money, while ensuring your stuff gets delivered. A great freebie service.
I've got a question, how are we billed for the shipping fee this way? Also, do I still have to drop it off at the post office or can I just drop the outgoing package in my mailbox?
TeddyRuxpin
03-16-2005, 12:46 AM
They used to give out huge rolls of tape too online. But due to mass abuse of it (people using it for any task normally tackled by duct tape..) they stopped. :( However, the lady at the post office here gave me a roll and said "This never happened." :D Of course, I never abused the one roll I got from usps.com before they stopped giving it out. I still have a tiny bit left and it's lasted me forever.
TeddyRuxpin
03-16-2005, 12:54 AM
I've got a question, how are we billed for the shipping fee this way? Also, do I still have to drop it off at the post office or can I just drop the outgoing package in my mailbox?
If you have the correct amount of postage on it, you don't need insurance on it and/or it's not international, your mail carrier can pick it up. Otherwise you have to go to the post office.
A tip that everyone may not know, you can use first class stamps on priority, parcel post and media mail packages. A useful thing to know if you want to do shipping from home but don't want to (or can't) print postage from online. You can also use stamps to pay for confirmation and insurance on any type of package (assuming you take them to the PO for the proof of insurance/confirmation).
However I'm not sure about doing delivery confirmation via stamps from at home since USPS wouldn't have your copy of the confirmation form stamped in red with the date.
Sniderman
03-16-2005, 05:57 AM
I'll do you one better:
http://www.usps.com/cgi-bin/api/shipping_label.htm
1. Punch in your address.
2. Punch in address where your parcel's going to.
3. Hit Enter.
4. Website will check first, to make sure recieving address is valid. No more problems with "Lexington St." vs. "Lexington Ave." vs. "Lexington Dr."
5. Website will pop up a fully finished USPS Priority Mail Shipping Label complete with shipping receipt. You just have to print the screen.
6. Did I mention that label comes with FREE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION PRINTED ON IT? Yup, Delivery Confirmation and it doesn't cost you or your customer a single extra cent. At 40 cents a crack, that saves you money, while ensuring your stuff gets delivered. A great freebie service.
I've got a question, how are we billed for the shipping fee this way? Also, do I still have to drop it off at the post office or can I just drop the outgoing package in my mailbox?
The label I linked to does NOT have postage on it. You still gotta take it to the post office or slap some stamps on it. There ARE labels you can print where you type in your CC and the postage is printed on it. But I like to have the packages weighed, so I don't underestimate the postage and end up with it back on my porch in 3 days due to insuffient funds or postage due.
Long story short - the link above takes you to a POSTAGE-LESS LABEL. BUt DC is free.
Sph1nx
03-16-2005, 09:45 AM
They used to give out huge rolls of tape too online. But due to mass abuse of it (people using it for any task normally tackled by duct tape..) they stopped. :( However, the lady at the post office here gave me a roll and said "This never happened." :D Of course, I never abused the one roll I got from usps.com before they stopped giving it out. I still have a tiny bit left and it's lasted me forever.
Is that that ugly ass horrible white/red/blue tape?
I have a roll of this here still... worst.tape.ever.
TeddyRuxpin
03-16-2005, 11:57 AM
Is that that ugly ass horrible white/red/blue tape?
I have a roll of this here still... worst.tape.ever.
Yes and it's not that bad. I've shipped a lot of packages with it. You just have to get used to dealing with it. At first I wasted a lot due to not handling it right. Now I can do it find for the most part. A tape gun is very useful for it.