Postage due on ebay purchases???

[novakjr]

I know there was a thread last week about sellers asking for extra shipping charges after an item's been paid for. But I ran into a whole new situation.

I won two small lots on ebay last week, the seller combined shipping at a decent price, and they were delivered today. Only problem was they came with postage due. It was only 84 cents and not really a huge deal, but seriously, WTF???

I won't judge the seller, because sometime fluky things like this just happen. But I'm left wondering how long until sellers try to get away with sh!t like this? Sellers can basically go around ebay, and used the post office to make sure people are stuck paying extra for shipping, while they pocket the rest.. It's small change, but it could add up after a while.

[rainier2004]

David:
The same thing started happening to me...it was small purchases and they had delivery confirmation. According to my post master when delivery confirmation is put on the package it must be a certain thickness or they charge extra...my pachages were coming in an 1/8" to THIN causing the charge. I was not pleased by package 4 and i later found out we had a new post master that was ANAL about the rules. I asked to speak to her boss and havent had a problem since. Its the Del confirmation that was causing the issue though.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

David:
The same thing started happening to me...it was small purchases and they had delivery confirmation. According to my post master when delivery confirmation is put on the package it must be a certain thickness or they charge extra...my pachages were coming in an 1/8" to THIN causing the charge. I was not pleased by package 4 and i later found out we had a new post master that was ANAL about the rules. I asked to speak to her boss and havent had a problem since. Its the Del confirmation that was causing the issue though.

Thank You for clearing this up for me. I sent the seller another message, to nevermind my first message pointing out that this happened. I honestly hope he doesn't think I was accusing him of anything.

[39special]

Originally Posted by rainier2004

David:
The same thing started happening to me...it was small purchases and they had delivery confirmation. According to my post master when delivery confirmation is put on the package it must be a certain thickness or they charge extra...my pachages were coming in an 1/8" to THIN causing the charge. I was not pleased by package 4 and i later found out we had a new post master that was ANAL about the rules. I asked to speak to her boss and havent had a problem since. Its the Del confirmation that was causing the issue though.

The exact same thing happened to me about 2 years ago.Had 3 packages in a row came postage due.Our new post master showed me how the packages had to be certian thickness.From then on,if I won an auction on ebay I would let the seller know to make sure the package was thickness.

[vintagechris]

One other problem could be that it seems every postal clerk interprets the rules and charges for shipping packages in a different way. Would it be too much trouble to get a simpler way to determine the cost of shipping a package?

[deebro041]

Maybe they could say something like: Hey our plane was going to fly to that city anyways, so here`s a flat fee.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by vintagechris

One other problem could be that it seems every postal clerk interprets the rules and charges for shipping packages in a different way. Would it be too much trouble to get a simpler way to determine the cost of shipping a package?

This.

If it's shipped 1st Class Parcel instead of 1st Class Letter, it shouldn't matter the thickness. As long as it has a rigid insert.

I had an issue a couple years ago on a package sent to Philadelphia. The package got pulled and the customer was sent a postage due for a Priority Mail upgrade.

Absolutely ridiculous. A clerk at my local PO looked up the rule for me and found a page about 50 deep into the handbook. It's an either/or certain thickness or rigid package.
The motive is to keep customers from getting free tracking online for tiny letters.............however, if you're paying the Parcel Price instead of Letter Price.......you are already paying extra to cover the confirmation charges.

These Postage Due notices are almost always a case of overzealous, un-knowledgeable postmasters and clerks.

I immediately refunded the entire shipping charge, when it was mentioned to me that one time, because it was a hassle for the customer, and certainly wasn't their fault either.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

This.

If it's shipped 1st Class Parcel instead of 1st Class Letter, it shouldn't matter the thickness. As long as it has a rigid insert.

I had an issue a couple years ago on a package sent to Philadelphia. The package got pulled and the customer was sent a postage due for a Priority Mail upgrade.

Absolutely ridiculous. A clerk at my local PO looked up the rule for me and found a page about 50 deep into the handbook. It's an either/or certain thickness or rigid package.
The motive is to keep customers from getting free tracking online for tiny letters.............however, if you're paying the Parcel Price instead of Letter Price.......you are already paying extra to cover the confirmation charges.

These Postage Due notices are almost always a case of overzealous, un-knowledgeable postmasters and clerks.

I immediately refunded the entire shipping charge, when it was mentioned to me that one time, because it was a hassle for the customer, and certainly wasn't their fault either.

Nope, for DC on first class the item must be 3/4" thick. Parcel applies to inflexible OR 1/4" and over. But for DC the parcel still needs to be 3/4" or more. I had a big discussion with my postmaster about it and even talked to customer service in Providence, RI. when I had a package returned to me for the postage due. I used Paypal click and ship which makes no mention of the required size.
Funniest part was that they wrote it up wrong, which caused the whole problem in the first palce (As postage due for a required priority upgrade- claiming DC couldn't go on any first class mail!) And to top it off the postage due ammount was for the prior years rate which had been changed over 6 months before.

I did get a neat item for my stamp collection, but had to repack the item in a thicker package.

I still don't get the requirement. The packages I sent out after that with excess bubble wrap or for cards just a single styro peanut in the bubble envelope havegot to be harder to handle than the stiff flats I sent before that.

Steve B