Experience With Ordering Press Sheets

My experience with ordering press sheets from the USPS (either on its website or by phone) has been absolutely horrific . 9 out 10 times I received either damaged sheets or the wrong sheets (e.g., I ordered no die cut sheets but received die cut ones). On several occasions, I had to return multiple times to rectify the problem.

Given press sheets are a huge cash cow for the USPS, it is really surprising that they don't pay more attention to fulfilling orders correctly.

Is my experience unique or others have had similar experiences with ordering press sheets? Just curious.

Same here... I'm getting tired of ordering these sheets.

Never had a problem but......I quit when the USPS decided to issue all "commemoratives" in w/wo die cuts. I could keep up $$$ wise but not for their profit. Have fun and don't go broke!

Doug

The one press sheet I ordered came beat up. I was not happy. I will not be getting any more.

There have been several discussions here and on other stamp boards about the condition of Press Sheets. If the desired Press Sheets were intended to produce imperforate pairs or blocks, then some collectors just ignored the poor shipping and cut them up for their collection (or for resale) and let well enough alone.

There have also been occasions when the Press Sheets arrived in such bad condition they were returned for replacement, but that is at your own risk, as you don't always know if they have sufficient quantity of Press Sheets to offer an exact replacement and the replacement Press Sheet will still get re-sent in a rolled fashion and subject to the same damage.

There is a little known provision in the USA Philatelic Order Form that allows one to request that Press Sheets be shipped flat, however that is considered a "custom order" and would incur an additional $2.00 custom order fee.

Shipped flat? That'd be kinda crazy!

Ordered 5 modern art sheets w/p die cut. 3 arrived damaged roughed up edges. Phoned and they said they would set aside 3 replacements. So I did the return and received back 1 undamaged and two similarly damaged sheets. They get dinged at the edges.

My solution has been to cut into panes setting aside the perfect panes. The damaged panes I cut into single stamps and use on mail to family and close philatelic friends. The used in period cancels on a set of modern art no die cuts may be more desirable than the sheets some day.

This way I avoid USPS headaches and maintain a good value on the damaged items.

I have had the experience of postal clerks returning to sender packages with the no die cut stamps. I have a large flat that I saved where the clerk marked the cover stating the stamps were phony. So good luck mailing the imperfs. I suggest using them on covers only so no one scrutinizes the stamps too closely and the machines pass them through.

My only problem is that I received one that was missing the black color, so it was totally useless. I just threw it in the trash.

This would be a case where you should file a formal complaint with your local Postmaster and/or his superior (i.e. Regional Manager). The stamps are valid for postage; if a clerk misunderstands that, he needs to be re-trained. The USPS markets these things for collectors and makes lots of money doing it; for those who choose to use some of the stamps for their mail, no problems should be encountered.

Of course, if you have a cover returned with references about invalid postage or phony stamps on it because of the imperfs, it becomes an automatic collectible to the philatelic community!

I finally decided to send a formal complaint to USPS. Got a reply a few days later that they were sending me a replacement sheet and that my complaint would be taken up by management. I received the replacement today. The sheet is now the correct item (no die cuts), but it is DAMAGED (all the edges are crumpled).

It is difficult to sympathize with USPS's financial woes when they couldn't even handle with competence a product that generates so much pure profit for them.