Thanks for the info on the scenario C . I went back and looked and found one in another state that was worded differently on the job board. It says if you wish to ship to another address make sure it is out of zone 5 and contact your scheduler.

If anyone else is/has been confused by the "C" postal shop (3 different sets of guidelines for weights), I asked for, and got--very quickly--a clarification from my scheduler. Thank goodness she got back to me so soon, because my package was over the weight limit and I had to take an item out before I go to the post office.

The weight of the items INCLUDING the box must be at least 2.5 pounds, but not more than 5 pounds. The shop guidelines document says 2.5 to 3.5 pounds, but the scheduler verified that 5 pounds is the max, not 3.5.

I noticed that the regular Priority Mail rates must have gone down, because I'm shipping a package that weighs more than my last one, and the cost, according to the online USPS calculator, is less (even for in-post-office mailing, not just online postage). The new Priority Express rate is closer to what I paid last time.

(And, OT, but I think the new Priority Mail terminology is way more confusing than the old "Priority Mail, Express Mail." Not sure why they fixed something that wasn't "broke."

Has anyone done the B shop where you go in, prepare a ready post package, get to the counter and they don't charge you for the item? They just simply charge you for priority mail but not the envelope or box.
Just curious. I am going to do one of these and wondered if that ever happened. I doubt it happens often as most clerks I have interacted with are pretty good at what they do.

I've done half a dozen or so of them, always have been charged for the box. I did have one ask if I had paid for the box already, but they had just returned from a break and so didn't know if I had been through the line already to pay for it or not.

bgriffin Wrote:
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> I've done half a dozen or so of them, always have
> been charged for the box. I did have one ask if I
> had paid for the box already, but they had just
> returned from a break and so didn't know if I had
> been through the line already to pay for it or
> not.

Wow thanks for the quick reply ! Like a private help line I appreciate the reply!

I had one where I wasn't charged for the box. Still got paid.

I haven't done a "B" shop yet, but may try to create a small "route" for post offices that are on my way to and from someplace I have to go this week.

Question re: packing tape. Shop instructions say to bring your own--isn't that a little odd? I mean, if you don't have a box on hand and have to buy a ready post one, why would you have packing tape on hand? If you weren't a shopper, wouldn't it be somewhat logical to assume that you could get both a box and tape at the p.o.? Does anybody (who's not a mystery shopper) really go into a post office with a roll of packing tape? At my local contract unit, NOBODY ever brings tape, and they end up holding up everyone getting tape at the counter and sealing their boxes!

How have you all who've done this shop handled the tape issue? It sounds like a small one, but I do tend to get bogged down in details (hah--probably why I decided to give MS a try!) and worry about things that are probably irrelevant.

I take my own tape. If you get tape from the clerk it messes up your timing and if you get a roll off the display you have to pay for it. I just bring in a small roll and wear pants or shorts that are baggy enough that I can put it in my pocket and it not look stupid.

I bring my own tape, scissors and marker when I do the B shops. I put it in the plastic grocery bag I have my items to mail in. Most times I try to get away with an envelope, but sometimes only a box will do.
I don't think it's odd at all. Maybe you just didn't have the correct size box at home.
Over thinking is good, it prepares you for any situation!

Thanks! I guess if you put it in the bag or box you have your item to ship in, it doesn't look odd. I just know that nobody I ever see in a post office (and I do a LOT of shipping for my other business) has tape with them! Maybe I just run into unprepared people....

I always need packing tape, but I won't pay post office prices for it, so I'd better bring my own Dollar General tape (which is actually some of the best clear packing tape I've ever used--and some of the cheapest).

americanjoe Wrote:
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> Has anyone done the B shop where you go in,
> prepare a ready post package, get to the counter
> and they don't charge you for the item? They just
> simply charge you for priority mail but not the
> envelope or box.
> Just curious. I am going to do one of these and
> wondered if that ever happened. I doubt it happens
> often as most clerks I have interacted with are
> pretty good at what they do.

It happened to me - three times! I make it clear in the narrative that I picked up the RP envelope and fill out the information before standing in line. You just have to write everything that happened. I do not remind the clerk to charge me for the envelope.

BirdyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I haven't done a "B" shop yet, but may try to
> create a small "route" for post offices that are
> on my way to and from someplace I have to go this
> week.
>
> Question re: packing tape. Shop instructions say
> to bring your own--isn't that a little odd? I
> mean, if you don't have a box on hand and have to
> buy a ready post one, why would you have packing
> tape on hand? If you weren't a shopper, wouldn't
> it be somewhat logical to assume that you could
> get both a box and tape at the p.o.? Does anybody
> (who's not a mystery shopper) really go into a
> post office with a roll of packing tape? At my
> local contract unit, NOBODY ever brings tape, and
> they end up holding up everyone getting tape at
> the counter and sealing their boxes!
>
> How have you all who've done this shop handled the
> tape issue? It sounds like a small one, but I do
> tend to get bogged down in details (hah--probably
> why I decided to give MS a try!) and worry about
> things that are probably irrelevant.

I buy the envelopes-they have self sticking seals on the flaps.

I wasn't charged, once on a "B" shop. The scheduler told me to note that in my report. I was paid for the shop.

americanjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone done the B shop where you go in,
> prepare a ready post package, get to the counter
> and they don't charge you for the item? They just
> simply charge you for priority mail but not the
> envelope or box.
> Just curious. I am going to do one of these and
> wondered if that ever happened. I doubt it happens
> often as most clerks I have interacted with are
> pretty good at what they do.


Sure, I've done quite a few of the "B" shops and have had an instance where the clerk did not charge for the Ready Post item. Just put the surrounding facts in the report (i.e. they saw you select the box because you were the only customer in the post office at the time, or they asked you and you answered properly that you had to pay for the Ready Post item). No, it doesn't happen often as the clerks are usually observant of activity around the items for sale.

A couple of pointers. 1) Bring packing tape - if you need to use a box, not an envelope with a self-sealing flap, you will need it and they should charge you for it. No, I don't find it odd at all and have seen others bring their own. It just means they were prepared. 2) Bring a pen or pre-addressed labels with the destination and return addresses as you will have to add the addresses to the Ready Post item. 3) Be aware the clerks are often nosy about what is in your package. If you ship books, magazines, newspapers or other similar junk items like I sometimes do, they may see them and not offer Express and Priority as they should because they think a book rate is what you need. So, hide your items from the clerks as best you can and never say you are shipping a book. Telling them it has papers works just fine.

Thanks to all for the replies. The one thing I have learned the last couple months is "details, details ,details ".
It makes most situations a little easier.
I appreciate the feedback .

When you buy a Ready Post package and don't use it, the clerk is supposed to ink stamp it on the back, so that when you do use it and no matter where you use it, they won't charge you for it. Thus, it should not matter if the clerk sees you take the packaging or not. No stamp on the back, they should charge you.
I've been not charged once out of about 40 Scenario Bs. Reported it and got paid just fine.

elcarev68 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When you buy a Ready Post package and don't use
> it, the clerk is supposed to ink stamp it on the
> back, so that when you do use it and no matter
> where you use it, they won't charge you for it.
> Thus, it should not matter if the clerk sees you
> take the packaging or not. No stamp on the back,
> they should charge you.
> I've been not charged once out of about 40
> Scenario Bs. Reported it and got paid just fine.


Just to clarify, Scenario "B" shops require you to package an item with a Ready Post item you select off the shelves at the post office and have to pay for.

I carry a tape gun, newspaper, bubble wrap, a sharpie and whatever else I am shipping in a reusable grocery bag. Never got any weird looks. he clerks sometimes ask if I used my own tape, and I show them the tape gun. If they ask why I didn't ship online (it happens), I tell them that I am out of printer ink.

SoCalMama Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If they ask why I didn't
> ship online (it happens), I tell them that I am
> out of printer ink.

That's a great answer--will have to keep that in mind. Or, how about "I didn't have a box."?

Why are the shops in some areas self assign but others are not? In my state I can self assign any of the post office shops, in the neighboring state that I do a lot of shops in, I can't self assign any of them. I know the schedulers for the two states are different (mine is awesome, the other one doesn't respond to emails) so that's what I assume the reason is?

BirdyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SoCalMama Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If they ask why I didn't
> > ship online (it happens), I tell them that I am
> > out of printer ink.
>
> That's a great answer--will have to keep that in
> mind. Or, how about "I didn't have a box."?

They sometimes try to be helpful and suggest a free Priority Mail box instead of the box that I am supposed to use. In that case, I tell them that the dimensions don't work because I need a bigger barrier for the item that I am shipping.

Yes, I didn't have a box to ship from home works too. I eBay, so not having a box at my house would be like not having food. LOL. It never occured to me to say that.

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are the shops in some areas self assign but
> others are not? In my state I can self assign any
> of the post office shops, in the neighboring state
> that I do a lot of shops in, I can't self assign
> any of them. I know the schedulers for the two
> states are different (mine is awesome, the other
> one doesn't respond to emails) so that's what I
> assume the reason is?

I have the same issue sometimes. My scheduler is awesome and the other I have to wait. I think its all about workloads but I do notice it . Being fairly new I haven't asked yet about self assign on the out of state ones. I have done them but had to wait.
Btw.......My B shops went very well today. Another one to add to the list of things I like

I did two of these shops today and I was to check to see if certain mailing supplies were available. Neither post office had the supplies I was to check for. I wonder if this is a trick question to make sure that you actually check??

All the post offices I've done had these mailing supplies, but sometimes they're behind the counter. I don't think its a trick question. I don't see how they can do business if they don't have the boxes and packages somewhere. Maybe they had them where you couldn't see them.

I had to check for some strange sizes. There were lots of other sized boxes and envelopes. Just not the sizes I was looking for.

I don't think its a trick question. Are you talking about Readypost items? Maybe they were out of the items? I have never seen a shelf empty with the ones I have done and never seen one where the supplies were behind the counter.

americanjoe: I guess trick question wasn't the correct phrase. They asked that I look for four specific sizes of different shipping items. I only found one at one post office. There were lots of other Readypost items available. It also seemed the items I was looking for were odd sizes--one was a cushion mailer size 14.25 x 20. Neither post office had that one.

I didn't think you had to find all four ~ just one of the four. I could never remember the specs for all four without writing them down! Which would make me look like a weirdo, checking my written notes as I look at all the thingies, especially in the little rural post offices where often I'm the only one, or one of maybe one to three other people, in there!

Remembering those sizes is a @#$%&. And not the soft, furry, doggie kind of @#$%&, either.

Those complete ready post numbers are impossible without a cheat sheet. They're all big items, a bubble mailer, a carton, and two cushion mailers. Disregard the smaller mailers. The first four digits of the numbers are 9306 on the carton, 9309 on the cushion mailers, and 9310 on the bubble mailer. The fourth and fifth numbers on each product are 00. The last four digits are 13, 14, 56, and 86. I go in looking for 13, 14, 56, and 86. If the first four digits are 9306, 9309, or 9310, I figure I've got a match.

One of the post offices I went to did have one of the four. The other didn't have any. I wrote down the numbers and looked through the display. I had to go back to the first post office because I didn't check the numbers the first time. Good thing the locations were close to each other and the first one was on my way home. I figured at the second one if they thought I was a shopper, it wouldn't matter because I had already mailed my stuff. I don't think anyone noticed though. It's the first time I did this scenario. Always harder the first time.