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Circumstances for appeal
All MERLIN verification results may be appealed if you believe them to be in error.
If your mailing has not passed MERLIN and you question the results, you can request a second level review with the USPS® acceptance personnel. If you are unable to resolve it, you may elect to appeal the results.
A Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA), Business Mail Entry Supervisor, or other designated USPS employee completes the second level review. At the mailer’s request, the second level review may be conducted by the MDA exclusively in the case of barcode readability errors. The MDA will review live mailpieces that were identified with quality issues as quickly as possible; however, there may be a delay if the MDA does not reside at your acceptance site. If local efforts are exhausted, appeal to the next level as follows:
• For barcode readability failures, upon your request, USPS sends the pieces tested by MERLIN to the Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) Appeal Site in New York, NY, where the samples are retested on the MERLIN appeal machine. Additional postage (above original assessments) may be charged if the appeal results are lower than the initial results. If the appeal results are higher than the initial results a refund may be due.
• For barcode digit string ‘9999’ failures, a mailer may request that the pieces found in the sample with ‘9999’ be faxed to Business Mail Acceptance (BMA) in Headquarters for validation. BMA will respond to the origin site with the findings.
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General appeals process
Although presort verification, First-Class metered mail and piece count errors are usually resolved at the time of mailing, they may be appealed through the general appeals process according to the procedures outlined in the Domestic Mail Manual 607.2.0. The mailer may send a written appeal to the postmaster within 30 days. The appeal is forwarded to the PCSC for review and final agency decision.
Review the process to appeal verification results other than barcode readability in the Domestic Mail Manual Mailing Standards.
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Barcode readability appeals process
Barcode readability has a unique appeals process for mailings that fail to meet USPS acceptance tolerances for automation letters and flats:
• Mailings qualify for automation rates if the barcode readability results are 90% or higher.
• If the results fall between 80% - 90%, a partial automation discount is awarded.
• Mailings with results of 79% or less do not qualify for automation rates.
If a mailer appeals the barcode readability score, the MERLIN operator from USPS will complete all documentation necessary for the appeal and send it via Express Mail® service to the appeal site along with the sample pieces.
Mailers must elect one of three appeal scenarios:
1) Appeal results – pay additional postage – Enter balance of mailing – Test mail is returned to mailer from appeal site
2) Appeal results – pay additional postage – Enter balance of mailing – Test mail is entered into mailstream at New York, NY P&DC – Test mail is not returned to mailer
3) Withdraw mailing – appeal MERLIN results – Withdraw balance of mail awaiting appeal results – Test mail is returned to mailer from appeal site.
The PCSC will write the final agency decision and send the results to the mailer.
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Barcode Digit String ‘9999’ appeals process
The digit string analysis is performed to detect invalid ‘9999’s. Any that are found are included in the MERLIN Barcode Digit String Report for the mailer to review. If the mailer disagrees with the test results, one of two options can be chosen:
• If at the time of the mailing the mailer disagrees with the results of the test, the pieces in question may be faxed by the acceptance site to BMA to validate the ‘9999’s. If BMA confirms that the ‘9999’s are valid, the mailer will receive the automation rates.
• If the mailer disagrees with the test results after the mailing has entered the mailstream, they may send a written appeal to the postmaster within 30 days. The appeal is forwarded to the PCSC for review and final agency decision.
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