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Beware Being Shorted on Postage...

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SirMike1983

Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
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 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!
 
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....
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
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
 
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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