Post Office undercharged?

littlesheepy

Help!
I've just got back from the post office after posting some ebay items.
When i've had a nosy through my receipts, i've realised that i've sent something to Mexico, which i've charged £8.30 postage for (to the ebay buyer) but on my receipt says i've paid £3.30 to post (i normally refund buyers if i've quoted wrong and overcharged) but after looking into why i seem to have made such a huge mistake, i've realised it's not me, but the post office have charged me wrong! I've posted a magazine and the printed receipt says weight 0.002kg which is obviously wrong
Is the parcel going to get there or the buyer be charged for insufficient postage? Not sure what to tell the buyer, as either he's owed nearly £5 or i'm going to end up with an unhappy buyer. Alternatively, if i say i think there's going to be a problem, even if it gets there ok, are they're likely to try it on and get money out of me?? HELP PLEASE?!?!!

Crowqueen

First of all, you are going to have to take any request for extra payment seriously (that is, if they charge the buyer extra to receive underpaid items). They won't be 'trying it on' if that happens - and they will probably be annoyed since it's your mistake and not theirs.

The main priority now is to sort it out - either go back and sort it out with the post office, or if you think you have overcharged refund them.

This is your responsibility - the PO may have made the mistake but you are the one whom the buyer paid so you are going to have to take the buyer at their word and refund.

Unfortunately it may be too late to directly recall the item, particularly if it has been collected from the PO.

littlesheepy

Crowqueen wrote: »

First of all, you are going to have to take any request for extra payment seriously (that is, if they charge the buyer extra to receive underpaid items). They won't be 'trying it on' if that happens - and they will probably be annoyed since it's your mistake and not theirs.

The main priority now is to sort it out - either go back and sort it out with the post office, or if you think you have overcharged refund them.

This is your responsibility - the PO may have made the mistake but you are the one whom the buyer paid so you are going to have to take the buyer at their word and refund.

Unfortunately it may be too late to directly recall the item, particularly if it has been collected from the PO.

Oh no, i don't mean i expect not to give the person any money they're charged etc. or the money that they will have overpaid. However, is it not something, that if they do charge the buyer for underpayment, that i can claim back off the post office? To me, they've weighed it, printed a label and given me a receipt. If it hadn't have been an ebay item, i wouldn't have even checked or known i'd underpaid? I will contact the buyer and let them know the situation and to expect there may be a problem at least.

BigJonnyB

if a label was printed (i.e. as opposed to the item having stamps put on it) you should be ok. RM don't 'revenue check' POL labelled items as any mistakes are clearly not the customers fault. The only time they check them is when they are checking that we are charging the correct rates etc, and that doesn't impact the customer at all...

littlesheepy

BigJonnyB wrote: »

if a label was printed (i.e. as opposed to the item having stamps put on it) you should be ok. RM don't 'revenue check' POL labelled items as any mistakes are clearly not the customers fault. The only time they check them is when they are checking that we are charging the correct rates etc, and that doesn't impact the customer at all...

Thanks ever so much. I've emailed the buyer to try and explain but worry how understandable they'll be as they may not fluently understand English, but i have tried at least. Hopefully it'll arrive safely and i can refund them the difference, meaning they've gotten lucky. Just hoping they don't try and charge him some ridiculous amount and he doesn't understand why. Thanks for your answer

Crowqueen

Absolutely. Sorry - it was the words 'trying it on' that made me nervous.

I believe you can claim if it was their fault - but proving that may be difficult. Keep your receipts safe.

Personally if there was nothing more I could do to get the item sent properly I would refund the overcharge now - and then be prepared to fork out again. But given you think the clerk has put it through wrongly, I would also be ready to kick up a fuss if the worst comes to the worst and there is trouble getting the package delivered.

littlesheepy

Crowqueen wrote: »

Absolutely. Sorry - it was the words 'trying it on' that made me nervous.

I believe you can claim if it was their fault - but proving that may be difficult. Keep your receipts safe.

Personally if there was nothing more I could do to get the item sent properly I would refund the overcharge now - and then be prepared to fork out again. But given you think the clerk has put it through wrongly, I would also be ready to kick up a fuss if the worst comes to the worst and there is trouble getting the package delivered.

Thanks, not trying to do anybody out of money. Just don't want the person panicing or anything. I've sent them a message through ebay, so will just see if i get any sort of reply by tomorrow, give them time due to time differences. If i've heard nothing, i'll automatically refund the difference and see what happens later :cool:

macfly

A wrong assumption there. Royal Mail do check packets with pre printed labels. They can't check all of them, but having a PO label gives no immunity.

Obviously_the_best

macfly wrote: »

A wrong assumption there. Royal Mail do check packets with pre printed labels. They can't check all of them, but having a PO label gives no immunity.

I didn't think they checked the ones on the big stamps that were printed at the counter?

BigJonnyB

I own a post office and sorting office and I can categorically state that our packets are not revenue protected.

Pre-printed labels such as paypal/ franking are of course checked - but post office horizon labels are not checked for surcharging purposes. They are only checked for RM to check the post office from which they originate (and that's not very frequently). If there is a problem then POL are now fined - but not the customer as it is our fault/ mistake.

On any packets (bigger items than large letters) we have to cancel stamps on the items for the specific reason that no further revenue checking is undertaken. Pre-paid items such as paypal postage/ franked items are marked if they are underpaid, as I say our own items are only checked if a check is being made on the post office in question itself. Of course, any items that we have put stamps on (i.e standard letters) are completely subject to revenue checking which is why I asked if a label was printed.

The only thing that confuses me is that the OP said their receipt shows a weight of 2g - a post office label can only be printed for items of 20g+ (overseas) so I'm not sure what they PO in question has managed to do...

BigJonnyB

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

I didn't think they checked the ones on the big stamps that were printed at the counter?

They only check them to make sure our scales are accurate/ we're not putting packets through as large letters etc, or as has occassionally happened, to make sure that we're not printing underpriced labels for deliberate gain. None of this would result in customer surcharging though (and it is so rare - our packets have been checked ONCE in a fourteen month period!)