What would you do?

unitas · May 10, 2008 10:31PM

I bought a card from 4 sharp corners and paid $4 to have it shipped, it came yesterday and the mailman wanted .33c for shipping. This is the 3rd time this month thats happen. The shipping on the package was .97c so my $4 more than covered it. Anyway I told him to keep the card i'm done paying twice for shipping. Does this happen alot, its just begun recently for me?

swartz1 · May 10, 2008 10:34PM

I'd love to know how they "get away" with sending a graded card through the mail for .97 ....

jimq112 · May 10, 2008 10:47PM

The usual rule at USPS is if there is any postage on it and it's short, they pass it on to the addressee with postage due. If there's no postage at all it gets returned to the sender.

Some offices have clerks that are more diligent at watching postage than other offices. I would guess that in your office the clerks (or your carrier) are good at spotting packages with not enough postage.

If it's a card you don't really NEED and you paid with paypal I would send it back for the additional postage. You paid enough.

TNTonPMS · May 10, 2008 10:54PM

I would just pay it , it's too small of a problem for me to sweat , even if it happened every single time .

I want my cards .

Leiascards · May 10, 2008 10:59PM

I would just pay it.

There are many instances where under the new rules you can take the same item to 4 different Post Offices and get 4 different rates. If I go to my local PO a card in a bubble mailer starts at 1.13. If I go to another one on the way to Texarkana they will charge me 80 cents for the card or a graded card goes to the next ounce level and its 97 cents. Based on that they were charged the 80 cent rate by their PO, but somewhere along the line USPS made the decision to charge it at the 1.13 rate.

I was told by my Postmaster that if the amount was charged by a PO then they are not suppoused to increase it along the way, however if Paypal was used to pay for postage they can since that is not the USPSs error.

Now if its an item sent Media Mail that is not suppoused to be or in a priority box wrapped in brown paper they can charge more at anytime in shipment.

F1ferrari · May 10, 2008 11:23PM

I can understand wanting your cards, but if you've already paid a seller $4 for shipping, only to find out that they haven't paid enough to ship it in the first place out of my $4, I would also refuse to pay extra, have it returned, demand and explanation from the seller as to why they're not paying the USPS enough out of what I have paid them to ship the card, and file complaints with eBay and Paypal. It may just be 33¢ to you, but if that's at least 33¢ on every package they're shipping to every seller every day, that could be a pile of money in a years time, notwithstanding the fact that they are being paid what they 'asked' for shipping at auction's end.

That would be like paying to have your car serviced at a garage and then having to pay extra before you left the garage's parking lot.

lsutigers1973 · May 11, 2008 12:35AM

I had this same problem with 4SC. I sent them a polite email and they immediately sent me $1 through Paypal. I know some board members have had issues with 4SC, but I have had numerous pleasant transactions with them.

CDsNuts · May 11, 2008 2:06AM

Their business model is set up in a way that a lot of their profits come from shipping; I'd guess an average of around $2.50 per card sold. A couple hundred transactions per week and that turns into a very nice profit center.

nightcrawler · May 11, 2008 2:46AM

They have 4 unpaid item alerts against me, and the tracking number for the MO I sent them shows it was delivered 8 days before the alerts were posted???

After I've sent 3 requests over the last four years to use Pay Pal that went unanswered, and finally getting pissed at that MEATHEAD Tracy for this latest BS. I vow to never again bid on any of their auctions.

Trust me when I say, they don't give a crap about any customer, regardless of how much is spent in their store.

storm888 · May 11, 2008 2:57AM

"Trust me when I say, they don't give a crap about any customer, regardless of how much is spent in their store. "

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

That has been my experience, too.

WinPitcher · May 11, 2008 3:33AM

I'd love to know how they "get away" with sending a graded card through the mail for .97 ....

Last week at the PO the clerk charged me .97 (each) for 6 items, all had 1 graded card in them.

So it is possible.

The next day a different clerk charged me 1.47 for the same things.

Steve

jimq112 · May 11, 2008 3:41AM

.97 = old rate before price increase yesterday for large envelope weighing 2 ounces. .97 = machineable rate.

+.33 = the receiving office called it a parcel and the shipping office called it a machineable flat.

You don't want graded cards going in machineable envelopes. Sometimes that results in broken holders or damaged cards.

Added for Steve - $1.47 = 3 ounce parcel after yesterday's price increase. Or the clerk was a little short in the donut fund and made it up on you.

swartz1 · May 11, 2008 4:01AM

jim - my postmaster has been pretty adamant with me about a graded card in an envelope as not machineable because it is not "totally" flat (it is rigid) is this true?

NickM · May 11, 2008 4:06AM

Requests to use PayPal? They invoice the cards, and just click on Pay Now from your My Ebay. It normally takes them 1-2 days to add a day's winnings into the invoice, but combining auctions for a week (or a bit more) can save you a lot of money on shipping - my last payment to their store ID was for over 30 auctions, and shipping came out to under $.50 a card.

Nick

WinPitcher · May 11, 2008 4:13AM

Jim

My situation was last week.

In the same PO I pay three different rates for the same service depending on the clerk.

I have paid .97, 1.30 and 1.47 all for the same items.

00 bubble mailer with 1 graded card.

Steve

jimq112 · May 11, 2008 4:29AM

Steve -

.97 = choosing large envelope up to 3 oz. This has to be able to make the bend in the sorting machine.
1.30 = up to 2 oz parcel. Does not go thru any bends in sorting machines.
1.47 = 3 oz parcel. Does not go thru any bends in sorting machines.

If they have POS terminals the receipt should say the exact weight. Hopefully it's right on the edge. If not, try to go to the scale where it's consistently lower. Honest. Some USPS don't calibrate their scales as often as they should. The 2 or 3 oz is the difference between 1.30 and 1.47.

If they don't have a long line and you get the higher price, ask if they can weigh it at the other terminal.

Prices changed this weekend.
.97 = $1.00
1.30 = 1.35
1.47 = 1.52

WinPitcher · May 11, 2008 4:33AM

Jim

To be honest I really did not care .97 or 1.47 is all the same to me.

i was just replying that .97 is possible.

The .97 teller is a lady that I think likes me.

;-)

The 1.47 is some dude that grumbles.

Steve

jimq112 · May 11, 2008 4:36AM

<< jim - my postmaster has been pretty adamant with me about a graded card in an envelope as not machineable because it is not "totally" flat (it is rigid) is this true? >>

For it to be machineable it has to be able to make a few 90 degree bends in sorting machines. It's not a certainty that a graded card slab gets cracked but it's not worth the savings to find out it wasn't able to make the cut.

If any envelope has a uneven surface - even from something as thin as a pen - it's a parcel. The letter sorting machines get jammed by the thick section and then they tear up lots of mail and break down.

Hopefully that was what you were asking?

nightcrawler · May 11, 2008 5:29AM

<< Requests to use PayPal? They invoice the cards, and just click on Pay Now from your My Ebay. It normally takes them 1-2 days to add a day's winnings into the invoice, but combining auctions for a week (or a bit more) can save you a lot of money on shipping - my last payment to their store ID was for over 30 auctions, and shipping came out to under $.50 a card.

Nick >>

No Pay Pal for stinky Canadians.

nearmint · May 11, 2008 6:18AM

I had the same thing happen, told them about it, and got this response:

<< i apologize. we use the proper scales and internet postage rates. there should not have been a problem.

a single card in that envelope weighs in at 2 oz. the item would be a 'large envelope' which the requirements are at least a 1/4", not exceeding 3/4". your package would have met those requirements. the postage is $0.97.

they charged you as a regular first class mail PACKAGE. i know this sounds weird, but they are wrong.

again, sorry for the hassle. >>

swartz1 · May 11, 2008 6:20AM

To be honest I really did not care .97 or 1.47 is all the same to me.

did I read that right?...wish I had that attitude...

perkdog · May 11, 2008 6:25AM

<< To be honest I really did not care .97 or 1.47 is all the same to me.

did I read that right?...wish I had that attitude... >>

I read it right and agree. I want my card! 50 cents either way will never bother me.

WinPitcher · May 11, 2008 6:28AM

Seeing that I charged 3.00 for shipping does it matter?

The buyer (s) did not seem to care either.

What can i tell you.

Steve

jimq112 · May 11, 2008 6:51AM

<< I had the same thing happen, told them about it, and got this response:

<< i apologize. we use the proper scales and internet postage rates. there should not have been a problem.

a single card in that envelope weighs in at 2 oz. the item would be a 'large envelope' which the requirements are at least a 1/4", not exceeding 3/4". your package would have met those requirements. the postage is $0.97.

they charged you as a regular first class mail PACKAGE. i know this sounds weird, but they are wrong.

again, sorry for the hassle. >>

>>

They're wrong. If you can't bend it then it's a parcel, not a flat envelope. postal manual

Steve's right, the 50 cents doesn't matter. But to the OP who already paid $4, it should matter that he has to go to USPS to pay more to get his card.

unitas · May 12, 2008 9:18AM

4 Corners e-mailed me today, apoligized for the problem and said they'd promptly ship card back out when they received it, although they did say it was the post office error, they couldn't have been nicer.

NickM · May 12, 2008 5:12PM

<< << Requests to use PayPal? They invoice the cards, and just click on Pay Now from your My Ebay. It normally takes them 1-2 days to add a day's winnings into the invoice, but combining auctions for a week (or a bit more) can save you a lot of money on shipping - my last payment to their store ID was for over 30 auctions, and shipping came out to under $.50 a card.

Nick >>

No Pay Pal for stinky Canadians. >>

Ahh. Move to a real country.

Nick

nightcrawler · May 13, 2008 12:01AM

<< 

<< No Pay Pal for stinky Canadians. >>

Ahh. Move to a real country.

Nick >>

You wouldn't sat that if you were standing in front of me...

...Whaaaa!!!!!!

What would you do?

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