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USPS Shops Showing Up on Job Board

June 04, 2020 03:26PM
@Dandydew wrote:

The guidelines state the file name should not exceed 30 characters using the format: Task Name_City_Date_Type of Attachment

I name my files: Job#_City_Date_Type of Attachment.jpg
Examples:
4823350536_Houston_060320_Receipt.jpg
4885000587_SHouston_060320_BoxReceipt.jpg
4868480505_DeerPark_060320_Package.jpg

Every one of my file names exceeds 30 characters! I don't know how to trim it anymore! Thirty characters are not many!

What is interesting/odd/confusing to me is that the Guidelines for the USPS Health & Safety Shops DO specify to keep the file name to 30 characters or less, **BUT** in the Guidelines for the Regular Box Shops, I can't find a number limit on the number of characters for the filename for THOSE shops. The Guidelines for the Regular Box Shops **DO** give the format, right on the bottom of the page of the Guidelines, but I can't see where a number limit is stated. Am I missing it somewhere?? This can be confusing, if they want a limit on 30 characters for the Health & Safety checks, but for the Regular Box shops only specify the format without specifying a number limit. **SO FAR** 2 of my 5 Regular Shops have been evaluated and OK'd for Pay with the filenames I've given them, which ARE over 30 characters! Today, I'm doing 2 of their Health & Safety checks, and will be careful to keep the filenames at 30 characters or below. I can see where this can be confusing for shoppers!
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June 04, 2020 04:04PM
@Dandydew wrote:

The guidelines state the file name should not exceed 30 characters using the format: Task Name_City_Date_Type of Attachment

I name my files: Job#_City_Date_Type of Attachment.jpg
Examples:
4823350536_Houston_060320_Receipt.jpg
4885000587_SHouston_060320_BoxReceipt.jpg
4868480505_DeerPark_060320_Package.jpg

Every one of my file names exceeds 30 characters! I don't know how to trim it anymore! Thirty characters are not many!

I copied the exact format in the guidelines to a document on my phone then change the description as needed. Example:

Reg_cityX_200602_rct

Abbreviate when needed and, if you have several in the same city, use cityX1, cityX2, etc.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2020 04:05PM by sestrahelena.
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June 04, 2020 04:18PM
So lets do math ( noooo!):
Underscores -3
Date -6
Rct/ box -3
Job type (reg/haz/cpu/h&s) -3

That is only 15 characters. You still have 15 left for the city name which you can abbreviate. Even Constantinople fits.
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June 04, 2020 08:34PM
I did 2 shops Monday and both have been approved. I used the same format as I always have.

Reg_ 77883_060120_POreceipt

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2020 08:34PM by grille.
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June 04, 2020 09:05PM
This whole naming thing is ridiculous. First, they don't even give any examples of what they should be so everyone has to make it up (where does it say that "Reg" is the "task name", as is used in examples here)? Second, and I have this problem with other sites as well, you upload the picture in a specific spot on the form. The system knows what that specific file is. If they want it to have a specific name in their system, let them rename it when they upload and store it! Computers can do things like this!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2020 09:06PM by MisterBill.
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June 04, 2020 09:17PM
@MisterBill wrote:

This whole naming thing is ridiculous. First, they don't even give any examples of what they should be so everyone has to make it up (where does it say that "Reg" is the "task name", as is used in examples here)?

Instructions. Page 2. Under "Attachments." Point #4.
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June 04, 2020 09:22PM
@sestrahelena wrote:

@MisterBill wrote:

This whole naming thing is ridiculous. First, they don't even give any examples of what they should be so everyone has to make it up (where does it say that "Reg" is the "task name", as is used in examples here)?

Instructions. Page 2. Under "Attachments." Point #4.
Yes, it tells you the format but not what "Task Name" is supposed to be. Plus what the "type of attachment" should be.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2020 09:22PM by MisterBill.
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June 05, 2020 03:25AM
Good question. I know I got it from somewhere but now I can't find it. Maybe a scheduler email when it first started?
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June 05, 2020 11:29AM
Is there a 30 minute wait between Usps healthy and safety checks?
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June 05, 2020 01:19PM
There is a 30-minute wait between shops, I just saw on the guidelines. BOO
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June 05, 2020 03:18PM
Can I do a USPS Health & Safety Micro Shop at a location where I did a USPS Regular Box Shop the day before?
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June 05, 2020 03:19PM
@mitchk wrote:

Can I do a USPS Health & Safety Micro Shop at a location where I did a USPS Regular Box Shop the day before?
I would think that they would not assign you both if you couldn't. I didn't try to get two at the same PO.
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June 05, 2020 03:24PM
Just got a reply from the company:

"Yes you can. You can do a Health & Safety with a regular box shop as long as you wait 1 hour after you do the regular box shop. Also, you can do multiple Health & Safety shops as long as you wait 30 minutes between shops. There is now no limit as far as how many you can do on the Health & Safety Shops as long as you wait the 30 minutes in between."
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June 05, 2020 05:49PM
I did the regular bix shops earlier int he week and then did the Health and Safety ones today.
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June 05, 2020 05:50PM
I wonder why you need to wait 30 minutes between shops. Even if you immediately input the shop, it only takes a few minutes.
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June 05, 2020 07:20PM
Boohoo, I got excited yesterday when I got a long list of shops by email specifically in California. With the exception of three that were nowhere near where I live but still in the huge expanse of So Cal, the other 30 or so were all in No,. Cal. I am raring to go with a stockpile of boxes to use and no shops around where I live. The retail locations have always been open here, never closed due to covid 19 so I am hoping one of these days I can get one...and then pass the test!!!
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June 05, 2020 09:36PM
These are always so tempting but I'm not even going to look right now. I was so sick for weeks after a shop by LAX I did in February. Some poor older guy standing in the long line for money orders was coughing uncontrollably, three days later I was in as bad of shape as he was despite all my hand sanitizer and extra precautions. South LA county's Covid 19 numbers were not good and rising before the protests. Orange county seems to think wearing a mask is a political statement / sign of moral weakness and their numbers around here are going up. It just doesn't seem worth the $12 to me as much as I miss the work.
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June 05, 2020 10:54PM
That's terrible you became sick @wwin
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June 05, 2020 11:11PM
wwin, wearing a mask means you care about yourself and others. Everyone should consider it a mask of honor! :-)
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June 06, 2020 07:25PM
I finally passed on the third try but previously have always gotten it for years on the first try. I thought the person in line right in front of me could have been waiting. I could not see if she was doing something at the table. It looked like she had just put her envelope down while she waited!!!
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June 06, 2020 07:33PM
@sandyf wrote:

I finally passed on the third try but previously have always gotten it for years on the first try. I thought the person in line right in front of me could have been waiting. I could not see if she was doing something at the table. It looked like she had just put her envelope down while she waited!!!
I've always passed on the first attempt as well. It was very poorly done, or intentionally confusing. Those two women should have been at a table not right next to the line. I thought one of them was on line and had put the box on the table to avoid holding it. And the other one seemed to be holding tape to purchase. And what was the guy doing standing at a station if there is no clerk there?
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June 06, 2020 07:46PM
Well Bill I am way ahead of you on my issue...almost all of the locations where I live have the line snaking around the table. There is not another table where you can work other than how the picture is. I purposely changed my answer to one of the questions I thought I had gotten right because I wanted to try all of the above for that one and knew I had another chance. I was pretty sure about what I got wrong the first time...that lady with what looked like the white envelope in my pic who did not appear to be doing anything other than resting her envelope on the table while she waited.
Yes I agree that some of these pics are misleading esp since they did not show anything like these in the video that I finally watched after failing...
However I am happy we finally have shops here where I live. I only took one....
Are the new shops worthwhile? It seems since you still have to wait in line and can only make a very small purchase and get paid less it will take just as long. Unless of course you have nothing to mail to someone for real. Generally there is a line where I live so waiting I feel I may as well mail packages to my son and get $12 instead of $10.....no bonus where i live! I have not sent him boxed treats since Feb!!!


@MisterBill wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

I finally passed on the third try but previously have always gotten it for years on the first try. I thought the person in line right in front of me could have been waiting. I could not see if she was doing something at the table. It looked like she had just put her envelope down while she waited!!!
I've always passed on the first attempt as well. It was very poorly done, or intentionally confusing. Those two women should have been at a table not right next to the line. I thought one of them was on line and had put the box on the table to avoid holding it. And the other one seemed to be holding tape to purchase. And what was the guy doing standing at a station if there is no clerk there?
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June 06, 2020 08:44PM
@sandyf wrote:

Well Bill I am way ahead of you on my issue...almost all of the locations where I live have the line snaking around the table. There is not another table where you can work other than how the picture is. I purposely changed my answer to one of the questions I thought I had gotten right because I wanted to try all of the above for that one and knew I had another chance. I was pretty sure about what I got wrong the first time...that lady with what looked like the white envelope in my pic who did not appear to be doing anything other than resting her envelope on the table while she waited.
Yes I agree that some of these pics are misleading esp since they did not show anything like these in the video that I finally watched after failing...
However I am happy we finally have shops here where I live. I only took one....
Are the new shops worthwhile? It seems since you still have to wait in line and can only make a very small purchase and get paid less it will take just as long. Unless of course you have nothing to mail to someone for real. Generally there is a line where I live so waiting I feel I may as well mail packages to my son and get $12 instead of $10.....no bonus where i live! I have not sent him boxed treats since Feb!!!
I've been to 3 this week and the longest line I've encountered is two people.

The box shops worked out well since I had something I needed to ship back for another shop. Plus I wanted to send my son something but it wasn't worth paying to send it. As for the micro shops, under normal circumstances I wouldn't do a $10 shop (plus 2 stamps, which we don't need), but I feel like I need to do something, and they're so easy, and close by smiling smiley.

Took one more box shop for next week and unless I can find something to send to one of my kids I will just reuse a package I sent myself on a previous shop.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2020 11:04PM by MisterBill.
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June 09, 2020 11:46PM
@KA047 wrote:

Trying to ask this in a way it would be "legal" : On the last question, am I supposed to be assuming there is a clerk at that second station that a customer is standing in front of? I can't see how any of my other answers that I enter is wrong, so it makes me wonder if I am required to make an assumption on this last question instead of what I actually see.
There is only one window open and there are 2 people on line. I have no idea why the customer is standing at the empty station but they do not consider it to be open.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2020 11:47PM by MisterBill.
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June 09, 2020 11:49PM
Anyone else having trouble uploading photos right now? It was working before but now it's just spinning the dots when I click on the upload button and occasionally get a media server error. Update - it's fixed, I was able to submit.

BTW my first two box shops I did last week were approved. I name the files starting with "Reg" on one and "USPS" on the other.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2020 12:38AM by MisterBill.
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June 11, 2020 09:33PM
Just curious....anyone else finding that the Health & Safety Shops are taking a LONG TIME to get evaluated after submission??? I've only done 3, but 2 of them were 8 days ago, and the other one was 4 days ago. Compared to the Reg Box shops, these seem to be taking longer to get evaluated. Is it just me? Thanks!
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June 11, 2020 10:01PM
@guysmom wrote:

Just curious....anyone else finding that the Health & Safety Shops are taking a LONG TIME to get evaluated after submission??? I've only done 3, but 2 of them were 8 days ago, and the other one was 4 days ago. Compared to the Reg Box shops, these seem to be taking longer to get evaluated. Is it just me? Thanks!
Yes! I did my first shop last Friday and it's still pending verification.

Update: the first two are now approved.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2020 05:17PM by MisterBill.
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June 12, 2020 11:21PM
Well, finally!!! My 3 Micro shops were finally approved today!! YAY!!
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June 15, 2020 01:27AM
Long lines/wait times! My area "reopened" in some phase or another this week and lines have been crazy long. The week before had been normal. So reopening might affect everyone's areas, just aheads-up.
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June 15, 2020 03:47AM
@sestrahelena wrote:

Long lines/wait times! My area "reopened" in some phase or another this week and lines have been crazy long. The week before had been normal. So reopening might affect everyone's areas, just aheads-up.
I guess it depends on the area. Longest line I've had is 2 people and I'm in NY in an area that just entered phase 2 reopening last week.
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