Did not charge enough for shipping, How will I be charged for the difference?

[pol_dav]

I recently sold something and it was more to ship that I expected- I am fine with that. I am just curious on how USPS  is going to charge me since I did not pay the difference at the post office.

Thank You!

[remote_controls_and_more]

You printed a label that was less the the item weighed? I'm not sure I understand why, you sold an item and didn't charge enough shipping so you decided to ship it anyway with an incorrect label?

[orangehound]

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@pol_dav wrote:

I recently sold something and it was more to ship that I expected- I am fine with that. I am just curious on how USPS  is going to charge me since I did not pay the difference at the post office.

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I'm not sure what you are saying ... but you should ALWAYS put proper postage on a package that you are mailing.   Intentionally underpaying for postage is not only dishonest (perhaps fraudulent), it could potentially give a bad experience to one of our shared buyers.   The underpayment may or may not be caught by the USPS.

1. If you are saying that you didn't put enough postage on the item and just dropped it in a USPS box, then your customer could be charged for the difference in order to receive the package.  If the customer refuses, then it may be returned to you with postage due.  Even if the customer pays the postage due and accepts, you will likely have an angry customer on your hands.
2. If you are saying that you intentionally purchased insufficient USPS postage via the PayPal or eBay interface,  USPS may catch the error and then bill your eBay or PayPal account.
3. If you are saying that the USPS postal worker at the counter did not charge you sufficient postage for the item, then I don't know how the USPS might treat this if it is later detected ... perhaps it would be like #1 above, or they would absorb the mistake.

[pol_dav]

I don't do much selling on Ebay. I shipped an item and didn't charge enough for postage, that was unintentional. The postal worker said they would adjust it automatically, I just do not know how I will get billed.

[mr_lincoln]

@pol_dav  If you did not have enough postage at the Post Office the system is supposed to catch that with their APV system and your account will be charged the difference BUT you have to figure they will charge you the counter rate and NOT the discounted rate you get on eBay with First Class or Priority Mail services.  eBay and USPS instituted the new APV system earlier this year to catch this sort of thing.

[orangehound]

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@pol_dav wrote:
I don't do much selling on Ebay. I shipped an item and didn't charge enough for postage, that was unintentional. The postal worker said they would adjust it automatically, I just do not know how I will get billed.

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They do not always adjust ... only if it gets discovered.  The USPS recently put in some automated detection systems, but (again) not all packages are identified as underpaid.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@pol_dav wrote: ... The postal worker said they would adjust it automatically, I just do not know how I will get billed.

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The clerk was referring to the Automated Package Verification system.  The postage difference will show up on your eBay invoice.  

One of the other posters said that you'd be charged the retail price, but IIRC the reports about these charges indicate that the difference that you are billed is based on the online rates.

Do you have a  scale, so you can avoid future issues with undercharging your buyers for postage?

[mr_lincoln]

@nobody*s_perfect  Aren't "online" and "counter" rates the same?

[nobody*s_perfect]

No. Counter = at the Post Office counter = retail.

[mr_lincoln]

@nobody*s_perfect

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

No. Counter = at the Post Office counter = retail.

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So I have a package and it goes to Zone 1, weighs 2 lbs (10 x 8 x2) ... I go to the USPS Online wib site and the Priority rate is $ 7.25 ... I go to print the label through eBay and the Buyer's cost for Priority is $ 7.25 ... are you saying that if I take THAT package to the Post Office thier "Retail" rate is going to be MORE then the $ 7.25?  By "online" do you mean the discounted rate eBay Sellers pay for that same package ($ 6.89 btw).

[orangehound]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@nobody*s_perfect

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

No. Counter = at the Post Office counter = retail.

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So I have a package and it goes to Zone 1, weighs 2 lbs (10 x 8 x2) ... I go to the USPS Online wib site and the Priority rate is $ 7.25 ... I go to print the label through eBay and the Buyer's cost for Priority is $ 7.25 ... are you saying that if I take THAT package to the Post Office thier "Retail" rate is going to be MORE then the $ 7.25?  By "online" do you mean the discounted rate eBay Sellers pay for that same package ($ 6.89 btw).

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What gets displayed to the buyer is dependent upon how you have your settings.  The point made above is not what is charged to the buyer, but what is paid by the seller.  It depends on where you buy postage.

2-pound Zone 1 Priority Mail

• USPS Counter:  $7.25 (retail rate)
• USPS Website:  $7.25 (retail rate)
• eBay Postage or PayPal Postage:  $7.10  (Commercial Base)
• eBay Postage for TRS:  $6.89 (Commercial Plus)

[nobody*s_perfect]

The shipping calculator at usps.com shows the retail prices.  If you print a postage label through Click N Ship, you pay the retail price.  

Postage cost to ship a 2-pound package to Zone 1 is:

$7.25 retail

$7.10 regular online rate (Commercial Base) and

$6.89 for the Commercial Plus rate that is paid by Top Rated Sellers and sellers who ship more than 300 packages per month.