Postage Due

[Jaybeez]

Just back from yet another 1/2 hour visit to the local post office to pickup a package from a B&B purchase that came with postage due.

I've never had this occur with purchases from other forums, and frankly am perplexed that the post office at the sender's end would even ship a package without proper postage.

In one case, I even included my standard +$3.00 payment over and above the agreed to price to handle the PayPal charges. The extra $ was returned to my PayPal account by the seller, but then I had to pay for postage when the item got to my post office.

Not sure how common this is, but personally if the "$X including shipping to Conus" doesn't cover the seller's fees, they should just add them on and not make me stand in line for 1/2 hour on a Saturday morning.

Rant over ... I feel better now.

 

[Mick]

I've only sent one thing that arrived with postage due. Envelope with blades in it that was "too thick" at the receiving post office but just right at the sending one. Why doesn't the post office read Goldie Locks so everyone knows what is going on?

 

[TheRealScubaSteve]

This seems to be standard practice for the USPS if some postage is on the package. If they returned to sender, I think they'd have to re-purchase postage since the postage has been cancelled.

 

[njpaddy]

Doesn't happen often, but my mailman delivers postage-due packages anyway and I put the money in the mailbox for the next day. Just one reason he gets a really good tip at Christmas. I can't remember that happening with packages I bought from B&B members and I usually send it Priority Mail if I'm selling something. Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon as I sent some "free" blades in an envelope to another member. Hope he doesn't get dinged.

 

[Mick]

Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon as I sent some "free" blades in an envelope to another member. Hope he doesn't get dinged.

I sent 8 envelops of blades out. 7 made it fine no problem. One was postage due. Never could figure that one out.

I guess you just have to fall back to the Post Office Mantra

"We don't care. We don't have to. We are the Post Office"

 

[Highspeedlane]

I don't get it either. If the sending postal branch meters it and puts it in the stream, it should be good all the way to the end destination. Just more typical USPS incompetence is my only speculation.

 

[AngryGreek]

It happened to me once. The post office stated that the sender packed items in a flat priority box and then wrapped it in brown paper.

 

[Shiloh]

Doesn't happen often, but my mailman delivers postage-due packages anyway and I put the money in the mailbox for the next day. Just one reason he gets a really good tip at Christmas. I can't remember that happening with packages I bought from B&B members and I usually send it Priority Mail if I'm selling something. Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon as I sent some "free" blades in an envelope to another member. Hope he doesn't get dinged.

In New Jersey?

 

[imatabor]

If I sent something out and it arrived postage due I would want to know so I could make no it right. Did you contact the sellers?

 

[Jaybeez]

I contacted the seller on the first instance and got the "it was fine at my end" answer. To be fair, he did offer to make it right, which I appreciated, but refused.

I really don't care that much about a few dollars postage, but would rather pay it via PayPal than after standing in a post office line for a half hour.

 

[sub vet]

Neither,rain nor snow nor common sense will deter the USPS from their appointed rounds.

 

[Artimid]

I actually haven't ever run across this. I'll try to avoid the self-service machine next time though. This is something I hadn't considered as happening in this day and age. Wonder if it might also be when printing the label from Paypal or Stamps or something?

 

[BSAGuy]

I agree with this.

If I sent something out and it arrived postage due I would want to know so I could make no it right. Did you contact the sellers?

 

[jovan]

Sorry to hear this. I use to have a problem with a post office in Granite Bay CA. I would stand in line to mail a package, the woman would weigh it, tell me the postage then when I left the window stamp it "postage due". It would be returned to me. Then I would go to a different post office and they would wonder how postage was due because I was "over charged" but the postage was cancelled by the postage due stamp. This was over $6.00 each time (okay I was dumb and went there twice before I learned my lesson). Later I found out the mail clerk was prejudice and did this to customers with a certain last name. The Post Master said I should just avoid where she works and poof the problem will not exist. He was right. So I am out $12.00 in postage plus time while she keeps her job.
So maybe you need to see if this woman was transferred to your Post Office in Chino Hills! Good luck.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I'm used to using USPS's priority mail small boxes for a fixed rate. I've found the rate to be reasonable, especially when accounting for quick shipping.

 

[ackvil]

My wife received a package in the mail which contained a cosmetic product. The package arrived by first class mail. When she opened the package she found she was sent the wrong product so she put it in the identical box and put a new address label on it. I brought it back to the post office and the person behind the counter said it was too large and heavy (12 ounces) for first class mail and that it would have to go out by Priority Mail. I told her it arrived by first class mail. She insisted and I asked to speak to her supervisor who agreed it could go out by first class mail.

 

[Eeyore]

Sounds even worse than our postal service ... which is an accomplishment!

I would also assume that, once an item is weighted and stamped, the amount is fixed.

 

[Doc4]

Sounds like this problem ...

This seems to be happening with the auto machines at the post office...

It weighs the box, you put in where it's going and then pay the postage..

Then at some point the "system" between there and where it's going decides it needs more postage..

... and two gentlemen ...

I contacted the seller on the first instance and got the "it was fine at my end" answer. To be fair, he did offer to make it right, which I appreciated, but refused.

... reacted appropriately.

Shoddy work by the post office, to decide that no, they actually want some more postage halfway through. (If I order the $27.99 steak dinner and when the bill comes they decided to charge me $29.99 because the chef decided that my steak looked a bit big or something, that'd never fly.)

 

[crleftwich]

When I was in the Army and stationed in Germany, I received a letter or package one day that had postage due. It wasn't much...I think it was only a few cents - no more than a quarter, I believe. So, I took my package to the counter and tried to hand them the postage due amount. The person there gave me a weird look and told me to keep it and just walked away. Oh well.