I am so mad.  I have sent over 90 boxes since 2003 and I always used the flat rate boxes.  I always pile them high and have to tape them up good because the flaps don't meet.  I have never paid more than the flat rate for these boxes, UNTIL YESTERDAY.  I had a new girl wait on me at the post office and she charged me almost $14.00 dollars because the box was too full.  I told her that I sent every box like that and I had always been charged the flat rate, but she said she was patriotic and everything, but that was the rule.  She also said that it might be returned to me somewhere down the line if I just paid the flat rate because it was too full.  I told her I had sent out 90 boxes just like this one and not one was ever returned to me.  She wouldn't budge.  I called them later and asked for the guy that usually waits on me and he said the girl was right, but he knew what I was doing with the boxes and never charged me more.  Believe me when I take another box the post office, I'm going to call first and see who is in the window.

Teresa Adkins 

Teresa,

That doesn't see rightI have done the same as you and that hasen't happened to me. Gosh I sent some power tools once and the flat rate box was over 2Olbs. Now they have told me that the box flaps have to close and that I can't tape the up as much but said that was more for security reasons.. If there is another post office around you you might want to try it.

Lisa

I'm going to side with the postal employee here.  I also will put extra tape on a box, just to feel safer about it- but it's pretty clear in the rules that the flat rate box must not be distorted in any way by overstuffing. If you can't even close the flaps- that is totally not the spirit of the offer.   I think part of the reason why they can offer us such a good price on these boxes is because they are all the same size and can stack snugly in a compartment.  They probably have specially made containers sized perfectly to hold x# of flat rates.  What do you think happens to a whole palletfull of boxes when there is one non-conformist in the lot which is elbowing everyone else out of the stack?

I have seen some photos soldiers sent from christmastime where they had a Handtruck stacked up to the handles with flat rate boxes... if the convex overstuffed boxes can't stack flat- they will not only produce an unstable stack- but they will put pressure INTO all the square boxes which were in compliance.

It sounds like you have been getting away with a lot for almost four years.  The mail clerk that has been sending your boxes without charging you the correct rate is very wrong and totally out of bounds. He even admits he's wrong!  You shouldn't be "venting" about something you have been getting away with.  If I were a customer standing next to you I would complain quickly!  You've been getting away with something others can't do.

It even states on this site in How to Send; under packing:

"THE FACTS: Domestic Mail Manual 709.6.1.4 states that you CAN use tape on the boxes, but NOT to make the box any larger than it's normal size.

It seems that you have been done a disservice by the first mail clerk in that he didn't point out the rules even though he let the packages slide by.  The reason we are getting a break on the FRBs is that they are sent on FedEx planes by "size", not weight, so that if the box is contorted out of that special size so that they won't fit into the space allowed then the contract is not being honored.  We could stand to lose the ability to use FRBs if enough people overfill.  That's just the way it is set up.  I personally would hate to see them discontinue the service because of some who don't follow the regulations.  We always make sure that the box flaps will close fully before we try to tape it up.  We were even told after we had taken our first couple of FRBs to the post office with a lot of tape on it that we weren't allowed to put more than one strip of strapping tape around more than two different ways.

 It isn't the mail person, it's the rules.

Gran

catstevens41:

When the clerk said it could be returned, that's true.  FedX can reject those boxes.  And FedX can discontinue FRB's if they cause more trouble than it's worth to them.

I just read your post, cats, and I need to clarify something just so everyone is clear. The United Sates Postal Service and FedEx (FedX, as you have here) are 2 TOTALLY separate shipping companies. The United States post Office is run by the government and FedEx is a Fortune 500 company with public and private shareholders. I actually work for FedEx....we do not ship to APO/FPO addresses (sadly and unfortunately). We (FedEx) do, however, have a contract with the USPS involving priority mail. Our contract is simply this....without going into too much confusing detail..... our contract with the USPS allows FedEx to move Priority mail on our FedEx aircraft. Our aircraft fleet is much larger than the post office...we actually have the largest aircraft fleet of all the shipping companies. The USPS has designated space on each aircraft (domestic and international) for their priority mail shipments, be it letters, bubble paks, or boxes. If an overstuffed FRB is accepted by the USPS for whatever rate, FedEx has NO authority to reject that shipment. Those shipments are containerized separate from FedEx shipments. The only packages that FedEx can refuse for improper packaging or for being too full that they are bursting at the seams are the packages that are sent originally through the FedEx system. I hope this clears things up a little about your post so no one gets confused.

 The USPS is NOT run by the government - it's a separate entity from the government and does not get any financing through people's taxes.  But it does have to abide by rates chosen by a governmental Board of Governors.   I can see that the USPS has not given all employees "the whole load-down" on the contract with FedEx (my apologies).   The two companies seem to be making more deals with each other as time goes on which is in evidence when noticing that the USPS has permitted FedEx to place its boxes at postal locations.

I offer to remove that post to avoid misleading information.

Hi Teresa,

When you say the flaps didn't meet, were they just spread apart by like 1/4 inch or something or was the whole box bulging?

If they were just apart by a fraction of an inch, I don't see what the big deal was. I'm not the greatest packer/wrapper in the world and sometimes by the time I get the tape around the box, the flaps aren't together (even though they could reach if I were better at it).

Since you just stated that the flaps didn't meet, and nothing about the box being distorted I would just assume that little Ms. Postal clerk was just being anal. 

Just try to get your regular guy next time; I drive to the next town to avoid the post office here in my town.

Take care,

Maggie

alphagam7,

Question on FedEx and USPS.  Are you saying if the PO accepts a package FedEx MUST also accept it for transport on their planes no matter what because of their contract with the PO?  Just curious.  Because on their website FedEX  lists all kinds of reasons why they can reject a package and then ends with something like "and any other reason we may deem appropriate".  The catchall, if we don't think it's safe, we won't put it on our plane.  To me,  a very sane policy.

Just curious.  I tape my packages as if I had stock in 3M(too bad I don't).  The AS site says to package as if
Godzilla will handle the package -- because he will -- especially the corners -- weakest part of any package.  I use strapping and clear tape, and I've never had a problem at the PO for taping reasons.

Ann 

Ann "

Our post office doesn't allow taping corners on the FRBs only.  All others are okay.  I assume that they feel that if they are so full that they need extra tape that they are overfilled?

Gran

ann:

alphagam7,

Question on FedEx and USPS.  Are you saying if the PO accepts a package FedEx MUST also accept it for transport on their planes no matter what because of their contract with the PO?  Just curious.  Because on their website FedEX  lists all kinds of reasons why they can reject a package and then ends with something like "and any other reason we may deem appropriate".  The catchall, if we don't think it's safe, we won't put it on our plane.  To me,  a very sane policy.

Just curious.  I tape my packages as if I had stock in 3M(too bad I don't).  The AS site says to package as if
Godzilla will handle the package -- because he will -- especially the corners -- weakest part of any package.  I use strapping and clear tape, and I've never had a problem at the PO for taping reasons.

Ann 

Good morning, Ann.....you know that old saying "don't believe everything you read"? Sadly, it is true. Like any other shipping company..USPS included.. FedEx will provide a list of reasons why they can reject a package, but as mentioned before....it's just a list. Let me see if I can explain without drawing picture and whatnot. Obviously, our planes are just like passenger planes......same size and shape minus the seats. Our fleet has everything from small commuter planes to large widebody aircrafts. They range from MD-11s to A-300s, which is a larger widebody, next to the A-380 that is being built in France (we have 20 on order). Every box and package gets loaded into metal containers that are made to fit in the "passenger" part of the plane as well as the belly of the plane and it works kiind of like a puzzle to make everything fit. When the containers are empty they weight between 300-1500 lbs depending on size. When they are full, they can weigh between 800-5000 lbs. Loading the containers is like a puzzle as well. Each aircraft has a caster deck to help move the containers, but employees still have to push and pull the contaienrs for momentum and to avoid the contaienrs from hitting each other. Obviously, flat square boxes are the easiest to stack and load in containers because they fit together so nicely, but we do have the occasional odd-shaped item or shipment. (Believe it or not, we have shipped engines and transmissions for cars. We have 5 special planes just for the Formula One race cars, and a couple of special planes that we used for the Pandas in D.C and Shamu the Whale!) While the website may give a list of reasons we will reject a shipment, as employees we know well enough if something is safe to send or will cause problems. Not only do we have to take into consideration your package, but we have to take into consideration the other packages it is ccontainerized with as well the employees down the line who have to handle it. You are right about the last comment on the website being a catchall.... but that is with any shipping company.

If the item is shipping directly through FedEx and we feel that it cannot be shipped safely, won't damage other packages, and won't injure our employees we have the right to refuse it. HOWEVER......if, for example, you send a FRB box (similar to our large FedEx box) through our system, we won't refuse it because it's a FRB from USPS. We can, however, refuse it if it is packed so full that there is a bulge on one end, the flaps can't close very well no matter if they are taped shut, or something sharp is sticking out of it. I have been a courier for the last 2 years, but I spent 6 years as a Senior Service Agent (counter help) and if I saw a box that looked very contorted and overstuffed, the very first thing I would do is ask what you were shipping. The second thing I would do is suggest using a larger brown box (which we sell). If you didn't want to pay for the box, the next thing I would do is go in our back room and see if I could find you a supply box or some other type of larger box so you could transfer the contents. I would never outright refuse it. This is not to say EVERY agent (or post ofice worker) would do this... there are actually some out there who will refuse it and not offer to help find a larger box,but send you on your way to find it yourself. If this same very contorted and overstuffed box was accepted through USPS as a Priority mail package, FedEx can't refuse it. The only thing FedEx can do with it is unload it from the USPS trailer it arrived in, load it into an aircraft container designated for USPS mail, seal the container and put it on the plane. Granted there are rules to everything and granted those rules should be followed the same way across the board, but unfortunately they are not. One thing I've learned is newer employees will follow the rules right down to the last letter while older, seasoned employees might bend a little (some alot). You just have to go with what they are telling you and not get upset about it. The bottom line goal for everyone is that your package reaches its destination in one piece and with very minimal if not any damage at all. Some people only care about their particular package, but as employees of shipping companies every package is a "golden package". I don't know about you, but I would not want to receive a package that was delivered to me in a plastic bag because the box was too full and burst open or was cut by something in someone else's box. I hope this makes sense and I didn't mean to step on any toes if I did....I'm just trying to give a perspective from the shipping company point of view. For the record, I deliver to some of the wealthiest people in Santa Fe and even they get upset with me if I point out how something was packaged, but in the end they understand my concern because they know that I am looking out for them, their package, and my co-workers.

Now Now, don't waste space on something as useless as ROCKS, when you know for a fact how many of our soldiers ask for GOLF BALLS!  If you know anybody who golfs, they could probably hook you up with hundreds of used ones, for free...

I've found out when the "slow" time on the forum is--1:00 CDT on Father's Day Sunday.  According to the list at the bottom of the page regarding who's on...I'm the ONLY one...I sure hope the rest of you are having fun!!    LOL LOL

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY GUYS!!