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Reusing Cardboard Postal Boxes Illegal

Started by Guest_drewish_* , Apr 30 2008 12:53 PM

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17 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 12:53 PM

http://www.thedenver...154/detail.html

Anyone else experience this? I re-use Priority boxes all the time and have never had anything said to me. I guess since I'm still using Priority service they don't care since the cost of the box is factored into the cost of shipping, essentially saving them money.

#2 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 12:58 PM

That makes no sense. You can get as many free boxes as you want, but you can't re-use them? That may make accounting easier, but it's not helping the postal service, or their customers, save any money.

#3 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 01:16 PM

The point they are trying to make is that you can get a "free" priority box and use it for first-class mail. You usually have to buy a box for first-class either at the USPS facility or a packaging store.

But if someone already "paid" for the box when they used it for Priority shipping, then it should be free to use for whatever. I usually just re-use them to send fish back to the person or others. I recycle/reuse all my packages I receive from others, from the fish bag to newspapers to insulation.

#4 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 01:41 PM

She said enforcing the no-recycling rule would keep postal rates low for everyone.

Huh? This makes my head ache. ](*,)

#5 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 01:47 PM

I thought this was a late "April Fools" joke until I watched the video. I can understand getting bent out of shape over a new box being used for bulk or first class rate but this is silly.

#6 Guest_jdclarksc_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 07:49 PM

I see another 1 - 3 cent increase stamps to help recoup the money that this type of recycling is going to cost them. Besides if you take a box from their garbage that means they overpaid for their trash removal. Remember folks don't steal from the govment. That's their job :biggrin:

#7 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 08:08 PM

I've reused every priority box that I've recieved so far. I'd like to think the recipients of my recycled boxes are sending them on down the line as well.

I'm lucky in that I have a tiny, two employee post office close by. I once went to great lengths to get them temporary water service when a water main broke during a two day blizzard. They've always been nice to me since then. :wink:

#8 Guest_troutperch beeman_*

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 08:52 PM

My wife ran into this at the post office. So she started wrapping all her re-used priority boxes in brown paper. If they can't see it they don't know it's a priority box.

"

#9 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 03:02 PM

"enforcing the no-recycling rule would keep postal rates low for everyone."

don't get it. Doesn't a new, free, priority box cost the post office more than one that has been already paid for?

#10 Guest_bpkeck_*

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Posted 01 May 2008 - 09:25 PM

I've never had a problem with this before... of course if the Priority marking is showing and you try to ship first class that's a problem and I think that's what the illegal part is. I think the post office is worried about people taking priority boxes that haven't been used, turning them inside out, and using a cheaper shipping method. I've met plenty of dishonest people that would do just that to save a couple bucks and it hurts all the honest people, which I'd say most of us fall into that category... at least loosely. Perhaps being sure to leave on the post mark or label so that if this issue arises those can be pointed out that it's recycled when using the box for another shipping method. If it's used for priority shipping then there is no reason for there to be a problem. There's also the fact that each post office seems to live by it's own set of rules... or rather their own interpretations of the rules. I've been lucky and always had good dealings with the USPS, but I know some haven't.

#11 Guest_macantley_*

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Posted 02 May 2008 - 09:04 AM

i havent watched the video yet, but i talked to my local post master, his answer to this was that you CANNOT use postal priority boxes to ship via another company like fedex or UPS, he said he gets re-used priority boxes in all the time and see's no problems with re-using them according to his policy that he went over, its just wrong to use them via another shipping company.

matthew

#12 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 02 May 2008 - 04:08 PM

The news story is very fuzzy. This is what the law REALLY says.

You cannot use the box for shipping with another company.
You cannot flip the box inside out and use them for services other than prioirty mail.

They offer the shipping boxes FREE OF CHARGE with FREE SHIPPING. They would be at a big loss if everyone just got the free boxes and flipped them inside out to ship them first class, etc.

Reusing a box is ok as long as you don't flip it inside out and as long as you ship it through priority mail.

#13 Guest_dsmith73_*

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Posted 03 May 2008 - 08:28 AM

The news story is very fuzzy. This is what the law REALLY says.

You cannot use the box for shipping with another company.
You cannot flip the box inside out and use them for services other than prioirty mail.

They offer the shipping boxes FREE OF CHARGE with FREE SHIPPING. They would be at a big loss if everyone just got the free boxes and flipped them inside out to ship them first class, etc.

Reusing a box is ok as long as you don't flip it inside out and as long as you ship it through priority mail.

I don't understand what the harm is in flipping the box to use for other services. You are still using it through USPS. Now if you used the box to ship UPS, then that's a different story. I reuse boxes all the time for various services, including using priority boxes and covering the priority labeling with Express stickers, and have never had any issue at the PO.

#14 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 03 May 2008 - 10:44 AM

I don't understand what the harm is in flipping the box to use for other services. You are still using it through USPS. Now if you used the box to ship UPS, then that's a different story. I reuse boxes all the time for various services, including using priority boxes and covering the priority labeling with Express stickers, and have never had any issue at the PO.

Not sure, but I think with priority mail you do wind up paying for the box, just through the postage itself. If you use it for regular USPS shipping, that cost woudn't be recouped. If the box has already been used once through priority mail, though, then it would have been paid for.

#15 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 03 May 2008 - 04:16 PM

If you order 50 free priority boxes online, and use them for something other than USPS priority mail, then you are stealing from USPS. Re using them is not. Nor is it unethical. Whether you turn them inside out or not. Once the box has been shipped priority mail, it has been paid for. Recycling it is better than putting it in a landfill. I think this has been misinterpreted.

http://shop.usps.com..._category=11820

They will send them to you free. I am sure some people take advantage of this and order the boxes for free, flip them, and ship by other methods.

#16 Guest_bpkeck_*

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Posted 06 May 2008 - 03:16 PM

I don't think they have a moral objection to re-using a box once it has been used via proper shipping service. The problem arises in the determination of used vs. new boxes. The USPS can't tell if a box is used or new... in effect if you are recycling or stealing, so the only way they deal with it is by saying you can't use it for anything but the shipping service it is labled for and that applies to first use and beyond.

#17 Guest_scottefontay_*

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Posted 21 May 2008 - 12:00 PM

I think I know what this is about now. The boxes that they are really worried about are the free "Priority Flat Rate" boxes. The large flat rate box is ~$12 (up to 20lbs). The cost of the free box is included in the Flat Rate charge. I used a new Flat Rate box without thinking and instead of ~$5 at the Priority rate it would be ~$12. She said she couldn't ship it regular because it was in the flat rate box. So I went back to my office, turned it inside out, the other free Priority boxes were not the same size (styro cut to fit, fish packed already to go...) I won't make that mistake again, what a hassle and I'm to cheap to give the gov't an extra $7... :dry:

on top of the lunch-time I spent waiting in line.

#18 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 22 May 2008 - 09:35 PM

They do not want people flipping hte boxes inside out and using them for other services because they can't tell whether a box is being reused.

Also, they sell generic boxes for other services. If people could use the priority boxes for all their services, then they wouldn't make any money on their generic boxes, other box companies won't make as much money, and everyone would be at a loss.