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Post office does not approve of this and strictly speaking it is probably illegal. When you order these boxes, you acknowledge USPS terms. If they notice, they can charge the extra postage or perhaps refuse or return your package. Last thing you want is to make a buyer unhappy if they get charged for postage due or extra delay.
Similar issues for turning their boxes inside out and / or using these supplies for padding inside a box, etc.
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One point of clarification, I think you CAN get away with using a flat rate priority box as a non-flat rate as long as you:
- Cover all references to flat rate on the box
- Purchase Priority Mail service
You can’t use a priority mail box for first class or media mail. Sometimes I have been in a pinch and used a flat rate box instead of a standard box. But again, you must purchase priority postage.
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I think if a package like this goes through it’s just because USPS doesn’t monitor that very well. It’s not unusual for me to get packages from eBay sellers using a very low weight or using flat rate postage on a large non-flat rate package.
I think it’s been at least a year since USPS announced they were going to start charging or refunding for an incorrect rate charged due to weight but I’ve never seen it happen. But then, I’m very accurate about weights with using a USB connected scales that directly adjusts the weight as I ship. I’m personally in favor of these charges/refunds as long as they are accurate, it would help stop the current situation of honest shippers subsidizing the dishonest shippers.
I would think also since the USPS now has a photo process in place for most mail and packages, that technology should allow monitoring the box type compared to the postage used.
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Thanks for the feedback. I talked to a clerk a the local post office and she said you cannot just cover up the “Flat Rate” references on a box and use it for priority mail. She said you are not allowed to use a “Flat Rate” Box for anything but the flat rate.
Does anybody have a good system for making their own boxes to fit specific items? It would be neat if I could just get bulk cardboard and use specialized tools to form a custom box. Lately sales have been good so my box supply is depleted and I hate to pay for boxes.
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I resize boxes all the time, basically with an old paring knife and a metal yardstick (cut down to 20 inches), In a pinch, or with unusual sizes, I’ve had to construct boxes. It’s very time consuming and generally not worth it on large scale.
There are also specific box resizers out there in a variety of configurations.
At this point, my inventory of “free” Ebay boxes through my store subscription is very adequate for any item under the “oversize” measurements. The nice thing about these new boxes, is that they take up far less room for storage, than random sizes. I also don’t need to spend time looking for the perfect box or making it.
I’ve also got a healthy supply of “free” Priority Mail non flat rate boxes for those needs. They can be ordered online at USPS.com.
Even before I had the opportunity to get the “free” Ebay boxes, I was ordering new boxes online. The cost was anywhere from 20 to 50 cents a box and well worth it in my opinion. You should be able to make up the added cost on the price of the item.
I hope this helps.
Good Luck.
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Same for us SCJ: We carry every Priority box size including Regionals. Then get our Free Ebay boxes for sizes in between.
We usually can find a box the fits with an inch or so all around. We use our box Resizer tool to bring down any box if it is too high. Zip, Zip 4 times each side cut corners down to the perforated line the resizer made, fold on the perf score and cut off the extra.
We Franken Prioirty boxes all the time. Add two together, splice them, etc., etc. Just never the flat rate. We even splice a Priority box with a generic plain one. We always use Priority Pricing though. Actually almost 99.9 percent of our items just go Priority.
Box resizer is great for down sizing a box if you have a little space to spare and your box is a few ounces over the next pound up rate. Example, a box is 4 lbs. 3 ounces then either trim two of the flaps a little OR use the box resizer and just pull and inch off the box all around, zip, zip, fold, cut and now you just pulled a couple of bucks off your freight bill.
FedEx and UPS don’t give a hoot or holler about any what the boxes look like. Just no brown paper wrapping paper on anything. We use white, black or blue polyethylene plastic for wrapping boxes if we need to “hide” something.
Mike – MDC Concepts, Inc. – MDC Galleries
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The fanciest tool you need is a good sharp box cutter, then it’s all about practice. When I first started taking shipping seriously I spent ALOT of time cutting things down, getting frustrated and starting over. But the more stuff you pack, the more you learn how to do it right.
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If you have a box the right size except for height a box resizer like this is handy because it scores the line where you want to fold the new flaps. Just run it around the box at the desired height then cut down each corner to the scored line. This can also help prevent a cubic upcharge. You can do the same thing manually with a little more work. I used to do this by marking the height then scoring the line with the backside of a butter knife or other flat object to make a crease. You can actually do that on the outside of the box and it works just as well.
You can buy flat corrugated sheets but with the shipping and minimum order it can get expensive for a seldom as you might need it. More work to make a box that way. I keep any large boxes I might get and break them down for storage, there can be a lot of usable cardboard there.
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@huncrelan: I used to cut down box height with a razor knife but a box resizer tool makes it easier & quicker for me.
@old-dad: Your post looks like the same box resizer I bought a few years back. Recommended. -
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