New requirement for USPS shops!

I sometimes prepare my box a day or two before the shop and take the photo of the package then. It doesn't state for me to wait until right before the shop to take that photo.

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@JASFLALMT wrote:

I sometimes prepare my box a day or two before the shop and take the photo of the package then. It doesn't state for me to wait until right before the shop to take that photo.

I did the same.....got my box ready last night and took the photo then. Today when I reported my shop, I uploaded the photo of my box that I took last night.

Has anyone had any shops with the new requirements go to the green "OK for pay"? I have done several and they are all still pending. I am getting nervous since they didn't give detailed guidelines as to what they want in the photo and I have just been snapping them in my car before I go into the post office. I hope I am including whatever they need. Usually my USPS shops are approved quickly and some of these have been sitting for a few days now. Anyone else having this?

The last ones I did were the day before the new changes went into effect.

@Spanishtulip wrote:

Has anyone had any shops with the new requirements go to the green "OK for pay"? I have done several and they are all still pending. I am getting nervous since they didn't give detailed guidelines as to what they want in the photo and I have just been snapping them in my car before I go into the post office. I hope I am including whatever they need. Usually my USPS shops are approved quickly and some of these have been sitting for a few days now. Anyone else having this?

Yes mine are ok to pay. If you mean the picture of the package I took it at home for one, and in the car for others. I have not taken any inside the establishment.

Liz

I use the Shopit app for my timings, works like a charm

Thanks for the reply Traveliz, The ones that I did on the 20th have now been approved as well. Maybe it is just taking longer for them to approve them with the new requirements.

This is the 1st time I hear about this. I googled and came across Informed Delivery. USPS site says the following:

To automate the sortation and delivery of mail, USPS® digitally images the front of every mail piece that runs through our automation equipment. Now we are using those images for a second purpose: to provide mail delivery notifications to users in advance of the delivery of physical mail. Users will see the front image of their mail (not the inside contents) in an email compiled and delivered daily. Business mailers who are participating in the pilot program will have the ability to display relevant digital content related to mail piece images included in this email.

[informeddelivery.com]

Nowhere it says that we have to take pictures of the box. What am I missing?

Only when you're doing a mystery shop, and only for the purpose of including the photo in the report.

Well considering there was a thread on here not so long ago with shoppers stating they DO NOT follow guidelines when it comes to using a PLAIN box, I figured perhaps that may be a reason. The one shopper went into detail on how they did not think it should matter if the box was plain. This board is anonymous we never know who is reading it,

I wish I'd looked at your heads up before I did my last USPS job. They may give it to me "just this once".

I need your opinion. Do you all believe this box is or isn't considered plain for the USPS shop?
This is a link to my photo: [img.photobucket.com]

it would be better if you print a paper label and put it over that part of the box in my opinion. I buy boxes at Walmart and they have some of the info on one of the flaps no matter how I close the box but it isn't as much info as is in your picture. I look forward to seeing how others respond.

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely do that.

If that was the bottom of the box, I would say that it is alright. If you are showing the side that will have the address, I would print a large plain paper label and cover up the entire visible surface. When I have boxes from Staples which have the dimensions printed on them, I leave that visible on the bottom and have never had a problem.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

Are you all submitting one picture of the box? or two pictures showing all sides of the box?

They asked for one photo, so I am sending one photo. That usually shows one or two sides since it is ready for mailing. I have been deliberately showing different sides (address side, or another side, or the bottom) to see if they care. So far, they don't seem to care.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

When I sent my photo, I had a ruler alongside one side of the box, so they could see it met the dimensions. The box was small (6x6x6), so they could clearly see that the box up against the ruler showed it was within the dimensions required.

Does anyone know what they are looking for in the photo? dimensions? Box vs mailer? markings on the box? using a Priority Mail box? Using a Ready Post box? needing the address of the recipient for some sinister plot?

Has anyone asked, or are we all still speculating?

Speculating is a lot more fun than asking!

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

What company are you getting USPS shops from? I used to do USPS shops but my company no longer carries them.

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The Forum rules and the confidentiality agreements we each sign with each MSC forbid us to tell you.

@melonieseward wrote:

What company are you getting USPS shops from? I used to do USPS shops but my company no longer carries them.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

myst4au, you are a very patient person.

Kim

part of it is people requesting reimbursement for new box and then use old ones

@crs1934 wrote:

part of it is people requesting reimbursement for new box and then use old ones

How naive I must be to think that a fellow mystery shopper would concoct such a scheme to get an extra dollar! How would a photo show you used the same box? And why would it even matter, since the client allows you to reuse the box as long as the markings and labels have been completely removed? I wish the client would realize that it's the shipping tape that is expensive.

@AZwolfman wrote:

@crs1934 wrote:

part of it is people requesting reimbursement for new box and then use old ones
How naive I must be to think that a fellow mystery shopper would concoct such a scheme to get an extra dollar! How would a photo show you used the same box? And why would it even matter, since the client allows you to reuse the box as long as the markings and labels have been completely removed? I wish the client would realize that it's the shipping tape that is expensive.

Yeah I sort of don't think that is it because I actually use the same type of box time and time again (I have a side business and I mail product out in the same box). If I don't have somewhere I need to mail the item, I mail some to my condo in FL so I will have some there. It would appear I am using the same box over and over again but in reality I am using the same ULINE size/shape box everytime but it's not one box; it's many. I do wish they would say why though.

Liz

I just "reused" my Hazmat box. Since the box was not accepted I did not unpack it but used it for the next Regular box shop. I was planning to reuse the pic too but since I had to take pics for a 2nd reg box shop I just re shot that one. I was all ready to defend having the same exact pic on two jobs (not just the same exact box shape and size). I doubt they care if you use the same size box. For the Dim shops there are only 4 sizes avail to us so 25% of us use the same size over and over.

I picked up my first two of these shops. They seem so popular, I figure they must be quick and easy. But, I do have one question....so far. What proof do you have to provide for the box reimbursement? It seems logical to purchase more than one box at a time. Do you provide them the receipt for say 12 boxes and they just figure it out from there? Do most of you purchase the boxes at Walmart? Well, I will read the full guidelines (I've only glanced through so far)....but first things first, Big Brother is on!

Shopping up and down the Colorado Rocky Mountain front range.

This will be my first USPS shop as well. I read through the guidelines. How do you figure out how much your package weighs? I used to have a cooking scale, but don't think it would work, if I can even figure out where it is. I was thinking that I will send a stack of paper in a poly liner. Does that sound feasible? I hate doing shops for the first time.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2016 04:17AM by ValG.

ValG, Weight it. If you don't have a scale, use the one at the post office. I got a digital scale for weighing packages for shipping about 8 years ago on eBay for $36 and still use it.

COMystery, there is a place on the form to upload your box receipt and another place to upload your USPS receipt. Kroger stores (Smith's here) has always been the cheapest place to buy boxes even though they recently increased price. I always go to the self checkout (so I don't tie up the regular checkout line) and get a separate receipt for each box. If I am assigned 6 shops, I buy 6 boxes at a time if I don't already have some old ones in good condition. When you take your photo, take it away from the post office and make sure the zip codes of both addresses show in the photo. These are easy shops, easy reports, but the Dim Wgt ones can be expensive.

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