Something that has been bothering me alot lately...

So I am noticing a disturbing trend lately with my ebay purchases. Several times a month over the last bit I have received the dreaded notice from the post office that I have a package with postage due. It is such a pain in the butt because then I have take time to drive to the post office and pay the difference. Often between $0.50 and $1. This is in addition to the $3-$4 I have already paid the seller for shipping. It is terribly inconvenient.

I do not understand how sellers screw this up. Shoudn't they automatically put the right amount of postage on a package by taking it to the post office? I am thinking about leaving negatives for the guilty seller. What do you guys think? Are you experiencing the same thing?

Thanks for listening to my rant.

That sucks man I would leave a negative.

I also hate then when you buy soemthing and you take the time to leave a good feedback for the seller, they in turn leave feedback plugging their stupid store. I won't rebuy from people like that, that is just discourteous to me.

Sellers are not using the shipping guidelines correctly. You can not just place a card in a bubble envelope and ship. The package has to be 3/4" thick to qualify for first class, small box/package shipping. This is why shipping peanuts are usually inserted into bubble envelopes to have the correct thickness.

I had two of these in the past few months. Both times I emailed the seller and requested a partial refund to recoup the cost. Both complied and I left a positive.

Sometimes mistakes happen.

Leaving a negative without contacting the seller to rectify it is a **** move, but you're free to do what you want.

I'm of the school to at least give the seller a chance to correct the problem.

I just print the label for 3 ounces....its the same cost as 1 ounce. i also fold up a napkin or paper towel to ensure its a good thickness.

I received an envelope yesterday that was refused by the buyer for postage due. I am still trying to figure out why the post office said postage was due. The peanut inside was not crushed so thickness couldn't be the issue. I entered a weight of 3oz. and the true weight was less than 1oz so it wasn't weight.

Don't be so quick to leave bad DSRs or drop a negative. USPS is good most of the time but it has been known to make an error or two.

Last summer I had a stretch for a month or two with somewhere between 8-12 postage dues.
It was irritating because "my" post office to pick things up isn't the one I go to mail things.
It got to the point that I left a roll of quarters outside for the mailman. When I talked to him about it he said he had no clue what was going on - things looked fine - and later he said it was probably someone new sorting at my post office that had different ideas of guidelines. It stopped eventually and things returned to normal, so if this starts happening on a fairly regular basis it could be a similar situation.

Why there isn't a completely standard way to do things, I have no idea. I'm sure there is, but a lot of post offices seem to do things differently. I had about 20 bubble mailers going out a few months back and went to a post office by work to ship them. Usually on the dc I'd put the last name and zip code of the recipient on it. These guys made me put the full address and everything on all the dc's! What? Why?

Anyways, take it easy with feedback or yelling at the seller. He may be doing things the way he's done them for years, and some schmuck at the po is being a ******.

hoopster3977 said:

Sellers are not using the shipping guidelines correctly. You can not just place a card in a bubble envelope and ship. The package has to be 3/4" thick to qualify for first class, small box/package shipping. This is why shipping peanuts are usually inserted into bubble envelopes to have the correct thickness.

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The package must be 3/4" in order to use Delivery Confirmation. You can mail anything thinner First Class and it wont matter as long as it weights less than 13 oz.

If the package does not meet the thickness and the DC is on there already the postal service is directed to automatically bump the mail service to the next option - Priority, which is the price increase people are notified about. I ship all of my cards in a standard #000 envelope and use DC every time. I have never had a package require additional postage or any complain that they had to pay out additional - I also print postage for 4oz - which if they decided to up the postage, I paid enough to cover any additions. In the end I save myself the possible hassle and feedback issue.

It's likely due to not meeting the thickness requirement or your PO being picky.

It's no wonder it varies from PO to PO, even the USPS Delivery Confirmation FAQ guide contradicts itself:

USPS.com said:

you can print a First-Class Mail® parcel label for packages weighing 13 ounces or less. Delivery Confirmation service with First-Class Mail is limited to parcels only. A parcel is defined as any piece that:

* Has an address side with enough surface area to fit the delivery address, return address, postage, markings and endorsements, and special service label; and
* Is in a box or, if not in a box, is more than 3/4-inch thick at its thickest point.

Non-parcel First-Class Mail items with Delivery Confirmation service are subject to refusal at time of mailing, being returned to sender, or having additional fees charged at the time of mailing or delivery.

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USPS.com said:

First-Class Mail parcels, First-Class Package Service parcels, and Package Services or Parcel Select parcels meeting specific package criteria as follows:

* The surface area must be large enough to contain completely and legibly the delivery/return information, postage, and any applicable markings, endorsements, and extra service forms.
* The parcel must meet the minimum size of an inch at the thickest point.
* The parcel must be prepared in rigid packaging: the contents must be prepared in a strong and rigid fiberboard or similar container or in a container that becomes rigid after the contents are enclosed and the container is secured. The parcel must be able to maintain its shape, integrity, and rigidity throughout processing and handling without collapsing into a letter-size or flat-size piece.

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Thanks for all of the great responses. I will see what item it is (as soon as I can find time to go to the post office when it is open :evil: ) and then let the seller know and see if they will reimburse me for the hassle.

I really wish people here would learn that you don't need to have thick packages ::facepalm:: This argument comes up every time and every time it isn't true.

Sports card fall in the category of a semi rigid package and does not need to be 3/4 thick. Yes sometimes a ****** at the post office tries to stop the package but if you just bring it back up to the counter they will usually just remail it for free.

CollectorsCorner said:

I really wish people here would learn that you don't need to have thick packages ::facepalm:: This argument comes up every time and every time it isn't true.

Sports card fall in the category of a semi rigid package and does not need to be 3/4 thick. Yes sometimes a ****** at the post office tries to stop the package but if you just bring it back up to the counter they will usually just remail it for free.

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doesn't need to be 3/4 thick for what?

Casebusters said:

CollectorsCorner said:

I really wish people here would learn that you don't need to have thick packages ::facepalm:: This argument comes up every time and every time it isn't true.

Sports card fall in the category of a semi rigid package and does not need to be 3/4 thick. Yes sometimes a ****** at the post office tries to stop the package but if you just bring it back up to the counter they will usually just remail it for free.

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doesn't need to be 3/4 thick for what?

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DC

Sometimes it's the post office's fault. I turned a card into them at the post office for them to put postage on it and it was short on postage when it arrived to the other trader.

CollectorsCorner said:

Casebusters said:

CollectorsCorner said:

I really wish people here would learn that you don't need to have thick packages ::facepalm:: This argument comes up every time and every time it isn't true.

Sports card fall in the category of a semi rigid package and does not need to be 3/4 thick. Yes sometimes a ****** at the post office tries to stop the package but if you just bring it back up to the counter they will usually just remail it for free.

Click to expand...

doesn't need to be 3/4 thick for what?

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DC

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Ya some ******* lady tried pulling that **** one me once

Gonzaleznut said:

So I am noticing a disturbing trend lately with my ebay purchases. Several times a month over the last bit I have received the dreaded notice from the post office that I have a package with postage due. It is such a pain in the butt because then I have take time to drive to the post office and pay the difference. Often between $0.50 and $1. This is in addition to the $3-$4 I have already paid the seller for shipping. It is terribly inconvenient.

I do not understand how sellers screw this up. Shoudn't they automatically put the right amount of postage on a package by taking it to the post office? I am thinking about leaving negatives for the guilty seller. What do you guys think? Are you experiencing the same thing?

Thanks for listening to my rant.

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What ticks me off is people like you who dont bother to contact the seller and let him atleast attempt to right the situation. Nope, just slap him with a negative, yeah thats fair. Its just as bad as what he did to you.