I had a package rejected at the Post Office today. I was attempting to send out a book by Media Mail. As I’d received a Priority Mail package in early December and the box was about the right size, I used this as the package.
Having been previously told that a package being sent by other means may not say “Priority Mail” anywhere, I took care that all such words were covered and in no way visible - the only remianing evidence of its origin was a short (2") piece of blue & red striping.
But the PO clerk refused the package, saying that because the box “was recognizable” as a Priority Mail box, it could not be used for any other purpose. I pointed out that no lettering was visible, and he agreed, but said that this didn’t matter. I asked if the PO considered itself the owner of the box; he said “No, but we control how it can be used.” So the box goes into the trash (apparently still an acceptable use) and the book goes out tomorrow in another box.
Is this a correct interpretation, or is he being inappropriately strict? Is there any definitive test for “recognizable” here?
I believe you can re-use it for another Priority Mail mailing, I’ve done that before, but never with another mail class. That, I believe, is verboten, as the clerk told you.
But of course, USPS frowns upon this practice. Newer boxes have printing on the inside so that it is obvious when the boxes are turned inside out. Something to the effect of “Property of USPS”. There is also a note on the ends of the box (I believe), stating that they only be used for Priority Mail.
The reason USPS does this is that people use the boxes for less expensive shipping (1st Class, Parcel Post, Printed Matter, etc.), instead of the Priority Mail shipping, which helps defray the cost of the “free” box.
Heh. I wasn’t replying to the original question - just the part about turning a box inside out. I believe it to be OK if you re-use a Priority Mail box to ship via Priority Mail again. Apparently, the Red, White, and Blue box is to distinctive to reuse for anything else…
Wrap it in kraft paper or plain white paper, then label and ship. If you were handling thousands of boxes a day, would you want to take the time to think “Hmmm, the priority label is affixed, but the letters are obscured, therefore I must treat it as media mail”
My case was a bit more extreme - the only indication that the box had been used for Priority Mail was about 2" of blue stripe - no label or words visible. It was prominently labeled “Media Mail” - without any possibility of confusion.
This summer, after I moved from Minnesota to California, I discovered that I’d accidentally left the garage door opener from my old apartment in my car. I was looking around my fiance’s place for a suitable box to send it in, and the only thing I could find was the box my engagement ring came in. It was a priority mail box, but it had apparently come inside another wrapper or something, because it had no marks or labels on it. I used the automated package mailing machine thingie at the post office, slapped the label on, and dropped it in the drop box. It never even entered my mind that there would be a problem with using that box…a few days later, I got an email from the former landlord. Apparently he had to pay like 3 bucks to get the package.
Why not?
The once mailed “Priority” box is used. It can be reused as a neat storage box.
With several on hand it is fairly easy to make a cardboard storage container to hold several in slots or just stack them in.
Label as to contents of each box. Organizes the multitude of small items that are useful but tend to create clutter.
A little creative thinking on your part will bring other usages to mind.
I think they meant cannot be used for any other “mailing” purpose.
USPS is not in the business of handing out free shipping containers. You can think of it as a licensed container that you can have for free if you send it at the Priority/Express rate.