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Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Hi, have a question regarding USPS weight checks for example if you put 8oz when it's really9 or 10oz USPS first class ?
Thanks

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. I have sent so many First Class packages with slight difference of 1-2 OZ and rarely a customer has been overcharged

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

If you print your postage and do this constantly, you will find yourself unable to continue printing postage. The USPS really does not like this and they DO check a certain percentage of packages. It is not something that you want to do to save money. For the small amount saved, you could end up in real trouble.

Having said that, I'm sure everyone makes a mistake now and then. But I wouldn't push it.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Honestly...

I do this sometimes alot, probably shouldn't but its never been a problem.

I've done it with international sales sometimes because the few ounces can cost a decent amount more..

Its not a GOOD thing to do, but you shouldn't have a problem. I think ALOT depends on where you live too. Actually thats a HUGE factor because I live in a very populated area so they most likely don't have time to check.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Ye, something definitely not to be abused but rather save sometimes especially when the weight is on the edge.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

seems to depend on the postal worker at the drop off location. I was dropping off at one place where a lot of my stuff was getting kicked back. I went in and asked and they said " yeah, it's whats her name in the back. She's so annoying".

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

FIRST CLASS they do not check....unless its severely over 13oz. PRIORITY MAIL you bet your ass they check. I was charged an extra $5 one time when a guy sent me a package. He undercut shipping THAT much.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

A few years ago I got a few priority mail flat rate envelope packages returned for insufficient postage. I couldn't get over to the post office during business hours so I just gave them to the mailman and said there's nothing wrong with the postage on these. A couple days later I got the same packages back again. Then I made time to get over the PO and told them about it and they blamed it on the new guy. Not only a major aggravation but people got their orders late. Thankfully they were understanding.

On a somewhat related note I had to return something to an Ebay seller recently. When I've had to do this with any return anywhere before I just packed it up in the same package and marked it return to sender. Never had any problems. But this time they sent it back to me saying I can't do that if the package has been opened. I'm sure that's the rule but it was ignored for so long I figured it would never happen. So I had to pay to ship it back and the cheapest option was Priority and of course I wasn't reimbursed return shipping.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Wow I have not seen that happen - you must have a USPS stickler on the end reviewing the returns...

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I think that major determining factor is how populated the city you live in is.

Like I said I live in one of the most populated cities in America so naturally they simply don't have enough time to check weights of every package because there are so many. Ha...

The recieving city I suppose can check but it comes down the the postal clerk. I'm only talking about a few ounces, when its on the border between first class and priority. If you short it on a pound or pound(s) then you may get someone who is bored or in a bad mood that double checks your weight.

Plus, I never display the weight on the package. I know when they scan they can see it, but that's only when they scan it. They're dealing with thousands of pancakes a day, it's nearly impossible for them to judge a couple ounces, at least imho.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I've had problems with mine not weighing up. And they won't ship them, and will tell me to go print another one.. Even with just a few ounces off.. I agree this isn't a good way to cut corners to save a few bucks..

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I was kind of surprised because I know I'm not the only one who's ever done that. I don't abuse it either since most places I order from provide labels and pay for return postage.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I know the lady at my local post office checks EVERYTHING. I was over like 1/2 a lb and she charged me like $0.15 cents difference. smh

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

If my package weigh like 8.7 oz I will put 8 oz if it weigh 8.2 I will put 8. if its 2 lbs and 13 oz I put 2lbs 13 oz. I dont want usps to not shipped the item because you put really wrong weight. Like putting 8 oz when the actual weight is 10 oz.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Well then you shouldn't be rounding DOWN when its 8.7. :boink:

Its all a matter of where you live.

To each is own.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I have 2 Post Offices that don't check.......I also have 3-4 that check...I avoid those 3-4.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I agree or how big the post office is. I live in a decent size city but there are a few small post offices that I use to drop off. One time they complied about the Zip Code that it was being sent from on the Label being a city over on a Flat Rate Box. Completely ridiculous.

I completely agree the larger the city and area the less likely you are going to run into a problem. On the sending side I use to ship items that were like 14 ozs first class mail and had them charge the customer twice on receiving end like $6 something ridiculous. After that I decided to just play by the rules.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

They complain, because then they don't get credit for it unless it's shipped from a zipcode in their jurisdiction

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

This is where a post office in the hood comes in handy. These employees don't give a funk about all the rules they are supposed too follow. Totally different than 2 miles away where the white guys behind the desk get off being "know it alls". That know it all stickler for the rules sh*t don't fly in the hood. My "inner city" post office will put anything in my po box. Last week they signed for a package that was from UPS and told me I never should have received it being that it was from UPS.

Seriously though sometimes it is good to find someone that just wants to keep the line moving until they can lock the doors at 5pm

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

this is spot on my guy...:ranger:

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I just use drop boxes :)

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

So so true. Learn the post offices. 1 is good, the other is a bunch of dlckheads who return items for literally being 3 ounces over. They dont care, they put it on the scale and said more money plus the postage for returning it. The other place didnt care. I was 1 lb over on a lot of items and they made it.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

It's beyond me that people are so pissed off because they are being charged the correct amount for their postage...

Hey, I ship things that are slightly over what I paid for it. But I'm not going to whine that the post office decided to charge me for something that I KNEW WOULD COST MORE, but I chose to be cheap and try my luck. Jeez. Talk about entitlement generation.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

hey come on now james I thinks its more so just about how annoying it is to have some duche with no life who takes his job too seriously, send your item back for a few ounces I mean comeeeeeeee on :deadhorse:

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Myself and four other major sellers in my City were under postal investigation two years ago. My sample was 4800ish packages in a day and had exactly 48 come back short on postage. 6 were drastically over weight and the remainder were 0.01 ounces over. I sent them ALL back in the mail the next day with no added shipping.

Long story short, sometimes it is 0.01 ounces and sometimes it is a 25lb postage paid priority label that is impossible to know what the paid $$$ at the counter on a 35lb box.

We still do not weight every 3 once package for a 1 in 1000 chance the random package comes to 3.01 onces and we still occasionally place a 25lb label on a 32lb box seeing as it is impossible for a clerk to know what was paid on those...But we do not do it intentionally or regularly.

If the random package comes back in the mail, no big deal.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

They photograph/record every label/package as it goes through the address reader, so it's not too much of a stretch to believe they also check the weight of every package.

That's why, as Jeff says, if you do it a lot they'll start rejecting your packages.

At my post office if you hand a package with online postage to a clerk, the first thing they do is throw it on the scale then look for some reason to reject it.

I take mine to the business district, where they have a huge volume and throw it in the blue drop box, it gets dumped into a truck and taken right to the regional bulk mail center and nobody even looks at it.

Once it's in the mail stream no human touches it again until delivery, and by then it's done and over with.

That said, they'd surely to notice if everyone's package was 2-3 ounces over, then when they load the truck it's overweight at 3/4 full... if this happens a lot you know they're going to crack down on it.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I have heard that before I think it is completely B.S. For lack of a better word it is Postal Nazi's who have nothing better to do. For the post offices that actual scan in the acceptance they know where it was picked up, etc. To this day and I have heard that since like 03' I think that is nonsense.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Not 100% true. Sometimes in smaller areas you get people with nothing to do that will check packages before they go out for delivery. If you have ever had a buyer complain about postage due on delivery than this has happened. It is rarer but it definitely happens.

From what I have seen it tends to be more on first class mail than anything else.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

They do check, you may get away with it sometime sometimes you get a lost package. Try to keep it as legit as possible

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Agree - they can check and if you have a package returned, your shipping times will be screwed up +/- buyer complaint

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Hi,

I send the odd stuff via UPS just this week posted n Airer over 1.2M in height but weight was 8KG. However they normally don't take anything over 1.0M but arrived next day.

However I am aware random sample checks are done and then they can charge you extra if under declared or less postage paid.

Thanks

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

and where'd you get that little tidbit of information. And, for the sake of argument, lets assume a camera takes a picture for information purposes, I'd like to see where it says they keep a record of every label.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Thats false....this is only done on LETTERS, not parcels...

and a machine does it, not a human being....

Put your tin-foil hat away now...

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

What does a tin-foil hat do?

Magic?? :laugh:

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I had a postal employee tell me that if it is 8.1 oz in weight and you pay for only 8 oz, they can return it to you. It is ALWAYS rounded up if over the weight. I think it depends on your local post office too. I use to just get mail from my local route carrier, and had to pay "postal charges due" pretty much every month (order lots of stuff on eb). Got a PO box the next city over, haven't paid a "postage due" charge in over 6 months...

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

Yes, that's right. If you have a postal Nazi, you'll have issues....but 95% of postal workers are too overworked/don't care enough to bother unless you're grossly underestimating the weight.

Re: Do USPS really check weight on prepaid labels ?
 

I used the word 'package' to mean first class mail, which includes first class package.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_I...l_and_Tracking

My kids had a one of those 'how it works' videos about the post office and how it works, and it was shown in that.