Scam or Post Office Problem - It's a Problem Either Way

[midohioimports]

I just got a message from a buyer saying "This item was listed as free shipping and I had to go to the post office and pay $3 something for shipping...........what's up with that?"

Tracking says this: Your item was delivered at the front door or porch at 4:14 pm on May 22, 2017 in PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764

If they held the package, shouldn't it show on the tracking?

If they really did charge her it could be one of two things. First it was a 15 ounce first class  package and I've read about some post offices not wanting to honor that. Also, I'm on commercial plus so maybe they just think I underpaid.

So far I've called 5 times. The first time I was hung up on...the next 4 no answer. This particular post office has very low ratings also. Two stars on Google.

I mentioned the tracking and she said that she noticed that too...I offered to refund if she would send a copy of the receipt. Of course the garbage man JUST came.

[chrysylys]

Last Saturday I had a package show as 'delivered' in tracking but I couldn't get outside to get it right away. It was a couple of hours before I checked and ... no package. No where. Too late to call the PO that day.

Monday morning I went to the PO to try and find out where it was since mail has been misdelivered here before. The carrier was there. Said he delivered it and scanned it. But then a few minutes later he noticed it was starting to rain. He drove back by to see if I had picked it up yet and when he saw the package was still outside (too big for the mailbox) he put it back in his truck planning to redeliver it Monday.

[dhbookds]

That doesn't sound right from the PO........they didn't deliver to the door, yet showed they did.....and did they or did they not charge the extra? 

[plumbingspecials]

I had that a few months ago. When I called the buyer out, she simply said, "Oh, I confused yours with someone else's package". 

Yep. Sure ya did.

[buyselljack2016]

If I have postage due, the carrier brings it out and either attempts to collect the postage from me before delivering, or leaves a postage due notice, but the item would not get scanned delivered unless it was.

My previous carrier would leave the item with a notice/envelope to remit the payment. carrier had already paid.

2-3 years ago carrier brought a large envelope that had sufficent postage, but someone along the way had hit it with the "postage due" stamp for parcel rate. It met all the standards to go at the rate that was paid. Thought about going to the office to educate the Postmaster, but decided that it would in the long run not be in my best interest.

[plumbingspecials]

It's not about the money... it's about the feeling that they've gotten one over on somebody. There really are some people like that, and they find their way to ebay a lot.
"A small discount is better than no discount, and I've gotten one over today."
Because people have nothing else going on in their lives... I suppose.

[sockmonkeydave]

@bigmotormania

Some mail carriers, scan as they load the truck.

I have heard of some PO's refusing prepaid online postage.

My bet is somewhere in the mail stream, a worker slapped postage due on it.

You would think tracking would show available for pickup.

And then be scanned as delivered when she pickes it up.

For 3 bucks, I would just refund, then BBL

[plumbingspecials]

Nope. unlikely.

[plumbingspecials]

It would have gone back to the sender in most cases...never made it to the front porch of the recipient.

[thenobletuckylife]

Afternoon,

Sadly The USPS is one of the least accountable businesses out there. One day they cry because Congress has imposed things on them but the next day they do not do the job they are supposed to do. A real mess that really needs to be straightened out.

Ok for my example.

Couple of years ago we received a package that a seller shipped in a Priority Mail Triangle box but they only paid for Parcel Post. Our Mail Lady brought it to the door looking for $8 plus dollars.

I know this is not your situation...but I do think there is a good chance the local P/O determined that your package was over the 13 ounce limit and upcharged the buyer to cover for the Priority Mail fee they think you tried to circumvent. Once again NOT saying you did this...but the rules at the USPS are very fluid at times.

In our earlier years we took many of our larger parcels right to the P/O in town and paid at the counter or at least scanned them in there. During that time we had many packages returned to us for insufficient postage...the problem was that it was the Post Office that weighed them...charged us AND affixed the USPS Ticker Tape Postage (the one that prints from their machine with their name and the postage printed in red) on it, yet somewhere in lala land some pizzed off postal worker there decided it wasn't correct and charged our customers more (held at ransom) in order to receive their package.

So I think it is really possible.

Also one day someone drove up to our house and said they found 2 boxes out in the road with our name on it about a mile from here so they were nice to come and find us and deliver them.

Funny thing was the mail lady had delivered only 1 of 3 boxes I was expecting only about 15 minutes before and I actually met her at the door and inquired where the others were. She point blank told me that she only knew of the 1...not 3.

Interesting thing was after she left I called the post office to inquire about the other 2 that were supposed to be out for delivery when the "Good Samaritan" showed up with the two boxes she found on the road.

Well at first the Post Office confirmed that the packages were all put on the Mail Ladies truck and that they would call her. They called back and said the delivery person thinks they were stolen out of her truck. Problem was I then let the Post Office worker know about the 2 packages found out it the road that someone found and brought to us...the next week the truth came out.

Delivery Lady had set 2 out of the way onto her truck bed cover while delivering somewhere else and admitted later she drove away loosing them. Her explanation about only delivering the one and pretended she didn't know about the other 2...she hoped we wouldn't miss them or file an insurance claim.

Mr C

[midohioimports]

@dhbookds

This is the tracking #  9400109699938462572711

When I called, the fellow I spoke to was actually quite helpful. He specifically said that she didn't leave it because there was no secure location. He said nothing about postage due. That's all coming from the buyer. He told me to try to find out what day & time they picked it up and for a physical description of the clerk. 

I swear I'm not making this up. 

He said they could try to recreate the receipt. When he mentioned that id didn't seem like enough postage for 15 ounces, I explained the commercial plus thing and got an, "Ooooooohhh.... I guess that makes sense."  But his comment makes me think they charged counter rates when it got picked up, IF that's what happened. So far I have zero evidence that there was a postage due situation.

I want to believe the buyer, but I also don't want to think that postal workers are eyeballing packages to second guess the rates (as long as the weight matches what's on the package). Makes me think I shouldn't leave what I paid on the label, but then some people think you're trying to be sneaky. I remember one recently who said her seller used "stealth postage" and was trying to make sure she didn't pay a penny over what the seller paid.

[bigmotormania]

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@midohioimports wrote:

Makes me think I shouldn't leave what I paid on the label, but then some people think you're trying to be sneaky. I remember one recently who said her seller used "stealth postage" and was trying to make sure she didn't pay a penny over what the seller paid.

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I always undercharge for shipping. But I also use Click N Ship so it doesn't even give the option to not put postage paid on the package. 

If I ever do find the option I will certainly use it, but people are more than welcome to see how much of their shipping I actually covered, lol.

If they did put a postage due stamp on it when postage was NOT in fact due, then they need to correct it.

[midohioimports]

@thenobletuckylife

Hey Mr. C

I absolutely circumvented the priority rate. By printing my label online so I could go up to 15.9 ounces. I'm pretty shady like that 

[thenobletuckylife]

Hi Midohio,

I think you hit it on the head there...not showing what you paid on the receipt especially for 1st Class Mail is much better.

Seldom do we show it anymore because it seems the post office folks many times have no idea about it. Of course a Priority Mail Package (Depending which choice...Flat/Regional or Weighted have SO many variables i don't think it catches their eyes as much.

Mr C

[thenobletuckylife]

Yes Yes...you bad bad Buckeye...must run in our blood LOL!

Mr C

[dhbookds]

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@midohioimports wrote:

@dhbookds

This is the tracking #  9400109699938462572711

When I called, the fellow I spoke to was actually quite helpful. He specifically said that she didn't leave it because there was no secure location. He said nothing about postage due. That's all coming from the buyer. He told me to try to find out what day & time they picked it up and for a physical description of the clerk. 

I swear I'm not making this up. 

He said they could try to recreate the receipt. When he mentioned that id didn't seem like enough postage for 15 ounces, I explained the commercial plus thing and got an, "Ooooooohhh.... I guess that makes sense."  But his comment makes me think they charged counter rates when it got picked up, IF that's what happened. So far I have zero evidence that there was a postage due situation.

I want to believe the buyer, but I also don't want to think that postal workers are eyeballing packages to second guess the rates (as long as the weight matches what's on the package). Makes me think I shouldn't leave what I paid on the label, but then some people think you're trying to be sneaky. I remember one recently who said her seller used "stealth postage" and was trying to make sure she didn't pay a penny over what the seller paid.

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Didn't mean to imply I thought you were making anything up....rather that the PO is not keeping their records correctly.  If there was postage due/paid on that....rightly or wrongly....it has to be recorded somewhere and probably "should" be recorded on that transaction #.....  If they marked it delivered at the door.....well that's wrong, according to the clerk himself. 

That said,  I do agree with others not to put the $ amount on the label (personally, I don't for anything).  We saw what a problem it was when the PO began the 13-15.9 oz  1st class for on line sellers...  PO's didn't get the word and how many clerks still don't about it is problably considerable.  It sounds like this PO is pretty sloppy........"ask to find out when she picked it up"....."didn't seem like enough postage for 15 oz".....and to me that the buyer may well have been charged the extra.