USPS wants to rip you off

The Consumerist reports (according to an anonymous tipster) that postal employees have been ordered to upsell pricey express or priority mail services to anyone sending anything more than a letter: “I was told yesterday by my supervisor (and I saw the written memo from the District) that stated we are not to offer first class, parcel post, or media mail. My advice is to always ask if there is a cheaper way to ship. Once asked we can tell you, but we won’t volunteer the information.” See the link for more details and tips on shipping.

Just one more reason why you should DIY — do it yourself. Buy a scale and weigh your envelopes and apply the postage yourself. Use the USPS website (”domestic” for First Class; “business” for Media Mail) or our U.S. Postal Rates sheet to calculate your postage. If you have a PayPal account you can use it’s shipping feature to ship any class, including media mail. (How? Log into your PayPal account, then use this link: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now ).

If you must take your envelope/package to a postal counter, know the various options available to you and tell them exactly what you want: First Class Mail (which has different rates for letter, large envelope, and package), Media Mail, or Parcel Post. See the Zinester’s Guide to U.S. Mail for more info.

(Thanks to Nicole for the tip.)