USPS Charged Me $50 HAZMAT Wrongfully
I have been selling video games, controllers and systems for years here and just got an after delivery HAZMAT charge of $50 from USPS for a Konami dance mat controller for a PlayStation 2 system. The controller is wired and does not contain batteries. Does anyone have an idea about this? I filed a dispute form with USPS and talked with the local post office, which said I should call some 800 number that got me nowhere, and now it’s been over 2 weeks and we have not heard anything.
14 comments
redlinear
·3 weeks ago@oldschoolvideo4all
Did you used a used box to ship it in?
oldschoolvideo4all
OP3 weeks agoI always use, used boxes. And, it had no hazmat indicators on it . Just got off the phone with USPS - a real person. They have no record of that shipment being charged or flagged with any HAZMAT fee and said it all is on ebay somehow - not worth my time any longer, moving forward as either ebay or the post office is full of it. Also mysteriously a $50 credit just appeared in my account from ebay - hmmm.
redlinear
·2 weeks ago@oldschoolvideo4all
The credit's a good thing!
We have let boxes sneak out of here with hazardous decal on them and been charged for it.
We've let boxes sneak out of here with an old label on the underside....and that's where they got delivered..UGH
christworks
·3 weeks ago@oldschoolvideo4all Email verifypostagehelp@usps.gov with the details. Explain you bought the postage through eBay. If they cannot help you, they should be able to direct you to who can.
If the box had any markings on it at all that indicated there was a Hazmat item it would explain why you were charged. Boxes need to be clear of any old labels or markings.
grann-4629
·3 weeks ago · EditedI believe the problem you are having is probably more widespread than just eBay. The definition of hazardous 'material' has been discussed many times by safety experts ... and there is the usual disagreements between the experts.
Do you have to pay for these labels? If not, just paste them on every package that might contain something hazardous and especially those home smoke alarms that contain a radioactive element.
btw, those little packets of silica sand used as a desiccant to absorb moisture may also be considered hazardous by some authorities.
tobaccocardyahoo
·3 weeks agoIf you put the hazmat label on the package, you must pay the hazmat surcharge and obey all related rules or you get the penalty.
Seller suicide to use the labels if not hazmat, and to not use the labels if it is hazmat.
No work-arounds, accurately follow the rules.
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoUnfortunately @tobaccocardyahoo you are absolutely correct. Does eBay have a published Standard that lists all hazardous materials that require the label, or are sellers supposed to become experts in making the decision?
mam98031
·3 weeks agoHere is some info Ebay supplies.
https://pages.ebay.com/hazmat-classifications/
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/hazardous-materials-policy?id=4335
https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/preparing-your-shipment/know-what-qualifies-as-hazmat
oldschoolvideo4all
OP3 weeks agoAs I stated in the original post, this is no way was a hazmat item
mam98031
·3 weeks agoRepeating that to us will not help you any. You have to take this up with USPS as others have suggested and even supplied you with links. We can't fix this for you, nor can Ebay. You have to take this up with USPS, they are the ones that have your money.
oldschoolvideo4all
OP3 weeks agoCome to find out after speaking with a USPS agent - yes I actually got through - is that USPS has no record of that shipment in question ever being flagged for HAZMAT and no record of them ever notifying eBay of such. My account now mysteriously shows a debit on 9/13 for $50 and a credit for $50 on 9/14. Seems to me eBay has totally lost their minds. Probably some robot AI going off the rails and is probably just the beginning of more errors on eBay’s part. Watch you accounts carefully folks - Oh and repeating a statement to people that can’t read correctly is necessary.
fern*wood
·3 weeks agoThat's not how I understood the new rules. This is what I read: The U.S. Postal Service charges a $50 fee for commercial packages that have improper or missing hazardous materials (hazmat) labels.
Just using the hazmat label doesn't cause the fee to be charged.
fern*wood
·3 weeks agoI've used the label several times with no fee being charged.