I had the lady at our post office tell me that taking the letter to the counter and getting the special stamp was the only way to get them as “non machineable”.
Ours never ask, they’re just impressed I know the terminology (non machineable).
Just tell them it’s a computer chip or something for your sisters friend (or whoever). They understand that small computer components can’t be machined. @corey
she must not shop on Amazon
If you are mailing it yourself, without going to the counter, just include an extra .20 postage for the non-machinable surcharge and it should be good to go. I don’t see anything on the USPS site that says non-machinable items must be stamped that way by a postal worker at the post office
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-the-Non-Machinable-Surcharge-for-First-Class-Mail
I’m not sure, but she told me that even if you put that on, it won’t work unless you go to the counter. It was a super wide stamp she put on the letters. She used that red stamp, like what you linked to, but also a wide postage stamp.
That kinda makes sense if they need to put it in a separate non machinable bin. The ones in the drop boxes prob automatically get machined.
Wouldn’t it be easier just to use bubble envelopes?would they still survive the machine?
Maybe, but the cheapest is to use regular envelopes. I haven’t had an issue since I’ve gone the non machineable route. Not 1 broken seed. Before that I had one here and there, and finally a whole pack get crushed. No issue since.
bubble envelopes work fine, but are generally thicker than 1/4 inch, and take much more than one first class stamp to mail them, and if you are using coin flips and thick washers it is overkill. Not to mention the additional cost of the bubble envelope vs a regular letter envelope. You are looking at around 4 bucks for postage of a bubble envelope, plus the cost of the envelope, as opposed to 55 cents for a first class stamp (and 20 cents for the non-machinable surcharge) and a few pennies for the envelope. Also, this is partly also about stealth, and bubble envelopes tend to get more attention than regular envelopes, especially when mailing overseas.
Hola Gang
I was told that in certain country
to open a letter required a warrant
but no need if its a package.
Barefrog
yes this is very true - opening a first-class envelope mailed through USPS is considered a felony because first-class mail is considered private. Other classes of mail are not considered private. The US Postal Inspection Service website says “classes of mail not considered private may be opened without a warrant.” so sending them in a regular envelope via first-class mail, using a coin flip provides you extra protection from the law
I bought a sheet of non machinable stamps. .70 cents each. Cheap as hell to mail beans in a flip this way. I can get 2 packs no prob with a single stamp on security envelope.
Hmmmm, I didn’t know you could buy those stamps as a sheet. Do you have the idiot proof stamp?
Ask for a “Butterfly Stamp” - The postage on the Butterfly Stamp covers both the 1-ounce First-Class Mail letter postage (the equivalent of a standard Forever Stamp) and the non-machinable surcharge.
So i can slap a butterfly stamp on a standard size letter envelope weighing one ounce or less and throw it in my mailbox and it will be sent non machinable?
yes, and also be sure to mark the envelope with the words NON-MACHINABLE
Is writing non machinable with an ink pen sufficien
yessireebob that’ll work just fine, no need for a rubber stamp - i print them out with my label maker
There still always Chance will run thru the machine the machine runs the mail from your box or drop boxes and it’s like 10 letters a sec taking pictures of all and sending there way bc mail man stores all I’m same containers even if drop box outside the po but by taking it to the front counter they actually separate it to a machineable and non machineable tub that most of times doesn’t leave it up to the machine to catch your stamp and non machine label by going to counter less likely and from my expierence both inside and out there it’s always the ones sent from home that get the squish but your guys success rates sound good so what works works just my thoughts
So I always add an “extra ounce” stamp and let it go through the machine. If the machine kicks it out, the stamp sends it on its way instead of back to me for additional postage.
Alot of people in all ways do the extra ounce(almost all lawyers I’ve came across). if did like 5 or more extra stamps or something mail man could potential send back off of sketchy factor. I Think your more likely to get a cracked seed due to mail man than the machine thou.
Hey man can I use your calcium acetate before letting it sit for 3 weeks??