USPS - Just a little rant

This is not really a jeer nor a cheer. Rather it is an expression of mild disappointment with the cost of selling and shipping lights..

Recently I sold my HDS U60GT on BST. The buyer was a new member of CPF who shall remain anonymous. The light sold quickly and I was promptly paid per paypal as I had requested. I mailed the light via Priority Mail with delivery confirmation and insured the very next day. While the light was enroute to the buyer, I received an email from the buyer requesting a refund because of a family emergency. Knowing that such things can happen, I refunded the sale price and the buyer agreed to return the light as soon as he received it. I know I could have waited for the light to be returned before making the refund, but the buyer expressed the need to have the refund as soon as possible.

The light came back home today, but the postman wanted postage due for $8.75: the cost of Priority Mail, Insurance, and Delivery Confirmation. I paid it but it just made me a bit sour for about 10 minutes since I am now out the cost of mailing both ways. The loss of the sale itself doesn't bother me nearly as much as the dang cost of the shipping to the original destination and back again.

Probably will post it again on BST soon. Hope the buyer doesn't have an emergency.

Edit: Should make it known the buyer refused delivery on it, so I wound up paying the return shipping.

Awe man, that's a bummer. At least you got the light back. I've been burned by a guy keeping my product after I refuneded the $.

Yes, I'm thankful he was honest enough not to keep it.

that's rough man...

Do you guys think it unreasonable to ask the buyer to pay for the shipping since he was the cause for these expenses? At the least, he should pay for half the total shipping costs in my mind. If it were me, I think I would have only refunded the item price minus shipping when he requested a refund. His emergency doesn't necessarily equal your loss.

Sam

You should probably check with the Postal Service with regards to what you should have been charged, but unlike First Class Mail, I don't think any of the other classes of mail include free forwarding or return, whether you be the recipient or the sender. Don't know if you should have been charged Insurance or Delivery Confirmation, but I'm pretty sure you are responsible for the Priority Mail charges coming back to you if the recipient refused delivery (or surrender the package as unclaimed if you did not want to pay the return shipping charges.) It's no different if you used one of the private small package carriers either, you'd have to pay to have the parcel returned if delivery was refused.

tattoou2 said:

This is not really a jeer nor a cheer. Rather it is an expression of mild disappointment with the cost of selling and shipping lights..

Edit: Should make it known the buyer refused delivery on it, so I wound up paying the return shipping.

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Dang! I didn't think of refunding the cost minus the shipping...that's my fault!

As far as the USPS is concerned, I'm on a rural route where the postal delivery people change almost constantly. I believe most of them are sub-contracted, and probably don't know all that much about the postage fees, etc. Yeah, I was a little disgruntled about having to pay the same cost to get the light back into my hands as I had to mail it out. Funny that I had to sign a delivery confirmation to myself! At least the PO took good care of the package...received it in the same condition it was sent. No visible signs of package abuse whatsoever.

I'm just happy to have gotten the light back. Perhaps this should be a cheer for the USPS!

tattoou2 said:

This is not really a jeer nor a cheer. Rather it is an expression of mild disappointment with the cost of selling and shipping lights..

Recently I sold my HDS U60GT on BST. The buyer was a new member of CPF who shall remain anonymous. The light sold quickly and I was promptly paid per paypal as I had requested. I mailed the light via Priority Mail with delivery confirmation and insured the very next day. While the light was enroute to the buyer, I received an email from the buyer requesting a refund because of a family emergency. Knowing that such things can happen, I refunded the sale price and the buyer agreed to return the light as soon as he received it. I know I could have waited for the light to be returned before making the refund, but the buyer expressed the need to have the refund as soon as possible.

The light came back home today, but the postman wanted postage due for $8.75: the cost of Priority Mail, Insurance, and Delivery Confirmation. I paid it but it just made me a bit sour for about 10 minutes since I am now out the cost of mailing both ways. The loss of the sale itself doesn't bother me nearly as much as the dang cost of the shipping to the original destination and back again.

Probably will post it again on BST soon. Hope the buyer doesn't have an emergency.

Edit: Should make it known the buyer refused delivery on it, so I wound up paying the return shipping.

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WoW! Bummer, hope you didn't get stuck with PP fees too.

Radio said:

WoW! Bummer, hope you didn't get stuck with PP fees too.

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I did! :thumbsdow

Wow I guess you got punished for withdrawing it from me


Mac

The USPS does not seem to be the one at fault here (although I do concur that mailing fees can be excruciatingly high). The buyer should have paid for all shipping costs. To have refused the package so that you got stuck with return shipping costs is a slap in the face as thanks for doing a favor.

Perhaps the buyer didn't realize what he/she was doing, and will see this thread, and do the right thing by reimbursing the postage to you.

I haven't paid for the return of a package when it is unopened and has been marked 'RETURN TO SENDER' on the box. I've had an International package be returned from overseas without any additional $$$ due.

Reread your post... REFUSED notation might have changed things...

cmacclel said:

Wow I guess you got punished for withdrawing it from me


Mac

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Mac, I really don't think either fate, nor the alignment of planets, nor the gods had anything to do with it. Simple: if you want it, paypal or offer something substantial in trade. and stop beating

litho123 said:

I haven't paid for the return of a package when it is unopened and has been marked 'RETURN TO SENDER' on the box. I've had an International package be returned from overseas without any additional $$$ due.

Reread your post... REFUSED notation might have changed things...

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Yes, the box was marked "refused delivery."

flashfan said:

The USPS does not seem to be the one at fault here (although I do concur that mailing fees can be excruciatingly high). The buyer should have paid for all shipping costs. To have refused the package so that you got stuck with return shipping costs is a slap in the face as thanks for doing a favor.

Perhaps the buyer didn't realize what he/she was doing, and will see this thread, and do the right thing by reimbursing the postage to you.

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Flash, I'm not holding my breath. I emailed the buyer today, but have not received a reply.

Tattoou,

I think Mac was saying that in jest, and maybe your return was as well, but it sure seems a little harsh.

If you are going to vent about the injustice of it all, if would seem polite to allow others to vent about what they perceive as injustice, too!

Just my 2 cents, unasked for an probably unneeded!!

Bill

bwaites said:

Tattoou,

I think Mac was saying that in jest, and maybe your return was as well, but it sure seems a little harsh.

If you are going to vent about the injustice of it all, if would seem polite to allow others to vent about what they perceive as injustice, too!

Just my 2 cents, unasked for an probably unneeded!!

Bill

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Defintely not necessary. Do all of you amateur modders stick together? Not impressed by anything you say or do, my friend! Now go back and play with your USL's.

Furthermore, there should be a policy about crapping on somebody's thread or do you think you're too good for that?

tattoou2 said:

Defintely not necessary. Do all of you amateur modders stick together? Not impressed by anything you say or do, my friend! Now go back and play with your USL's.

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Defintely a Class act here This has nothing to do with modders...........after you withdrew this light from me and then re-posted it the next day I got PM's from around 10 members with not one being from a modder expressing there opinion of how your actions where not honorable.

There are mean people everywhere even here in CPF land




Mac

cmacclel said:

Defintely a Class act here This has nothing to do with modders...........after you withdrew this light from me and then re-posted it the next day I got PM's from around 10 members with not one being from a modder expressing there opinion of how your actions where not honorable.

There are mean people everywhere even here in CPF land




Mac

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Learn how to spell and then you might be more convincing! I also received pms expressing how much of a whiner and "got to have your own way" kind of guy you are, mac!

I can continue this as long as you wish, mac!