by Hartster » Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:10 am
Let me see if I understand the issue by providing a solution, since I send out books to be signed all the time:
Weigh the poster tube with the poster and a letter of request in it at a self-service kiosk. Buy the postage through the machine. Put the postage on the tube. (Even if it's Flat Rate there are options for buying the postage.)
Put the letter of request in an envelope (probably negligible added weight) addressed to the person on the outside of the tube. Make sure the tube is addressed to you. Wrap the thing in brown kraft paper, address it to the person, bring it to the Post Office and give it to a clerk who will weigh it and tell you how much postage will cost.
The person gets your poster tube. Rips off the kraft paper, sees the LOR. Reads it, signs the poster and returns it. All that's left is for the person to drop it off or have it picked up by the mail carrier.
Having said all that, I've had just one person tell me that because the return postage was bought at a different PO than where it was mailed, that it was a problem. Otherwise, I've never had a situation where I've had to pay postage again, or the person had to pat the postage.
Regardless, I would not send anything in a poster tube because how do you include a roll of tape for the person to seal the tube for its return trip? (Yes, I send a roll of package tape with every book I send so the person can seal the box. I get the tape at the dollar store, and tell them not to return the tape.)
Let me see if I understand the issue by providing a solution, since I send out books to be signed all the time:
Weigh the poster tube with the poster and a letter of request in it at a self-service kiosk. Buy the postage through the machine. Put the postage on the tube. (Even if it's Flat Rate there are options for buying the postage.)
Put the letter of request in an envelope (probably negligible added weight) addressed to the person on the outside of the tube. Make sure the tube is addressed to you. Wrap the thing in brown kraft paper, address it to the person, bring it to the Post Office and give it to a clerk who will weigh it and tell you how much postage will cost.
The person gets your poster tube. Rips off the kraft paper, sees the LOR. Reads it, signs the poster and returns it. All that's left is for the person to drop it off or have it picked up by the mail carrier.
Having said all that, I've had just one person tell me that because the return postage was bought at a different PO than where it was mailed, that it was a problem. Otherwise, I've never had a situation where I've had to pay postage again, or the person had to pat the postage.
Regardless, I would not send anything in a poster tube because how do you include a roll of tape for the person to seal the tube for its return trip? (Yes, I send a roll of package tape with every book I send so the person can seal the box. I get the tape at the dollar store, and tell them not to return the tape.)