At the online Postal Store (http://shop. Usps.com/), the USPS offers "Flat Rate Envelope - Pack of 10 - Free". There is no other information available about this offer other than a tiny picture of the envelopes. When one clicks on the Order button, the 10-pack is added to your shopping cart. It is strongly implied that these are pre-paid, flat-rate priority mail envelopes. However, when the envelopes arrive, they are special "flat-rate priority mail envelopes", identical to normal ones except that they have no postage. You must attach priority-rate postage to use these envelopes.
While not a scam in the sense that the Post Office never really promises anything except free envelopes, I do feel that they are being deceptive. Once you have sealed your envelope with the content inside and then discover that you still have to add postage - and that's Priority Rate postage, more expensive than First Class - I think the Post Office is counting on customers being reluctant to waste an envelope and just adding the extra postage. There is no real good reason for the USPS to try to deceive the public this way, and I consider it asleazy business practice.
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