Questions About Mailing Save the Dates

clbussie

So I mailed my save the dates this afternoon and I must say I am a little frustrated. 

Let me start with the fact that I have save the date magnets. To make them have a more cute presentation, I wrapped each one in tissue paper and tied baker’s twine around them going vertically and then horizontally into a little bow. Then I put them in envelopes from Paper Source. So I put them all together and took one to the post office yesterday to ask how much postage we’d need and the clerk said 49 cents (one forever stamp). So we buy the white rose stamps and put one on each envelope. Only after I had them all ready to mail did I learn that USPS apparently charges extra for things that cause bumps in the envelope i.e. my twine. SO I take them to the post office today and sure enough they said I will need an extra 21 cents on each one. Annoying because the first lady told me the wrong information. So I paid for a second forever stamp on each one and gave them to the clerk for mailing. She stated that because I paid extra they wouldn’t go through the machine and would be hand sorted. She also told me they no longer hand cancel letters.  

My questions are 1)How true is it that is you pay the extra fee, they won’t be machine sorted but hand sorted instead? 2) Is it true USPS doesn’t hand cancel anymore? and 3) I stuffed my envelopes with the  magnetic side facing the front of the envelope. Will there be any sort of issue with that? 

I’m only asking because now I don’t really trust them given I was told two different things. I thought I was covering my bases by taking one to the Post Office first. Has anyone else mailed save the date magnets? What was your experience with them? Any issues? 

Thanks for any insight!

tammym1001

I had my save the dates hand cancelled because they were magnets. They told me I needed to do that. I am mailing my invitations this week and I took a sample last week and she said they would have to hand cancel them. She did ask me to bring them in at a slow time though. It kind of sounds like the lady at your post office just didn't want to hand cancel all of them.

As far as the postage, I got two different prices from the same lady when I took my sample in. It is frustrating, but I just decided to go with the highest postage. My invites had a lump in them because of a lace bow and that's why she wasn't positive about the exact price. I think it makes it tough on them when something isn't flat. They almost have to charge you like it's a package then instead of a letter.

tammym1001

I just wanted to come back and tell you that I took my invites to the post office this morning. I took them in a gift bag and told the lady I needed them hand cancelled. She said thanks for bringing them in a bag so that way she can take them out and hand cancel them between customers, so yes the post office definitely still hand cancels letters. 

HisGirlFriday13

I don't know about the extra fee, but I think that's wrong -- I have often sent letters with an extra stamp, or a postcard with a regular stamp, because I didn't have exact postage.

I definitely know they still hand-cancel, so that line is BS.

I don't think the direction the magnet is facing will matter.

It sounds like the person at your post office just didn't want to hand-cancel them, or be helpful. I'd write a complaint about it, but that's me.

huskypuppy14

I sent save the date magnets, and had no problem. Everyone got them fine. I just dropped them in the regular mail slot at the post office. The magnet was not strong enough to do anything through the envelope. I think your bump in the envelope due to the twine is the main problem.