About a week or so ago, I had to mail out a large number of packages (22) so I just decided to take them all to the Post Office.  Easier that way.  I just had them wrapped up.  No stamps or anything on them.  Did that, caused a bit of a stir, but got them all mailed away.

A couple of days ago, one of the books (of the 22 mailed out) was returned to me with a sticker saying that due to heightened security packages weighing over 13oz with stamps has to be taken to a postal worker.

The odd thing was that the package now had stamps on it.  Regular mailing stamps, not like metered postage.  I know I didn't put them on there.  I also handed the package directly to the workers at the post office, so even if there had been stamps, it still should have went through fine.

I called the post office, and I tried to explain the situation.  They just asked me to come back out there and send the package out again (a bit of inconvenience, but oh well).  When I showed them the package, they kept asked me if I had put them on there because they didn't sell that particular stamp there.

So basically, I didn't do it, the post office apparently didn't do it (and it's likely, since all the other books got to their destination just fine), so does anybody have any idea what could have happened?  Is it possible that sometime along it's travels that somebody put stamps on it and then somebody else saw them and thought of the regulation and just sent it back to me?

It really makes no sense to me.  I'm waiting now to see if the book gets to the other member or if it winds back up on my doorstep.

Did you get a receipt from the PO when you mailed the books? It should have the amount of postage you paid for all 22 books on it. If you still have it, I would show it to the PO and ask them how could I have put stamps on the package after I had already paid for postage and handed it over to them. It sounds to me that someone at the PO screwed up and just doesn't want to admit it. Just my opinion. I hope the book makes it to its new home this time with no problems.

Pam

That's a good thought.  I guess I was just figuring if the post office did it though then all 22 packages should have been coming back to me.  But no, all the other ones made it to their person.  Just this one came back to me.

I'll make sure to bring the receipt if I have to go back in.  Although I'll probably go to a different post office, lol.

I am thinking that more than likely your PO put those stamps on.  I saw a clerk at out PO putting STAMPS on a package I was mailing.  I asked her about it.  She said "Oh, we are trying to use up all these stamps that haven't sold around here!"  That made sense to me and I certainly didn't mind.   But I'm wondering if they did that to your package instead of putting metered postage on it.  Just ONE possibility. 

Our P.O. is so small that they never use metered postage.  If I'm sending a bigger book, I have to take it to the town 20 miles away to ensure that regular stamps aren't being used.

Wow Shannon, that stinks!

That sounds like it could be definitely possibility, but the one guy there kept insisting that they didn't sell this one particular stamp that was on there (a jaguar I think, lol) so they couldn't have done it.  The woman at the counter though that he showed it to for confirmation was hesitant to agree with him, so it seems like she may have known something he didn't know.

It was a little frustrating since I had to make a second trip out there for that one book.  As long as the book makes it to the other member though, I'll be fine with it.

It just all seemed strange to me, lol.

FYI, If there are stamps on a package that is over 13 oz, the postal clerk should cancel them with a date stamp in front of you.

Naomi

The stamp with the jaguar is a $2 denomination and was current until a year or two ago.  It would be a major convenience to those of us that use stamps for our packages if the $2 denomination were still current----probably, however, there are some PO's that still have supplies of this stamp, and some clerks may not be aware of what all other ones have in their supplies.  If I could find a supply of this stamp, I would probably buy a bunch of them myself.

Winston, was that jaguar one self stick, or did you have to wet it?

My PO is also a very small one (with no mail route), so they don't put metered stamps on it.  I watch the PM put regualr stamps on the packages all the time, and she cancels them when I'm still there. 

Sounds like someone doesn't want to admit a mistake they made

However, Melissa, the more mechanized that the PO get the more hazard in what your PO does. The strip the PO puts on has the zip code on the bar code and that speeds the sort time. We are now told that we are not supposed to hand cancel anything, the PO is more able to keep an accurate count of the mail it processes if we don't. (The cancel machine counts also). I also know that if she is just using stamps on the parcels and not running them on her computer, she is probably shorting her budget for hours, and therefore increasing the possibility that she will be closed if the PO starts closing smaller offices.