New rules on USPS "anonymous mail" take effect today. READ THIS, TELL YOUR VENDORS!

[SpriteHamster]

New USPS rules concerning STAMPED MAIL are taking effect today.


darknetlive.com has the story. (thanks to them)

Some Darkweb Vendors Are Concerned About New USPS Rules

September 28, 2019
Author: Darknetlive

Darkweb vendors have issued warnings to other vendors and members of darkweb forums about upcoming changes to the United States Postal Service’s Aviation Mail Security initiative that prohibit certain packages from entering the mail steam through Blue Boxes and Post Office mail slots.

The Postal Service is modifying its Aviation Mail Security initiative to prohibit stamped mail pieces or stamped packages that are more than one-half inch thick or weigh more than 10 ounces from entering the mail stream through collection boxes, building mail chutes, and Post Office mail slots, according to the most recent Postal Bulletin.

The New Warning Placed on More than 140,000 Collection Boxes

Effective October 1, 2019, customers who need to mail stamped packages larger than one-half inch thick or heavier than 10 ounces will need to enter the Post Office and interact with an employee of the Postal Service at the retail counter.

- Postal Service letter carriers will be required to more closely scan the mail collected from residences and collection boxes.
- Carriers have been instructed not to accept packages that fit the restricted criteria, even in face-to-face transactions.
- Carriers will instruct customers to take these items to the Post Office and conduct a transaction at the retail service counter.
- Items that cannot be returned immediately are to be isolated and returned to sender via surface transportation only.
- Mail that is returned to sender will have a Customer Return Label (DDD2) attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return.

The New Customer Return Label Explaining Returned Packages

One vendor, in an email to darknetlive, wrote that the upcoming change will be “a major blow to the trade.” The vendor added that the new restrictions could “result in many people being investigated or worse.” Based on the emails this author has received and the scattered forum posts, it appears as if vendors are concerned that others are unaware of the changes.

https://darknetlive.com/images/usps-change-details.jpg

The new triangular labels (pictured above) will be placed on more than 140,000 USPS collection boxes throughout the United States. Vendors and their shippers are not likely going to remain unaware for long.

 

[DoomKitty]

This only applies to stamped mail.  Almost all the packs i've ever received used online postage (and are less than 1/2in thick) which wouldn't be affected by this policy as far as i can tell.  But definitely good for vendors who still use blue boxes and stamps to take notice of.

 

[SpriteHamster]

This only applies to stamped mail.  Almost all the packs i've ever received used online postage (and are less than 1/2in thick) which wouldn't be affected by this policy as far as i can tell.  But definitely good for vendors who still use blue boxes and stamps to take notice of.

I only got from one vendor for Codeine tablets, I've recently changed so I will have to see but I got international stamped envelopes before.

Half an inch was fine before but new source sends blisters in boxes and those are probably more than half an inch.

 

[DoomKitty]

This only applies to stamped packages put in post office bins/mail slots domestically and has nothing to do with international packs, so you should be good as long as customs plays nice!

 

[QuesyVictory]

This only applies to stamped mail.  Almost all the packs i've ever received used online postage (and are less than 1/2in thick) which wouldn't be affected by this policy as far as i can tell.  But definitely good for vendors who still use blue boxes and stamps to take notice of.

Actually it applies to any package that under 10 oz and stamps or used or ANY package over 10 oz that is dropped in an blue box, drop box, etc.  There has been a label on the drop boxes for a number of years that disallows any package over 10 oz from being put in an after hours or other drop box.  Any package placed in those receptacles that are over 10 ounces are subject to theoretical heavy scrutiny.  However if you are using a prepaid label with flat rate shipping, I doubt they would catch it as they are typically not weighed.  

 

[DoomKitty]

@QuesyVictory Thanks for the clarification! I was confused by their definition of "stamped mail" and didn't realize it included online postage.  On their site under the NOT allowed column it says: "Domestic stamped mail (including Priority Mail Express®) weighing over 10 oz. or more than 1/2-inch in thickness" so i just thought stamps not online postage.  Anyways thanks again!

 

[Vickydog]

@DoomKitty @DoomKittyg@DoomKittygood day ....i was just i formed by my vendor that he wont b using USPS any longer..the system is AED .not the cardiac kind....look it up. It is to intecept packages from oversaes. They are going to have by 2021 a 70% success rate is what they are shooting for. Right now it is only 40% there's a big article on the inspector General's website about it but you should get a link to it. It looks like more major news broke about it in September of 2019. I don't know what just means for everyone it's certainly sucks congrats on being member of the month

 

[DoomKitty]

@Vickydog Definitely not good news! Thanks for the heads up, and i will look for links to the IG article!

 

[Vickydog]

@DoomKitty you are welcome doomkitty. It looks like it's been in the works since like 2016? And I really don't know how they can crack down any more than what they have because USPS staff is Union and you're not going to do any more than what they have to do LOL if you know what I mean. There was even a reply by somebody that used to work at the postmaster General's office pretty high up and he complain how people won't even inspecting packages like they should and that was as recent as 2018. So, I don't know what this means for those of us who subscribed to magazines or the people who sell us the subscriptions. I received the information from one of our favorite vendors who stealth is like his thing. And he is based out of China, so that might makes him even more concerned, as out of the area of the world were USPS seems to look as we all know

 

[Vickydog]

@DoomKitty you are welcome doomkitty. It looks like it's been in the works since like 2016? And I really don't know how they can crack down any more than what they have because USPS staff is Union and you're not going to do any more than what they have to do LOL if you know what I mean. There was even a reply by somebody that used to work at the postmaster General's office pretty high up and he complain how people won't even inspecting packages like they should and that was as recent as 2018. So, I don't know what this means for those of us who subscribed to magazines or the people who sell us the subscriptions. I received the information from one of our favorite vendors who stealth is like his thing. And he is based out of China, so that might makes him even more concerned, as out of the area of the world were USPS seems to look as we all know

@DoomKitty you are welcome doomkitty. It looks like it's been in the works since like 2016? And I really don't know how they can crack down any more than what they have because USPS staff is Union and you're not going to do any more than what they have to do LOL if you know what I mean. There was even a reply by somebody that used to work at the postmaster General's office pretty high up and he complain how people won't even inspecting packages like they should and that was as recent as 2018. So, I don't know what this means for those of us who subscribed to magazines or the people who sell us the subscriptions. I received the information from one of our favorite vendors who stealth is like his thing. And he is based out of China, so that might makes him even more concerned, as out of the area of the world were USPS seems to look as we all know

The more I think about this shit I think it's just more of the Trump Administration trying to toot their own horn. Even people that work at USPS on their Message Board State their only job is to deliver packages they don't give a shit about anything else. So basically, they're not paying them enough to go any more Beyond than what they already do. Is that any real big surprise to any of us that live in the USA? LOL they'll never get 70% they've only gotten 40% like the last 4 years lol give me a break I'm not going to worry about it

 

[swifTinator]

New USPS rules concerning STAMPED MAIL are taking effect today.


darknetlive.com has the story. (thanks to them)

Some Darkweb Vendors Are Concerned About New USPS Rules

September 28, 2019
Author: Darknetlive

Darkweb vendors have issued warnings to other vendors and members of darkweb forums about upcoming changes to the United States Postal Service’s Aviation Mail Security initiative that prohibit certain packages from entering the mail steam through Blue Boxes and Post Office mail slots.

The Postal Service is modifying its Aviation Mail Security initiative to prohibit stamped mail pieces or stamped packages that are more than one-half inch thick or weigh more than 10 ounces from entering the mail stream through collection boxes, building mail chutes, and Post Office mail slots, according to the most recent Postal Bulletin.

The New Warning Placed on More than 140,000 Collection Boxes

Effective October 1, 2019, customers who need to mail stamped packages larger than one-half inch thick or heavier than 10 ounces will need to enter the Post Office and interact with an employee of the Postal Service at the retail counter.

- Postal Service letter carriers will be required to more closely scan the mail collected from residences and collection boxes.
- Carriers have been instructed not to accept packages that fit the restricted criteria, even in face-to-face transactions.
- Carriers will instruct customers to take these items to the Post Office and conduct a transaction at the retail service counter.
- Items that cannot be returned immediately are to be isolated and returned to sender via surface transportation only.
- Mail that is returned to sender will have a Customer Return Label (DDD2) attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return.

The New Customer Return Label Explaining Returned Package@SpriteHamster
One vendor, in an email to darknetlive, wrote that the upcoming change will be “a major blow to the trade.” The vendor added that the new restrictions could “result in many people being investigated or worse.” Based on the emails this author has received and the scattered forum posts, it appears as if vendors are concerned that others are unaware of the changes.

https://darknetlive.com/images/usps-change-details.jpg

The new triangular labels (pictured above) will be placed on more than 140,000 USPS collection boxes throughout the United States. Vendors and their shippers are not likely going to remain unaware for long.

good lookin out, information like this is very good to be made aware of. thank you

 

[Idaknowbetter]

Yes, this is insightful, need to know info. Hopefully shitty work ethics will prevail!

i really, really hate the man!

 

[harmony]

Good info, I was unaware of this, @SpriteHamster and others for their various inputs;

He who has information is King and this sort of thing will doubtless see even more vendors caught out.

We can but hope USPS employees are as hopeless at enforcing a big % of this as they are at their work in general. 

 

[mark6699331]

thanks for heads up! More anxiety for me espcially now the us gov is taking licenses form almost any all docs who dare give

proper treatment (literaly) and I have to find my own way to stay same as what help me live happily healthily and function past

decade plus. Hopefully vendors figure it out- a will a way- or multiple small orders, not sure

answer to all this thanks for heads up- as teacher professor yes KNOWLEDGE is POWER!

 

[Jesse]

Other than for US vendors, I don't see how this will have much effect. It only applies to those sending mail from within the United States.

Also, if you look at this poster for mail carriers---and you totally should, because it's unintentionally hilarious---all the red flags are aimed at catching explosive or chemical threats: (remove spaces from the link; I added them so it wouldn't hyperlink)

https:// about. usps. com/ postal-bulletin/ 2019/pb22529 /html/ info_ 002.htm#ep1470893

The best part is when they advise mail carriers not to "taste" the parcels. Because I know the first thing I do when confronted with a suspicious package is lick it! I mean, gosh...that's practically instinct....

Maybe I'm under-reacting, but all this does is raise the weight restriction on a policy that was already in existence. It used to be packages over 16 oz. had to be brought in; now it's packages over 10 oz. (Here's the entire bulletin; again, remove the spaces):

https:// about. usps. com/posta l-bulletin/2019/ pb22529/ht ml/info_001.htm

My main takeaway from this is always include a return address, because it looks fishy to send mail without one. Also, it helps to be a good speller. And don't write "PERSONAL! DO NOT INSPECT!" on a package wrapped up in miles of masking tape (although the latter would make for a good IQ test).

But I don't see how this is going to affect recipients in the US, just senders in the US, and even then, all you have to do is bring your package to the post office, where you can use one of the kiosks if you don't feel like being social.

 

[takingiteasy]

really? that is very interesting! thanks. 

 

[Nitetrain]

I’ve noticed some vendors don’t like giving tracking #’s unless the magazines don’t arrive in a reasonable amount of time, which is usually predictable barring weather, customs etc. And the usps informed tracking , which provides email updates whenever your mag. moves to its next facility is now sparse on details. It used to be like following bread crumbs and now it’s kinda like chasing a paper cup down the highway in a strong wind!

I’m personally okay with a later tracking # with vendors I know and trust,  but not so much when testing new waters. It can be a touchy situation if the donations’ been sent and then “crickets”,   but also slamming a vendor daily with tracking requests is irritating to vendors. At the end of the day a tracking # provided as soon as reasonably possible gives me peace of mind and then I feel no need to keep pestering the publisher. Just my 2 cents. Thanks everyone. Great topic.

 

[idan1120]

That totally sucks. I wish I'd seen this a couple weeks ago. 

 

[Kelakarekrew]

I got a notice from a darknet vendor about packaging changes a few months ago, now it makes sense.

No worries though, stuff will still ship, just more creatively.