USPS HAZMAT Guidelines Have Changed!

For those shoppers who do the HAZ shops, I just noticed that the guidelines have recently changed (within last couple of days). Please review the guidelines, especially what to do if package is refused or ground is offered areas.

For timing, I downloaded the guidelines on 8/02 to do the newest certification and happened to download them again on 8/05 to check something and saw that they had changed.

Not nearly as attractive to me anymore.....

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

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I really don't want to discuss client guidelines in a public forum. If you do the shops, then I encourage you to review the guidelines before your next shop.

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

That change was in the guidelines last month. Maybe they're not all updated for every shop or area yet.

Yes. Bummer. I'm running low on tape.

Wow, I see what you mean. These jobs are the same work as the regular ones except not having to pack something to mail the next time if rejected. But much less in the reimbursement column and more rules as to where I can send. For me, who has people to send to at closer and further locations, it makes no sense to take these any more.

I personally valued the stamps I could buy with the reimbursement very highly since I use a lot of postage. Now, I can only buy a fraction of the stamps that I could before, plus, it seems that many of the decoy boxes will end up being mailed under the new guidelines. Once in a while, I actually need to mail a package to the required zones, but more often, I end up mailing a box to my shipping buddy.

When factoring in the fee + reimbursement (which had value to me), I felt these shops were worthwhile. Now, with the changes, not nearly as appealing to me personally. I guess I'm going to have to find a new source for stamps....LOL!

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

I bet the change is because people were taking the job and just buying stamps instead of going through the process. Also, the old scenario really didn't make much sense in the real world. Who is going to through the trouble to go to the PO to have a package delivered quickly and then leave instead if shipping regular? That would just delay delivery even longer. I am sure they knew I was shopper every time I walked out with my hazmat package.

The one scenario I would say I was going to call to find out contents. The other two scenarios, I would either say I would send through Fedex or UPS or just buy through Amazon and have them ship the item to the destination for me and I'd return the ones in the box to the store for a refund.

I did a lot of these shops and only occasionally felt the clerk was on to me, most of the time, I just thought they figured they were looking at another clueless customer. I see customers all the time that really don't know much about the services or processes of the post office. I'm sure the clerks deal with these kinds of customers daily.

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

Did anybody notice the thermometer guidelines? If it's not digital and there's no red liquid, what kind of thermometer would it be, and why wouldn't it be ok to send it by air?

@panama18 wrote:

Did anybody notice the thermometer guidelines? If it's not digital and there's no red liquid, what kind of thermometer would it be, and why wouldn't it be ok to send it by air?

If it's not digital and it's not red liquid, then that points to the old silver colored thermometers containing mercury. I'm guessing that digital and red colored liquid were stressed in their training.

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

@callinectes wrote:

I bet the change is because people were taking the job and just buying stamps instead of going through the process. Also, the old scenario really didn't make much sense in the real world. Who is going to through the trouble to go to the PO to have a package delivered quickly and then leave instead if shipping regular? That would just delay delivery even longer. I am sure they knew I was shopper every time I walked out with my hazmat package.

I never once considered this possibility and honestly, I always prefer to think of my fellow shoppers as stand-up and honest folks. If the MSC or USPS suspected that one or more shoppers were doing this, then I would think that video review would quickly put an end to the careers of any dishonest shoppers....

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

@msimon-2000 wrote:

@callinectes wrote:

I bet the change is because people were taking the job and just buying stamps instead of going through the process. Also, the old scenario really didn't make much sense in the real world. Who is going to through the trouble to go to the PO to have a package delivered quickly and then leave instead if shipping regular? That would just delay delivery even longer. I am sure they knew I was shopper every time I walked out with my hazmat package.

I never once considered this possibility and honestly, I always prefer to think of my fellow shoppers as stand-up and honest folks. If the MSC or USPS suspected that one or more shoppers were doing this, then I would think that video review would quickly put an end to the careers of any dishonest shoppers....

I would think also that the clerks who may have gotten "retrained" over this issue might have complained had shoppers just bought stamps outright. I have done 5 or 6 reg shops since covid 19 each in a different post office and in almost every one of them they did not even ask the hazmat question. The last one I did they did not even have the little machine on the counter. But reducing the reimbursement would not solve that issue. Every package would be accepted. If other places are also abandoning hazmat questions during covid maybe they should just put those shops on hold until the pandemic is over.

The zones are a pain - how does it change the shop purpose to mail to Zone 3 or 4 rather than Zones 5-8? Same questions. But since I do usually have real things to mail, I haven't minded the change. Had a first the other day though - the clerk correctly wouldn't send Priority but when I agreed to Ground she wouldn't take it because I needed to have downloaded a label from Uline!

I think the zone 5-8 requirement is due to those Priority Mail packages traveling by air instead of having a truck option for delivery. I have had them accept a package for Priority Mail shipping, but put a hazardous materials sticker on the box saying it must travel by ground only before...although not too often.

The Uline label is a new one for me.

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

Hmm, I don't have access to these in my area so I'm only guessing at the changes. If it's that you have to send the package via ground, that has been a requirement in the past. It only stayed a requirement for a cycle or two before returning to allowing us to buy items.

I used to love these shops when the package was rejected so I could get a full book of stamps. Now, the package with the thermometer sounds like it will get pushed through quite often thereby having to send a useless package to someone. This would be especially true if Ground is suggested for any of the scenarios and it would have to go. The cost to ship is also higher to the zones required, so it's just more of a nuisance to me than worth it. Plus, now even if it gets rejected, the reimbursement is not enticing enough for me anymore.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

On the flip side, I have been asked the hazmat question at every shop and all of my hazmat packages were refused for priority mail. If someone wanted to work the system they could have just walked in, bought a pack of stamps, and then faked the report. I would like to think no one would do that but there is a reason all of the MSCs have warnings about video, falsification, etc. Also, since there would be no retraining since the shopper would have reported the package as having been refused so the postal worker would have done the job correctly (for purposes of the report). Now that all packages will ship one way or another, there is proof for each shop.

@sandyf wrote:

@msimon-2000 wrote:

@callinectes wrote:

I bet the change is because people were taking the job and just buying stamps instead of going through the process. Also, the old scenario really didn't make much sense in the real world. Who is going to through the trouble to go to the PO to have a package delivered quickly and then leave instead if shipping regular? That would just delay delivery even longer. I am sure they knew I was shopper every time I walked out with my hazmat package.

I never once considered this possibility and honestly, I always prefer to think of my fellow shoppers as stand-up and honest folks. If the MSC or USPS suspected that one or more shoppers were doing this, then I would think that video review would quickly put an end to the careers of any dishonest shoppers....

I would think also that the clerks who may have gotten "retrained" over this issue might have complained had shoppers just bought stamps outright. I have done 5 or 6 reg shops since covid 19 each in a different post office and in almost every one of them they did not even ask the hazmat question. The last one I did they did not even have the little machine on the counter. But reducing the reimbursement would not solve that issue. Every package would be accepted. If other places are also abandoning hazmat questions during covid maybe they should just put those shops on hold until the pandemic is over.

Well, with this in mind, there are so many shops I could take and just make up the report. I could certainly do a "good" report so i would not be challenged. I could do it at a place that pays just as well and does not require a receipt if I really wanted to cheat. I expect the majority of shoppers are honest.

@callinectes wrote:

On the flip side, I have been asked the hazmat question at every shop and all of my hazmat packages were refused for priority mail. If someone wanted to work the system they could have just walked in, bought a pack of stamps, and then faked the report. I would like to think no one would do that but there is a reason all of the MSCs have warnings about video, falsification, etc. Also, since there would be no retraining since the shopper would have reported the package as having been refused so the postal worker would have done the job correctly (for purposes of the report). Now that all packages will ship one way or another, there is proof for each shop.

@sandyf wrote:

@msimon-2000 wrote:

@callinectes wrote:

I bet the change is because people were taking the job and just buying stamps instead of going through the process. Also, the old scenario really didn't make much sense in the real world. Who is going to through the trouble to go to the PO to have a package delivered quickly and then leave instead if shipping regular? That would just delay delivery even longer. I am sure they knew I was shopper every time I walked out with my hazmat package.

I never once considered this possibility and honestly, I always prefer to think of my fellow shoppers as stand-up and honest folks. If the MSC or USPS suspected that one or more shoppers were doing this, then I would think that video review would quickly put an end to the careers of any dishonest shoppers....

I would think also that the clerks who may have gotten "retrained" over this issue might have complained had shoppers just bought stamps outright. I have done 5 or 6 reg shops since covid 19 each in a different post office and in almost every one of them they did not even ask the hazmat question. The last one I did they did not even have the little machine on the counter. But reducing the reimbursement would not solve that issue. Every package would be accepted. If other places are also abandoning hazmat questions during covid maybe they should just put those shops on hold until the pandemic is over.

Of course the vast majority are honest, I never said otherwise.

Edited- Oh I see the idea now. buy stamps without trying to ship and give a false good report. I really don't thing the client would care as long as they got the good report out of it. - I'm not so sure about how successful faking reports would be long term. I've done these jobs long enough to have a few reviewed. My assumption (and it is just an assumption based on how the situations played out as well as family members that worked for the clent many years ago.) is that the employee with their union representative can contest the negative report. The video then is used in the dispute. I believe the Postmaster can question the finding also. Negative reviews have a direct impact on the post office and employees from my understanding.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/11/2020 04:59PM by wwin.

I would presume IPSOS has software that might trigger reviews if all reports are good. Maybe not.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

The changes overall to all types of these shops is that it states a $2.00 max reimbursement if not shipped. Previously, I purchased more than that. One the approved locations (not shipper), they sold the books and rolls, so I bought another item close to the reimbursed amount. Just checked the pay, they only reimbursed me $2.00 and not the total cost of the item. I should have emailed the scheduler.

Also, it says that the reimbursement is the 2 pound rate.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/2020 10:30PM by whosear.

I did one and the cheapest item the approved shipper sold was greeting cards. I put this in the notes and was reimbursed the full $3.61 I paid.

The instructions used to say to buy three stamps or an envelope if the item didn't ship. I still find little three stamp sets around my house. I think it was a few years ago someone in this group said they asked a scheduler and were told they could purchase other items up to the total reimbursement and I switched to rolls of tape or books of stamps.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2020 10:07PM by wwin.

When the package didn't ship, which was almost always, I would get a full book of 20 stamps. It was so worth it just for that. I supplied my daughter-in-law with most of the stamps for her wedding and I use them for sending ebay items so I can reduce the shipping cost to the buyer. However, for $2.00 reimbursement, I've lost interest.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

Whosear, please remove the name of the MSC from your post since the client has already been named multiple times. Thank you!

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

Some great posts in the thread!

I have always felt the fee was reasonable considering the amount of work involved, but when I decide to do a shop, I always factor in the fee+reimbursement to see if the shop makes sense for me personally. If the reimbursement is for something I don't need/want then I only consider the fee in my consideration. For these shops, I have taken as many as I could since I really need the postage. Like many of you, I now find these much less attractive to me personally. I might take one or two if I will be in that area for something else, but won't plan routes of 5 a day any longer. Still love the project and MSC though!

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."

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