That's true, but only for remailing the same item as stated on the green label. In addition, a meter strip can only be used on the date indicated on the meter itself, except if remailing the same item. The date on the meter strip is August 2004. I doubt the post office will accept it now.
Now you tell me, would you really want to disturb this cover with all the labels on it? It has some good postal history on it.
One comment I want to make is that you should cover the addressee's name and mailing address when posting an image of a cover that is this new. Safety precautions. Images can be lifted and an unscrupulous person gain access to it.
Richard:
The warning label does not indicate that the postage has to be removed.
Wording is vague: who is the "we" in "...we regret to inform you..."? Homeland Security? Postal authorities? Does the USA have more than one postmaster general at a time?
Viewed from the bottom of the food chain where I exist, Big Brother sure has us pinned to the canvas. Canadians have "security" phobias somewhat similar to Americans, but "we" seldom does us the courtesy of sticking warning labels in our faces before hauling out the cattle prods, the pepper spray and the batons. If it wasn't for ubiquitous cellphone photography, hoi polloi wouldn't be half-aware of the extent of the power of "we".
This is an interesting submission and I thank you for sharing it with us. Knowledge is power.
John Derry
Says "may be removed", meaning can be used again.
ichard
I certainly agree with Michael that this is a great piece of postal history.
My questions would be: "Why, if it only required 83 cents worth of postage, was the package returned, since that package obviously wouldn't weigh anywhere near a pound?"
"Why was the package in Tampa anyway?" One would think that a package going from NJ to VA, a trip of about 325 miles, would not need a detour to the Sunshine state, unless they thought maybe it needed a scenic vacation trip and a sunburn.
Mike
I changed picture and removed shipping address, left my address.
As I shipped this package, and I also do not know why it had postage of 83¢ back to me, and for life of me do not why it came from Tampa to me in NJ. It never went to VA.
I checked my shipping records, and I canceled original shipment when it came back, so do not know what I had originally shipped. Only know it contained postcards. Perhaps weight was enough to equal the 83 in 2004.
Richaard
Richard
not sure what all has been changed in the picture, but here are my observations.
first, a lovely cover; a keeper; and i'll gladly reimburse you the 83c for it
second, don't see any mention of "may be removed"; perhaps you removed the remove in the revision
third, the green label clearly indicates that postage may be reused on THIS package to resend it; it doesn't even suggest any other possiblity
fourth, in the US, it is illegal to reuse postage (except as indicated here)
fifth, i'm utterly puzzled by the franking too: why a Tampa meter from a Jersey guy?
John, we have only one PMG at a time; it is a quasi-federal agency; when USPS was USPOD it was a cabinet level department; now it's not only below cabinet, I believe most congressmen put it under the sink.
USPS adopted many operating procuders to protect itself and its customers from bombings. This is mostly about the unibomber, but reinforced by 9/11 terrorism and the anthrax scare (anthrax, incidentally weighs far less than a pound)
David
If the item was returned to you without being delivered than the service you paid for was not completed and the postage was not "used". It looks like it was rejected for some security reason. Is there any chance that you prepared it and failed to present it in person at the post office, placing it in an outside mailbox for pick-up ?
Since the postage was never actually used, correcting the deficiency and reshipping the package is not actually reusing the postage which was never accepted.
As for Tampa, the main postal facility at TIA is a major sorting and inspection center and perhaps the package was sent there pending an investigation of its contents by the ticking bomb squad and an executive decision as to its disposition.
Package was placed in a mail box, thus the reason for it being rejected. I think that my original stamps are under the meter strip, although I am not sure. I never got them back.
I have other info about this cover, but must respond by email. If interested, send email to me, and ask for Tampa cover info
Richaard
Half a century ago when I was an army reserve postal unit member, the rule was postage could be reused (I think even if cancelled, with proof of circumstances)if a piece of mail was retrieved from the post office of mailing for some reason before transmittal onward. Never saw it happen...
Nice trick by the post office to cover up the stamps with a meter to prevent reuse of the stamps.
Nightowl - I missed your post.
Yes, you are correct. I mailed a priority mail package to a friend a couple of years ago. Dropped it in the box at my post office. It was not over the maximum weight allowed to do that. However, I made a mathematical error and shorted the postage by 5 cents. That's what you get when you put alot of small denomination stamps on a large envelope. The package went to the post office to where my friend lives and was rejected. It was sent back to me with the stamps affixed canceled. I have a PO Box, so I promptly went to the counter, and was told that if I paid the 5 cents deficiency, they would send it back for delivery.
So this package went from Texas to New York, back to Texas for an additional 5 cents and then back to New York. Seems like the old postage due system was more economical.
You may resend the SAME package until the service for which you paid is pcompleted. Other REUSE of postage is not legal in the Us.
Partially described and incompletely illustrated posts make it difficult to accurately assess, and I always wonder why information is withheld by the originator of a post
I agree. Information withheld and misinformation perpetuated by statements by the poster that are not true and even contradict the poster's own words. Not the first time either...
Here is case when you can legally use stamps over, as original shipment was not completed by post office.
Green label reads: Important Customer Information. We regret that your mail is being returned to you because of heightened security measures. All domestic mail, weighing 16 ounces or over, that bears stamps and all international and military APO/FPO mail weighing 16 ounces or over MUST be presented to a retail clerk at a post office. Postage that is affixed to the returned mail may be used for re-mailing the item.
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
That's true, but only for remailing the same item as stated on the green label. In addition, a meter strip can only be used on the date indicated on the meter itself, except if remailing the same item. The date on the meter strip is August 2004. I doubt the post office will accept it now.
Now you tell me, would you really want to disturb this cover with all the labels on it? It has some good postal history on it.
One comment I want to make is that you should cover the addressee's name and mailing address when posting an image of a cover that is this new. Safety precautions. Images can be lifted and an unscrupulous person gain access to it.
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Richard:
The warning label does not indicate that the postage has to be removed.
Wording is vague: who is the "we" in "...we regret to inform you..."? Homeland Security? Postal authorities? Does the USA have more than one postmaster general at a time?
Viewed from the bottom of the food chain where I exist, Big Brother sure has us pinned to the canvas. Canadians have "security" phobias somewhat similar to Americans, but "we" seldom does us the courtesy of sticking warning labels in our faces before hauling out the cattle prods, the pepper spray and the batons. If it wasn't for ubiquitous cellphone photography, hoi polloi wouldn't be half-aware of the extent of the power of "we".
This is an interesting submission and I thank you for sharing it with us. Knowledge is power.
John Derry
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Says "may be removed", meaning can be used again.
ichard
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
I certainly agree with Michael that this is a great piece of postal history.
My questions would be: "Why, if it only required 83 cents worth of postage, was the package returned, since that package obviously wouldn't weigh anywhere near a pound?"
"Why was the package in Tampa anyway?" One would think that a package going from NJ to VA, a trip of about 325 miles, would not need a detour to the Sunshine state, unless they thought maybe it needed a scenic vacation trip and a sunburn.
Mike
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
I changed picture and removed shipping address, left my address.
As I shipped this package, and I also do not know why it had postage of 83¢ back to me, and for life of me do not why it came from Tampa to me in NJ. It never went to VA.
I checked my shipping records, and I canceled original shipment when it came back, so do not know what I had originally shipped. Only know it contained postcards. Perhaps weight was enough to equal the 83 in 2004.
Richaard
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Richard
not sure what all has been changed in the picture, but here are my observations.
first, a lovely cover; a keeper; and i'll gladly reimburse you the 83c for it
second, don't see any mention of "may be removed"; perhaps you removed the remove in the revision
third, the green label clearly indicates that postage may be reused on THIS package to resend it; it doesn't even suggest any other possiblity
fourth, in the US, it is illegal to reuse postage (except as indicated here)
fifth, i'm utterly puzzled by the franking too: why a Tampa meter from a Jersey guy?
John, we have only one PMG at a time; it is a quasi-federal agency; when USPS was USPOD it was a cabinet level department; now it's not only below cabinet, I believe most congressmen put it under the sink.
USPS adopted many operating procuders to protect itself and its customers from bombings. This is mostly about the unibomber, but reinforced by 9/11 terrorism and the anthrax scare (anthrax, incidentally weighs far less than a pound)
David
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
If the item was returned to you without being delivered than the service you paid for was not completed and the postage was not "used". It looks like it was rejected for some security reason. Is there any chance that you prepared it and failed to present it in person at the post office, placing it in an outside mailbox for pick-up ?
Since the postage was never actually used, correcting the deficiency and reshipping the package is not actually reusing the postage which was never accepted.
As for Tampa, the main postal facility at TIA is a major sorting and inspection center and perhaps the package was sent there pending an investigation of its contents by the ticking bomb squad and an executive decision as to its disposition.
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Package was placed in a mail box, thus the reason for it being rejected. I think that my original stamps are under the meter strip, although I am not sure. I never got them back.
I have other info about this cover, but must respond by email. If interested, send email to me, and ask for Tampa cover info
Richaard
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Half a century ago when I was an army reserve postal unit member, the rule was postage could be reused (I think even if cancelled, with proof of circumstances)if a piece of mail was retrieved from the post office of mailing for some reason before transmittal onward. Never saw it happen...
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Nice trick by the post office to cover up the stamps with a meter to prevent reuse of the stamps.
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
Nightowl - I missed your post.
Yes, you are correct. I mailed a priority mail package to a friend a couple of years ago. Dropped it in the box at my post office. It was not over the maximum weight allowed to do that. However, I made a mathematical error and shorted the postage by 5 cents. That's what you get when you put alot of small denomination stamps on a large envelope. The package went to the post office to where my friend lives and was rejected. It was sent back to me with the stamps affixed canceled. I have a PO Box, so I promptly went to the counter, and was told that if I paid the 5 cents deficiency, they would send it back for delivery.
So this package went from Texas to New York, back to Texas for an additional 5 cents and then back to New York. Seems like the old postage due system was more economical.
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
You may resend the SAME package until the service for which you paid is pcompleted. Other REUSE of postage is not legal in the Us.
Partially described and incompletely illustrated posts make it difficult to accurately assess, and I always wonder why information is withheld by the originator of a post
re: Hightened security leads to RTS cover and discussion of reuse of postage, too
I agree. Information withheld and misinformation perpetuated by statements by the poster that are not true and even contradict the poster's own words. Not the first time either...