shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 10:40:15 AM new
Earlier today I got a package. Postage was due on it. I paid it, because I was curious and it wasn't much.
Turns out a seller that I ordered books from about 3 weeks ago shipped my books media mail. Sounds standard. Well....He put the books in a priority box and wrapped the box using priority envelopes turned inside out. I am not sure what to call the envelopes. They are white and have a cloth-type feel. I think they are used for flat rate priority shipments.
Anyway. The wrapping got torn and the post office saw the priority box underneath and they charged me for the difference in postage.
I am going to ask the seller for my money back.
Has anyone had this happen to them?
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rarriffle
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posted on March 18, 2003 10:48:57 AM new
I can remember one or two other posts here where the same thing happened. They started to put priority printed on the inside of the boxes but that didn't last long.
You should definitely asked the seller to pay it, they signed a card saying they would not use priority packaging in that way and hopefully the PO informed him when they saw what he did.
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nanntique
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posted on March 18, 2003 12:04:39 PM new
Yes, I've been 'Postage due'd' twice, for the same situation. One ($2.80) for an insideout priority box shipment that was sent media mail; and another ($3.48) where the sender used a priority mail address label on a first class letter to me.
I played h*ll with the senders until they coughed up the fees I had to pay.
The use of ANY priority mail materials (boxes, envelopes, stickers, address labels, etc.) makes the shipment priority mail, no matter what.
--------------------------------------------
Invest in the Future, by saving some of the Past!
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sanmar
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posted on March 18, 2003 12:39:46 PM new
I can't believe what people try to get away with. I have shipped a lot books & manuals by Media Mail, nvever have use any Orioriyt mail boxes. I have used the Priority Mail Labels, but I cut the top part off that says Priority Mail. I have a template set up in Word which makes it easy print the address on that label.
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Libra63
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posted on March 18, 2003 12:54:39 PM new
Now I know that we think the USPS is stupid but they know the shape and size of their boxes and when they see this I am sure they are opening them and they need to charge someone so it is the buyer that gets stuck. This will wake up your seller but do you really think that that seller is going to send you your money. I think in the future we need to refuse the shipment when it arrives so it is sent back to the seller and they pay. It will give them a wake up call.
I also use the eDC from the USPS website and cut the top off but the PO I go to does not have updated equipment to add the 13 cents so I have to tell me and he adds that in the postage. I never want my buyer to have to pay to receive a package they already paid for.
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:01:15 PM new
This guy is going to be tough.
ME: Hello, I got the books today and they were in the condition promised. I only have one problem. I had to pay "postage due" of $6.73 because you used priority supplies to ship a media mail package. I have a solution in mind that I hope you will find acceptable:
You have more books that I was planning to bid on. You can apply the credit to my next purchase.
I await your reply.
I am looking forward to doing more business with you.
Thank You
I also scanned the package wrapping and sent it to him so he could see the "postage due on it"
He responds:
I am not refunding or crediting any money. I have never heard of the post office changing the rates while in transit. I am skeptical of your story. You need to take it up with your post office. I shipped them and you got them. I shipped them media mail, because they are media. I combined shipping for you and gave you a discount. That should be enough.
He did combine shipping and gave me a discount of $2.00. It cost him a little over $3.00 to ship the books and he charged me $8.50.
I was planning on buying another 15-20 books from him this week...sigh...I will have to find them elsewhere...
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shawnb1
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:15:32 PM new
That just makes my blood boil. I would stick it to that creep. He knows what he did and he knows it is against postal regulations. I would do anything I could to make sure he didn't sell again. I know it's not a lot of money but it's the principle of the thing. I hope the PO does something to him but I doubt they will.
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toasted36
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:28:35 PM new
I do agree the guy should have to pay you back for the money out of your pocket....I had a postal employee here tell me to just flip a priority box inside out if I wanted to mail parcel post once lol so even they don't follow the mailing rules !
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:30:51 PM new
shop4shoes,
Well... that was certainly an unreasonable response the seller gave you! I would write him an e-mail something like this:
Since it appears you are uninterested in retaining me as a customer, I sadly will have to take my business elsewhere. Unless I receive a full refund of the $6.73 I was forced to pay the Post Office, I will be contacting your Postmaster to inform them of your misuse of federal property. It is a crime that can be prosecuted. Furthermore, appropriate feedback will be left for this transaction pending on your ultimate decision on how to handle this matter. I will be glad to send you digital pictures of the changed postal rate on the package if you would like proof of the additional charges I paid. I look forward to your prompt attention to resolving this problem.
(okay... so I'm not sure if it really is a crime to use the boxes... but it should get his attention!)
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eauctionmgnt
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:38:52 PM new
Here are the terms of agreement for the free postal supplies:
I understand that Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, Global Express Guaranteed®, Global Express Mail® and Global Priority Mail® packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, Global Express Guaranteed®, Global Express Mail® and Global Priority Mail®. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.
Hmmm... violation of federal law looks like a crime to me! Might want to point it out to him!
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zoomin
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:49:23 PM new
eauction beat me to it!
My first thought to his:
You need to take it up with your post office
was that he doesn't want you to bring this to the attention of the postmaster ~ sheesh!
another shop4shoes maroon!
have you and fluffy been sharing your client base again?
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bear1949
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posted on March 18, 2003 01:51:08 PM new
I would definately report them to the post office / postal inspectors. Keep the packaging (tyvek envelope) with your address on it.
Then let him explain why he is misusing the FREE packaging...
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MAH645
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posted on March 18, 2003 02:27:11 PM new
It seems most of the packages I get lately are Priority boxes wrapped in paper that were sent Media Mail.I buy alot of videos games and this seems to be a common thing. All I can say if I ever have to pay any postage due,that Seller will receive a BIG Neg from me. We send alot of our packages Media Mail but we make our own boxes from soda pop lids we pick up at the store when we shop,and it doesn't cost us anything for boxes.
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:09:57 PM new
2003 is going to be a heck of a year...
ME: Since you are obviously not interested in doing anymore business with me, I would like a refund of the postage due I paid. I paid you $8.50 for shipping. That was the agreement. You were derelict in your shipping practices and it resulted in an extra charge. I should not be the one responsible for those charges.
It is a federal crime to use priority supplies for anything other than priority mail. As you suggested, I will take it up with the post office.
He responded by leaving me a negative.
BEWARE! SCAMMER! DID NOT PAY! TRIED TO CHANGE SHIPPING TERMS!
I am going to have a beer and simmer for a minute or two.
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CBlev65252
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:18:33 PM new
Can't anything be done about his leaving a false feedback? I don't think he should be allowed to get away with that. I would respond sternly to his feedback. Wow, talk about nut cases. I've also been getting a lot of paper covered Priority mail boxes. I generally don't say anything to the seller, the post office seems to be cracking down on it anyway. However, if I would have had to pay additional postage, you can be darn sure I'd say something.
Cheryl
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trai
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:22:40 PM new
I am going to have a beer and simmer for a minute or two.
Better make sure you pick up a full case as one will not do it. Dont simmer, boil over.
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toasted36
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:29:07 PM new
He responded by leaving me a negative.
BEWARE! SCAMMER! DID NOT PAY! TRIED TO CHANGE SHIPPING TERMS!
^^^^ I'd report that to e-bay ^^^^^
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meadowlark
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:29:19 PM new
I would leave a response to the FB he left you with something like:
LIAR!sentPRIORITYbox,PAIDmediamailRATE.Ihad2PAYrest.
Patty
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meadowlark
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:32:38 PM new
In any case, I think I will refuse any package that arrives with postage due because the person used a Priority package.
Oh, by the way, I think "pouch" was the word you might have been looking for, but he Post Office calls them envelopes.
Patty
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toasted36
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posted on March 18, 2003 03:36:34 PM new
Tyvek Envelopes are what the cloth feeling envelopes are 
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 04:29:50 PM new
As a buyer on ebay, I try to be very flexible and accomodating. I know how many nut-cases sellers get. This guy is just a JERK!
I was looking through his feedback. He has had this happen before and he left a negative for the buyer. The negative was peretty similar to the one he left me. In fact most of the feedback he leaves is negative, even to people that have left him positives.
Better make sure you pick up a full case as one will not do it. Dont simmer, boil over.
I realized that this called for a shot of vodka to start.
I think I will start on that case of beer now...
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Twelvepole
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posted on March 18, 2003 06:22:01 PM new
Please turn him in to the post office...
I don't believe stealing from the USPS is the way to run a business, but hopefully they will find out the hard way (fined) that using priority for media mail is not a good thing.
Meadowlark, I wouldn't refuse to pay, they would just send it back to the seller who then may just keep the item and your money, anyone crooked enough to use priority for other than priority would probably steal your money too.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
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bigpeepa
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posted on March 18, 2003 06:38:47 PM new
I am a seller for 6 years now. CHEAP JERKS like your seller makes all Ebay sellers look bad. I wish they would all go back in the hole they came out of and QUIT CALLING THEMSELFS "DEALERS."
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MAH645
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posted on March 18, 2003 06:44:17 PM new
Knowing my luck the Post Office would rat me out for rating them out and then the Seller would try to get even with me.
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 07:26:54 PM new
Please turn him in to the post office.
First thing tomorrow...
I looked more closely at the shipping label, it is a cut off priority label.
I paid via paypal and he did not put delivery confirmation on the package. I should file a claim until he coughs up my shipping charges.
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meadowlark
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posted on March 18, 2003 08:05:16 PM new
Twelvepole, you are right.
I keep thinking like an honest person! Gee, how can I change that???
Patty
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ahc3
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posted on March 18, 2003 08:11:45 PM new
shop4shoes
You have had a tough year so far! I know the USPS made me sign something saying I would only use priority mail products for priority mail. Hopefully that is the case here too. I would tell him he can expect to hear from postal inspectors, that he actually has committed a criminal offense. I would then be sure to press this with anyone in the USPS who listens, including the postmaster at his post office.
You should also file a complaint with ebay, safeharbor. Who knows if they will remove the neg (hopefully it is on a buyer only account) but there is a problem if this guy is breaking federal law, and sticking you with a postage due amount. Finally, how did you pay? If you used paypal or credit card, perhaps a chargeback is in order? Good luck, let us know how it turns out...
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 18, 2003 09:18:25 PM new
I used paypal so ebay can easily see that I paid.
I just turned him in for having false contact info. If he does ebay will remove the negative.
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mypostingid
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posted on March 18, 2003 10:49:28 PM new
Shop4shoes, you're welcome to buy books from me! Whatcha looking for? I'll gladly trade for shoes, too! Pumps, black or navy, size 7B. Also accept valid Taco Bell gift certificates. LOL.
Gawd, I hate sellers who do things like that (the Priority box misuse, not my blatant groveling). Maybe the buyer will be like you and just switch to another bookseller. But there's also the risk that they'll stop buying online altogether. How hard is it just to do things properly?
MPI
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shop4shoes
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posted on March 19, 2003 08:02:12 AM new
Shop4shoes, you're welcome to buy books from me! Whatcha looking for? I'll gladly trade for shoes, too! Pumps, black or navy, size 7B. Also accept valid Taco Bell gift certificates.
I read everything. Trashy regency romances, Non-Fiction Historical, Mystery, Sci-Fi...I spend a lot on books and I think this will be a record year. I am already up to over $4000. I love to read and it calms me...well some books do. I read sci-fi and sit up all night trying to figure out the equation for shifting time.
I often trade with other sellers. Male sellers love to get shoes for their wives. It usually gets them Out of the doghouse.
I wear a size 7b and I usually keep ALL of those sizes for myself. 
I have never eaten at Taco Bell or Subway, so I don't have any of those either.
I would love to look at your auctions though.
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