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Quick stupid question
 

Does it matter what date your shipping label says on the package when dropping it off at the post office?:rolleyes:

Re: Quick stupid question
 

I never had an issue with dates that were a week old.

The dates I think are more for the post office to keep a check on how well they are doing with timing of the packages.

One time a post office corrected the date with a pen , and told me it was how they check to see the packages are moving from the date mailed which should be the date on the postage

Re: Quick stupid question
 

They refund you for unused postage within 3 weeks, if its not been used. So we could assume it's about 3 weeks probably. Most likely after that it COULD be used but need some extra verification.
But its just assumption

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Sometimes the PO could get antsy....

:heh:

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Sometimes you can get away with using different dates. Sometimes not. Sometimes the USPS will refuse packages that have a different ZIP CODE on them than the ZIP code of the post office you are dropping off at. Sometimes not. It all depends on if you get on their radar or not.

One member got called out for using different return addresses on his packages and they made a big deal out of it. But hundreds of people do this all day long and get away with it.

The bottom line is, the USPS has many, many rules and everyone most likely violates some of them, even unintentionally. Whether or not you can do it depends on if the people at your local post office are jerks or not. But it pays to be careful, because you do not want to get on their radar.

And WHATEVER you do NEVER underpay your postage based on the weight. It is TEMPTING, especially when a 6.1 ounce package has to rounded up to 7 ounces, but if you ever get caught doing it they will be watching you 24/7.

Re: Quick stupid question
 

I was asking because my package randomly went missing. I remember dropping it off at the post office because on that day it was the only package i had to drop.

I never underpay even though my post office told me its ok to be over 1oz but not more. Its just weird that the package hasn't even been scanned at the sorting center when it usually is after it leaves my local post office.

Another thing that worries me a bit is the address thing your talking about. I always change my return address but at the top of the postage where there is the zipcode where its shipped from i just leave it. But then again even if i shipped from different zipcode like the one where i live it wouldn't change the price of postage so i have no idea what happened to it.

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Very true on that. Sometimes they allow it to go through but worse is when they return it to you for underpaid weight

Re: Quick stupid question
 

From mid November onwards, we have more than usual issues with this very thing.

We know for a fact the parcel went to the Post Office..... then nothing. :doh:
This year we have specially not used one Post Office as the staff lack basic customer skills.

And get this,Loopie.... 4 parcels left for pick up disappeared.
:doh:

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Hmm... 4 seems quite fishy. I think this is my first lost package ever with USPS so im not too worried about it. I complained a little bit about it to the post master the other day and he didn't seem to like that. I think next time ill just take the loss and be quiet. I forgot not to irritate people that handle your stuff.

Re: Quick stupid question
 

About a 50 mile away zip code from your actual post office is usually a rule of thumb for me. I've seen beyond that and it gave me problems.

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Really? What did they say to you?

Re: Quick stupid question
 

They refused to send it, went back to sender. I sent a prepaid label to a customer with a zip code from very far away, and they sent it back to my customer.

Re: Quick stupid question
 

My partner finds the same.

Gone are the days when the mail goes through regardless.

More and more, we are getting an attitude of "who do you think you are even coming to this place to post your parcels."

:smash:

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Too true - also too much abuse and potential fraud these days

Re: Quick stupid question
 

Does anyone know how prepaid label packages processing works. Do they scan each and every single package and see details of that label on a computer after a scan or something?

I would imagine its some type of an automated process to be more efficient and editing the zipcode/address on the label should be suffice. I don't see the post office checking every single priority mail or first class package if the zipcode is correct.

In the past a couple times i was in a hurry and got lazy and just straight crossed out the address and put mine next to it and went through fine.