Mailers Postmark Permit

All,

New member here, just getting into collecting stamps and postmarks...

I have a question RE MPP. I have searched the forum and read some older threads that helped and also been to the mppclub.com website where I downloaded my forms, etc. I am in Birmingham, AL and am running into the standard roadblocks that many here have experienced. I was wondering if anyone has a USPS contact that I could email/call that is familiar with the MPP process and put them in contact with my postmaster as well as the Central office that I have also visited.

Thanks for any help.


Bryan

Bryan, Birmingham is a large town. I know, I married my wife there back in '73. Have you tried another post office?
I have a good friend who has a permit, and I will try to contact him. In the meantime, there is a thread on this forum that explains the process, but I am unable to find it.

Peter

OK, here's the "poop"! Go to www.mppclub.org/howtoobtain.htm and you get the whole process spelled out. Do exactly what they tell you to do, and if possible go to a smaller post office close to you. The folks there are more inclined to assist than at a larger facility!
And good luck! I used the same form 3615 to apply for a permit to use precancelled stamps and I know about the frustration you will have to go through!

Peter

Thanks Peter....

I had all of my paperwork, 3615 and steps from the mppclub site printed out for the postmasters (I also printed out the relevant section from the DMM manual). I went to two different PO's and ended up down at the central office. The people there looked at me like I was speaking Chinese, but they were genuinely interested in trying to help. I figured if I could find someone that works for the USPS to put them in contact with, that the process might go a little smoother. I have not given up and was given one other name to contact.


Bryan

Don't know if anyone will read this or not, but just in case.....

Went back down to the downtown PO and went into the business mail office. A very nice lady helped me and put my information 'in the system' and gave me a permit number of 1716. I questioned this number since it did not seem like she knew exactly what I was asking for. I had all of my documentation and help printed out and mentioned that that did not sound like a correct number since this number was supposed to be in relation to the number of precancel permits that have been issued for the zip code I was interested in. She just said that's what the system gave her. I was under the impression that the 3615 was simply kept on file and not necessarily entered into 'the system'.

Am I correct?

Thanks for any help/clarification.

Bryan, if all goes well your number will go into the system. The number 1716 should be correct; there may be quite a few permit holders in a larger town as the one you are in. Now, please be on the alert for a bill ( maybe ). When I got my 3615 permit all went well for a year, and then I received a bill for the next calendar year! Took a bit to get it straight of course!
Anyway, good luck with your mailer's postmark permit!

Peter

Peter,

Thanks for the heads up...

I guess I was confused because I thought the permit number was specific to the zip code. I am getting a permit for one of the smaller PO's closer to where I live, so I did not think there would be that many permits unless they aggregate all of the permit numbers for the outlying PO's??


Bryan

Hope you see this one Peter....

Just got a call from the central downtown post office telling me I would need to submit actual samples of the postmark (with postage to be cancelled) on every size envelope that I would be using. I had already given them the form that was on the mppclub website with a sample cancellation, which they said was not correct.They said it had to be the actual stamp. I explained to them that I cannot order the stamp until I get my permit number (which they said the original one that I was given was incorrect). I'm going to print out an actual sized cancellation and tape it to an envelope and take it down.

Ugh!

Maybe they are using the Business Reply Mail permit system to 'generate' MPP numbers?

One of these things is not like the o-ther ...

Hi Bryan. This is getting like a true soap opera! But no different from what I went through twenty years ago.
Maybe you can talk to someone. It looks to me like they are confusing your account ( a collector's account ) with a business or a non-profit account.
One other thing you can try. Get in touch with an actual MPP user or with the club. Sometimes these regulations change, or more likely the official's interpretation of the regulations change! Hang in there!

Peter

Persistence pays off... Update.

Went down again and met with the district Business Mail Manager. VERY, VERY nice lady who was not familiar with the process (said in her 13 years, this was the first one she had dealt with) but wanted to learn so she could know what to do the next time someone asked for one. Anyway, she worked with me on all of the specifics and approved my sample and gave me permit # 001 for my zip code!

Again, everyone in the Business Mail office was more than helpful and saw things through.

Wow! And congratulations!

Peter

WooHoo!!
Another PM educated!!
I have Permit #1 in my zipcode!

Got my stamp from Joe today. Will be heading down tomorrow to get final approval.

Bryan ... congrats on getting your permit. I tried halfheartedly to get a permit a few years ago but eventually gave up. I do have a question. As I understand it, you must submit your mail at the postoffice from which you receive your permit. Do you know if this is true?
I was told at my local PO that all permits were handled by a single PO that was several miles away. At that PO (with form 3615 in hand), I was told that there was no such thing as a "free" permit. I finally gave up because I felt it made little sense to hand deliver my mail to a relatively distant post office. I do know that this PO handles all bulk mail for the city.
... John L. ...

John,

According to the OFFICIAL document, yes, you are supposed to file the form at the PO of the zip code you want. I have two PO's close to me, and they both sent me to the downtown office where I spoke to the Business Mail Entry manager. She was EXTREMELY helpful and did not know about the MPP, but she researched it and made it happen for me. In reading through the forum, it seems that people have had very mixed results with Postmasters, etc. I was just extremely courteous and constantly thanked them for their help. And I had all of my documentation as well as the FAQ's from the MPP page to help them learn about the process. As they say, "you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar".