Anyone ever have Postage Due on a PCGS Shipment?

CoinJunkie

I went to the PO recently to pick up a box of submissions back from PCGS and was told
that I owed over $2 in postage due! Now, granted that $13.30 seemed a bit light
for Registered Priority (even though I live in CA), but I argued that PCGS must get some
sort of volume discount since it (honestly) seemed to me highly unlikely that they could have
made such a mistake. Amazingly enough, the clerk let me go without paying.

So my questions are:

1) Has this ever happened to you?
2) Is there such a thing as a volume discount for Registered Mail?

BECOKA

This only happened once to me from someone else.

USPS randomly checks that the proper postage is assigned and sometimes people get caught.

I think I had to pay an extra 27 cents

bronze6827

1. Yes, it has happend to me. They under paid for the return of two submissions (2 boxes total) this past summer. I had to pay over $16.00 to receive my coins. I paid, made photocopies of the shipping labels affixed by PCGS, and faxed them to customer service. The gave me two free coin submissions for the ordeal.

2. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a discount for volume registered mail. It is all done in terms of value shipped.

GrumpyEd

I thought the USPS would return it to the sender.

drwstr123

If there's a preponderence of postage, it's forwarded to the recipient. Now, as far as the postage, with registered, it's a combination of fee and insurance. Two identical packages, with differnt insured values would have differnt postage. How does your PO discover the insured amount? One of two things; first, the item is insured for 'no value' and is overweight, or second, your PO's scale is screwed.

CoinJunkie

<< <i>If there's a preponderence of postage, it's forwarded to the recipient. Now, as far as the postage, with registered, it's a combination of fee and insurance. Two identical packages, with differnt insured values would have differnt postage. How does your PO discover the insured amount? One of two things; first, the item is insured for 'no value' and is overweight, or second, your PO's scale is screwed. >>



Well, actually the Registered fee is $10 even for a declared value of $0, and I used usps.com
to calculate that Priority would have been $5 and change, so with $13.30 showing on the
label, the postage was definitely underpaid UNLESS there is some sort of discount, a la
bulk mail. I'm not aware of such.

coinkat

No... there have been miscalculations as to correct amounts of postage due and I will not say who made the miscalculation... but I pay what should have been charged if it is correct

bronze6827

Technically the post office should send back to the originator. However, they know me, and gave me the option to pay. (It's common for my post office to give me a call on Saturday mornings if something shows up that requires a signature). I had faith in PCGS, especially with blatent proof that they fouled up and would even the whole thing out.

19Lyds

Weird.

In all the orders I've ever had, I've never had this happen!

drwstr123

PO Registered fee:
Declared Value Price

$0.00 $10.00
$0.01 to $100 $10.80
$100.01 to $500 $12.10
$500.01 to $1,000 $13.30
$1,000.01 to $2,000 $14.50
$2,000.01 to $3,000 $15.70
$3,000.01 to $4,000 $16.90
$4,000.01 to $5,000 $18.10
Now it's $4.75 for Priority up to 1 lb. If PCGS sends 11 oz. and its value is $500.00, the cost is $18.05.
If they over-pay and post it as $19.00, are you called on a $0.25 postage due for the next increment?

CoinJunkie

Hmmm, interesting. I just noticed that $13.30 is the Registration fee for $500-1000, and
my declared value was $900. Looks like they paid only that and forgot to add the cost of
Priority Mail! Again, I find it hard to believe PCGS could make such a mistake, but I guess
the process isn't fully automated (yet)...

drwstr123

Did PCGS send a Priority envelope of a First Class envelope? I'd be more inclined to say the error is with the PO.

CoinJunkie

<< <i>Did PCGS send a Priority envelope of a First Class envelope? I'd be more inclined to say the error is with the PO. >>



Standard blue box (sparsely populated) via Priority Mail. I'm now convinced that
PCGS was at fault.