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Archive 2013 · Trader Card shipping problem

  
 
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Trader Card shipping problem


I've been using Proshooterdirect for making up my cards for years now, awesome company. I am now running into a problem with the postal service. They've always gone out with an 86 cent stamp, never a problem. Now I am getting back around 25% of my cards due to insufficient postage. They want them to be shipped as parcel post at $2.07!
Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing the problem.

Thanks,
Tom Robinson



Oct 23, 2013 at 09:43 AM
BauerPower
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Trader Card shipping problem


I know that any envelope that is more than 1/4 inch thick or rigid has to go as a 1st class parcel. 2.07 is the usual price for a single CD in a bubble envelope. Talk to usps. Good luck.


Oct 23, 2013 at 09:52 AM
lukeb
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Trader Card shipping problem


BauerPower wrote:
I know that any envelope that is more than 1/4 inch thick or rigid has to go as a 1st class parcel. 2.07 is the usual price for a single CD in a bubble envelope. Talk to usps. Good luck.


I use CD mailers = no way they even come near 1/4" - used to pay 90 cents or near that, now they want over $2.00.



Oct 23, 2013 at 09:58 AM
P Alesse
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Trader Card shipping problem


Yup... $2.07 is now the rate. Brian at Pro Shooter had to raise his direct drop ship prices this past year to account for it as well. That being said, when you figure in your cost for the mailer, your time to pack it and send it to the post office, you might want to consider doing DTC (direct to customer) from ProShooter for the total cost.


Oct 23, 2013 at 04:03 PM
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Trader Card shipping problem


When I was doing DTC I had a high incidence of cards getting lost in the mail, so I stopped. By shipping locally I was thinking it would cut down on that, and it did. I've been charging $20 for the cards because I didn't think people would pay more. If you don't mind, what do you guys charge?


Oct 24, 2013 at 05:49 AM
leewoolery
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Trader Card shipping problem


Tom:

Although the cards aren't as nice as what you are receiving, we are using Miller's for our team sports order and fulfillment.

We had them create custom templates for our schools and youth leagues and they look great and the system is easy for my assistant to upload and order and 99% of our orders are back in our hands in less than 2 days.

Everything is shipped back to us overnight Fedex at no charge and the photo products are then sorted, packaged and delivered to the athletic department, coaches, booster club rep or youth league coaches or parent reps in less than a week from the time the teams were photographed.

The only times I ship USPS anymore is when someone orders off the website.

Good luck and hope you find an affordable solution,

Lee Woolery
Speedshot



Oct 24, 2013 at 11:43 AM
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Trader Card shipping problem


Thanks guys.


Oct 25, 2013 at 05:47 AM
Hockey_Nut
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Trader Card shipping problem


Hi Tom,

I use Proshooterdirect for my trading card orders & I charge $30 per pack of 18 … shipping to Canada is about $12-14 which is more than what Brian charges for a pack of cards. I have a batch of orders to submit so I may look at the DTC method to see if it will save me some money (thanks for the suggestion Paul).

Brent



Oct 25, 2013 at 10:25 PM
John Patrick
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Trader Card shipping problem


OK, when it comes to shipping, you need to know the rules. In fact, you need to know the rules better than most of the post office employees.

The issue is that the receiving post office doesn't trust you putting a stamp on it, and they think it was a parcel when it was a letter. Unless it is in a larger envelope or over 1/4", you should only pay for weight + non-machineable fee (which used to be $0.20). The trick here is that you need a metered (at the Post Office) postage. You can't use stamps, or you will be getting Postage Due.

Unfortunately, getting meter postage means going to the post office, waiting in line, then waiting for them to meter each envelope. If they suggest stamps, tell them NO. Explain to them the issue with Postage Due. They will then meter everything.

I was shipping 100 CDs a week for a while, and I took them to the post office in 30-40 increments. And I always had to meter it or else there would be Postage Due and upset customers.

Read the rules of maximum size of a "letter", and that unbendable means non-machineable. That's it. Keep it under 1/4" thick and you're set.

John



Oct 26, 2013 at 06:10 PM
P Alesse
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Trader Card shipping problem


John Patrick wrote:
OK, when it comes to shipping, you need to know the rules. In fact, you need to know the rules better than most of the post office employees.

The issue is that the receiving post office doesn't trust you putting a stamp on it, and they think it was a parcel when it was a letter. Unless it is in a larger envelope or over 1/4", you should only pay for weight + non-machineable fee (which used to be $0.20). The trick here is that you need a metered (at the Post Office) postage. You can't use stamps, or you
...Show more

If you build a nice rapport with your PO, you can leave all of your parcels with your CC and pick up your card and receipt later in the day if you don't want to wait. Quite often, I drop off all of my TC ships in the AM before work and then pick up the mail carrier carton, CC, and credit card on the way home from work. I only let them talk me into stamps just once in the very beginning and it was a nightmare... 3 of these, 2 of these, and 2 penny stamps on each mailer and I had like a 100 of them. I was licking non-stop for like 3 hours... ridiculous. Never again I told them... they got it.



Oct 26, 2013 at 07:20 PM
jim2312
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Trader Card shipping problem


I have done what Paul recommends by working with the PO employees etc. however the past several years I am sending out more and more so I print my own postage using a Dymo printable postage machine and software. It works great no returns and very little extra cost for the labels but the convenience is well worth it. I leave stacks for my mailperson to take or drop them in the box and the end of my street.

I use DTC from proshooter the sorting and waiting for them when the other portions are all done is not worth it. just add a note that the cards ship separately and all is good.

Jim



Oct 27, 2013 at 08:05 PM
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Trader Card shipping problem


Then metered mail it is, John. I need to check into getting that Dmyn thing and do it myself. Does the PO considers the print your own as metered mail?
I ship in coin envelopes, like Brian does. But I have had the occasions where a customer got the envelope and NO cards. It seems to me the cards got forced to the end of the envelope and blown out the other end! Now I wrap the ends with 2 inch clear tape. Maybe I'll talk to Brian about cutting down to 15 instead of 18 to avoid the dreaded 1/4 inch shreading machine.
It was nice to hear other experiences. Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Tom



Oct 28, 2013 at 08:48 AM
jim2312
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Trader Card shipping problem


Tom,

I am not sure if they consider it metered or not but most likely they do. The stamp is a single stamp with a barcode on it. I have two size of rigid mailers, one for 8.5x11 sheets and one for 5x7's. I weigh packages of the same size and sort by weight. In the Dymo software you select what type of mail it will be, envelope, large envelop, package. most of these are either Large envelopes or packages depending on how thick or how hard to bend. Just click on the type then the waite and how many and out they print. I am on the monthly rate plan for $9.95/Mo and but generic labels. you can be on the free plan but need to buy and regsiter your labels from Dymo.

I have had the same experience with empty envelopes too but they have fixed this as it has not happened in a long time.

Jim



Oct 28, 2013 at 12:26 PM
John Patrick
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Trader Card shipping problem


From what I have been told by multiple post offices, official metered postage is accepted and not doubted, while anything customer done (stamps, Dymo, online, even the kiosk in the PO) can be (and often is) relooked at and assumed to be wrong.

Once I only went to the counter, I never received a complaint about Postage Due. With stamps or the kiosk, I got several Postage Due deliveries and upset customers.

As for envelopes, I used these:

http://www.packagingprice.com/forms/product_listing.cfm?CategoryID=10024&desc=Stay+Flat+Mailers+White+Self+Seal

Specifically, the 5 1/8" x 5 1/8" "postage saver" CD envelopes.

John




Oct 28, 2013 at 06:27 PM
Tom Robinson
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Trader Card shipping problem


Again gentlemen, thanks for sharing. John, are you shipping your traders in those CD envelopes?


Oct 29, 2013 at 05:42 AM





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