Then you’ll get to programming and realize that the documentation is pretty crappy, but specifically I want to address the idiosyncrasies of the USPS “test” environment.  Effectively, what USPS means when they say “test” is not a test of robustness of your application, but simply whether or not your application can build a sample request (an EXACT sample request), and send it to their server.  Yeah — it’s like asking a math teacher to write the numbers 1 to 30 on a sheet of paper (in order) before he/she can get hired.

The problem is, the USPS docs don’t tell you this, nor do they show you the sample request.  So, for others who are about to embark on a few hour journey finding these details on Google (or worse, emailing USPS directly …eeek) I’m going to sum up a few facts here.

The most laborious for me so far is the one I already mentioned above.  For a rate request, the docs show you a RateV3Request, but in testing you can only use a RateV2 request (which does not support package dimensions).  Also, you must use the zip codes 10022 and 20008 for origination and zip, as well as 10 lbs. 5 oz. for the weight, and “LARGE” for the size.  Everything else (LAUGH) you have leeway with.

If you don’t use these exact values, you’ll get responses like “Please enter a valid zip code for the sender” (which of course makes you think you wrote the XML incorrectly) or “The package size must be ‘Regular’, ‘Large’, or ‘Oversize.’” (even though you have “regular” quite clearly in the request.

The advice is to get to production as soon as possible, though why USPS would design things this way is beyond me, but them’s the cards, you gotta play ‘em.

I will add more here as I find them obstaclicious enough (yeah I just made up that word).

Amendment 1:  I should add that the issues about the documentation not mentioning the “canned” requests is only applicable to the PDF documentation.  It is stated quite clearly in the HTML versions.  Go figure …

Bottom line: Although the design and ordering process is very easy, streamlined, and simple, placing an order with this company, based on my personal experience, runs a very high risk of cumbersome delays, phone tag, and a major investment in your personal time.

I placed an order at javasigns.com for a sign for my car window in October of 2009.  I received an email that my order would ship soon.  I then received an email that my order had shipped on Oct. 15 and, based on the tracking number, would arrive on Oct. 19.

The package did not arrive, so I called — several times because I often got their answering service, even when I called during business hours — finally to speak to Trish Marshall who assured me there had been a mistake and my order would ship right away.

To avoid the drawn out details, that phone call process was repeated several times over the next two months, and yet no package arrived.  Finally, Ms. Marshall promised to refund my money and get the order out that day.

Over a week later, I did get the refund, but I did not receive the item.

Most customers might call the problem solved at this point, but I really wanted this sign as advertisement for my business, and I had been promised it, so I continued to press the issue.

Eventually, it became nearly impossible to get in contact with Ms. Marshall either by email or by phone.  Once I did reach her again, she told me there was a problem with the sizing of the sign — they were having trouble cutting it, so she asked if there was some leway on the dimensions.  We worked it out, so again she assured me my order would ship soon.  By now, it was the middle of December.

A week and a half later, still having received no shipment confirmation or package, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of New Jersey.  Three days later, my sign arrived.

Ironically, shortly after the sign arrived, I received an email from the BBB that, since my money was refunded, there was nothing they could do.

I will never deal with this company again because of the time and energy I had to spend to simply get the sign — a sign whose price tag was $136 and some change — but they did earn a few redemption points for honoring their promise even when they were not forced by the hand of the BBB.

Proceed with caution.