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Wacky postage discrepancies?

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Wacky postage discrepancies?

imp

Evil Fairy
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Today I received a few packages from the U.S.:

Trader A in MA mailed me 5 SotMK cards on Feb. 7/13 and paid $6.55

Trader B in NJ mailed me 4 pins on Feb.11/13 (in a larger envelope than Trader A used) and paid only $2.25

Trader C in IL mailed me 1 pin on Feb. 12/13 and paid $6.55

[BTW: Seller D in MI mailed me 21 pins (total weight just over 1 lb.) on Feb. 8/13 and paid $11.95, which seems pretty cheap if you're paying $6.55 for only 1 pin]

....so how does Trader B get such a good price? The distance from New Jersey to my home is roughly the same as the distance from Chicago, IL. All the packages have the usual USPS sticker with bar code, date, postage paid, etc.. I can't be sure if this is related to the price, but the NJ package also has a larger sticker with a bar code and my postal code.

Is it possible he knows about a lower rate that the post office doesn't tell you about? For example, when I mail from here in Canada to the U.S., the price defaults to about $6 for a 'small packet', but I know to ask for 'light packet, which only costs $3 after tax.

...worth looking into? - It would be nice if that lower rate were available, because I'm worried that most of my U.S. trades are going to dry up now that the postage rates have risen so much.
 
I think it has to do with these new rules and no one truly understanding them. Sounds like person B in NJ shipped theirs via Large Envelope Airmail, and Persons A in MA and C in IL mailed theirs via Parcel Airmail. The rules are very fuzzy as to what a padded envelope with say 1 pin is truly considered. To be Large Envelope, it has to be smaller than 6x9, less than 3/4 of an inch thick, and FLEXIBLE. My local PO says because a pin is not flexible, it would be Parcel Airmail, not Large Envelope
 
Trader B used large envelope postage. If the package is less then 3/4 of an inch it can be considered a large or 'thick' package. No DC is available with the postage unless bought separatly and usually does just fine. It also means they don't have to fill out a customs form usually. If you do theres less chance of you being caught.

As long as the package isn't supppper thick it doesn't matter the weight.
 

Sounds like large envelope should be fine for 1 pin or several pins spread out. We have the same 3/4" limit on thickness, but I find that wrapping the pin so there's 1 layer of bubble wrap across the front and 2 layers across the back (plus the bubble envelope) stays within that limit and protects the pins well. Flexibility should be OK as long as the pins are individually wrapped (and as long as you find a post office that doesn't take the flexibility rule to the extreme).

DC doesn't work past the border anyway, so it's pointless to pay for it.

I don't worry too much about the customs issue, because they rarely bother to collect it. I've received tons of ebay purchases that should attract duties and sales tax, but I've only been dinged once and even then they only collected the sales tax. [Just a note to any ebay sellers: I see that some sellers are noting in their listings that they offer the 'convenience' of collecting customs duties at the front end, maybe hoping to attract more international customers - We don't want it! I won't buy from those sellers because I'd end up paying duties that I wouldn't otherwise pay.]
 
I ditto the previous responses re: large envelope. The post office says this about large envelopes.

[TABLE="width: 300"]
[TR]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Dimension[/TH]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Minimum[SUP]*[/SUP][/TH]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Maximum[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Height[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]6-1/8 inches[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]12 inches[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Length[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]11-1/2 inches[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]15 inches[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Thickness[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]1/4 inch[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]3/4 inch[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[SUP]
*[/SUP] Large envelopes exceed at least one of these dimensions.
For example, an envelope 10 inches long x 8 inches high x 1/4 inch thick is considered a large envelope because it exceeds the minimum height dimension.
Large envelopes that are rigid, nonrectangular, or not uniformly thick pay package prices.

Or perhaps it was small enough that it was a regular sized envelope

[TABLE="width: 300"]
[TR]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Dimension[/TH]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Minimum[/TH]
[TH="class: DimensionHeader, align: left"]Maximum[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Height[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]3-1/2 inches[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]6-1/8 inches[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Length[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]5 inches[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]11-1/2 inches[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]Thickness[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]0.007 inch[/TD]
[TD="class: DimensionContent"]1/4 inch[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Also, I've been reading, if it is rigid, 3 ounces can still go as a "letter" (as long as it's not too thick) for $1.75.

Hmm, maybe this is the way to get past the high postage costs?

P.S. It also depends on who you get at the post office to take your letter/package. Whether you can get them to take it as a letter vs a parcel.

A 3 ounce letter with something rigid in it will ship for $3.20 to England so hmm, maybe you can talk to your postal clerk to see if it can go as a letter?
 
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Not sure if private online postage sellers are available in Canada, but here in the US, I use Stamps.com. If I send out enough packages in a month (which usually I do), it saves me the cost of the service and then some because the postage prices are less than what I would pay by going to the US Post Office. For example, I get free delivery confirmation with every package sent (saves me .90 cents each time). I am usually able to send pins in a bubble envelope and still fit the shipping requirements/restrictions for the cheaper shipping methods. I just sent two pins to Japan last week in a bubble envelope (it was under 3/4 " thick) and it cost $4.60. For US pin shipments I must make the bubble envelope over 3/4" and for the same two pin package the cost is $1.86 with delivery confirmation. I know the delivery confirmation cannot be used for out of the country packages, but the custom form number that is given will track it until it leaves the country. Might be worth looking into where you're at
 

Unfortunately Canada Post actually makes it more expensive to use their online service, because 'light packet' (1/2 the price of 'small packet') is not available online.
 
Does your price include paying for declaration ? The cheapest would be $7.35 and goes up to $33.95 ...
 
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