Phony USPS up charges. Fraud Alert

[jaker40]

I'm a Seller on eBay and received an email from eBay, (on their site), indicating that an additional charge for USPS postage was due on a recently mailed item. eBay automatically charged my PayPal account for the amount of $3.12. The problem is that the reason given for the charge was that I had placed a USPS Media Mail label on a USPS Priority Flat Rate envelope, (which costs more). The fact is that I had wrapped the item in packing cardboard and have the photos to prove it. I contacted the Buyer and sent him a photo of the package before I sent it, and he confirmed that it arrived in the same package. Not in a USPS Priority envelope. I contacted eBay and was told to talk to the USPS. I took my information to the post office and spoke to the manager. He declared the charge a scam. USPS would have either requested extra postage payment from the Buyer, or sent the package back to me. The manager said he had never seen anything like the eBay messages I was showing him. I was at a UPS store later that day, and asked about a similar earlier incident when I had received another eBay up charge claiming that the package I had left was 1 inch longer on one side than I had stated before printing out the label. I asked at the UPS store if that was how things were handled, and received baffled stares.

[robbie31415]

It happens,

The email from eBay should have given you information for disputing the charge.

What most likely happened is that your package got scanned by the APV system with a priority envelope on top of it.

When you enter your dispute that should be able to check the pictures to see that this happened and credit you back.

You can call it a scam, but it's all automated and with all automation errors do happen.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@jaker40 wrote: .... I took my information to the post office and spoke to the manager. He declared the charge a scam. USPS would have either requested extra postage payment from the Buyer, or sent the package back to me. The manager said he had never seen anything like the eBay messages I was showing him. ...

---

Sometimes the staff at Post Offices are not up-to-date on USPS services and policies that relate to online postage labels.  The Automated Package Verification system has been in place since 2017.  It uses special machines at sorting centers to detect underpaid or over paid postage, and the postage due, or credit, is applied directly to the sender's online account.  

https://link.usps.com/2017/10/05/what-is-apv/

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/ebay-shipping-partners/avoid-extra-postage-costs....

The APV system is not perfect.  Sometimes two packages end up stuck  together, which results in errors in determining appropriate postage. There is an appeal process which of course is conducted online not at your local PO.

[12345jamesstamps]

Can one use a USPS Priority Envelope for media mail? I thought a USPS Priority Envelope has a certain price to use it...because it saids "Priority" vs. "Media Mail".

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@12345jamesstamps wrote:

Can one use a USPS Priority Envelope for media mail? ...

---

No, of course not. But the OP didn't use a Priority envelope.

[wastingtime101]

Hi @jaker40 . The person at your post office has no idea what they're talking about.

APV charges happen all the time. It's a pain in the ass, but it's easy to appeal when the charges are posted in error. Send USPS an email verifypostagehelp@usps.gov with the following details:

In order for USPS to investigate your dispute they must have the following information:

• Full Name
• Phone Number with area code
• Email
• 10 digit Revenue Assurance ID or USPS Adjustment ID of each record to be reviewed
• IMpb or tracking number starting with 94 or 420

I generally describe the problem, as well. Shipped 8 oz t-shirt in plain white polymailer with eBay logo, was up charged based on Priority Flat Rate Envelope packaging which was not used.

Educated guess: packages sometimes get stuck together or are too close together when going through the sorting machinery so the scans are reading a different package. When you file an appeal, USPS will look at the actual photos taken during sorting and they will see the package and grant the refund.

USPS sends the refund to your original source of payment (credit card, bank, paypal, etc).

https://www.ebay.com/ship/lmng

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Automated-Package-Verification-Program

[wastingtime101]

---

@jaker40 wrote:

I was at a UPS store later that day, and asked about a similar earlier incident when I had received another eBay up charge claiming that the package I had left was 1 inch longer on one side than I had stated before printing out the label. I asked at the UPS store if that was how things were handled, and received baffled stares.

---

Cost adjustments happen with every package carrier. UPS appeals are handled differently than USPS appeals.

UPS labels are purchased using eBay's UPS account, so the only way to appeal is to contact eBay customer service and ask them to submit the appeal.

When you measure packages, make sure you are measuring outer dimensions. If you use inner dimensions you can see adjustments based on the "1 inch difference" you mentioned.

That said, it's not uncommon for UPS and FedEx to apply erroneous cost adjustments in small amounts figuring sellers won't bother to appeal for a small $ value.

[buyselljack2016]

What is most shocking about this is the response garnered at your post office. Just way too many clueless people working for USPS.

If the deliver office noted such an error their 1st step is to check the system to see if a "chargeback" had been done to the sender. Postage due would only be requested from the buyer if the "chargeback" had not been done.

Send the package back to the sender is also (supposed to be) pretty much a thing of the past. The APV is there to catch such things.

Although an apparent error, the system (APV) worked as designed. 

[12345jamesstamps]

"I had placed....on a USPS Priority Flat Rate Envelope"...the words in the posting...Am I wrong?

[wastingtime101]

---

@12345jamesstamps wrote:

"I had placed....on a USPS Priority Flat Rate Envelope"...the words in the posting...Am I wrong?

---

You are misreading the original post.

The problem is that the reason given for the charge was that I had placed a USPS Media Mail label on a USPS Priority Flat Rate envelope, (which costs more).

The fact is that I had wrapped the item in packing cardboard and have the photos to prove it. I contacted the Buyer and sent him a photo of the package before I sent it, and he confirmed that it arrived in the same package. Not in a USPS Priority envelope.

USPS is claiming the seller used a flat rate envelope. The seller did not use a flat rate envelope.

This kind of error with USPS cost adjustments happens all the time, as mentioned in my above post.

[12345jamesstamps]

Maybe if we "have the photos to prove it"...we might understand what went wrong...maybe use cardboard from a USPS Priority Envelope or something like that.

[albertabrightalberta]

---

@jaker40 wrote:

I'm a Seller on eBay and received an email from eBay, (on their site), indicating that an additional charge for USPS postage was due on a recently mailed item. eBay automatically charged my PayPal account for the amount of $3.12. The problem is that the reason given for the charge was that I had placed a USPS Media Mail label on a USPS Priority Flat Rate envelope, (which costs more). The fact is that I had wrapped the item in packing cardboard and have the photos to prove it. 

---

@jaker40 

Did you happen to wrap the item inside a PRFE then put the whole shebang into another (non-priority) envelope when you shipped? Was the "cardboard" you used a priority shipping envelope? 

USPS has the authority to open and inspect Media Mail and if they opened it and found a priority shipping envelope inside, they do have the right to backcharge you. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote: ... USPS has the authority to open and inspect Media Mail and if they opened it and found a priority shipping envelope inside, they do have the right to backcharge you. 

---

But abuse of MM is caught by actual humans (usually at the local PO at the sender's or recipient's end) and thus is not an APV issue. Ineligible items sent via MM are among the very few situations where items are still delivered with Postage Due (or Returned to Sender if the misuse is caught close to the sender's location).

[chowpit36iw]

I received an upcharge recently from UPS stating the dimension on one side was 1" larger than indicated on the label. I used the dimensions on the box so I really couldn't dispute it. It was the first and only time that has happened so I let it roll.

[pjcdn2005]

The dimensions on the box are inside dimensions, not outside.  You need to measure the box once it is packed up as the measurements may vary slightly.