Stamps Category On Ebay To See New Postage Option With Tracking

Potentially interesting. Let's see how this developes.

Well, that kills it. That means no envelopes/mailers with any kind of stiffeners.

Which is odd, given that on the ebay help pages, they recommend using the service with ebay's 6x8 cardboard mailers... which are rigid and nonmachineable.

Typical clueless ebay...

Did not the Linn's article mention that the ebay purchased sports card came in a plastic holder? Isn't that a defacto stiffener?

So is that a non machinable violation of service or some other unspoken feature?

Bob

Rev - Where you see death, I see light, that is, the birth of a whole new shipping envelope, where the envelope IS the stiffener. An inventor out there could design an envelope that will pass the machinable tests and be rigid and tough enough to protect the contents from a pass through the high-speed mail sorter. I would taper the leading edge, as you would sharpen an axe, to ease the envelope into the sorter rollers. The key to this whole idea working is the design of a perfect envelope, whether it is made of paper or plastic or something else. Think outside the box, the envelope is the stiffener. Just use a 102 or 104 card for the stamps inside. Somebody could make some money selling machinable envelopes to all the sellers out there. Package them up for the sports card market, and package them up for stamp collectors, using the same envelopes for both groups inside. I think it could be done, but just an idea.

Linus

I often use CD disk mailers, they go out at the 2 ounce First Class rate; I thought they were being machine cancelled but I might be wrong...
Don

I use manila file folders as stiffeners. They pass the machinable test.

I use mailers similar to the one Don shows, although the ones I use fall under 1 ounce (not quite as heavy cardboard). However, cardboard mailers are deemed "rigid" by USPS standards, and thus nonmachineable.

I don't personally consider a 102/104 card in a #10 envelope to be sufficient protection for purchased items. Maybe my protection standards are too high.

We'll see. When it gets rolled out, I'll try affixing the labels to my mailers and see if the USPS kicks up a fuss.

Looking at the USPS Standards it would appear that a properly selected rigid envelope can be accepted or stiffeners used. Thickness maximum for machinable letter is 1/4 inch.

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm

Section 3.12:

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm#ep1042622




The very cardboard mailers that ebay recommends will not bend around an 11-inch drum.

Also note that the moment you put any notation on the exterior stating "Do not bend" or similar, you are agreeing the letter is nonmachineable... at least that is the policy interpretation I have encountered from numerous USPS clerks.


ebay's FAQ on Standard Envelopes:

https://pages.ebay.com/ebaystandard...e/index.html




The 6x8 envelope that ebay links to as an example of what to use:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254808890842



That is considered rigid by USPS standards.

I also find it odd that ebay puts an arbitrary dollar limit on what you can use this service for, only items selling for $20 or less. Why?

Yes, I saw the 40 pound test. I believe that there are so-called rigid mailers that easily meet that test. 40 pounds around an 11 inch drum is actually a pretty substantial force all things considered.

I believe this is being overthought and that the requirements are quite achievable.

If you can lay it halfway out over the edge of a table and flex it down 1 inch, it passes the flexibility test and is not rigid.

Shown below is a picture of a high-speed mail sorter. Over the years, the post office has used all kinds of these type machines. I am sure they have newer ones than this, but these pictures are from the USPS website.




Below, I have drawn in red where the 11-inch acceleration wheel is located inside the sorter. The letter accelerates from 0 to 50 mph up to the wheel, and then 50 to 100 mph around the wheel. My speeds are estimated, but it spins very fast! If the letter will not bend, it will jam right there. Also, the 1/4 inch thickness requirement is due to the feeder throat adjustment. Too thick an envelope and it will feeder jam.

I take cereal boxes cut them up and put a piece on each side of my stamps or cover in the envelope and they always make it with no issues. I use a #12 kraft 28 lb envelope. it works great for first class. If I am shipping a lot of stamps I split into two groups in the envelope so that it has a space dow the vertical middle for easier bending.

I use a paperhistory/3193zd hybrid of cereal box cardboard on one side and manila folder on the other and have not had a problem.

Can anyone unpack this ebay word salad for me?

"For this service, tracking is not available via the Postal Service's tracking program. It is only reachable via ebay's purchase history and thus is restricted to the buyers and sellers of the item.

"We've created this service to support transactions from our marketplace only, so tracking from partner sites is not currently something that is supported," Kha said."

So are these items actually USPS tracked or something else? Partner sites? So who determines if the envelope was delivered? Is ebay "insuring" that 1st class envelopes arrive away from the USPS? I am intrigued. More importantly, I am confused.

Bob