# Beware Being Shorted on Postage...



## SirMike1983 (Jun 23, 2022)

I just returned from the Post Office with a part for a bike that I bought online (not through this site; through another). The seller shorted the postage amount and claimed "Media Mail". A Postal Inspector opened the package and found the part rather than media (it was obvious this wasn't media just from the outside of the box). I received a notice of short postage and had to pay about $10 to get the package at the post office. Just a reminder to beware sellers who charge for postage and then try to short it or claim "media mail", leaving you responsible for the difference.


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## Freqman1 (Jun 23, 2022)

SirMike1983 said:


> I just returned from the Post Office with a part for a bike that I bought online (not through this site; through another). The seller shorted the postage amount and claimed "Media Mail". A Postal Inspector opened the package and found the part rather than media (it was obvious this wasn't media just from the outside of the box). I received a notice of short postage and had to pay about $10 to get the package at the post office. Just a reminder to beware sellers who charge for postage and then try to short it or claim "media mail", leaving you responsible for the difference.



I would have just told them return to sender!


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## catfish (Jun 23, 2022)

This happens with ebay deals a lot. Sellers will over charge the buyer for shipping, and then mail it as cheap as possible to make a little more money.


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## Handle Bar Hoarder (Jun 23, 2022)

catfish said:


> This happens with ebay deals a lot. Sellers will over charge the buyer for shipping, and then mail it as cheap as possible to make a little more money.



ya i see that a lot on ebay....😡 and they don't get me business...........


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## Robert Troub (Jun 23, 2022)

SirMike1983 said:


> I just returned from the Post Office with a part for a bike that I bought online (not through this site; through another). The seller shorted the postage amount and claimed "Media Mail". A Postal Inspector opened the package and found the part rather than media (it was obvious this wasn't media just from the outside of the box). I received a notice of short postage and had to pay about $10 to get the package at the post office. Just a reminder to beware sellers who charge for postage and then try to short it or claim "media mail", leaving you responsible for the difference.



Seller is both cheap and stupid....


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## 1motime (Jun 23, 2022)

catfish said:


> This happens with ebay deals a lot. Sellers will over charge the buyer for shipping, and then mail it as cheap as possible to make a little more money.



When E-bay started taking a cut of shipping costs I called them a few times about that.  That pettiness by a huge company still eats at me. 
 They did not earn any part of shipping costs.  Every representative I spoke to said just charge more and get back what we took!!  Then they would get a larger percentage of the padded cost!  Doesn't make for an honest buying experience.


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## SirMike1983 (Jun 23, 2022)

Probably some combination of cheap, lazy, and a touch dishonest. The Postal Inspector had every right to open the box, because a chain guard box isn't going to look like any kind of media... I can see why some people would send it back because  it is kind of a piss off to have it happen, and who wants to pay more? It's a legitimate response. But I figured, $10, bite the bullet and get the thing. When I get the box, it's a mess - all taped up and stamped with "Opened by USPS" and "Inspected by USPS". I can see why... it doesn't look like any kind of magazine I've seen.

So I pay, get the box home and open it up. Of course if you don't pay for real shipping, you don't pay for packing either. The chain guard is just in the box. And by "box", I mean it was a portion of a diaper box that had been cut up and roughly shaped into a box and then taped up.

I will admit that opening the box, my assumption is the thing is all dented and mangled. It sort of looks like it's going that way. I was surprised to find it was in better shape than described in the listing and not damaged at all. Well damn... sometimes you luck out. It's a very nice, large chrome wing-shaped chain guard. I won't buy from that seller again though. You don't luck out twice with that kind of seller behavior.

The thing that annoys me the most is just the pure element of dishonesty. Yes, shipping is expensive. But come on, don't deliberately mislead the postal service. If I were an inspector, I'd have opened it and done exactly what USPS did. It's lazy, cheap, and dishonest by a seller.


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## 1motime (Jun 23, 2022)

SirMike1983 said:


> Probably some combination of cheap, lazy, and a touch dishonest. The Postal Inspector had every right to open the box, because a chain guard box isn't going to look like any kind of media... I can see why some people would send it back because  it is kind of a piss off to have it happen, and who wants to pay more? It's a legitimate response. But I figured, $10, bite the bullet and get the thing. When I get the box, it's a mess - all taped up and stamped with "Opened by USPS" and "Inspected by USPS". I can see why... it doesn't look like any kind of magazine I've seen.
> 
> So I pay, get the box home and open it up. Of course if you don't pay for real shipping, you don't pay for packing either. The chain guard is just in the box. And by "box", I mean it was a portion of a diaper box that had been cut up and roughly shaped into a box and then taped up.
> 
> ...



Negative feedback probably won't have an impact on the seller but might serve as a warning to the next buyer. Might feel good also


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jun 24, 2022)

negative feedback does indeed impact the seller. ripping off on shipping then you have to pay deserves a neg. I'd have negged before even typing this post if I were the OP..


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jun 24, 2022)

another postal charge a buyer may get is using inside out Priority Mail boxes. they will charge you the priority rate.
they may say priority mail on the inside of the box now. it has been a while since I shipped on a regular basis


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## Allrounderco (Jun 24, 2022)

49autocycledeluxe said:


> another postal charge a buyer may get is using inside out Priority Mail boxes. they will charge you the priority rate.
> they may say priority mail on the outside of the box now. it has been a while since I shipped on a regular basis



Yeah, they fixed that by printing Priority Mail all over the inside. I'll sometimes double bag an item in the flat rate padded envelopes, then put that into a Priority regional rate box (paying Priority, of course). Every time I do it I wonder how that looks to the recipient. It always gets there unscathed, though.


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## berniebike (Jun 25, 2022)

SirMike1983 said:


> I just returned from the Post Office with a part for a bike that I bought online (not through this site; through another). The seller shorted the postage amount and claimed "Media Mail". A Postal Inspector opened the package and found the part rather than media (it was obvious this wasn't media just from the outside of the box). I received a notice of short postage and had to pay about $10 to get the package at the post office. Just a reminder to beware sellers who charge for postage and then try to short it or claim "media mail", leaving you responsible for the difference.



i ship alot thru ebay.
i sell magazines and books.people do not understand true media mail.
the person that sent the package should be fined.
why should the buyer have to pay excess unforseen postage because the sender violated the postal laws?
it should come back to the shipper.


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## razinhellcustomz (Jun 25, 2022)

catfish said:


> This happens with ebay deals a lot. Sellers will over charge the buyer for shipping, and then mail it as cheap as possible to make a little more money.



I just bought a Spaceliner rack for 20.00 and shipping was 30.00 , but I did get a 14.30 refund so that was pretty cool. Thanks @Keith1982.5....


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