Another reminder to all swappers - all swappers please read!

I shipped out another swap this week and ran into a recurring problem. Postage. As a swapmeister, I will ask again that you send your return postage in only one of 2 ways. Either toss in some money to cover your postage or include stamps for the proper amount. If you get metered postage from the post office or printed out from your computer, it will have a date on it. If I try to ship your package with this metered postage, the post office will not accept it because 1) the date is wrong, and/or 2) the metered postage isn't supposed to leave the originating post office.
I got the last batch in the mail because it is a small town and they know me enough to work with me a little, but they won't continue to do so forever. So please do your swapmeisters a favor and throw some stamps or cash in. Lecture's over. Thanks in advance.

[Rick Z]

I would suggest to swapmeisters that they post that they will not take metered postage. MY postoffice will not tkae it.

Rick

Good idea. That will definitely be on my swaps from now on. It will at least serve as a small reminder.

[Big Willy]

Blue,
As a proud employee of the USPS the reason we do not accpt pre metered postage is for the exact reasons that you stated. The USPS tracks its performance by the date of the postmark or cancellation, so a pre metered piece is considered stale and can not be used unless it is from the actual point of the meter. Believe it or not if someone continues to use the meter improperly, the Postal Service can have that meter revoked.

But to better info, what I do is mail my flies in a crush proof container with a self addressed envelope of the same size. when the Retail Associate at the Post Office tells me how much it is I buy the same amount of postage in stamps for the return trip. Most of the time It will more than cover the postage to get back to me. If you are really worried about having the correct postage you can always use Priority Mail, which is $4.05 but that is really overkill. Most times about $1.11 is sufficient for return postage. That cover up to 4 ounces of weight.
Sorry I wrote so much but I guess postage can be a real problem.

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Focus on the details in life... Just don't get caught focusing!

Big Willy

[bassman]

I usually do the same as BigWilly. I have put up suggestions for Tiers and Swapmeisters many times and in them I state that Tiers should not use metered strips for the reasons listed here. I also state that on my web page. John
[url=http://home.comcast.net/~bassman540/johnsfliesandswaps.html:5481f]http://home.comcast.net/~bassman540/johnsfliesandswaps.html[/url:5481f]

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I wish you all everlasting flies and tight lines.

I know I've addressed this a couple of times myself, but it always seems to miss someone. There were 2 on my last swap, and one on the swap before. It really isn't that expensive, so I've been covering the postage myself on most of these and shipping back the cheapest way I can. But I'm going to start raising awareness a bit. It isn't like I'm going to stop hosting swaps, but I'm trying to help all the guys out there who are hosting as well. I doubt I'm the only one getting metered postage fairly regularly.

[Thwack]

I'm guessing I was one of those but the postage I used (I thought) wasn't metered.

It was purchased on those stupid new do-it-all machines they're putting in the lobby of every post office around here.

I looked at the stamp and didn't see a date buried in it and no message was given on the machine that the stamp had to be used within a certain time.

That's what I got from the machine when I told it I wanted to buy Priority Mail postage (and it didn't ask from where to where or when).

Next time, I'll buy normal stamps from it and include eleven 39cent stamps covers it...

I can mail you stamps if you'd like to reimburse for the most recent swaps if mine was one of the problem postages.

Thanks!

I don't think you were one of the guys I was talking of. Actually, I didn't really pay attention to who it was. I just promised the ladies at the PO that I would be sure to give everyone a reminder if they put it in the mail as it was, so I'm just doing what I promised. I did manage to talk the packages into the mail this last trip to the PO, but it won't happen again. I am in no way asking for refunds or trying to inspire guilt. Just a heads up to help out other swapmeisters as well.

[Thwack]

I'm packing up the punch yarn swap flies now and I'm sticking in normal stamps this time just in case.

Thanks!