Shipping documents... in my provided brown clasp envelope or not?

When I ship documents to my clients, I seal them in brown clasp envelopes to protect them before inserting them into the FedEx or UPS envelope. Do you all do that too or do you just place the documents directly in the FedEx or UPS cardboard envelope?

The reason I ask is a clasp envelope is just oversize enough to make it extremely difficult to fit into standard legal-size cardboard FedEx/UPS envelopes. I always request they use their vinyl envelopes which are larger so they accept my clasp envelopes but not all UPS ship points have anything but the standard cardboard envelopes. Then I’m forced to fold the edges of the clasp envelope over so it fits, after insuring the documents are positioned away from the fold.

So brown clasp envelope or not? When I receive documents they’re always loose inside the FedEx or UPS envelope which I don’t like when I get them

I did finally get one of my FedEx ship points to give me a stack of their oversize vinyl shipping envelopes and document holders which I keep in my trunk to use but I can’t get them from UPS.

Mostly medium Binder clips (EC Purchasing members $5something/gross) and, when it’s humongus–rubber bands. As they aren’t paying us for ‘class’, they get cheap. I rarely use the cardboard unless specifically requested. You can open an account online with both FedEx & UPS for supplies. UPS will cancel your account frequently for ‘non-use’, so scatter your supply order throughout the year. Between letter, legal cardboards, label holders & plastic, you’ll be ordering something every quarter–which keeps your account open. Altho’ the following is NOT happening much any more as they are almost always providing a label to print, NEVER order labels…scrounge those from boxes or you might get charged for shipping if they can trace it (by number) back to you. FedEx generally doesn’t cancel your account. Once in a while, I get a call from both UPS & FedEx trying to drum up business and I just tell them I’m a ‘3rd party shipper’…somebody else provides label & pays for shipping. So far/so good.

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I use a large rubber band (about 7 inches from one loop end to the other, unstretched) that I get from Staples, for packages with more than about 50 pages. For smaller packages I use a small binder clip.

I use Tyvex envelopes or vinyl for both UPS and FedEx because they hold together even if they get wet. Some clients specify in their instructions not to use cardboard for fear they’ll get wet and fall apart. But I’ll use cardboard for small packages in good weather, if the client doesn’t forbid it.

Of course I don’t let the packages get wet, but you never know what might happen once they leave my hands. I also put an extra copy of the shipping label as the first page of the package, just in case the outside one gets damaged.

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Thanks for your replies, maybe I have been a little over-protective with my past use of clasp envelopes inside the FedEx/UPS envelopes.

UPS envelopes can be ordered online free of charge.

HI,

Just curious (new notary) but if you put papers in the envelope per requirements , and it gets damaged after giving it to the shipper and the package had to be redone shouldn’t you (as a notary) get paid a second time for a second visit with the signors?

To be honest, redos seems like easy money unless there is some pay stipulation that says you only get paid after a successful close (if none of the damage is your fault then the shipper should in theory have to or should have to pay the additional costs).

What do you think?

Thanks

Andrew

Yes of course UPS envelopes are free, I have a box full of them. The brown clasp envelopes I was talking about are what I place the documents into. That envelope is then inserted into the FedEx or UPS envelope. It serves as additional protection since the UPS/FedEx cardboard envelopes have been known to burst open with a big stack of documents.The clasp envelope I was asking about just serves as additional protection incase the cardboard UPS/FedEx envelope bursts open from an extra large stack of documents.

Yes, if damaged, you would be paid full fee for both trips. However, if pkg. is lost, you’d better be able to prove you shipped it by going to a manned facility and getting a receipt when you ship. FWIW, in over 25 years, I’ve never had either a damaged or lost package, tho’ 2 or 3 times, the pkg. arrived a day later than it should have.

You can now order UPS shipping supplies. They will even deliver them to your home. And yes, you can get the poly paks.

I drop at a UPS locker. The tracking number is scanned, which opens a box. A receipt is emailed to me. No waiting in line and the location is convenient.

Fedex picks up at my office upon request. No additional anything, but if the package is all letter, I fold the polybag further over to keep the pages from shifting.

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I don’t use the fedex cardboard shipping. Only vinyl plastic large pack. The fedex guy told me that if the paper is too thick in the cardboard shipping it will open when in the shipping center as it doesn’t run through the shipping area —the cardboard packaging will actually open. Meaning the package could arrive with no documents… so now I only use the plastic vinyl large pack…I put the docs in a legal folder and place in plastic vinyl large pack.

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One company (don’t remember which one) said in their instructions not to use the poly paks because they cost more and if poly pak was used there would be a deduction in my pay. So I use the accordion packs at Fedex for anything 100 pages or more. I haven’t had to ship anything that big at UPS. I use binder clips to keep the pages together but I don’t see anything wrong with putting them in a clasp envelope. Putting an extra shipping label in the package is a good idea.