More Tulips in the Mail
I am just back from the post office. Apparently “everyone” there has received “training” and my envelopes–which have mostly travelled as letters for the past 13 years, will now be classified as parcels no matter how flat or how light … because, as it was explained to me, “the post office has got to make money.”
In the adding insult to injury category, I talked to my (Texas) bank this morning because they had sent me email last week telling me that they were sending me a new card because there had been some sort of data breach at an anonymous company (apparently, they don’t have to identify themselves). The email said that I would be able to continue to use my card, along with my PIN, but ONLY in the state of Texas. In my call this morning, I asked if my card had been mailed (she said it was, on Monday–a holiday) and explained how the old card is useless to me because I live outside of Texas. She tapped on her computer and told me she had changed my account so that I would be able to use it (in person, with a PIN) in New Mexico. So when I got hit with a much larger-than-expected charge for my envelopes at the post office, I decided to try my card. Naturally, it was rejected as fraudulent. After I came home, I called the bank back, I was told that everything the other person told me earlier today was wrong … but THIS time, my account actually was annotated so I could use my card in New Mexico. The replacement cards have only just been ordered, “this week,” and because there were so many in the order, it could be 2 weeks longer or more before I receive my replacement. I kept my Texas bank because they have always had stellar customer service. I may need to rethink that.
No worries for my lotto blocks, though. I had just enough cash in my wallet to cover the newly inflated cost of sending them to the three September winners. Good news, though, as the guy at the post office tried to convince me, because I “have tracking” on all of them.
We are at mid-month, the time before which I ask everyone to mail their blocks. If you haven’t yet mailed them yet, please do it soon. As you can probably guess, if I have to chase late blocks that you haven’t yet mailed, you can expect the crankiest version of me to come after you.
What a day you had! Shoo!!! Canada is doing the same thing here…I had to do a bit of finessing to get Maree ‘s blocks to her.
It may come to the time when it is too expensive to be sending these blocks off -I have had a similar problem here in New Zealand but at the moment as long as I keep going to my local postshop she lets me send them at letter rate. I cant see me having time to complete any of this months blocks Sophie -too many projects on the go at the moment but hopefully back next month if I complete a few things.
So here is something we all can do to help Sophe. Mail the blocks by the 15th or give her a heads up as to what is going on ie you will be out of town you or some such thing. that way she will know what is going on. I also think that posting the information when mailed and received is helpful just need to remember to click the sent and received box..
Sophie, I am a semi-new BL player and I have always had a problem with how you tell people they can fold their blocks into a regular envelope and magically mail them the same as a letter! I should have said something sooner, but I hate to be a complainer. This is one of the reasons I haven’t played in a number of months. I won several months ago and two of my mailings came postage due. 🙁
When you mail, thickness is important to the postal service. It has to be less than a quarter of an inch to classify as a letter. Many times it’s cheaper to mail in a large envelope (say 9 X 12 inches) and arrange the blocks folded once and spread out as much as possible. I hope that’s clear. You, apparently, have been lucky for a long time as this is not a new rule with the post office.
I always ask the winners to let me know if any of their blocks arrive postage due. I don’t know why you didn’t contact me about it then and give me a chance to deal with it and are now publicly complaining about it and saying it’s the reason you haven’t made blocks. It feels a little passive-aggressive to me …
I also wonder if you’re not just kicking someone when you know they are already down …
As I said in my post, thickness alone is NO LONGER the deciding factor at my local post office.. If the postal clerk can FEEL any inconsistency inside the envelope (as created by a seam in a block), then it will be considered a parcel.
For me it depends where I post them. One place checks them for depth and as block lotto envelopes fail will charge a higher price not so at another but requires a custom declaration. Can recipients let me know if additional charges have been incurred.