- This topic has 11 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
I learned something the hard way today. If you use a fragile sticker on your package through the USPS, you will be charged an additional $10.45 for that service. The buyer will get a postage due sticker. this went into effect within the last 6 months or so according to the postal worker I talked to. The only upside to this that I can see is that your package will not go onto any machine if you choose this option. Me, I’m going to throw those stickers out!!!
-
–did you print a label through USPS and then drop off the package?
–Did you actually have USPS charge the buyer an extra fee?If so, then you need to comlain to USPS. This is a false rumor that has been going around the web for several years now. USPS will not charge extra if you just slap on an “fragile sticker”.
We do it all the time.You actually have to pay extra for the service at USPS:
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-extra-services.htmSpecial Handling – Fragile
–Get preferential handling if you’re sending unusual shipments that are fragile or for other mailable content that needs extra care.
–Purchase at a Post Office™
–Content restrictions for some mail classes
–Cost $10.45-
Yep.. what Jay says and to add. We use Larger red Fragile stickers on about 90% of our packages. we put one on each side, so 6 per Box..BUT they are our own roll labels we buy from a label mfg. If you use the official Fragile sticker available from your post office or ordered online, those official USPS Fragile Labels are part of the chargeable service Jay mentions and it will charge the fee.
Also our local carrier lady says no one pays much attention to those stickers even there own. She says every thing is so automated, conveyerized and moves at such speed no one hardly sees them except for the final delivery person. Most packages are piled in the canvas laundry style carts, dozens high and many times those bins are tipped up and dumped like wheel barrows into large sorting hoppers. But we still use our nice, big red ones, even if only to make our buyer feel like we are doing something special to try to protect thier purchase.
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art
-
The red fragile stickers we use is really for the buyer. They see we were thoughtful and packed carefully. if there’s a problem, they know we did out best (hopefully). The stickers are cheap.
Here’s another myth that keeps floating around the eBay community forums:
“If you put a Fragile sticker on your box, USPS employees will purposefully drop and damage you items”.These are the thoughts of the truly insane who see only darkness and evil in the world.
-
-
-
Haha Jay I like your last comment. yes I use them as well for the same reason as you guys. It just gives the buyer more confidence of my extra care. I live in a rural area and if I miss my drip I can go down to my local P.O. at 530 pm and meet the box truck that hauls to our shipping hib a couple hours away. I have to drop my packages off and leave because it makes me sick to see how they load them. They go into laundry bins and are shoved in the back of The truck hard. The old guy then literally throws any late packages into the back of the truck from the loading dock. As they shove the heaping bins into the box truck several packages fall out and hit the pavement about 6 feet below. It really amazes me that more of my items are not broke.
-
I worked at the Post office before and I can assure you it doens’t cost $10.45 for a “fragile service” I don’t even think such a service exists, but even if it does I’ve never seen anyone ask for it.
The Post office is a huge organization and some of those employees will be less than honest. I would guess that one of these employees played a customer and convinced them they owed $10.45. I would ask your customer to report this to the USPS at 1-800-ask-usps. If it was indeed a scam the employee will be disciplined.
As a side note I also worked in a plant (sort center) at the USPS during the holidays as a temp and in my estimation about 50% of all packages had “fragile” “handle with care” “do not drop” etc on them. Didn’t mean anything to us although no one ever went out of their way to throw or damage a package on purpose. Most of the process is automated.
Some high volume shippers actually used tape that had the word “fragile” all over it. I bet you can find this tape on ebay.
-
-
Just to be clear for all future readers of this thread….. YES! there is a USPS “Special Handling – FRAGILE” endorsement for parcels and you will be charged a $10.45 fee. The parcel will have the USPS Label 875 attached or the words “Special Handling – FRAGILE” prominently written on box. From USPS:
“This service provides preferential handling for packages with the fragile designation, to the extent practicable in dispatch and processing, but does not insure the item against loss or damage.
SSAs who accept Priority Mail Express® mailpieces labeled Special Handling — Fragile at the Retail counter will identify Label 875 or the markings “Special Handling — Fragile” or “S.H.—Fragile,” and place the mailpiece into Mail Transport Equipment with a placard that identifies the contents as “Special Handling — Fragile”
Who knows if this really helps, I can’t imagine ever using this service. Know too that you can simply write FRAGILE on the box or use FRAGILE stickers of your own with no charge, these are not considered a special handling designation.
-
Anything is possible, but I never saw a package marked like this at the plant. The only special mail I saw get segregated was for “live insects” and “live fish.”
Label 875 is a special label that is much different from the generic fragile labels that most of us see. If the seller bought postage at the retail counter I can imagine a clerk giving them this sticker and not knowing it incurred a charge. Also, I do not think these 875 labels can be ordered on the USPS website, so I don’t know where one can obtain these stickers other than at a retail counter.
Regardless of how or why it happened – remember this – fragile stickers do not mean anything to the USPS. If you want to use them do it to show the customer you “care” like Jay said above.
Your best bet is to package the item well and tightly. Shake the box and make sure nothing is moving, that’s how you know you packed it tightly and use a lot of tape.-
It’s a new program that USPS rolled out several years ago. As far as I know you can only pay for this special Fragile handling at the post office.
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-extra-services.htmSpecial Handling – Fragile
–Get preferential handling if you’re sending unusual shipments that are fragile or for other mailable content that needs extra care.
–Purchase at a Post Office™
–Content restrictions for some mail classes
–Cost $10.45The original poster, Marjean28, never responded to how she was charged this extra fee. I assume she was at the Post Office window and misunderstood when the clerk asked her if she wanted to pay for Fragile service.
Big question is this: if you pay the extra Fragile fee, how do they handle it differently? Does it go in a different truck?
-
Jay I do not know for sure, but I never saw a “special handling fragile sticker” once at the plant (aka sort center). My best guess would be this service may be handled the same way registered mail is. When registered mail is handed off each person has to make an inventory of the contents and sign off. Registered mail is also segregated and under lock and key during transit.
To my knowledge registered mail never touches automation, but I could be wrong.
I think the major point here is these stickers are not available any where but at the retail counter. USPS actually uses a lot of temps at the counter too, so I can see a scenario where a clerk didn’t know the sticker cost $10.45 but the receiving post office did know and tagged the package as “postage due.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.