[NHCOLL-L:4719] RE: Possible change in USPS International Mailing Standards??? - CLARIFICATION!

[Rabeler, Richard]

Colleagues:

Thanks to a call from a former USPS employee now working for our University Mail Service, I can offer the clarification!

The "shiny tape" regulation applies only to packages that are being sent via Registered Mail.   Since the USPS is insuring the contents, what they do is "date stamp" (using a rubber stamp) along all of the openings of a box/package.  A smudged date stamp might indicate tampering, so they want to make sure that the impressions are nice and clear when they leave the Post Office where the package originated.

Since it was suggested that I return a loan to Colombia via Registered Mail this past December, I suspect it's still a good thing for us to know about.

Sincerely,

Rich Rabeler, MICH

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Rabeler, Richard
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 11:17 AM
To: 'nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu'
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4717] Possible change in USPS International Mailing Standards???

Colleagues:

For those of you sending packages from the US to international destinations via the United States Postal Service, you might be interested in my recent experience.

We have been told by our University Mail Service (and by extension, our local Post Office where they drop our packages) that any tape with a shiny surface cannot be used on a package going to an international destination.  From what I have learned, packages are now stamped along all corners - shiny tape causes smudges that look like the package may have been tampered with.  Paper tape is OK.

>From what I have been able to determine, none of this info is in the online International Mail Manual nor can I find any bulletins where I can read about the change.

I'm looking into this further and I would also be interested in learning if others have seen this same change.

Sincerely,

Rich Rabeler
University of Michigan Herbarium