Changes at USPS for DC #

[xpress34]

Just went to mail some packages today and the girl at the P.O. tells me to throw away my Green DC labels and then puts blank white labels over the DC tags on my packages.

They now create a Tracking Label to affix to your package and shows on your receipt. Prints on the same label stickers that they print postage on.

I wonder if this is a cost saving procedure or an anti-fraud issue or both.

I say anti-fraud, because with the Green Labels you could attach at home, you could send the DC # to someone prior to mailing the package and then claim that the system must be messed up or scanned wrong when it doesn't show up in the DC Tracking system.

Now, the system creates the number and puts it in immediately as well as putting it on your receipt.

Just thought I'd share.

- Smitty

[rufusandherschel]

Just went to mail some packages today and the girl at the P.O. tells me to throw away my Green DC labels and then puts blank white labels over the DC tags on my packages.

They now create a Tracking Label to affix to your package and shows on your receipt. Prints on the same label stickers that they print postage on.

I wonder if this is a cost saving procedure or an anti-fraud issue or both.

I say anti-fraud, because with the Green Labels you could attach at home, you could send the DC # to someone prior to mailing the package and then claim that the system must be messed up or scanned wrong when it doesn't show up in the DC Tracking system.

Now, the system creates the number and puts it in immediately as well as putting it on your receipt.

Just thought I'd share.

- Smitty
I think it's neither (cost-saving or anti-fraud). I think it's a revenue generating move/motive. Now every Priority Package will be charged the additional Delivery Confirmation fee (which by the way is higher than it was) whereas in the past, it was optional.

[xpress34]

I think it's neither (cost-saving or anti-fraud). I think it's a revenue generating move/motive. Now every Priority Package will be charged the additional Delivery Confirmation fee (which by the way is higher than it was) whereas in the past, it was optional.

DC is still .90. Same as before. Still Optional on Parcel 1st Class.

It's FREE on Priority Mail and has been fro some time now.

[rufusandherschel]

DC is still .90. Same as before. Still Optional on Parcel 1st Class.

It's FREE on Priority Mail and has been fro some time now.

Interesting. First, I don't recall DC ever being free where I reside (Midwest), second, it's always been optional with Priority Mail, third, DC was previously 0.70 and now it's about $1. Still an option with Parcel 1st class. I didn't know that DC evidently varies depending on the location in the US.

[rdeversole]

DC is still .90. Same as before. Still Optional on Parcel 1st Class.

It's FREE on Priority Mail and has been fro some time now.

It was FREE on Priority Mail if you paid and printed your label at home via the internet. It was not free if you went to the post office to buy the postage and mail your item. It was not previously .90

[rufusandherschel]

It was FREE on Priority Mail if you paid and printed your label at home via the internet. It was not free if you went to the post office to buy the postage and mail your item. It was not previously .90

Thanks for the explanation/clarification re. DC, i.e., Internet purchase Vs. at the P.O.

[xpress34]

Interesting. First, I don't recall DC ever being free where I reside (Midwest), second, it's always been optional with Priority Mail, third, DC was previously 0.70 and now it's about $1. Still an option with Parcel 1st class. I didn't know that DC evidently varies depending on the location in the US.

It's been .90 for DC here (Denver, CO area) for at least the past two years.

DC has always been a free option with Priority too - but you still have to ask for it, they don't just offer it.

[chakes89]

I have always been charged for DC on priority mail and have been using the service for the better part of 6 years now

[xpress34]

It was FREE on Priority Mail if you paid and printed your label at home via the internet. It was not free if you went to the post office to buy the postage and mail your item. It was not previously .90

I can tell you for a fact that here in Denver it has been .90 for at least two years. I mail out at least 1-2 packages every week whether personal or business.

As far as the free part on Priority, my P.O. hasn't charged me for my DC in over a year on Priority packages and I mail everything at the counter and have never paid and printed labels at home.

[CampWest]

On a somewhat unrelated note... Yesterday I had my first ever postage rejection at a local branch of postage I printed at home. Took in two bats in triangle tubes and one medium box. The bats were accepted without incident. The Medium Box was rejected because I used a flat rate box, but entered the exact dimensions and weight instead of paying the "flat rate". The flat rate was I think $11.85. The exact dimensions and weight resulted in somewhere around $6.50 for Priority Mail. Had I used the priority mail box that said just "Medium Box" all would have been fine. But since the box said flat rate, they refused to take it.

Seriously, the exact same size shape and weight, just with different words on the box got it rejected. I paid for the exact same service, but the "flat rate" is a rip off, unless you are shipping something that weighs about 15-20 pounds. So, lesson learned, don't use a flat rate box and pay actual shipping costs, put it in an identically sized box and pay half the price.

[xpress34]

On a somewhat unrelated note... Yesterday I had my first ever postage rejection at a local branch of postage I printed at home. Took in two bats in triangle tubes and one medium box. The bats were accepted without incident. The Medium Box was rejected because I used a flat rate box, but entered the exact dimensions and weight instead of paying the "flat rate". The flat rate was I think $11.85. The exact dimensions and weight resulted in somewhere around $6.50 for Priority Mail. Had I used the priority mail box that said just "Medium Box" all would have been fine. But since the box said flat rate, they refused to take it.

Seriously, the exact same size shape and weight, just with different words on the box got it rejected. I paid for the exact same service, but the "flat rate" is a rip off, unless you are shipping something that weighs about 15-20 pounds. So, lesson learned, don't use a flat rate box and pay actual shipping costs, put it in an identically sized box and pay half the price.

I only use the flat-rate (as you said) if I am shipping something heavier.

Unfortunately - as you found out, the P.O. is pretty tight on the wording on the box. If you've noticed, about 2 years ago, they started printing Priority Mail in Red and Blue inside their boxes on the brown cardboard because customers would take a bunch of FREE Priority boxes and turn them inside out so the USPS was getting no return on the boxes they provided for free.

[CampWest]

I only use the flat-rate (as you said) if I am shipping something heavier.

Unfortunately - as you found out, the P.O. is pretty tight on the wording on the box. If you've noticed, about 2 years ago, they started printing Priority Mail in Red and Blue inside their boxes on the brown cardboard because customers would take a bunch of FREE Priority boxes and turn them inside out so the USPS was getting no return on the boxes they provided for free.

Yeah, but my argument to that was that the Post Office offers two other Priority Mail Boxes of almost the exact same dimensions without the "Flat Rate" also for free, so rejecting my shipment based on the words on the box offers no logical defense. So I throw one free box away and reprint my label and put it on another free box. In the end, the only thing that changed was I was very annoyed, my shipment was delayed a day, and I repackaged into a box that doesnt say flat rate.

Nonetheless, after getting lectured I went back and ordered a bunch of these ALSO FREE boxes without the words Flat Rate, so there will be no further issue...

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavI ds=catGetMailingShippingSupplies%3asubcatMSS_B&categoryNav=false&navAction=jump&navCount=0&productId=P_0_SHOEBOX&categoryId=subcatMSS_B

https://store.usps.com/store/browse/uspsProductDetailMultiSkuDropDown.jsp?categoryNavI ds=catGetMailingShippingSupplies%3asubcatMSS_B%3as ubcatMSS_B_Free&categoryNav=false&navAction=push&navCount=10&productId=P_O_BOX7&categoryId=subcatMSS_B_Free

[ferro39]

international rates skyrocketed--double and sometimes almost triple the cost

the cost to ship to canada is basically on par with pre-increase rates to europe. it's that bad.

[cohibasmoker]

It was FREE on Priority Mail if you paid and printed your label at home via the internet. It was not free if you went to the post office to buy the postage and mail your item. It was not previously .90

I think that has changed. I went to the PO yesterday to drop-off postage paid items and I thought I heard the clerk tell a customer delivery confirmation is now free on Priority Mail.

Jim