I received one of my books today postage due with delivery confirmation.  It says I owe $5.64.  How can this be possible?  I'm not sure what to do since I won't be home to receive the package tomorrow either.

Has this happened to anyone else?

 ETA:  I received a notice from the post office, not the books.

Thanks!

I'm guessing the sender used a priority box and didn't use the priority postage, or something of that nature. You might want to check the help files and see what they recommend. If it were me, I think I might choose not to accept the book rather than have the hassle of trying to get the sender to refund the postage. Though you can try PMing them and seeing if they have any idea what happened and whether they're going to take responsibility.

I have to agree.  Maybe they used a Priority Flat Rate envelope but used the media mail label.  The post office will not retry delivery unless you request it.  You will have to go pick it up.  There should be a phone number on the back of the notice for your post office.  You could call them first to ask why so much postage is needed.

If the PO is willing to hold it for so many days, maybe you can contact your sender if see if they're willing to compensate you for the charges & can do it right away.  That'd have to be with a couple of PBS credits though - if you agreed to use credits to resolve it -  for you to be adequately compensated.  Granted, 2 credits comes to a little more than $5.84 - if bought from PBS - but still, it's reasonable to ask for 2.  You can get them from the BB for $2.75 or even less sometimes.  A PayPal transfer would work if you both have accounts.  Of course the service charges are going to add more onto that - potentially for both of you, if you don't have a premier account or you've reached your limit of how many money transfers you can do with a basic account.

I will call the number and see if they will tell me the reason that so much postage is due.  This package is almost late and came from Hawaii, so I feel bad having it go all the way back. 

I'm still waiting to hear back from the sender to see if they have an idea what could be the problem.  I couldn't believe it was so much postage due. :-)

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

I concur, that much postage due would put the package at the Priority Mail rate.  I'd ask the sender for 2 credits to compensate for the extra postage.  If they don't want to do that, I'd refuse the package and let it make its way back to the sender.  Where they will need to pay the postage due on it and maybe even the return postage.

You'd get your credits back when the books go lost in the mail that way.

I'm going to guess that the sender improperly used Priority Mail matierals - propably turned the tyvek Priority Mail envelope inside out and mailed a book that I'm guessing is over a pound but under 2 pounds.  Media mail cost wold be about $3, but priority from Hawaii (Zone 8) would be $8.70, hence the postage due of $5.64.  The post office does not like it when you use their priority packages materials for non-priority mail shipments.  (Priortiy mail includes delivery confimation in its pricing.)

Thanks everyone.  I"m going to go to the post office to see the package myself.  Even if it is in priority packaging, they sure didn't get the package here as a priority.  It has taken the full PBS allowance to get here, so I will be mad paying priority price for that.

We will see what they say today when I go by.