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Thread: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

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    Avoiding OT Vectorman0's Avatar
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    Default USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    I've always used tons of the shipping supplies that the USPS offers for free on their website, and it surely has saved me money and gotten them more business. I usually try to only use the stuff for what it is meant for, as the boxes say something along the lines of "this is property of the USPS and may only be used for shipping priority/EMS mail and it may be against the law to use these for something else."

    It's pretty vague and I've always wondered what exactly the story was regarding this issue. Today I did lots of searching on usps.com, google, and here, yet I couldn't find any more information. They seem to really care about it because all of the newer items are plastered with even more "PRIORITY MAIL" text on them. Only the bigger boxes aren't labeled on the inside.

    Is it only illegal to use this stuff to ship items outside of the USPS via UPS/DHL/FedEx, etc? Or would fliping a priority box inside out and sending parcel be "illegal" as well?

    One nice thing is that the flat rate boxes that are sized very nicely can still be shipped inside out via priority without violating anything the box says.

    Anyone have more insight as to all of this?


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    I made the mistake of turning a priority box inside out and taping it shut solid. There were no markings on the box that said Priority or USPS, but somehow they knew it was a priority box They charged the person who I was delivering to the difference in shipping from media. It wasnt to big a deal because the person I was dealing with is a board member elsewhere and we have dealt with each other before.

    I just included the difference in our next transaction
    I did not intentionally mean to cheap USPS out of the box. I was just unaware of the rule (law?).

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    I don't know any specifics, but I've always assumed that the boxes were provided were because they were for Priority... the postal service sells boxes for parcel/media/first class; it wouldn't make sense for them to give away Priority boxes and then not care if you used it elsewhere.

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    I flipped some inside out before and used it that way. I called their 800 # and the girl said you can use the supplies as long as it is used to ship via USPS and not another carrier. So I carried on.

    I too would like to know more about it since she was pretty vague.
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    Technically, Priority/Express supplies are for Priority/Express only. You aren't supposed to use them for anything else, like sending a different rate, carrier, building furniture, starting bonfires, etc.

    However, if you order supplies online, they get shipped in boxes that aren't marked and could be reused for other services. Heh heh heh.

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    I've used them in the UK, but then I'd imagine there could never be a problem with that

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    Quote Originally Posted by FABombjoy
    Technically, Priority/Express supplies are for Priority/Express only. You aren't supposed to use them for anything else, like sending a different rate, carrier, building furniture, starting bonfires, etc.

    However, if you order supplies online, they get shipped in boxes that aren't marked and could be reused for other services. Heh heh heh.
    As mentioned above, you can't use Priority Mail or Express Mail shipping materials that the USPS provides for free to ship anything in First Class or Parcel Post (or international ones). I tried it once and got yelled at. BADLY. ;;
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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vectorman0
    I've always used tons of the shipping supplies that the USPS offers for free
    These items are not truly "free" because you PAY for them when you ship your priority item. The 25 cents the box costs is included in the $4.05 fee.

    And no you shouldn't use it for other things like media or 1st class mail. Those Mail Rates do not include the 25 cent box fee.

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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    Quote Originally Posted by kevin_psx
    These items are not truly "free" because you PAY for them when you ship your priority item. The 25 cents the box costs is included in the $4.05 fee.

    And no you shouldn't use it for other things like media or 1st class mail. Those Mail Rates do not include the 25 cent box fee.
    Uh. No. You don't pay ANYTHING for the materials. They're 100% FREE. There is no charge for using them at all. If you ship an item inside a normal box (via Priority Mail) or inside a Priority Mail box, and they weigh the same, you pay THE SAME PRICE.
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    kevin_psx, what the hell are you talking about? You are making up this $0.25 number out of nowhere. They probably make more money off of EMS and Priority, and that's why they offer boxes for them as opposed to the other shipping methods.

    Do videogame stores have a secret built in $1 fee to help combat the people who sneak off with a game in their coat without paying?


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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    Don't get hung up on the "25". Was just an example.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kitsune Sniper
    Quote Originally Posted by kevin_psx
    These items are not truly "free" because you PAY for them when you ship your priority item. The 25 cents [or whatever the box costs] is included in the $4.05 fee.

    And no you shouldn't use it for other things like media or 1st class mail. Those Mail Rates do not include the 25 cent box fee.
    Uh. No. You don't pay ANYTHING for the materials. They're 100% FREE. There is no charge for using them at all.
    Riiiiight. You don't understand how business works.
    - Advertising.
    - Employee wages.
    - Building rent.
    - Free boxes.

    It is all included in the price. WE the customer pay the Post Office's expenses. --->And boxes are an expense. So we pay for them in the pricetag.




    And maybe you're right. Maybe USPS should give a priority_discount to people who use their own envelopes. Like my grocery store gives 10 cents when I use my own bags. (shrug) But not really the point of this chat.

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    idk..ive wraped used boxes before but never new ones as fear of them not getting there.

    Once a lady was mailing something to canada in a priority box and the clerk said sorry cant do this. So she goes okay what can i do? The clerk wispered to her to just wrap it in cunstruction paper and send it. So obv she didnt care, but im sure some people do.

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    I've RE-used priority mail boxes to ship things via media mail before. As far as I'm concerned, once they're shipped via priority mail once then it's fair use to re-use them however I want.

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    As for me, personally, I've turned the boxes inside out and shipped them like that (first-class, Priority, media, international, etc.) without problem. How? I cover them almost completely (except for an area sizable enough to put the addresses) with duct tape...
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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    The only thing that sucks about using Priority boxes is their weight. If I ship a game and the total weight is 2lbs it is $6.05 to ship, if it weighs 2.0000001lbs it is $9.

    The big priority box almost weighs a pound alone.
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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    Quote Originally Posted by XianXi
    The only thing that sucks about using Priority boxes is their weight. If I ship a game and the total weight is 2lbs it is $6.05 to ship, if it weighs 2.0000001lbs it is $9.

    The big priority box almost weighs a pound alone.
    If it's a jewel case/dvd case game, I just shove em in flat-rate envelopes. Of course, it's no good for anything with a crushable box.

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    Default Re: USPS Boxes & Supplies - Legality of uses?

    Quote Originally Posted by tylerwillis
    Quote Originally Posted by XianXi
    The only thing that sucks about using Priority boxes is their weight. If I ship a game and the total weight is 2lbs it is $6.05 to ship, if it weighs 2.0000001lbs it is $9.

    The big priority box almost weighs a pound alone.
    If it's a jewel case/dvd case game, I just shove em in flat-rate envelopes. Of course, it's no good for anything with a crushable box.
    Why ship them in flat rate envelopes? Just ship them first class in a bubble mailer or a light, but thick cardboard box. It'll take the same amount of time as Priority Mail, and if the item weighs less than 13 ounces, it's cheaper. Anything over 13 ounces gets bumped up to Priority automatically.

    I offer both First Class and Priority in many auctions. Most people go for Priority. Go figure. :P
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    I buy envelopes for ~25 cents.

    And ship dvds/cd 1st class at about $1.30 + DC. 1st class if often as fast as priority.

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