Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/great-news-for-those-with-family-overseas

Comment #2636

2013-12-13T20:30:07Z

My local post office didn't have a clue about these boxes either. I left before my anger boiled. I needed to get the package out for Christmas and didn't really have the extra $20 they wanted from me. I plan to take in printouts and file a complaint. I need to mail these in the future and they need to get their act together.

Comment #2635

2012-11-15T19:45:36Z

If you're printing postage online, there have been some changes in the system. You now must enter Customs information via a wizard instead of filling it out yourself. As usual, the wizard thinks it's smarter than you are. One thing to keep in mind is that the USPS thinks nothing is of no value. That is, you can't enter $0.00, which is often the appropriate amount when sending odds and ends to grandkids. (I didn't try "priceless," but I'm sure that won't work, either.) Fortunately, $0.01 works just fine.

I also note that the address verifier has taken a step backwards. It will no longer let you continue if there's an umlaut in the name.

Comment #2634

2012-10-02T00:32:46Z

I had the same kind of experience today -- "you can't ship this flat rate, the box doesn't have 'flat rate' printed on it." No luck until I went back to my office and printed a couple pages from the USPS postage calculator. When I went back the agent looked at my printouts and went off to investigate. Ultimately I was able to ship my box.

I do think it would be easier for all concerned for the USPS to print this size box with "International Flat Rate" right on it.

Thanks!

Comment #2633

2012-09-18T15:45:15Z

I sure hope it worked out for you today, Michael. I wonder when the USPS will give up and just make boxes with "international flat rate" printed on them. I'm beginning to think that would be easier than educating all the post office branches.

But I hope they don't give up altogether—this flat rate box is such a blessing for those of us with overseas family. It would be even better if they'd bring back international media rate as well.

Comment #2632

2012-09-18T03:37:12Z

I know this is a bit late since the last post, but I as well had encountered this problem. Ordered the items from the USPS site and went down to the local post office, where I was told that the only one package that wouldnt print online (czechia) that it would be $48. I tried to explain the $16.95 cost, but was thwarted by the box not having the "Flat Rate" printed on it. Went to the main post office, because they are smarter "most" of the time, only to be turned down again. My postage that I printed online expires at midnight so I had to repackage the parcels right there on the floor in the post office.

For tomorrow though i have printouts from the website and manuals that show the discrepancy with the international vs domestic.

Thanks for all the great info.

Comment #2631

2012-02-23T20:12:02Z

Congratulations! Clearly, more Americans should find more occasions to ship small items overseas, so that more post office workers can be well educated. :)

Comment #2630

2012-02-23T20:04:33Z

Success!

I went back to the same post office with my little piece of paper in hand. I had printed off the description and picture of the box that clearly showed that even thought it is called a flat rate box it does not say "Flat Rate" on it.

They were unmoved. She even came out and showed me other boxes on the rack that said flat rate on them. I explained that this is what they sent when I ordered the flat rate box. I asked if they could order me the flat rate box since I seemed to be unable to do it properly from home.

She then proceeded to show me what was available for international boxes. She turned her monitor around so I could see, and what do you know, there it was. For $16.95! She apologized and said they all learned something. She was even surprised at the customs form she had to use (they had me fill out a large one in the morning, but this afternoon it was the little green one).

Anyway, it has been shipped!

Comment #2629

2012-02-23T18:35:19Z

Argh! indeed. The boxes aren't labelled "Flat Rate" because, domestically, they aren't. It's only internationally. But why they don't say that on the box, I don't know. My personal guess is that they're trying to use up old stock before printing new ones. I think it would be better, and more effective, to make the boxes available at the local post office -- if people could actually see them, they might use them, even domestically.

Getting flustered is better than getting arrested. But do not -- repeat, DO NOT -- pay $40 to ship this box. It's beginning to feel like a scam, but I know the flat rate is good. Even though it's no longer as good as it was last year (see update above).

I hope your second post office is more reasonable.

Comment #2628

2012-02-23T18:10:52Z

Argh! I had the same problem trying to ship today as reported above. I had ordered the boxes on-line, but they arrived without the words "Flat Rate" on them, so they wanted over $40 to ship it! I told them I would try a different post office.

I tend to get very flustered in these situations (even though I knew this was a possibility). I will try a different post office, but have the print-out with me.

The funny thing was, I could see the screen where the employee could choose the different options and the $16.95 price was listed.

Comment #2627

2012-02-07T16:54:20Z

And I can report that the package arrived just fine and was happily received. What a sweet note, too.

Comment #2626

2012-02-07T13:06:30Z

The last time I shipped this box, the table listing the shipipng options listed this as "unavailable" but I was still able to click the radio button and the postage label printed just fine. It was a couple of dollars higher, but I assume that is because of the rate changes from January.

Comment #2625

2012-02-06T13:45:04Z

That seems to be typical. Everyone I know has had to order them from USPS online. They're free, and only take a few days to arrive. Our post office said that they've tried to get them from their own suppliers, and can't. It is so weird.

When you buy online (see link above), you'll note that it doesn't actually say "flat rate." And if you look under the flat-rate boxes you won't find it. The only reason I knew about it was that when I did a "calculate postage" it was one of the suggestions.

Comment #2624

2012-02-06T11:23:19Z

I am having trouble finding this size box. Neither of the two post offices I have gone to have them.

Comment #2623

2012-02-05T18:45:13Z

Well, I don't think it's worth getting arrested for, but I can understand the frustration. The postal service either needs to educate their employees, or print the boxes with "international flat rate" on them.

Comment #2622

2012-01-31T05:19:51Z

I had a horrendous experience at the local post office involving this box. I ordered the boxes online and the USPS delivered them in just a couple of days. But when I tried to ship something using the box at the local post office, nobody there believed that it's a flat-rate box. They refused to look up the info in the manual, even after I showed them reprints of the usps web pages. They insisted the USPS made a mistake shipping me that box. I was quite angry when they said the only way to ship it at flat rate internationally was to wrap the stuff in bubble wrap and put it in a flat-rate envelope (but that wouldn't work for my purpose). The argument became heated and eventually they threatened to call the police so I would leave! That was so incredible. I drove to another post office and the clerk there had no trouble understanding me and let me ship in the large video box at flat rate. No hassles at all!

Comment #2621

2011-12-12T19:57:53Z

Sorry about that. It was too short and sweet, maybe?

Comment #2620

2011-12-12T18:14:20Z

See Update 4 above. Educating the world, one post office at a time.

Comment #2619

2011-12-11T19:05:02Z

Once a week I delete all the comments caught by our spam filter. The volume has become so great that I was about to resort to clicking the "Purge Spam" button instead of checking out each post individually. After all, I've been using this system for years and it hasn't yet made a mistake.

Well, not until now, anyway. IrishOboe's latest comment was hiding there, amongst the ads for loans, fake passports, and fancy leather goods. No idea why. I don't think I accidentally marked it as spam during moderation, but neither can I think of a reason for the otherwise great spam filter to have tagged it. So I guess I'll continue my more labor-intensive deletion process a bit longer.

Comment #2618

2011-12-09T13:37:16Z

That's crazy!

Comment #2617

2011-12-09T11:55:53Z

I've added another update. "Best kept secret," indeed!

Comment #2616

2011-12-07T20:13:11Z

Note the update above. So far, no one I've asked has been able to get the boxes at a local post office, only online.

Comment #2615

2011-11-08T15:03:30Z

Hm, that looks for familiar. I have box just like that on my desk full of Halloween candy . . . Yummy yummy, thank you post office! ;)