The following appears in the guidelines for the postal shops that I do:

DO NOT ship package to the same city (Zone 0) as these package types are handled by the same post office.

Note that I am in a suburban area where there is only one zip code per town, so I am able to ship myself a package from any other town in the area and it is out of zone 0 - usually zone 1)

I guess if you were in a city with multiple zip codes, you would need to ship from outside of the city to ensure that it is not being shipped to zone 0.

MsJudi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, as long as it says Zone 1 on the receipt and
> not Zone 0 you will be okay.


Would it be too late if you saw Zone O on the receipt? You would know you are not being paid and you will eat the cost of shipping becasue it is in the same zone?

The only question I have is where do you find the info telling you which zone the PO's are in?

That's why I said to make sure first....lol

I had a few forgiven when I first started out, but that was a couple of years back when I did my first PO shops. Now I know which ones are in other counties and at leasst Postal Zone 1.

In the instructions for the shop they give an idea of the zones 0-50 miles Zone 0, 51-100 miles zone 1, etc.

I live in New England and my inlaws live in California and my best friend lives in Texas; there are no Dunkin Donuts at either place, so I pick up the Dunkin K Cups and send them as a surprise to them; it always hits the weight right on.

zlinedavid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> USPS Scenario C ranks up there with IKEA as shops
> that everyone does at the beginning of their
> shopping careers....once.

Proud to say I've never done a Scenario C! The whole "send it to a food bank" thing freaks me out. Haven't seen it, but does the address show that this is what it's for? Now THAT is weird.

I had a Scenario A once where my box was big-ish (I always have something to mail to friends back East--they like the designer stuff I can get at Target that they can't find) and the clerk tried measuring it, so I was nervous that she thought I was a shopper.

I have another clerk that gives me a knowing smile every time. I've stopped doing that location for a while...don't want to make it easy for her...and it feels dishonest somehow. It's one of the locations that is open later, so it's easier for me, but I'd rather put some space between me and her.

The other issue is that I am generally very familiar with how the PO works--and in real life, I would NEVER buy a box--I always use the free Priority Mail boxes and/or use the APC machine--so I avoid the one nearest my house for that same reason.

Edited to add: I am (sort of) certain that you can find the zone information on the USPS website--using "estimate shipping" or whatever it is.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2012 04:30PM by LateRain.

I've mailed things to myself from the next town over and it was Zone 1, so I can't say about the situations some of you have with same zones out of your town. I, perhaps wrongly, assumed that if a post office was not in my town, it would be a different zone. Sorry for the confusion.

Yes, it would be too late if your receipt states Zone 0.

I'm doing my first post office shop next week...Scenario A.

It states I can get reimbursed up to $1.50 to purchase a box. Where do you get your boxes? Can I use an old shoe box?

Also, if I'm reading the guidelines correctly, zone 1 is within a 50 mile radius. I live in a different zip code than the one I'm shopping, about 15 miles away. I'm wondering if this will qualify for zone 1.

Any suggestions?

I got my box at Walmart, $0.48. I wasn't sure about the zone thing either when I went to one 15 miles away and different zip, just to be sure on that one I sent it waaaay out of town. When I am 50 miles away like the guidelines say, then I mail home (or if in different state). I don't want to go through all of that to mail beans to myself and not get reimbursed.

I went to college a few years ago and never sold my textbooks... Some of them no longer have any value and that became my item One day my buddy texted my and told me to stop sending him books

For Scenario A, does the box have to be a certain size? Sorry I'm so clueless, I just want to make sure I do it correctly

RE: boxes I've been saving every box that comes in from online purchases-Amazon, Target etc. I got all sizes of boxes. I told my husband they'd come in handy someday

I know that in my town, only my own zip code is zone 0. It is the only zip code for our suburb. The main post office that handles the packages is not in my town. So any surrounding town is zone 1 for me. May be different if you are in the city.

I found an address that was a charity that was collecting books and distributing them. I shipped a book there, only to figure out that it was too far out of zone and required more postage than the MSC allowed - got paid the fee, but reimbursement was less than what I paid.

Phoebe, make sure that you can use your own box. When I did my first USPS shops I was mailing christmas presents to my out of town family. I had packed the boxes and finished sealing them at the post office. I did the shop, paid the money and went home to do the reports. The next day I got a message telling me that I was suppose to use the boxes at the post office. I did 4 of them that day and would not get paid for any of them, a lost of my time and $54 dollars. I was told if I did them again I am suppose to buy only one box from each Post Office. I do still them but only at Christmas and when I have to ship damages from Avon,and books for Paper-back-Swap.

dcshopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Phoebe, make sure that you can use your own box.
> When I did my first USPS shops I was mailing
> christmas presents to my out of town family. I had
> packed the boxes and finished sealing them at the
> post office. I did the shop, paid the money and
> went home to do the reports. The next day I got a
> message telling me that I was suppose to use the
> boxes at the post office. I did 4 of them that day
> and would not get paid for any of them, a lost of
> my time and $54 dollars. I was told if I did them
> again I am suppose to buy only one box from each
> Post Office. I do still them but only at Christmas
> and when I have to ship damages from Avon,and
> books for Paper-back-Swap.


That would be Scenario B. If it's Scenario A, you bring your own box. Scenario C, you have to buy a supersized box at a different location.

For all you asking about zones, the instructions have a link to a zipcode map that makes it easy to figure out what zone your box would be going to.

If you are doing a regular box shop where you provide your own box, DO NOT use a priority marked box. I just did this because it was something that I had (used) and I marked off the bar codes. Was not paid because it was indicated by the PO clerk that it was a Priority marked box.

Another use for the batteries you were reimbursed for at the Radio Shack shops....

Which scenario is the easiest to do and which scenario is the hardest?

cynb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you are doing a regular box shop where you
> provide your own box, DO NOT use a priority marked
> box. I just did this because it was something
> that I had (used) and I marked off the bar codes.
> Was not paid because it was indicated by the PO
> clerk that it was a Priority marked box.


I have been told by my post office that (as wasteful as it is) once a priority box is used it can never been used again (as priority) and furthermore it should be thrown out and not used to store things in at home (because they feel people come get the boxes to use for things other than mailing).

That said, I do know that you can't take a priority box and black out or turn it inside out and use it...once a priority box, always a priority box.

Liz

Not that I have ever done this.....

You can buy rolls of brown kraft paper for around a dollar. You can completely wrap the box in kraft paper and put a label on it. It becomes a regular box as far as the post office is concerned.

Question on scenario C?

I completed my first shop (scenario A) over the weekend and all went well. I just took a scenario C, but there are some conflicting instructions in the guidelines.

It says the reimbursement will be for Zones 1-4 up to 2 lbs....but then below it it says the box MUST weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs. It also gives me an address to send it to which I think is farther than zone 4?

Anyone know what is going on?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2012 03:57PM by spaztck.

spaztck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not that I have ever done this.....
>
> You can buy rolls of brown kraft paper for around
> a dollar. You can completely wrap the box in
> kraft paper and put a label on it. It becomes a
> regular box as far as the post office is
> concerned.


Someone did this on an Ebay item they sent to me...the post office tore the paper to check because the sizing was Priority and then sent me a bill for postage due to pick up the item. I went in and to get the ebay item I bought I had to pay the priority shipping since it was shipped in a (disquised) priority box. I emailed the Ebay seller and she had to sent me the money for shipping since she was caught doing that.

Liz

I see these in my area. My question is, can you actually use it to shop to someone for real? I would love to send a care package to the moms in FL!

ISpyForYou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I see these in my area. My question is, can you
> actually use it to shop to someone for real? I
> would love to send a care package to the moms in
> FL!

Yes just not the Scenario C - the dimensional box one - otherwise you can send to whoever you want. I send stuff to our condo all the time, sometimes I send out items people have bought from me (crafts) on the shops, sometimes I have nothing and I send my daughter paper (which worked for her while she was in college but not so much now).

Liz

hudge95 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I picked up several of these and I've never done
> them before.
>
> It's senerio B. You buy a ready box at the PO.
> Give me some ideas of what I can send thats over
> the minimum?
>
> Do you bring packaging tape to seal them and put
> the box together there in the lobby?
>
> Any other advice would be appreciated. I'm kinda
> nervous!!

Ok, wait up a second, if you have a zone A like I do, there is a link in there that states go to:

[postcalc.usps.gov] the preview is leaving off: /zonecharts after .gov

and it tells you to put in where you are sending it from and to and then you have the distance of the zones apart. I always send stuff to my sister to their little church that is attempting to help many people with much needed food for their pantry. So, it's a jar of peanut butter here, mac and cheese there and when my sis gets a box filled enougfh or they are in dire need she takes it in to the pantry. Now, it is for my nieces birthday gift. I did a Dim weight in a terrible place to access and never again! I like them but right now forget it. I would add the last two but our weather is so frigid. No shops for any bonus! When all the meterologists say it is dangerous to your life, I am in! But, back to the zone thing, the link above was in the guidelines. I found it there. Just use your box if you can. If not they have cheap boxes at some stores. I have also gotten boxes that I could used from businesses for free. I love these shops but I have to wait for the days to come back around so I can shop to my sister.

This thread is over a year and a half old, please be careful of any guidelines discussed as it is old information.

Thanks for the post about this thread being old. I had no idea. I guess I should figure out the threads next. I hate the new curve stuff, lol.