I'm relatively new here and this is my first problem transaction, forgive me if I'm asking a question that's already been asked a hundred times.

I received a postage due notice in the mail today. Went down to pick it up and it is a book I ordered here. I know exactly what it is because it is my only open transaction right now. The sender sent it first class even though it is a heavy book (300+ page hardcover) and she only put $2 worth of postage on it (2 $1 stamps). According to my postal clerk, the first class postage was $5.20 so there was $3.20 postage due. She said even if it had been sent media rate $2 in postage was not enough - it would have been $2.58.

I don't know whether I'm supposed to pay or have the book returned. Normally I wouldn't mind but $3.20 is a lot of postage due. Not to mention it is so obviously the sender's fault and not a postal error. I mean that's almost the cost of a credit. I asked my postal clerk to hold the book for another day and I would check here and find out what I am supposed to do and let them know tomorrow.

I looked in the help files and didn't see anything about receiving a book postage due, but I'm not great with computers and I admit I may have missed something.

Are you able to PM her/him? 

I had that happen once. My dad picked up the book without asking me and paid the postage. The member was nice about it and buddied me a few credits to make up for it.

Do you want the book badly enough to pay the extra money?

Personally, I would send it back without a PM, but that is just because that type of situation annoys me, lol.

I personally would also send it back.  That's just plain idiocy.  You can try PMing her and asking for a credit refund to cover the postage.  As far as I know if they send it back they will charge her the postage due.

I wouldn't accept it. The help center seems to agree:

If you receive a book postage-due that bears your current address on it (it was not forwarded) but you have NOT accepted the package yet, you may refuse it.  It will be returned to sender.   You should contact the sender to let him or her know what happened.

• In this case, you should not mark the book received.

   

  • This is the only time that it is appropriate not to mark a book received  (i you have refused it for postage-due, and are not in possession of the book.)
  • This is the only time that it is appropriate to refuse a package from PBS (if there is postage due)

• When the book is declared "lost in the Mail" at PBS, you will get your credit back.

• You should contact the sender in this case also, to ensure that he or she is aware of the proper cost ofMailing a book.
  • You can contact the sender using the PM button on the En Route Transaction for the book on your En Route to Me tab in My Account.

I think its your call on this, you can refuse at the above post states and not be breaking PBS rules or you can pay the amount and ask them to buddy you a credit to make up for it.  I would PM the member and ask for a credit, stating you only have 24hrs to get the book or else it will be returned to them postage due.  That way you could still get the book and not loose out.

I like Pam's idea.  You can give them a short time to "make this right" by giving you a credit.  Otherwise it becomes their problem of what to do with the book when it returns postage due.

I agree.  I'm glad you didn't accept it, yet.  If you don't hear from her in a short time - refuse it - unless it's a book you can't live without.

Ruth

I wouldn't accept it either, and probably wouldn't PM the member.  It is a member's responsibility to make sure they send books out with proper postage.  I'm surprised it even got to you, and wasn't simply sent back to her marked for insufficient postage.

I guess the (outgoing) postal clerk just zero'ed out the $2.00 without checking to see if the postage was correct? I'm amazed that  obviously heavy one got though!

If it were me, I'd send the book back so that the sender can see what happened.

If there's any postage on the package at all, it's sent along to the receiver postage due.  If there's no postage on the item, then it'd get returned to sender for postage.

Bearing stamps and weighing over 13 oz, it should have been returned to the sender also unless it was accepted by a counter clerk.  But, if it was accepted by a counter clerk they would have checked the postage to be sure it was correct.  I'd guess the receiver meant to send it Media Mail but failed to write that on the package so it was assessed the Priority Mail rate along the way. 

I'd also give the sender the chance to buddy me a credit to make up for the postage due.  Give them a deadline in the PM.  If they don't buddy you the credit, refuse the book and it'll be sent back to them.  Where they'll have to pay the postage due on it.