posted on March 10, 2003 10:53:16 AM new
I have been happily using Simply Postage for my packages for quite a while. They are "Phasing out" the meter and I can no longer download postage after March. So I am looking into new options. What do you use? Pros? Cons? I was looking at Stamps.Com. Any others? Thanks
posted on March 10, 2003 11:02:06 AM new
I've been using Endicia for a couple of weeks now and really enjoy it. I used Stamps.com for a trial period and found it very easy to use. They charge a percentage of your postage, so Endicia works better for me. Endicia has a slightly higher monthly fee, but no percent of postage. You can try them both out on a trial basis, they even give you postage to use.
posted on March 10, 2003 11:42:30 AM new
I use the "buy stamps at the postal service counter" service. Amazingly, I get them at face value! Wow! No monthly service charges! No supplies to purchase!
I really think this service is going to catch on with the public.
--
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than the French Army behind me." --(uh, no, wait, that's not quite right)
The advantage of using online postage is that you can drop of packages at the loading dock or at the counter without waiting, even packages over 1 pound. I guess for jewelry, nothing weighs over a pound. Another plus is the free delivery confirmation.
Now back to the original question. I use Endicia and find it to be the best of the best! There is only a flat rate monthly fee and the "Stealth Mode" is the best!
posted on March 10, 2003 12:37:53 PM new
I started using Endicia about a month ago and I'll never go back to long lines at the post office, waiting for them to weigh, writing checks for postage, etc., etc. It has been a Godsend!
posted on March 10, 2003 12:41:49 PM new
I actually buy postage BELOW face value, just picked up several hundred dollars worth yesterday. I usually pay 85-90% face value. I also use USPS Shipping Assistant, and I can drop off the packages if I need to (I go to a very small post office in a small town, so it rarely is busy anyway)
posted on March 10, 2003 12:54:25 PM new
I've been with ENDICIA X OCT 2001 -- during that period, I've shipped approximately 2000 packies & NOT ONE has been lost or damaged or misdirected or delayed!
Many of my PARCEL POST & MEDIA MAIL items arrive in 3-4 days -- I think because they look so darn professional, they get treated like PRIORITY MAIL!
The address verification & BAR-CODING insures quick & correct delivery!
The STEALTH FEATURE has eliminated (for me) all those annoying yack-yacks about shipping fees. In my auctions, I list my fee & methos -- bidders can bid or not...bitching ain't allowed (sorry Ralph!)
Did I mention that I LOVE ENDICIA?
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" http://tinyurl.com/5duz
posted on March 10, 2003 01:43:38 PM new
I tried Endicia a year or so ago, but, as usual, the day I signed up I wanted to use them NOW! I had over 40 packages waiting to post.
I'm still not sure what they meant about sending them a letter or something to confirm my setup, but I just backed out, requested a refund and cancelled.
Was I too hasty? Is it really easy to get set up?
And, can you print on plain paper and tape? The labels are pretty expensive.
posted on March 10, 2003 01:55:00 PM new
So Endicia seems to be getting the "thumbs up". Simply Postage or Neopost provides a scale in the rental of 14.95 month. Does Endicia or do you have to purchase your own scale.?
posted on March 10, 2003 01:58:36 PM newlindajean: YES, they are a bit of work to set-up! THAT'S because DAZZLE has been designed to be compatable with just about every OS & PRINTER on the face of the earth (LOL!)!
PLEASE remember, that the CS is excellent & they will walk you through set-up step-by-step! They ain't happy until you be !
ALSO (very important) -- remember the TEST function! You can test & test & test for FREE until ya git it right!
PAPER -- The USPS requires that all PC postage be printed on adhesive labels! As far as what you do in the real world....
I do buy the labels from ENDICIA for my DYMO LW 330 label printer for $0.13 each, &, yes, that is expensive -- but SO EASY & CONVENIENT that, for klutzy moi, well worth the moola!
CALL ENDICIA & get to know this super company & the very nice folks there! After my horrid experiences with the NON-CS at STOMPS.COM, ENDICIA reawakened my belief in the potential of the internet!
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?" http://tinyurl.com/5duz
posted on March 10, 2003 02:15:04 PM new
I used ENDICIA and LOVE IT! I have used it for almost two years.
However, some of the above information is not actually allowed by ALL post offices. Before I signed up for online postage, I spoke to the supervisor at my post office, everything was fine (until he left).
My post office ( and I am in a BIG city) does NOT allow drop off. They do not have a business drop off area nor do they have the counter space to just unload it. They insist on weighing each package and ring stamp it. I use stealth mode, they do not have the equipment to tell how much postage I have on the package and require my to give them the print out available under postage reports.
If you do not used a service like U-PIC for insurance we will still need to wait in line at the post office to get that little green form stamped.
All packages mailed outside the USA you will also have to wait in line to hand to a clerk.
TRUST me, I know I have the WORSE post office around! I have reported there stupid activities so many times, any more they just say take her packages and do what she says.
ENDICIA has been GREAT, suppling me with a letter from the big wigs at the PO so my PO will know how to do there job. Also, giving my the name and number of a man at the PO that actually called my PO and told them they do not know how to run a PO.
I am EXTREMEMLY happy with Endicia and don't plan on leaving them.
posted on March 10, 2003 02:21:01 PM new"Was I too hasty? Is it really easy to get set up?"
You are able to print postage within 5 minutes of signup. Granted, our postage client is a bit more difficult to set up, but it has a powerful feature set based on 10+ years of user experience. DAZzle, the Endicia postage client software, was first introduced in 1993.
"And, can you print on plain paper?"
Yes. See this post for a long discussion on printing options.
BTW, Simply Postage decided to get out of the PC postage business and focus on their conventional meter lines. So there are only 3 PC postage providers remaining -- Pitney Bowes, STAMPS.COM and Endicia.
I'm ordering some and will sign back up with Endicia using the link you provided.
Harrywhitehouse: You said I could print labels 5 minutes after signing up? What about the requirement to send in a sample letter? Is that no longer required.
Of course, I can do that while I wait for the labels Tomwii referred to.
Thanks everyone. I will still have wait in line at the PO, but that stealth mode is worth it! They insist on it regardless, but I don't think they will re-weigh each item. Still, it will be much easier.
posted on March 10, 2003 02:44:16 PM newWhat about the requirement to send in a sample letter?
After telling the USPS for years that this was a needless exercise, they relented. It's no longer a requirement!!!
Even when it was required, you could print postage immediately anyway. You just needed to send the sample in within a few days. But you didn't need to wait for any further "approval" to begin printing postage.
"I will still have wait in line at the PO"
LindaJean-- please email me directly and I will get you a copy of a letter (a JPEG image) which you can take to your postmaster. This comes from the USPS Vice President of Operations and clearly says that PC postage packages don't have to be brought to the retail counter! You should be able to place them in any collection box (provided they fit), give them to your carrier if he/she has a vehicle, give them to any USPS truck you happen to catch, or in some cases drop them off on the back dock of your Post Office. You are a "known customer" being a PC postage user, so that means you can induct domestic-bound packages in a variety of ways.
You will still have to go to the PO for international packages over 1 lb, however.
posted on March 10, 2003 02:46:24 PM new IMPORTANT RULE FOR ENDICIA NEWBIES:
PLEASE employ the TEST PRINT function until yer happy with the result! Nobody should EVER lose any moola during set-up! Once yer set, you're gonna laugh at how easy DAZZLE works!
PLEASE call CS if ya get stumpfed
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
http://tinyurl.com/5duz
edited because Harry answered better than Ralphie did! Bad dog! Back in yer crate!
posted on March 10, 2003 06:23:45 PM new
"I actually buy postage BELOW face value, just picked up several hundred dollars worth yesterday. I usually pay 85-90% face value."
Yes, I've seen the ads in Linn's Stamp News and other places.
Unfortunately, several hundred dollars' worth would last me less than a week. I couldn't be sure enough of a steady supply to go this route.
Still, I imagine it works well for smaller shippers.
--
"I'm thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said `I drank WHAT?'"
posted on March 10, 2003 06:43:02 PM new
You would be surprised the quantities you could get. I purchased them at a stamp show this weekend, I would estimate one dealer had about $5000 of discount postage available, and higher denominations too...Are you a stamp collector?
posted on March 11, 2003 09:23:53 AM new
Well, for the minority voice. I use Stamps.com and have since they started. I love them. I got frustrated with Endica due to my Firewall and my Adsubtract Filter. Both are good.
posted on March 11, 2003 01:08:17 PM newOh I did not know this...I give all my packages to my mailman and he has never said a word about this
If you are known by your local PO officials and they are service-oriented, they will handle the round stamping for you. Basically, if the international package is over 1 lb it needs a customs form (small or large one, depending on value/weight). This customs form and the package it self must have a "round stamp" from the accepting Post Office. The round stamp tells the subsequent USPS processing plants that the package has gone through some sort of acceptance process by the originating PO staff. It's a security flag -- when they see the round stamp they know that some one at the local PO feels that this package is "safe" for transit.
The officially sanctioned way to do this is to walk up to a retail counter and present the package in person. But I have seen many cases like this where the mailer is known to the carrier and/or PO staff, so they will apply the round stamp to the packages even if the mailer is not physically present. I like this common sense approach -- it saves time for both the USPS and the shipper, and it allows us to focus our security protocols on situations which have a higher probability of causing problems.
posted on March 11, 2003 01:38:30 PM new
After all of this gushing I went to check out Endicia. Basically what I save on Delivery confirmation more than saves the amount pasid for Endicias monthly fees. ONe smalll problem... Harry - help.... you are discriminating against us Mac users. I really like yourbservice from what I can see but is there an option available to me and my Mac?
posted on March 11, 2003 06:33:08 PM new
neonmania
Sorry to say we don't have a MAC solution. In fact, none of the PC Postage vendors have a MAC solution.
The big problem is that USPS made us FIPS certify all of the cryptographic routines used in our client and our servers. It was an extraodinarliy expensive and time consuming process.
I did build a Java postage applet which I hoped would serve both MAC and PC worlds, but then found out that Java 2 (required for the printing and crypography) doesn't work on MAC (at least on OS's less than X). I've heard that Java 2 does work on OS X but when we had some of our friends try the applet, nothing came up!
Some folks have had good sucess running Endicia under the PC emulator for the MAC.
I'm keeping my eye open for MAC solutions which won't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get through USPS certification, but for now I don't have anything for you!
posted on March 11, 2003 07:33:05 PM new
Harry - thanks so much for the info. I've been meaning to install virtual PC so since you have the trial period I'll give it a run once I do.
posted on March 11, 2003 09:15:56 PM new
Remember to sign up for Endicia.com using me as a referrer "501521"
If you don't want to use the Blue Arrow labels Endicia.com provides, a great alternative is the no-line 4x6 cards you can buy from any Office Supply store. As long as you leave space on the top and bottom, its perfect for printing First Class and USPS Priority. This is my backup when I run out of Blue Arrow labels and its been perfect. Its definitely better than using plain paper and less expensive than buying labels if you are just starting out.
posted on March 12, 2003 10:53:15 AM new
NeonMania -- If you wish, Email [email protected] and ask him about the Virtual PC setup. I think he has some notes gleaned from working with other MAC customers.
I thought only connetix had a virtual PC, but a Google scan came up with macport as well.
