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I was just wondering if anyone else is having problems with postage due on their trade packages. I just really think people shouldn't trade if they are not willing to pay the proper postage on the stuff they are sending. Lately I've had to pay postage due on 2 different packages and itr's not just a few cents. The one I got today was $1.50. I know that's not a large amount of money but it's just the idea that I pay whatever needs to be paid to send them their package, which by the way usually weighs more because as a rule I get less than I send, so they should do the same for whatever they are sending me. It's just common courtesy.

Teresa

Primary reason one, even if it a PWE trade, I always go to the post office when mailing a trade and not just throwing on an international or domestic stamp and trusting.

I had one recently and the guy was more than happy to send me the postage due via PayPal.  I have a lot more issues with eBay but I don’t do a lot of trading here anymore.

I've had that happen in a couple trades where the PWE I sent ended up being charged at a higher rate.  The trader notified me of this and I hopefully was able to compensate them sufficiently for their cost.  So if this happens to you I'd say reach out to the trader to let them know.  It helped me to correct my mistakes and learn from it.  

I did it once too, a few years ago.  That's when I learned to ALWAYS go to a clerk at the P.O. and not just guess on stamps and drop it in the box.  And of course, as we've discussed, the same envelope might ring up three different prices if there are three different postal clerks working.  I mailed either the difference or some extra cards to repay my trade partner.

I think a lot depends on the Post Office. I don't believe that all locations follow the same standards. I've had several, 5-6, PWE orders from Sportlots that arrived with postage due. The explanation that I was given was that the envelope wasn't "flexible" enough and had to be considered a package and then package rates apply. I've just paid a couple of times but every time that I've notified the dealer they have been very understanding and have either paid the postage, split the cost with me or once, refunded my entire order. I really don't understand why there isn't a more "universal" standard with the Post Office. I've had the same sized envelope with the same number of cards inside be charged several different prices at my Post Office. 

A lot of the postal clerks are doing one of two things:

1 - Don't know the USPS's own "rules"

2 - Are trying to be helpful and "let it slide".

Sounds like many in the threads I have read here are in category 1.

I mislabelled a few (I do all my postage online) and I've mis-weighed a couple things (or when I finally packed it, it came out to weight more than I thought). If it's only 1 oz off, they let it slide. Once, I wound up being off by like 4 ozs, she required us to pay extra that day.

I've been there too, same issue. Same size package would be .$.49, $.70 or straight $3. Each represented normal rate, non-machinable rate (what I normally pay for a PWE) and package rate. Told the clerk I wasn't paying $3 for a PWE that I've mailed at a lower rate many times over. Told me to deal with it; nope PO in the town over charges me $.70 for the same package. Told me fine, but not there fault if there's an issue with the PWE. No trader has told me there was an issue yet....  

It's been a few years since I used a PWE. When I did I always wrote "do not machine sort" on the front bottom. It's an extra charge, the same for large greeting cards and irrugular envelopes. The USPS site says it's a $0.17 surcharge for hand sorting in their Information Desk menu.

I would hope that if I sent a package and the recipient had to pay postage due, they would notify me.  I would make up the difference in sending out more cards from their wantlist. But I suspect that being from Canada, when crossing the border, there are no issues as USPS won't collect for CP and vice versa. As long as there is postage paid from the sender, the package / PWE gets delivered.

Yes we have discussed how the costs can vary from one postal outlet and clerk from another.  I now use the same outlet and always the same clerk for everything I send in a package. Best rates and most consistency from her. But if someone down the postal change thinks that the charges were too low, shouldn't they go back to the outlet that processed the package and tell them instead of always looking to collect postage due?

Teresa,do advise any trader if this happens again. I am sure that 99% of us on here will make up the difference to you either in refunding you or sending out more cards. This site is all about collectors, not people trying to scam others.