Thursday, September 10, 2009

USPS Automated Machines Ripping Us Off??

I could not wait to get home and post about this because its a doozy.

I have often wondered if there was something fishy going on with the automated machines at the post office. I had my suspicions because there were a few times when i came into the post office for other reasons with boxes in tow that already had postage on them calculated through the usps website. During those times a postal worker was sitting at the automated machine, i guess to help people use it. They said oh let me just weigh those for you to make sure they have the correct postage on them...

And they never did.

Which of course infuriated and confused me.

A few other times I had used the machines on my own free will and it would add a whole POUND to the weight which i could not understand how my scale at home could be soooo off.

Then today happened. I went into a different post office to specifically use the automated machine. I weighed the package, asked for insurance and was ready to print out the postage (which i thought seemed a little high) when it told me that unless the large label would fit, I had to go to the counter. Usually you have a choice between a small or large label and I assume the machine was either out of small labels or it had something to do with the insurance.

So anyway- I go up the counter and ask for the same exact thing. Postage and insurance on a small domestic package.

Guess what...at the counter it was $1 less than at the machine.


!!!!


Has this happened to anyone else?

I will not be using those machines ever again that's for sure!

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5 comments:

  1. That is very interesting!! Here in Phoenix, not all of our post offices have those machines any more. I wonder enough people claimed some schnenegons (spelling?), so they just took the machines away?

    I have found the one by my house accurate for my jewelry, but most items I ship weigh a matter of ounces and not pounds

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  2. that's interesting....

    Yah my stuff is really light too which is why i could tell something was off...

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  3. WOW! I never paid any attention...thank you for the info. I will be much more careful from now on!

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  4. no problem! I'm interested to find out how many in my area have that problem. maybe ill do an investigative report, hehe.

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  5. I haven't had this problem yet Ten but I will certainly make sure I know what to expect for postage before I go from now on.

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