And my quest against the USPS continues...

[Kitsune Sniper]

... Ugh.

I grabbed a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope today to ship out some carts that were part of a GameTZ trade. I wrapped the carts (three SFC games) in a plastic bag, and then wrapped that with bubble wrap; afterwards I taped them both so the carts wouldn't move around. Then I stuck it in the envelope and added the shipping label and whatnot.

So I go to the clerk, and he tells me I can't ship it that way. According to him, "Only documents are allowed in a flat rate mailer."

... What?

I checked. He's full of SHIT. The carts did not warp the envelope in any significant way. I sealed it properly, and he pulled this shit on me. Not to mention they've always said I can't use tape to reinforce the package, when the rules say I can.

Well, I'm fed up with this. Does anyone know who I can contact to file a formal complaint? I think this proves these clerks have never read the damn postal rules. Do I have to complain to my local postmaster, the state one, or the national one?

[Starwander]

One solution to your problem might be to use an online postal solution like Pay-pal or Stamps.com. Both of which allow you to print postage at home. That way you wouldn’t have to deal with the postal clerks since you directly bypass them. As an added bonus you can simply drop off your packages in your mail box and your mail person will pick them up for you, so no more unnecessary trips to the post office. I have been using Stamps.com for a year+ and have never had a problem before. I use the flat rate enveloped on a regular basis and have filled them far beyond their intended limits without so much as a peep from the post office.

[Kitsune Sniper]

That isn't an option. I don't have a printer. Also, I can't "bypass" the clerks. Even if I dropped off all the mail at the post office, they still inspect them before handing them to the people who sort the mail out.

Not to mention I really really REALLY hate electronic postage because there's no accurate date of shipment recorded. At most, you get a "Your item was expected for delivery on X date" message. Even if the item is mailed two weeks later, the system says that it was expected on a certain date.

[dgordon86]

You know what you should do? Bring down whatever piece of legal shipping rules you can find along with your package and tell them you want to ship. If they give you gruff, then you simply start accusing them of going against the whats written (start acting like an angry consumer, more likely will work).
Then, on top of that-- file a complaint with a higher USPS authority.

explain how you go into other branches and have NO issues. (is that the case?)

you dish bullshit to them on both a local level and a regional level. I don't see how you can loose. Unless, in retaliation they mess with your postage.

[Vectorman0]

Find a post office and make friends with the clerks there. They give me a ton of candy every time I go, and they cover up the stickers on flat rate boxes for me if the shipping comes out to below the flat rate. Now that's what I call service.

[Kitsune Sniper]

You know what you should do? Bring down whatever piece of legal shipping rules you can find along with your package and tell them you want to ship. If they give you gruff, then you simply start accusing them of going against the whats written (start acting like an angry consumer, more likely will work).
Then, on top of that-- file a complaint with a higher USPS authority.

explain how you go into other branches and have NO issues. (is that the case?)

you dish bullshit to them on both a local level and a regional level. I don't see how you can loose. Unless, in retaliation they mess with your postage.

I intend to do that. Well, bring the printed rules with me.

And Vectorman0 - they ARE my friends already. Some of 'em at least. But I've gotten this bullshit from five of the six clerks there. I wonder where they're getting these guidelines from.

[ryborg]

And Vectorman0 - they ARE my friends already. Some of 'em at least.

Ask one of your clerk friends for information on your area's district/regional manager. Don't bother with the actual postmaster/supervisors of your local office; they are almost always useless.

Calling the district manager will accomplish two things: A) you'll get your problems heard by someone who will work with you to fix the problem, and B) the district manager will raise hell at your local branch to shape up.

I've read about all of your PO problems and you definitely have a case. Make sure you write all your recent problems down and bring evidence (if any) if you decide to talk to the district guy. Fight the power!

[Kejoriv]

Find a post office and make friends with the clerks there. They give me a ton of candy every time I go, and they cover up the stickers on flat rate boxes for me if the shipping comes out to below the flat rate. Now that's what I call service.

Exactly. I know all the clerks at my local post office. Little old ladies. They think of me as their grandkid.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Here's a small update.

I shipped some more stuff on Tuesday. I didn't use any flat rate envelopes, so whatever. Well, I noticed that the same clerk did the same thing with another customer, a female who had packed an item in the same way I had. He gave her one of those Priority Mail baggies and told her to put the sealed envelope in there instead.

So not only is he refusing to let people ship via Priority Flat Rate Envelopes, he's also breaking rules by allowing the use of Priority Mail materials as padding. (I got yelled at for doing this once, blargh.)

Well, whatever. I found a small business that lets me dump UPS boxes there if I bring them all packaged and with the proper labels. As soon as I can get an ink cartridge for my old printer, I'll start using UPS for US-based packages instead.

On that note, has anyone gotten emails from UPS regarding discounts for Paypal users? I've been trying to sign up but I can't, the server always times out.