Requirements of USPS.

We have been using the USPS for sending out our packages for years now. Why? Because it does have the better rates out there. Considering majority of our packages are well under a pound it makes sense to stick with them.  Every so often I get the feeling I should just move to UPS or FedEx or something, especially when something happens. I cant tell you how many packages have gone lost!  Or lost in transit, or mis delivered.  And the USPS has this 'oh well' attitude about it. No one cares and you cant get a refund of the postage you paid or on the product unless you get insurance.  Well if we got insurance on our packages the prices would go up by a lot and for that we should just use UPS or FedEx!  So I grit my teeth and keep using the USPS.

Today I got a letter from them thanking me for using their click and ship program but... my packages are not meeting the requirements! Ok first of all I am not using the click and ship program Im using the interfaces with Amazon and eBay - is it the same thing? Maybe I don't know, and don't care. But what requirements?  Turns out, in order for my packages to be allowed to use delivery confirmation the packages need to be at least 3/4 of an inch thick! If not then I have to use Priority mail - my customers could wind up paying the difference upon arrival, there could be a delay or even the package returned to me! Believe this nonsense?

eBay says I have to use Delivery Confirmation for my packages or I could loose my discounts, USPS says my packages have to be thicker or I cant use Delivery Confirmation and/or my customers would pay the difference?!!?

Many of my products are very light, flat and small. Barely an ounce so I have doing my best already to make them thick, any thicker I would be heavier and the shipping costs would go up. I used to send a lot of these in envelopes but thats not allowed anymore.  I had someone complain about shipping costs - they paid $1.75 and said it was too much, I paid $1.64 for that and if I went in person to the post office it would cost me even more. Im thinking of just going back to envelopes and screwing the discount.

How does one continue to deal with these requirements?

Has anyone even noticed that the labels say 'USPS tracking' on them now?  But is it?