What's the deal with postage due?

[smapdi]

Last year there was a spate of postage-due shipments, but for like 23 cents or 45 cents or whatever. In the past week I've had 2 arrive with $1.05 due on each. In both cases they were #000 bubble mailers with just the card in a top-load, nothing to bulk it up, and a 90-cent APC sticker on them. I suspect people are not being honest with the thickness of the envelope and sending them on the cheap as if they were regular paper envelopes. The first card was free shipping, and still came out to a good deal, so I wasn't too miffed. But this one I got today I paid $3 shipping for, or make that $4.05. Still an OK price for the card altogether, I guess, but...grrr.

 

[Pine Tar]

welcome to the world of cheap sellers.....and now that eBay takes a cut of the shipping this will go on more and more......So they shippers would send it out with 2 stamps on it but you will be left holding the bag for sure.......

 

[Slette]

I had it happen a couple of times when I would use the automated postage center at the post office. I think you're supposed to mail it as a package, instead of a large envelope, or vice versa. However it was supposed to work, I had a couple peoples' packages show up postage due because of that.

 

[timfsu2k]

Did you send the seller a message? Surely any seller worth his or her salt would make it right.

 

[saferseas]

In reality, a #000 envelope with 1 thin toploader should only cost 90 cents to ship. The reason people put a packing peanut or wadded-up paper in these envelopes is so minimum thickness is reached to be eligible for DC on a First Class package. In other words, if you DON'T stuff something in there, it is not thick enough to be a package with DC. The problem is, some postal workers don't know the rules for their own job.

 

[nyc3]

and now that eBay takes a cut of the shipping this will go on more and more......So they shippers would send it out with 2 stamps on it but you will be left holding the bag for sure.......

You can thank the sellers who seemed to think their time is worth so much they will add fees to the shipping even if against the rules. So ebay said hey why not take a bite from this once attention was drawn to it.

Dont forget its your fault that they cant buy a printer with shipping labels and hand it to the postman, so they have to drive it millions of miles to the post office uphill on ice... Or at least thats the story they like to tell to justify why they feel the need to make money off shipping.

 

[jaydub]

You absolutely should contact the seller to reimburse you for postage due. It's not your responsibility to make sure delivery is made it is the sellers as you've already paid the stated shipping cost. You should be able to send a pic of the mailer with the postage due written on it and your receipt for paying.

 

[hoopster3977]

If sellers are shipping items in bubble envelopes, to get the $1.64 (small package, first class mail) price that includes free delivery confirmation, the package has to be a minimum of 3/4" thickness. If the package does not meet this requirement, it doesn't qualify for this rate up to 3 oz. Therefore, that's the reason for postage due.

 

[CollectorsCorner]

In reality, a #000 envelope with 1 thin toploader should only cost 90 cents to ship. The reason people put a packing peanut or wadded-up paper in these envelopes is so minimum thickness is reached to be eligible for DC on a First Class package. In other words, if you DON'T stuff something in there, it is not thick enough to be a package with DC. The problem is, some postal workers don't know the rules for their own job.

Just like people that ship items don't know the rules themselves. YOU DO NOT NEED IT TO BE 3/4 inch THICK

 

[CollectorsCorner]

If sellers are shipping items in bubble envelopes, to get the $1.64 (small package, first class mail) price that includes free delivery confirmation, the package has to be a minimum of 3/4" thickness. If the package does not meet this requirement, it doesn't qualify for this rate up to 3 oz. Therefore, that's the reason for postage due.

WRONG

 

[Casebusters]

Last year there was a spate of postage-due shipments, but for like 23 cents or 45 cents or whatever. In the past week I've had 2 arrive with $1.05 due on each. In both cases they were #000 bubble mailers with just the card in a top-load, nothing to bulk it up, and a 90-cent APC sticker on them. I suspect people are not being honest with the thickness of the envelope and sending them on the cheap as if they were regular paper envelopes. The first card was free shipping, and still came out to a good deal, so I wasn't too miffed. But this one I got today I paid $3 shipping for, or make that $4.05. Still an OK price for the card altogether, I guess, but...grrr.

Was there DC on the envelope?

 

[smapdi]

It's just a straight-up 90-cent stamp, no DC or anything. But it's just weird that I had 4 or 5 in a few weeks last year, then everything's fine, then 2 in a week now. We're geared to spot patterns even if there really isn't one, so of course there must be something going on. I was just wondering if they had changed the rules or something.

 

[Buynhisellnlow]

WRONG

Instead of just saying "WRONG" to people, please explain further why you feel that statement is incorrect.

 

[CollectorsCorner]

Instead of just saying "WRONG" to people, please explain further why you feel that statement is incorrect.

I did on the post above the wrong, it does not need to be 3/4 inch thick. All it needs is to be semi rigid to qualify as a package and be eligible for DC

 

[Casebusters]

I did on the post above the wrong, it does not need to be 3/4 inch thick. All it needs is to be semi rigid to qualify as a package and be eligible for DC

what do you mean by semi rigid ?

 

[saferseas]

Just like people that ship items don't know the rules themselves. YOU DO NOT NEED IT TO BE 3/4 inch THICK

Correct. I never said it needed to be 3/4 inch thick. It only has to be somewhat rigid to qualify, but I always put in a packing peanut or two to make it more than 1/4 inch variation in thickness ( just to meet two different criteria, to be safe). I've had postage due because a postal employee didn't bother to check if there was a rigid object inside.

 

[hoopster3977]

Check the facts, the envelope has to be 3/4". The post office has templates for these packages.

 

[hoopster3977]

WRONG

Proof??

 

[hoopster3977]

what do you mean by semi rigid ?

Well Mr Wizzard, what is the correct packaging?

 

[hoopster3977]

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/mailing-domestic.htm

Requirements seem to change every quarter though.