OT: USPS Breaking My Chops

[Buythatcard]

Here's a new one for you.

I mail out about 50 packages a week, most of them weighing 2 - 6 ounces.

I put together a package last week that weighed exactly 6 ounces. I printed out the eBay Postage label and taped it to my package. Yesterday, the package was returned to me along with another one. There was a sticker on it that that says I need to add more postage because the package is over 6 ounces.

I know that the package weighed 6 ounces but I didn't realize that it now weighs 6.2 ounces after I placed the label on it. The label weighs .2 ounces.
So, what is someone suppose to do? Add .2 ounces onto each calculated weight to account for the label? That was first.

It cost me an additional 18 cents. Had to drive 5 miles to PO and stand on line fro 15 minutes.

The second package had the same issue except this package originally weighed 2 ounces and now it weighs 2.2 ounces. If you print out eBay shipping labels, you will notice that the price is the same for 2 and 3 ounces. So, why did they send this back? I asked the woman who worked at the PO and she didn't have an answer. There was no extra charge for the second package.

You wonder why we all love the USPS.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I feel your pain. I recently shipped an ebay purchased priority mail with insurance. The postal employee forgot to scan the tracking information on the package

[mybuddyinc]

Don't get me going on USPS

I've come to the point that when I weigh something, I add an ounce when printing the label. I figure USPS isn't going to bother you for paying too much, and the extra 20-50 cents (if that) is worth preventing any potential hassle.

[Buythatcard]

If I mail out 50 packages a week and add the extra postage of .20 - .50 to each package, you can see where my profits end up.

[D. Bergin]

Still better then FedEx, who weighs every single package, and usually always finds a way to tack on an extra fee, for about a thousand different reasons (fuel surcharge, residential, address look-up, etc...) The one I've seen that really annoys me is "change of address", and you look it up and find out they changed "Apt# 25" to "Suite# 25" or visa versa....and CHARGE your account extra for it.

At least they sent them right back to you from the originating Post Office, instead of waiting until they got to the delivery Post Office and slapped a Postage Due on it, because an over-zealous inspector doesn't realize a 1st Class rigid, flat package, qualifies for Delivery Tracking and doesn't need to be upgraded to Priority Mail.

[Buythatcard]

Maybe we will have better luck when drones become available to the general public.

[glchen]

Yea, it's the same price for 2oz and 3oz packages. Therefore, when I ship, I always use 3oz even if it's under 2oz because it's the same price. I use a baby scale for weighing my packages, and it only has increments of 0.5. I always round up, so if it's 3.5, I use 4oz for the shipping label. If the scale shows 4.0 oz, then I use 5oz. It's only a few cents difference, and it saves the hassle of the package being sent back, or the receiver of the package having to pay postage due which I have heard stories of also. Also when I weigh, I add a full sheet of paper to the top of the package to take into account the label and tape.

[polakoff]

Originally Posted by glchen

Yea, it's the same price for 2oz and 3oz packages. Therefore, when I ship, I always use 3oz even if it's under 2oz because it's the same price. I use a baby scale for weighing my packages, and it only has increments of 0.5. I always round up, so if it's 3.5, I use 4oz for the shipping label. If the scale shows 4.0 oz, then I use 5oz. It's only a few cents difference, and it saves the hassle of the package being sent back, or the receiver of the package having to pay postage due which I have heard stories of also. Also when I weigh, I add a full sheet of paper to the top of the package to take into account the label and tape.

I do exactly what Gary said. I always round up, and if my scale says something close like 4.95, I make it 6. With the new rates the jump is miniscule, it's like 8 cents extra or something. Not worth the hassle. And yes, I always do 3 oz for the small ones. Saves me time having to weigh them too.

[rjackson44]

unreal

[Rollingstone206]

...

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

The PO in New Orleans is the worst I have ever encountered. The employees are incredibly rude and unhelpful. Rant over.

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Here's a new one for you.

I mail out about 50 packages a week, most of them weighing 2 - 6 ounces.

I put together a package last week that weighed exactly 6 ounces. I printed out the eBay Postage label and taped it to my package. Yesterday, the package was returned to me along with another one. There was a sticker on it that that says I need to add more postage because the package is over 6 ounces.

I know that the package weighed 6 ounces but I didn't realize that it now weighs 6.2 ounces after I placed the label on it. The label weighs .2 ounces.
So, what is someone suppose to do? Add .2 ounces onto each calculated weight to account for the label? That was first.

It cost me an additional 18 cents. Had to drive 5 miles to PO and stand on line fro 15 minutes.

The second package had the same issue except this package originally weighed 2 ounces and now it weighs 2.2 ounces. If you print out eBay shipping labels, you will notice that the price is the same for 2 and 3 ounces. So, why did they send this back? I asked the woman who worked at the PO and she didn't have an answer. There was no extra charge for the second package.

You wonder why we all love the USPS.

My mailman is pretty cool. Twice last year I got this exact same scenario: returned with a sticker on it for more postage. Both times, right in front of me, he said "that's crap" and pulled the sticker off, stuck it in his truck, and mailed it again for me. Both times the package got where it needed to go. He said sometimes someone gets on a power trip and starts rejecting everything.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

My mailman is pretty cool.

My mailman rocks! He's called/texted me when sig required packages arrive and he knows I'm in town, so I can walk home to sign.. If he sees me on the street elsewhere on his route he'll pull over to hand deliver insured packages. Last week while I was in Chicago he texted to tell me that our keys were in the door (wife left them there on way to work) and that he hid them under the doormat... We've even played football in the street. Love the guy! And it's not just me.. He knows everyone on my street.

USPS, in spite of its flaws, is far and above my first choice over any other courier (especially FedEx & DHL- hate them both)

That said, OP's issue sounds annoying.

[pbspelly]

What really annoys me about the postal service is the way it tries to discourage and even hide the less expensive methods for mailing items. Go into a post office and look at all the signs and informational brochures listing your mailing options and try to find one mention of parcel post or media mail. There's nothing there. There is also no mention of International Airmail M-bags, which are often cheaper for sending printed material overseas. You also can't get parcel post or media mail postage on the Internet. For parcel post, it's difficult to even find out the cost online. They try to make it extremely difficult to use anything other than Priority Mail, which is usually the most expensive way to go.