I have been selling a lot more things on Facebook, which is good. I have also had
more interaction with the post office, which can have problems!
If you do a good amount of shipping and are shipping larger or a larger amount of
items,you might consider Regional Flat rate boxes! For example, I was shipping
12 dolls and clothing with shoes to someone in Louisiania. A Flat Rate Priory
regular box (13-5/8" x 11-7/8" x 3-3/8")done on line is 11.30. A Regional Flat Rate
A2 box (;12-13/16" x 10-15/16" x 2-3/8") which also ships priority is only 8.26 form Phila.
So that is a big difference right! Now try to find the boxes! The Post Office doesn't
carry them! Why, I don't know! So I called their 800 number to see if there was
some place locally I could get one. They said go to the Post Office. I told them I
have been to three in my area and they don't have them. Then they said go to Staples.
Hmmm... Staples has better operating hours than the PO. That might be an option.
They say you can get stamps and mail packages there. I don't think you can do
money orders but I don't know. They didn't have the Regional Rate boxes either. They didn't
have the medium size flat rate boxes. They have a hard time getting supplies from the PO
themselves!
I was able to order them on line. They should arrive in 7-10 days. I am crossing
my fingers. I have a PO account but I can't figure out how to print the Regional Rate box
label. I still might have to take it to the PO to get the shipping part done. I'll let
you know how that goes.
BTW, keep an eye on any packages you mail this season. I have had packages
sent to the wrong place and Priority packages not delivered on time!
8 comments:
I despise going to the Post Office. They increase the cost of stamps but they don't have supplies. I had to mail a package overseas. I thought I would use their priority box...cost $80!!!! Went back to work and found a regular box cost $18!!! go figure.
I thought you could only use regional boxes within the same region. I remember attempting to use a regional box some time ago. I was told by the clerk that my package was not within the region for that particular box and I had to use regular priority mail or flat rate priority. I will have to investigate this further. I do a lot of shipping and every penny saved counts.
dbg
I had no idea that regional flat rate boxes were a thing! I like how they direct you to go to Staples for supplies. It's getting pretty hard to find operating examples of that dying chain in my neck of the woods! I wonder why they didn't direct you to the website to start with?
I live in a small town. On an average day there could be 0-5 people in front of me. I still hate going there! There are two women in particular who work there that are very nasty to boot! I have actually gone to another town to mail things.
I want to feel for them when they want a raise, but it is hard.
Good Luck!
Thanks for your comments simsgrl, dbg of BDE, Presto and The grandmommy! Firstly there is a disconnect between their website and what goes on in the Post Offices.
simsgrl, I have never met so many people working at the same place that seem to want to get rid of their jobs by their actions!
dbg of BDE, There are different regional boxes for different regions. (exp A, A2, B, C, and D) An A2 box to Louisiania was cheaper for me than a B, C or D. A D box was cheaper to California. The regions were indicated by the zip code. I too will need to look into this further. I just happen to run in to one clerk who took the time to show me this. She also when in the back and found on B regional box that they had left over from a few years ago. No one else in the office knew they were there. They just looked at her. I will be going back looking for her!
Presto, I believe you can use Office Depot too! I need to find some place that had boxes so that I could mail out soon. I don't know when the boxes I order will show up!
The grandmommy, I'm surprised they haven't put "can we help you on their backs"! The service there suck!
Thanks Ms. leo for bringing this to our attention. I think the clerk who attempted to explain the regional boxes to me didn't really understand their use. I read further about them online. The different letters are for different package weight limitations with regional box A designed for packages up to 20-something pounds. The lower the weight limitation of each box class, the cheaper the cost to mail. Bottom line as you pointed out, regional priority shipping is less than regular priority mail. I now am thinking about all the money I could have saved throughout the years because I mail a ton of packages yearly. It was at least three years ago when the misinformed clerk miseducated me on regional mailing.
I just wish postage could be purchased online with regional packages, but I guess you can't have everything. I will be ordering some regional A boxes.
I've never done the regional box I just use priority or 1st class depending on the package. I have used the flat rate box when I was mailing someone a bunch of bodies. It was cheaper than priority. I order all my boxes from usps.com it takes 7-10 business days. I even returned some boxes to the post office that I ordered in error. I was happily surprised when they said I could just return them. They were taking up space in my shipping closet
I order a 25 count box when I run low on any size box. I love free supplies. If I need a box outside of the free one supplies by the P.O. I go to Staples since they usually have a sale on shipping supplies
Thanks for your comments dbg of BDE and Dollz4Moi!
dbg of BDE, When I use my first box, I will post on how it turned out. I hope you can do the same. It is sometimes the only way we learn those things.
Dollz4Moi, Regional Rate boxes can be $3-4 dollars less that flat rate boxes. I you ship large numbers of dolls, it is a big help!
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