OT: USPS Breaking My Chops

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Here's a new one for you.

I mail out about 50 packages a week, most of them weighing 2 - 6 ounces.

I put together a package last week that weighed exactly 6 ounces. I printed out the eBay Postage label and taped it to my package. Yesterday, the package was returned to me along with another one. There was a sticker on it that that says I need to add more postage because the package is over 6 ounces.

I know that the package weighed 6 ounces but I didn't realize that it now weighs 6.2 ounces after I placed the label on it. The label weighs .2 ounces.
So, what is someone suppose to do? Add .2 ounces onto each calculated weight to account for the label? That was first.

It cost me an additional 18 cents. Had to drive 5 miles to PO and stand on line fro 15 minutes.

The second package had the same issue except this package originally weighed 2 ounces and now it weighs 2.2 ounces. If you print out eBay shipping labels, you will notice that the price is the same for 2 and 3 ounces. So, why did they send this back? I asked the woman who worked at the PO and she didn't have an answer. There was no extra charge for the second package.

You wonder why we all love the USPS.

My mailman is pretty cool. Twice last year I got this exact same scenario: returned with a sticker on it for more postage. Both times, right in front of me, he said "that's crap" and pulled the sticker off, stuck it in his truck, and mailed it again for me. Both times the package got where it needed to go. He said sometimes someone gets on a power trip and starts rejecting everything.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

My mailman is pretty cool.

My mailman rocks! He's called/texted me when sig required packages arrive and he knows I'm in town, so I can walk home to sign.. If he sees me on the street elsewhere on his route he'll pull over to hand deliver insured packages. Last week while I was in Chicago he texted to tell me that our keys were in the door (wife left them there on way to work) and that he hid them under the doormat... We've even played football in the street. Love the guy! And it's not just me.. He knows everyone on my street.

USPS, in spite of its flaws, is far and above my first choice over any other courier (especially FedEx & DHL- hate them both)

That said, OP's issue sounds annoying.

[pbspelly]

What really annoys me about the postal service is the way it tries to discourage and even hide the less expensive methods for mailing items. Go into a post office and look at all the signs and informational brochures listing your mailing options and try to find one mention of parcel post or media mail. There's nothing there. There is also no mention of International Airmail M-bags, which are often cheaper for sending printed material overseas. You also can't get parcel post or media mail postage on the Internet. For parcel post, it's difficult to even find out the cost online. They try to make it extremely difficult to use anything other than Priority Mail, which is usually the most expensive way to go.