Check Your Scales - USPS Will Begin Verifying Postage

by: lessthanthreerecords

I love how Eric Nash says that a customer's scale may be off, but completely ignores the fact that USPS scales may be off.  It happened to me!  I was paying to ship quite a few packages in the post office (not Click N Ship) and I knew roughly what each should cost.  They seemed to be coming up slightly more expensive than I was expecting.  When the clerk came to a tube that I was shipping first class, she said that it was too heavy to go first class and would need to be shipped priority.  I knew this was incorrect and I asked her to check the scale.  She got out a small set of weights and, sure enough, the scale was not zeroed correctly.  She zeroed it and continued weighing my parcels.  I asked her why she wasn't correcting the parcels that I was overcharged for.  She said they were already on the truck (highly unlikely!)  I told her to get them off the truck, and she refused.  I asked for the post master and she said he wasn't there (he just walked by about a minute prior!)  It crossed my mind to refuse to pay, but they had already taken about $1,000 worth of packages (mostly insured) out of my sight.  I knew that if I refused to pay, the insurance would not be honored and I would be risking a lot more than a small overpayment on several packages, so I paid.  Afterwards, I reported the incident to the Department of Weights and Measures.  The person I spoke with said that what she did was illegal, but that the USPS was not within the jurisdiction of the Department of Weights and Measures.  Now, if it's that difficult dealing with an incorrect scale in-person at the time of the transaction, how will a customer possibly dispute the actual weight of a package that they sent days (or more) earlier?  This makes fraud on the part of USPS (whether intentional or accidental) far too likely.  If USPS is concerned about customers underpaying for postage, they should weigh every package when it is accepted and if it is underpaid, they should not accept it.

by: Snapped

It occurs to me there are some additional, rather complicated issues involved here not spoken...and not just related to USPS reasonable desire to charge accurately.

First, in the case of the carrier (applies to all of them BTW) disputing weight, one may have quite a challenge proving ship weight was indeed correct if the package is now out of hand and in carrier's possession.  In a perfect world, the shipper does have an accurate scale, thereby rendering any 'question' moot.  But in the past, and WITH accurate scales, I've had more than one FEDEX (for example) 'recalculation' show up as a surprise in a monthly invoice.  And it was a challenge to challenge that....  Now USPS....  Time will tell.

Incidentally, shipping isn't necessarilly all done just through a ship 'vendor'.  Many sellers have direct carrier accounts too.  Disputing with a carrier directly is one thing.  Disputing via a vendor who was billed by USPS for underpayments?  That's a two popcorn box sideshow.  

Regardless, it was also always very difficult to predetermine total weight before an item was actually prepared for shipment - so one could accurately portray ship cost in the listing, embedded OR disclosed.  Even weighing an item with packing material and estimated duff, one can not do that to the 'eventual accurate' ounce until an item is sold, actually packaged, AND the seller knows where it will go.  Meaning one can't really BE fully accurate in a listing.  Meaning reliance on a 'close estimate' for weight, and then relying on eBay's (for those sales) shipping calculator.  Good luck with that, right?  Of course, one can define a 'flat rate' - but again, to where?  

So one is left to 'overestimate', (e.g., worse case) thus impacting total cost competitiveness, even when claiming it to be 'free' in an offering.  Meaning the BUYER now pays that excess - or if refunded by the seller, then the seller pays the unrefunded 'fees' - already unearned as they are even when accurately predetermined.  

The carrier gets what's due - that's fine.  But this will increase venue 'unearned' fees too - fine for them only.  

Of course, this all may be a non-issue - or much less of one - for prepackaged commoddity item sellers.  

Imagine that.

by: GoingBroke

That's fine as long as they reimburse if we are over--Since they are checking every package it would be just as easy to do a refund as to bill us. Just another way to get more money because we would have no way to dispute the extra charges since it would have already been delivered. I would think it's pretty even because if we can be under you know we can also be over at times-But I obviously they are not concerned about those packages.  

by: GoingBroke

That's fine as long as they reimburse if we are over--Since they are checking every package it would be just as easy to do a refund as to bill us. Just another way to get more money because we would have no way to dispute the extra charges since it would have already been delivered. I would think it's pretty even because if we can be under you know we can also be over at times-But obviously they are not concerned about those packages.  

by: Esther

I recently bought some water filters on eBay that included free shipping.  However, the PO would not release the package to me until I paid an additional $6.55 in postage as the seller had used the flat rate USPS cardboard envelope for three undersink water filters which are hard cylinders 12 inches long and at least 2 inches in diameter and more than 2 pounds in weight.  My carrier said the contents of the package exceeded what the envelope is designed for.  The only thing I find on the USPS website is that a flat envelope cannot exceed 3/4 inch thickness.  I wanted the filters and paid the excess postage. The seller said this never happened before and did not offer to pay the postage so I called eBay and was told to file for a return due to the item not being as advertised and to explain the excess postage but that I wanted to keep the item. I am waiting to see what happens.

by: minnie

...And I thought all this time that USPS was double checking our packages when we took them to the post office!  I use a digital scale that was sent to me from USPS years ago.  I've never had a package returned for insufficient postage, or any buyer complain of a package arriving postage due.  I have read of many posts on ebay's discussion forums where buyers receive their packages postage due, so will be happy to no longer read those posts after August 1 !

by: Barbbie

I once had an elderly buyer tell me her post office was asking her for more money - and that they do this to her often, nearly every package and that she normally pays it but this one was priority mail and it was a few dollars more so she wanted to ask me what she should do.  Since I always put things in the right box and go by the postal rules, I was certain there was no mistake.  I told her not to pay it. To give me the number of the person attempting to charge her and I would call them myself. She then reported back that they let her have the package without charge.
Now maybe she was just trying to get a discount from me, but it didn't seem that way to me. I think some people at some of these post offices are up to no good so I do not know how this will work in practice. I would imagine it can still go on.
Where is the "official" point of the weight going to be? Delivery, Drop off, main office or hub, some other place?
If the weight is at the local office, nothing may change unless the local office decides to weigh or make sure their sellers are using the proper shipping boxes/envelopes; unless this is just a way to allow them to not have to directly confront their customers.
Oh well, I guess we will see!

by: Chicago48

I wonder how this will effect sellers like me who stuff jeans in a tyvek mailing envelope or in a flat rate envelope?  Two weeks ago, I mailed a leather jacket (stuffed it) in a flat rate envelope.  The whole "not what it was intended for" is frightening, and I know a lot of Ebayers who watch YT videos where they show you how to stuff clothing in those flat rate envelopes.

by: funkygrrl

I hope that the verification of the weight is at the dropoff point (Post office). If they do it at one of their sorting centers or something, we'll have no way of disputing.

by: HardWorkingSeller

I believe that the 3/4" max thickness rule applies to First Class Flats and not Flat Rate Envelopes.  With Flat Rate Envelopes the contents just need to fit within the envelope and you are not allowed to modify the form factor of the envelope.  Tape is OK if it is to secure the seams.  Tape can't be used to change the envelope's form factor.

by: 1st Armored Div. 1971-1973

USPS seems to ignore the fact that not all clerks know how to select the proper service for a package/letter/large envelope. I have been to USPS Mailing Requirements many times in Cincinnati about clerks trying to charge for First Class Package instead of First Class Letter because they do not understand the regulations.

by: cmabresch

Meanwhile Amazon is getting a $1.60 per package kick back from USPS

by: Jus_e

How are we going to get reimbursed via ebay? yeah, right! Then wouldn't ebay owe us money because they charge us for shipping too? This is too much, I have to get my own site, I've already got a headache. The process is probably simple but I bet ebay will make this whole big thing out of it and figure out how to get extra money.***sigh***

by: TraderBoo

Welcome to the world of Algorithm when computer Algorithm is the Police, the Judge and the executioner, ebay is doing it for years now USPS is joining the party.    

by: StoneArtUSA

If my package is returned to me for insufficient postage do I have to pay full postage again to re-ship or just pay the amount short?

by: Watching the Wheels

I don't use shipping labels for this very reason. IF any customer of mine is advised of owing money, "I" will be expecting my PO to cover for THEIR mistake. SIMPLE.

by: Done

So will the post office check my scale for me?  Or how else do I do this?

by: hashtaggs

That's bullshit, what about when we all overpay, do we get credits???????

by: FeelingFroggy

Its so great to be using just regular stamps for postage. We like to confuse the postal jerks and see how well educated they are. Most need a calculator to add 2 and 2.

We also save a ton of money buying our postage at 65 percent of face value. The only online shipping we do is ONE LABEL via stamps. com so that we have the one required priority mail item to qualify us for pickup. The rest are just regular stamps. All kinds of them and all denominations. Drives the postal jerks crazy having to add it all up.

So postal people go for it.

by: mcposty

At this time, we should picket the usps for giving china unfair cheap prices.

also usps needs to have programs for sellers who use them alot and give discounts.

if they want to get picky, we need to as well.

We will also need to demand that they tell Ebay to stop misrepresenting their first class shipping time.

Lets fight the usps for the TRAITORS THEY ARE