the stupidity of the 6 1/2" envelope

So, I send out this newsletter every month in two batches.  The first batch is people that I know, business leads, former clients, friends, and a few random acquaintances from here, there, and everywhere (in marketing speak, this is my "sphere of influence").  I send this out the middle of every month.

 

The second batch I send to renters in the 5 counties around and including Baltimore City who are spending $1500+/month on rent.

 

Well, the newsletter comes in an 8 1/2" by 11" format that is folded in half.  The first 4 months I sent it out, I used 6" by 9" envelopes from staples, and it was great...the sucker is under an ounce, so it only cost the $.39/piece to mail.  This I send out the 1st of the month following when I sent out the newsletter to my "sphere of influence".

 

So, this month, I know I am running short on envelopes and instead of waiting 'til last minute to buy new envelopes (like I normally do), I decide to run out and get some when I am down visiting my mom the last Monday of August.  We go to Office Depot and I couldn't find the envelopes I needed forever and then I see boxes of 6 1/2" by 9 1/2" envelopes.  I think, "Sweet...they'll be even easier to stuff," and I buy two boxes of 1000 envelopes.  Get home a couple of days later, stuff my mailings for Sept. 1st, and get them in the mail on the 5th (Labor Day weekend messed me up a little here).

 

Overall, I'd day that I send out about 275 mailings with the "new" envelopes.  I go into the office on the 6th and 3 are returned to me saying that they need $.13 more postage.  I am like, "What the heck...?"  I really can't figure it out.  I go in the next day, I have 35 more that were returned.  Crap.  One of them has a helpful sticker that says, "Items of mail wider than 6 1/8" require $.42 postage."  Are you friggin kidding me.  So, honestly, why the crap does Office Depot not have 6" by 9" envelopes in stock, but has this ridiculously sized envelope that just serves to bend you offer when you try to mail things in it!!

 

I wait a couple of days and look for more being returned to me.  I only get one more, so I figure that some of the receiving post offices must have just allowed the mailings to get through.  Okay.  Believing this to be the case, I drop by the Severn post office with the 40-somewhat mailings that I needed to add postage on to re-mail.  For kicks, I ask the guy what most likely happened to the other 235 that I didn't get back.

 

"Oh...well, the receivers will get a notice that they owe postage and have to go to the post office to pay it."  "Are you friggin kidding me?  That's not good."  "That's not good, is it?"  "..."  Right...man, USPS can make you want to go crazy...hmmmm...

 

So, basically, I sent out a marketing piece that has really turned out to be a $.13 bill for hundreds of people.  Great...good business.  For those of you who can't understand the tragedy and/or the drama of this situation, you are probably the better for it.

 

Meanwhile, I am busting my butt with my clients.  I did have my first transaction to fall apart today, but he is an investor that will buy something else, and I picked up a new client (wow, that's a story for another time, too :) ) by day's end, so I'm not stressing.

Lots of love and all that,
Peace,
Greg