Silk Road forums
Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: thebakertrio on October 10, 2012, 11:15 pm
-
So a time has come that i need to ship out a few things to some people.
ive got everything down past the postage and DCN issue.
Ive yet to Google it hardcore as i figured some vendor or user would throw in quick tips and save me some leg work. Yes im very hopeful ;)
Stack's of DCN's from over 50 post offices, everything is mixed, matched and wiped down.
I refuse to go into the post office to ship anything as blueboxes just seem so sexy but whats the best way to get postage for USPS priority boxes and envelopes that you can just slap on on the corner?
HAHA would regular stamps work?
-
Just go into the post office and buy a sheet (or a few sheets so you don't have to go back anytime soon) of priority stamps ($5.15). Also buy a few books of forever stamps ($0.45). Put one priority stamp and 2 forever stamps on priority boxes (small) and any priority envelope with DCN.
.Hades.
P.S. Mileage varies, but be sure anything you put in blue boxes is less than 13oz. They may or may not ship if it's over.
-
how many come in a sheet? an i guess the forever stamps are for the DCN?
-
how many come in a sheet? an i guess the forever stamps are for the DCN?
You don't have to buy a whole sheet (normally 20 to a sheet)
Just tell them you want 3 or 7 or whatever you want.
-
Thanks Shroomeister for filling in the gaps! :D
As he pointed out, you don't need to buy a whole sheet - I just mentioned it so you're not going back every day or whatever. Definitely do what works best for you. Also, yes, the forever stamps are for the DCN. One Priority stamp and 2 forever stamps come to $5.95 total postage. Mailing any flat-rate priority envelope is $5.90 with DCN and a flat-rate small box is $5.70. Therefor the $5.95 you'll be putting on it isn't too much in either case.
.Hades.
-
Thanks Shroomeister for filling in the gaps! :D
As he pointed out, you don't need to buy a whole sheet - I just mentioned it so you're not going back every day or whatever. Definitely do what works best for you. Also, yes, the forever stamps are for the DCN. One Priority stamp and 2 forever stamps come to $5.95 total postage. Mailing any flat-rate priority envelope is $5.90 with DCN and a flat-rate small box is $5.70. Therefor the $5.95 you'll be putting on it isn't too much in either case.
.Hades.
Small priority box is $6.15 w/ DCN ;)
They also stock .20 stamps at most POs.
Tag teaming this shit.
-
Oh my bad - it's been a while since I've used a small flat-rate box! And fo' sho! *tag*
.Hades.
-
ok guys i will hit up the post office later today.
Really thank you but should i mix and match stamps like i do DCN stickers? meaning going to a few dozen post offices?
Any way to trace the stamp back to what post office it came from and the stamps don't expire correct?
-
People buy stamps all the time. When I was in the post office the other day a guy bought 5000 forever stamps and 1500 priority stamps. The teller didn't even bat an eye. Basically, as with everything else here, it's definitely better to be 'safe than sorry'... but I would say you could buy a lot of stamps (enough for a week maybe or something) at one post office, then the next time get them from another, and so on.
.Hades.
-
ok guys i will hit up the post office later today.
Really thank you but should i mix and match stamps like i do DCN stickers? meaning going to a few dozen post offices?
Any way to trace the stamp back to what post office it came from and the stamps don't expire correct?
Stamps do not expire.
Stamps are not encoded, serial numbered or any way encoded to the place of purchase. (that the public knows of)
Aidoneus summed it up well. People are at the PO doing this all the time. Don't feel shady about it. ;)
-
Small priority box is $6.15 w/ DCN ;)
They also stock .20 stamps at most POs.
Tag teaming this shit.
what would happen if you had $5.35 stamp and ONE forever stamp on a small flat rate box with a dcn slapped on there?
-
Small priority box is $6.15 w/ DCN ;)
They also stock .20 stamps at most POs.
Tag teaming this shit.
what would happen if you had $5.35 stamp and ONE forever stamp on a small flat rate box with a dcn slapped on there?
Most likely:
It would either get returned to sender or sent on to the recipient but they'd have to (likely at the post office) pay for the missing postage in order to get it. No deniability for them at all in that case. Would you pay for postage for a package that wasn't actually yours?
-
Small priority box is $6.15 w/ DCN ;)
They also stock .20 stamps at most POs.
Tag teaming this shit.
what would happen if you had $5.35 stamp and ONE forever stamp on a small flat rate box with a dcn slapped on there?
1) It could get returned to sender
2) It could be forwarded with "postage due" meaning the recipient would have to pay the missing postage to have the item released to them
3) USPS just would not honor the DCN. Ship the package, but not give you DC.
...why?
Trying to not spend the postage and "trick" people into thinking that you have DCN on their package?
-
I really think DCN is 75 cents guys.
5.15 for a mailer and 75 cents makes it 5.90 and I received a DVD mailer with DCN with electronic postage priority @ 5.90 last week. So it is 75 cents. I haven't used one before so I want to be super sure.
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm
-
What exactly is a flat rate priority envelope? Can this be any size envelope of certain dimensions or does it have to come from the post office?
Thanks.
-
What exactly is a flat rate priority envelope? Can this be any size envelope of certain dimensions or does it have to come from the post office?
Thanks.
It has to come from the post office or their post website. For the most part the flat rate envelopes are $5.15 but there are also $5.30 (Such as the padded bubble flat rate envelope) and up to $5.35 for a small box. There are larger sizes but I don't think most people on sr use the large ones.
-
What exactly is a flat rate priority envelope? Can this be any size envelope of certain dimensions or does it have to come from the post office?
Thanks.
You have to get them from the post office. I think some mom-and-pop shipping stores stock them too. Correct me if I'm mistaken. They are free and people grab dozen at a time all day. This wouldn't look suspicious.
-
Here's a link
https://www.usps.com/ship/service-chart.htm
There's a wealth of information on USPS.COM
-
Quick followup.
Is this the preferred shipping method or is something else better for small packages? I've only placed one order and it came in a small brown non USPS box. I assume non USPS boxes are equal with the exception of tracking.
Thanks.
-
I really think DCN is 75 cents guys.
5.15 for a mailer and 75 cents makes it 5.90 and I received a DVD mailer with DCN with electronic postage priority @ 5.90 last week. So it is 75 cents. I haven't used one before so I want to be super sure.
https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-and-extra-services.htm
It depends on which service you use. DCN costs more on first class than priority, but off the top of my head I can't remember how much. Also I know that small flat rate boxes cost more than 5.15 to ship, without DCN. Just use this calculator, http://postcalc.usps.com/
Also i once mailed a letter to Canada with half the required postage (.45 instead of .85) and it got there fine. It depends on the situation I guess.
-
Quick followup.
Is this the preferred shipping method or is something else better for small packages? I've only placed one order and it came in a small brown non USPS box. I assume non USPS boxes are equal with the exception of tracking.
Thanks.
It seems like the standard around here is priority, it is faster. lots of people ship or offer first class though (me included) it's cheaper by a few dollars and only takes a day or two longer.
You can put tracking on any parcels (not letters, there's something else for that but ive got no idea what it is), they don't have to be usps boxes.
-
It's 75 cents for DCN w/Priority and mailers go between 5.15-5.35.
-
Quick followup.
Is this the preferred shipping method or is something else better for small packages? I've only placed one order and it came in a small brown non USPS box. I assume non USPS boxes are equal with the exception of tracking.
Thanks.
To piggyback this question / ask a question of my own. Is it desirable to use USPS boxes, or plain-brown ones? I would think USPS boxes look 100x less suspicious, but you guys tell me.
-
Thanks for all the responses.
If I use a non USPS box, how do I tell what proper postage is?
Edit: Nevermind. You use the USPS calculator and it tells you. Pretty simple stuff.
-
A priority stamp is $5.15 and good for a priority envelope period. If you use the proirity box which is about 5x8x2, it costs $5.35. If you add a DCN into the mix, on priority envelopes and boxes it is an additional $.75 making the envelope a total of $5.90. But for the box it will be $6.10, so if you put the priority stamp & 2 forever stamps at this point since they are $ .45 ea, you are still short $ .20.
If you add a DCN to anything but a priority, it is $ .85 instead of the $ .75 for priority.
You can get $1.00 stamps as well, or $1.25 also as well as . 3 & . 5, & .10, & .20, & .32 to whatever you need. A lot of areas are running out of priority stamps already since they have quit making them due to them going up next year, although they don't know when yet. So it will not look so weird mixing stamps & going over here in the future with the outage of priority stamps.
NCK
-
What happens when priority stamps are gone? Will you have to get a million normal stamps?
-
What happens when priority stamps are gone? Will you have to get a million normal stamps?
You can put 5 $1.25 stamps on or 6 $ 1.00 & a $ .10, or get an anon card & use the kiosk @ the PO & print your own.
As an aside, one of us didn't bother to hard on the math, & used to send out priority boxes with $5.15, & 2 $.45's not realizing it was a little short, & several hundred arrived just fine!
NCK