Real-life MMD: Should I keep paying postage shortfalls?

Former_MSE_Debs

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I keep paying postage shortfalls?

This Christmas and on previous birthdays, I've often received cards or mail with insufficient postage paid and had to pay Royal Mail to re-deliver it, without knowing what I might be receiving. Should I let the senders know this is happening, or does it look ungracious?

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custardy

had to pay Royal Mail to re-deliver it

had the option of you mean?
6 years its been now since price and proportion came in
tell them or don't keep paying?

dawyldthing

My dad did it for both birthday and Christmas last year until I did tell him this year as its rediculous ending up paying more to collect it than what it should have cost in the first place with their pound 'admin charge'!

VT82

I would tell them. Make it light-hearted:

'Bloody Royal Mail. I had to pay to pick up your Christmas card this year! It's impossible to work out how much anything costs to post these days. I always go into the Post Office and get them to tell me. And there's always a bloody queue when I'm on my lunch break. Why can't the old dears go there before twelve or after two?!?!' etc. etc.

daipp

My friend has done this for the last five Christmas cards - I'll be telling him.

whitewing

My relative did this - sent a card clearly marked as 'large letter' on a normal second class stamp. As we usually give cash via online banking I said that I would deduct the amount of the admin charge + insufficient postage off the cash. I thought it would be quite amusing because the person would have queried the strange amount. But I didn't in the end because another family member thought that they would be really offended.

I didn't say anything but I will if it happens again by the same person.

I can still remember it happening years ago with another relative. I never said anything then. It's more the thinking it's going to be something exciting that you could forgive the error and then finding its from little miss careless.....

RandomCake

If you go to the post office, you should be able to see the item before paying it.
RoyalMail will return the item to the sender if you don't pay, and I don't think they charge to return items.
People need to be told, yes, it's embarrassing to have made an mistake, but how much more embarrassing is it for them to realise in 6 years that they've sent dozens and dozens of cards with the wrong postage, costing your friends and family a small fortune!

klint

Last year I received a card from Royal Mail asking me to pay £1.36 to receive a letter that had no stamp on it. I went to the post office to have a look at the envelope before paying. It had no sender details. Out of curiosity, I paid the £1.36 to see what was inside. Guess what it was... a mass marketing mailshot from an estate agent!

ronangel

klint wrote: »

Last year I received a card from Royal Mail asking me to pay £1.36 to receive a letter that had no stamp on it. I went to the post office to have a look at the envelope before paying. It had no sender details. Out of curiosity, I paid the £1.36 to see what was inside. Guess what it was... a mass marketing mailshot from an estate agent!

I would have placed in a larger envolope and addresed it to the manager/md and posted it back without stamp.....:)

custardy

ronangel wrote: »

I would have placed in a larger envolope and addresed it to the manager/md and posted it back without stamp.....:)

yah,that would have shown them....


oh wait,its addressed to RM
so like all RM mail. it wouldnt even be charged

cazpost

I would definitely tell them.How many letters are they sending out with the wrong amount on? I wouldnt say 'you are costing me money' as that does sound ungracious,just say 'I dont know if you realised,you have to pay more for large letters now'. If they are offended then they probably wont send you any more cards, but does that matter that much?