Being ripped off by the USPS

[joliefran]

I have been receiving notifications from eBay that I have been undercharging for shipping labels for months, and I have been ignoring them, figuring the postal service was probably right.  But recently, I received a couple that stated that I weighed at 5 ounces, the actual weight is 8 ounces and we are taking $2.13 from your credit card account....and I knew for a fact that I had weighed them both at 15 ounces and therefore, knew they were wrong.  When I started going back in time, what I found was a whole long history of incorrect seizure of funds from me by the USPS.  I have submitted disputes to VerifyPostageHelp & they refuse to take them seriously, just turn them down.  I've talked to them on the phone.  I have copied and pasted the information from my labels into emails, and Washington D.C. will not even consider the notion that I could possibly be correct.  The people on the Mail Requirements Desk are trying to help but are also getting rude emails from WA, DC.  My question is:  are any other sellers experiencing this and if so, would you like to join my Small Claims Court suit against USPS?  Thanks!

[joliefran]

This has been happening to me for months, maybe longer.  The email originates from eBay, who of course refuses to get involved on any level.  I just wondered if anyone else had noticed this phenomena.

Commie-slave Democrats?  Is that a nickname for people who live on the coasts and have more education than you do?

[yng1998]

The incorrect postage problem happened to me within the last couple of years and other people as well. Can't quite remember.  There was a problem with the system.  I believe it was corrected within a month or two.   I would research what weight you entered and and what you were charged on the packages in question.  Your should go to Ebay with this.  It is their system after all.  They are the ones that allow the USPS to charge your card.  You never gave the USPS postal system your card.  Ebay or managed payments gave them access.  It isn't direct or Ebay would not be able to charge you transaction fees.  You pay Ebay, they pay the postal system.

You should also double check that you used boxes that correspond to your shipment choice.  I also noticed when I get ready to print a label, items such as weight or first class are prefilled.  Sometimes when I change the weight and then change the date of shipment,  the old prefilled weight replaces what I just changed.  I have missed this and been charged for the prefilled weight -- so my postage is incorrect.  This may be your problem   

[a_c_green]

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@joliefran wrote:

I have been receiving notifications from eBay that I have been undercharging for shipping labels for months, and I have been ignoring them, figuring the postal service was probably right.  But recently, I received a couple that stated that I weighed at 5 ounces, the actual weight is 8 ounces and we are taking $2.13 from your credit card account....and I knew for a fact that I had weighed them both at 15 ounces and therefore, knew they were wrong.

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You lost me with those numbers above. First Class Package rates are the same from 4.1 to 8.0 ounces (they go in 4-ounce increments), and thus a "weighed" 5 ounces vs. an "actual" 8 ounces makes no cost difference at all. You then say that you "weighed them both" (together?) at 15 ounces, which would suggest that each was around 7.5 ounces if both items were similar. Thus I don't see how you got your individual weights at 5 ounces each.

You might want to verify that your scale is accurate. Weigh a few different packages, then seek out the Self-Serve Kiosk at your post office and weigh them there; see if you get the same results. If your scale is several ounces off, especially on the light side, it's not of much use.

[redmodelt]

re verifying the scales, I was thinking the same thing.

[lepke1979]

Your explanation seems off with the 5, 8, and 15 ounces.

I buy my labels elsewhere. Only issue I've had was using Regional A boxes that I resized for cubic shipping. Won all those appeals.

As suggested, check your scale. I would go to a post office or UPS store and ask if they can see if it matches with what your scale at home says it is.

Also, just to be sure. You're weighing the entire package. Not just what's going into the package?

And lastly, you aren't trying to send everything media mail when it should be First Class Package or Priority. Correct?

[joliefran]

I called eBay first.  They could not help, told me to call USPS.

[joliefran]

I DIDN"T get weights at 5 ounces.  That is what USPS is stating that I claimed as actual weight.  They are saying actual weight was 8 ounces, when actually, my weight and my payment to them represented 15 ounces!

[joliefran]

Seriously?  I've been selling on eBay going on 20 years.  How dumb do you think I am?!

[yng1998]

I guess I would print off  proof of your most recent discrepancies and go to your local post office and see if they can help you there rather than using email or the website.  They should recognize you as a frequent  customer and want to help.

[chapabargain]

I use Pirate Ship and they fight those claims for me. I never lost a claim with them.

@joliefran 

[joliefran]

My local postmaster has English as a distant second language.  I don't think I would be able to make her understand.

[joliefran]

Interesting!  How do their discounts compare to the eBay discounts?

[luckythewinner]

My question is:  are any other sellers experiencing this and if so, would you like to join my Small Claims Court suit against USPS? 

a) That  has never happened to me in 20 years of using USPS (well over 10,000 packages). 

b) Others cannot join your small claims court case. They need to file their own in their own jurisdiction. 

[luckythewinner]

I called eBay first. They could not help, told me to call USPS.

Which is correct. eBay did not accept your package, weight your package, or reject it. The USPS did. 

My local postmaster has English as a distant second language. I don't think I would be able to make her understand.

When your case comes up before the small claims court, the judge is going to ask whether you spoke to the postmaster or contacted the USPS to try to resolve the problem. When you say "no, because I did not think it would help", he will throw out your case. 

And if the USPS has an attorney, he will have a printout of this thread and your comments about the postmaster.