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What is the chance of me getting away with this?
 

I drop things off at my local post office all the time. Its on my way when i go to class so i don't really use the pick up service that much. I ship first class mail which is under 13oz. I can only fit 1 item per box, if i put 2 it will be too heavy. So when a buyer buys 2 or more i have to ship in multiple boxes. But when i go to my post office and i drop my items off they never scale them. They just throw them into the a kart and take them out back. I never tried sending something heavier than 13oz but i think i might start doing it. Does anyone know if they weigh the boxes in the back? or if they take it out back it basically means its going to be shipped?

I have a similar set up. But I ship from various names and addresses and one of the clerks caught it that I am bringing in boxes with different names and addresses. I quickly told them I sell for various people and if there is a problem the box goes back to them.

Yes, in most post offices they will randomly check the weight of boxes that are prepaid.

At my old post office before I moved they weighed every single box so I had to be on the money. They held a few boxes back and told me I owed them xxx dollars because I was a few ounces short. :mad2:

I noticed one of the clerks who came out to get the cart picked up one of the boxes looked at the weight on the box and bounced it up and down like she was checking the weight.

I also got nailed for not putting the shipped from address zip code in the box as that particular office wants the credit for the boxes being shipped from there.

Stop trying to scam the post office. Do you not read the financial issues they have already without your petty nonsense?

If you can't afford USPS First Class rates, I think you need to get a day job and leave this forum.

I can careless about their financial issues. I can care less what you tell me about their financial issues. I like to save money. And i will so if i find a way. And i can afford it. But if i can save some money by doing this i will. And no i will not leave this forum. But you may leave this thread if you don't like it.

Sorry but you pissed me off with that post.

I also ship from various names and addresses. Im pretty sure they see it, but they never question it. All of the clerks are actually really helpful and give me a lot of advice on things i never knew before. And they give me free tape :). I drop off boxes there all the time, they even made room on one counter for me where i can just come in and drop them off without having to stand in line or having to go to the clerk and giving it to him. After this i noticed that i could get away with sending heavier items in these boxes.

I investigated this a little bit. The past week i dropped off 5 boxes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at different times. There is a waiting room right next to where the clerks work. But they cannot see it. I sat there for about 2 hours each time except on Thursday. I noticed that each time the boxes were not scaled and just thrown into the kart. I also noticed that when i drop these off nearly before closing they automatically throw them into the kart.

Just a note. If any carrier or handler at the PO feels its heavy they weigh it. These guys do this every day and beleive it or not they have a feel for the weights. an oz or so here and there is fine. When you hit that 13oz threshold is when you have problems.

They have auto scales that will check this limit. not all but some pkgs go into this line.

an oz around the 6oz mark will more than likely make it but going just tiny bit over 13oz will more than half the time cause issues.

I Tried this stuff over and over. Plus grew up in a family that had many postal employees over the years so I know a bit about the inner workings somewhat.

Also sometimes they get caught at the delivery end. then the customer gets a notice that they have to pay .11 cents extra and they get pissed. got a neg over it once for .28 cents. I even charged him a dollar less than the pkg costs but it was still an oz too heavy.

Very irritating.

I found your seller account fyi and i am going to scam the fcuk out of you to teach you a lesson

Everyone likes to save money, but from a buyers perspective, if ive been charged so much postage for my purchase, and when the parcel arrives i find that its not near to what i was charged i get really pissed off, and sometimes even leave neutral or neg feedback depsing on what the seller has to say.

So if you are charging for multiple boxes, post multiple boxes. If youve charged extra for combined postage, combine the postage. Simple.

Nice option on the quick drop.

There is a difference between saving money and stealing. What you are trying to do is stealing. You arent happy when a buyer tries to scam you, so dont try to scam someone else. Sooner or later several things will happen.

A. They will notice and send all your packages back to you over and over again.

B. They will get to the last stop before being delivered, and they will get weighed and shipped back to you, which will void the original shipping label, and you will have to purchase over again.

C. The customer will be forced to pay, which will piss 100% of them off, whether it is .11 or $10

The USPS does this for a living, so you think you are outsmarting them, but I can guarantee you are not. Saving a couple quarters and dollars on random shipping rates, will guaranteed only catch up to you by pissing your customers off, and end up costing you more in the long run.

Yeah, Plus once you get noticed for doing it. I can assure you every package will be weight and will be sent back to you for reshipment. when they get pissed they do that and costs you double.

Almost forgot. Also when you get in their sites you get a nice note when trying to do a postal pickup online as well. It says "call the PO in your local area" Then you call tell them you want a pickup today. They say " address please?" you give it and then they tell you to come in personally from now on. seen it before.

I dont see how trying to rip the post office off is saving you money?
I mean when buyers purchase from you they are paying the postage for the item?
If they are not happy with the postage, they wouldnt bid.

Ripping the post office off is not worth all the hassle, espeically if what KingRay says is correct.

FINALLY, some people backing my argument up. Even my second post got deleted for calling out this member.

His/her past posts are questionable intentions already, then they come right along with another about needing to steal pennies from the Post Office.

I say again, if you can't afford USPS First Class rates which are nearly the cheapest thing available in the USA, then you need to get a d*mn day job.

Ok you guys made some good points. I cant even argue with it. It would be impossible to get away with this for a long time. I noticed that when i drop off these boxes the clerk always shakes them and gets a feel how much the box weighs. Maybe over time the $2.77 i spend would save me a descent amount of money but its not really worth it. You guys win :hail:

I Think Thay Do ,..

I would also like to add that when I first started doing this, yes I thought of this, but at the same time I ended up doing the right thing and paying what I needed to pay. 8 Years later and I have now established not only a relationship with my local USPS, but all my Post Masters as well. I have gotten to the point where I have a huge box sitting at the front door and they simply come and pick it up every morning. Doing the right thing pays off in the long run, and will only help you out in the long run as well. There is a difference from just being a good person and doing the right thing, than trying to cheat the system and get away with as much as you can before you get caught.

What are post masters?

I believe the Post Master is the manager of the local P.O....as in the top banana