USPS question

CUTS LIKE A KRIS

CUTS LIKE A KRIS

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Sep 28, 2005
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I believe that I am getting a BS excuse from a member that I had entered a trade with (name to be withheld until clarity reached, and I have not notified the member that I am starting this thread for the moment).

Last week we were both to ship our trade goods on Monday. Life got in the way, and I was unable to ship until Tuesday, and I informed the member of my delay while I was in line at the postal counter. I sent him the tracking info as he asked of the status. Later I found that he had not shipped either, but was planning on it the next day (Wed). Trying to be patient I waited to ask again. Friday I recovered a message that between Doctors and sleep he had not gotten the package out. I requested that it get rectified and please let me know when it gets shipped. I heard nothing until today when I checked tracking and saw that it was refused! A quick email to see WTF, and I get a response of (paraphrased):

"I sent you an email Saturday saying your package was $2.65 short, and took that as a bad omen, so when I went to get your package today I had them send it back" (no email was received on my end, and our discussion over the trade has 20+ messages that did go through).

I get that the other party has the right to send back the package and has told me he will reimburse my shipping (not holding my breath on that $22), but had anybody else ever had the postal office tell them that an INCOMING package that was already sent was dollars short? I have never heard of such a thing, and as of right now am taking this as a BS excuse, which after no communication about cancelling the deal has not made me happy, especially as part of the trade was to upgrade my BF mbetship to knifemaker status so I could support the forums again!

Have others found that the post office lets you know the package was short on shipping days prior to the individual attempting to pick up said package?


Thank you for all help in this matter, I can supply further information if needed, but wanted to focus more on the short shipment aspect first.
 
I must amend the previous post by saying that now he has 'clarified' that it was the package that he had sent to me that was just over $2 short in postage and as a result it was returned to him, which was why he decided to cancel the deal. Does the post office accept then return packages for short postage?
 
If you deal directly with a USPS employee at their counter, They tell you the amount and once you pay and get a receipt the package is on the way, period.
If you put your own postage, ie: stamps, and drop in a mail box, Then your package may be returned to you or the addressee with postage due.
 
In my experience, USPS goes above and beyond to deliver. With exceptions. This could be a case of buyer's remorse, and using the first excuse available to back out of the deal.

This would not be the first instance of someone getting caught up in the excitement whipped up by we knife enthusiasts, and buying or trading something you really can't afford or just shouldn't trade, and then having second thoughts.
 
I don't recall experiencing this in a trade, but I have been charged for mail received with inadequate postage. It wasn't even a dollar, but they will get you. No refunds for too many stamps though :D.
 
CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
I must amend the previous post by saying that now he has 'clarified' that it was the package that he had sent to me that was just over $2 short in postage and as a result it was returned to him, which was why he decided to cancel the deal. Does the post office accept then return packages for short postage?
Click to expand...

It seems odd he would want to cancel the deal because he didn't put enough postage on it.
Sounds like he just changed his mind. People should be 100% sure before they make a trade here.
Hopefully he will at least reimburse your shipping fee. Let us know if he doesn't.
 
Thanks all, I just wanted to know if I was being unreasonable in my assessment. I feel like he just wanted an out as well, but had to make sure how things work south of the border. I have let a mod know more details and will await a refund. Luckily the package was refused so I know it wasn't tampered with, I'm just glad it was a slipjoint and not a clipped folder that may not pass customs if flipped open. If nothing else I learned to ensure that all pivots are tightened to Canadian Customs specs even if I am shipping to the states in case something like this happens again. Pretty disappointed with the whole situation as I was really looking forward to getting my knifemaker status and getting a new Alan Davis knife! It's only a knife, so in the grand scheme of things not the biggest deal, but when your hopes get raised and you are excited to get your end of a deal and it gets reversed unfairly IMO.....

That is it!! I've only been burnt by Americans, three times now on this site, I'm only doing Non-CONUS transactions now!!! (Not really, but it seems just as silly to me when a single non-CONUS interaction causes a person to exclude the majority of the world).
 
From reading your side of it, he owes you a postage refund. I had that happen to me, I agreed on a Hinderer trade. I shipped, and a week later the other party said they hadn't shipped because they'd left town on an emergency and their wife was returning my knife. A postage refund was promised, but never received. At least I wasn't out a knife.
 
Knife and refund are apparently in transit, I will update when I can. Now EBay gets the other knife that was to be mine I guess.....
 
How many times do I hear a bad feedback story here, only to find out it was ebay. Buying knives on ebay is risky. Feedback on trades on this forum should pertain only to this forum. It leads people to believe there are more bad deals on our forum then there actually are. You should have posted on your original post that it was an ebay trade. In my opinion.

CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
Knife and refund are apparently in transit, I will update when I can. Now EBay gets the other knife that was to be mine I guess.....
Click to expand...
 
I just checked back on this thread- I did NOT do a trade on eBay- that isn't possible as far as I know. The trade was here, and because the other party got cold feet and refused my parcel he is now listing the knife that was to be mine on eBay. I am still waiting for the refund and refused package, and will update this thread accordingly.
 
CUTS LIKE A KRIS said:
...has anybody else ever had the postal office tell them that an INCOMING package that was already sent was dollars short?
Click to expand...

Yes. I have had that happen both as a buyer and a seller. My theory is that they spot check a few now and then. Usually, the packages have the right postage and nothing happens. If the package doesn't have enough, however, the USPS will ask for it from the recipient and it can be refused.

I actually had an envelope of junk mail come to me postage due once and refused it. I couldn't see a reason to pay postage for a solicitation I didn't ask for.
 
A USPS worker told me

"if a package weighs less than 11 oz and it is short a little they will give the receiver a chance to pay the difference at delivery. If the receiver refuses it will be sent back.

"If the package is over 11 oz and short postage it would have been returned to sender never leaving point of origin.
 
I received a cheque for my shipping costs and deposited it this morning, am still awaiting the parcel to clear customs again I guess. Will update when parcel arrives again.
 
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