Zoomy Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Postman rang my doorbell today with my mail and a medium priority flat rate box. I had ordered 2500 .40 S&W brass from one of the vendors on this site. The postman told me that he had to collect $35.30 for postage due. I asked him why, since the shipping for the flat rate box had already been paid. He called his supervisor and was told that since the box was completely wrapped in clear tape that constituted reinforcing the box for an oversized object. I refused delivery and drove down to the post office to have a chat. When I asked the lady at the counter she immediately reached under the counter and pulled out a piece of o paper with the rule and only that rule printed on it that said in effect packing tape may only be put on the flaps and seams. It seemed they had the printed sheet all ready to show people. I have had plenty of priority mail brass mailed to me that where taped all around and never had a problem. In fact I called the vendor who told me he ships150 boxes of brass a week and this is the first time he had heard of this. Anyone else have this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Must be new if its real. I wrap my boxes totally and never had a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Must be new if its real. I wrap my boxes totally and never had a problem I checked out the USPS website and could not find anything that said the whole box could not be wrapped. I think I will have to contact the main office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman2733 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Wow any way to get a little extra from us. I am glad to have read this now I also wrap my boxes extremely well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Never had a problem like that. Get priority boxes with brass and lead all taped up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gose Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Must be new if its real. I wrap my boxes totally and never had a problem I checked out the USPS website and could not find anything that said the whole box could not be wrapped. I think I will have to contact the main office. http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/flat-rate-reference.htm "Tape may be applied to the flaps and seams to reinforce the container; provided the design of the container is not enlarged by opening the sides and the container is not reconstructed in any way." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Good to know, thanks for passing this on. Just checked a Montana Gold medium UPS flat rate box and they have good tape on the flaps and seams, but not over 100% of the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Today, I just received a large flat-rate box full of .40 from Jeremy at Shooters Source. It was well taped and just left on the porch. No drama here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Today, I just received a large flat-rate box full of .40 from Jeremy at Shooters Source. It was well taped and just left on the porch. No drama here. My wife told me that there is a new supervisor at our post office. I guess we play strictly by the rules from now on. Jeremy said he would credit my card when the box gets back to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Today, I just received a large flat-rate box full of .40 from Jeremy at Shooters Source. It was well taped and just left on the porch. No drama here. My wife told me that there is a new supervisor at our post office. I guess we play strictly by the rules from now on. Jeremy said he would credit my card when the box gets back to him. Yup, Jeremy is cool. Your postmaster, not so much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireant Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Your postmaster is mistaken. That rule, that someone posted above was because people were changing the dimensions (as in the stuff really did not fit) of the box and taping the crap out of them. As long as the box does not poke out anywhere you are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Your postmaster is mistaken. That rule, that someone posted above was because people were changing the dimensions (as in the stuff really did not fit) of the box and taping the crap out of them. As long as the box does not poke out anywhere you are fine.The box looked ok. A couple of the corners where smashed but did not look like it was stuffed to bulging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 This is how I wrap up my targets when I send them out: Never had a problem. I must go through a roll or a roll and a half of that 3M fiber reinforced tape per box. When mailing out bullets in the square shaped boxes, I use that gorilla brand polyurethane glue to glue the bottom flaps together the night before. I use a piece of plywood and some lead ingots to weigh them down as the glue sets overnight. Then I put the bullets in an empty dog food bag. They must be made out of tyvek. Very strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theycallmeingot Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 "If it fits it ships" unless the shipper wants to make sure you actually get what you ordered by taping it excessively? Usps has always been a joke, but that is over the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 The postmaster is wrong. That rule only applies if the original specs of the box are changed or tape is used to reconfigure the box. Yes, I work for USPS. Been down this road and have proven it to postmaster and supervisors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFO Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Received a close to 70lb box of Bayou Bullets today, no extra charge............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reichebrown Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I just had a box of .223 brass from shooters source delivered yesterday covered in tape. No extra cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idcastandblast Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have shipped a LOT of bullets in the flat rate boxes. I tape 95% of the boxes. I admit to pushing the limit with some bulging boxes of 230gn .45s. I have never had a problem with my post office complaining. Used to tape less, but the PO dropped a few boxes that split open. Not anymore!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idcastandblast Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have shipped a LOT of bullets in the flat rate boxes. I tape 95% of the boxes. I admit to pushing the limit with some bulging boxes of 230gn .45s. I have never had a problem with my post office complaining. Used to tape less, but the PO dropped a few boxes that split open. Not anymore!! I forgot to mention. I DID have a clerk ask me if any of my small flat rate boxes were over 20 pounds. Has anyone come across a limit lower than 70 pounds for the smaller boxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 I guess I'll have to move to a different zip code to avoid being charged extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester121 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Sounds like USPS is getting annoyed that people are using their cheap service to ship extremely heavy things, so they'll go out of their way to put up roadblocks wherever possible. My carrier won't even deliver bullets any more, they throw a pickup tag marked HEAVY in the mailbox and I have to drive down to the local office to pick it up. If this becomes more widespread it's going to drastically change the mail order handloading marketplace. Time to order a stockpile of bullets and brass.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Phil Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 You should contact B.O. directly! He seems very quick to act when somebody tells him about their personal suffering. Man, that will really drive up the price of bullets. CONSPIRACY!! L.O.L BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 a box in a box.... where does re-enforcing end? how much trust should one put in a box? the post office is wrong to demand extra shipping. the re-enforcing call gets made at the time the post-office accepts the box for transport. I tried to use a document a box for sending a coat to my Brother... it is about the same size and shape as a ream of paper. the box bulged... the clerk said no. ... first class cost less than priority in that case Our world gets crazier and stranger.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 people were changing the dimensions (as in the stuff really did not fit) of the box and taping the crap out of them guilty as charged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmist10 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 USPS complaint number 1-800-275-8677 I've had plenty of delivery issues wth these clowns. So much so, I had the multi-state district manager on the line with the local post master and his supervisor for a conference call. I told them about all the issues, how many times we've delivered each other's mail here in my neighborhood, the drunken mail lady, the mailboxes she destroyed with the mail truck mirrors, etc. After the conversation was over, they thought I dropped off the call by hanging up...then they proceeded to talk about me and claim that I just wanted attention from my neighbors (because I gave them the 1-800 number as well). Imagine their surprise when I asked if running down their customers after speaking with them was "company policy." These people think they can provide continue to give poor service and that they can make rules up as they go if it serves their purpose. No wonder they're the butt of jokes and losing money. Any other business this poor would be out of business 100 years ago. Sorry if you read this and you work for the USPS, I'm sure there are good folks that work there too but when the USPS finally goes belly up, I'll be dancinging the street. Good luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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