I send out books all the time with printed postage with DC, bought here on PBS, and mail them out in a blue collection box. I've never had a problem. Then I get home today and 4 books that I mailed the other day are sitting on my desk with this note attached: "We regret that your mail was not collected or is being returned to you due to heightened security requirements. All mail that bears postage stamps and weighs more than 13 ounces MUST be taken by the customer to a retail service associate at a Post Office."

Okay, but I used printable postage with DC thru this site, which according to USPS.com is in fact allowed to be put in a collection box when it is over 13 oz because it is considered PC postage.

So what gives? Why all of a sudden were these books returned to me? I've posted 8 books in the last 3 days and only 4 were returned? Anyone have any ideas? Also, they are not going to make me pay for shipping again are they?

Thanks in advance!

Take them to the post office and ask them WHY they were returned, pointing out  they all have the pre paid postage on them.  Be assertive and No, you shouldn't

have to pay postage.....rasie a stink if necessary!

Edited because I can't spell today

I've pulled up USPS and PBS and printed off both places where it says over 13 oz is accepted in blue boxes so long as I use a printable pc postage (ie: traceable). I probably am going to have to raise a fuss. I've already let all the members who are waiting for these know the situation so they don't think I am jerking them around.

I have found that there are some PO clerks that dont know the policies, or the complete policy of the 13 oz rule. I once took two book packages with stamps on them to the PO and handed them across the counter to the clerk. Both were both brought back to my house the next day with that message stamped on them, right next to the Media Mail stamp the clerk had put on them the day before. Needless to say I was not a happy USPS customer when I went back with them to the same PO.

It is a rule that never quite made sense to me. If a package over 13 ozs is returned to the sender, the "suspect" package is still in the mail system while it is being returned. And what is to prevent someone who is mailing something dangerous from buying printed postage somewhere with a bogus or stolen credit card?

It reminds me of the questions at the airport: "Did you have your luggage in your posession the entire time?" We all know that terrorists dont lie or cheat or steal.

Cheryl I always thought the same thing. And can't they make super tiny bombs now?  Why was 13oz the magic #? 

My answer may not be popular here, but I'm going to state it anyway ...

Some flunky in Washington wanted to be seen "doing something", so came up with the brilliant idea of lowering the limit to make the govt. look as though it was "on top of a situation" that doesn't exist - or is an incredibly remote possibility.

Cheryl --

I asked here once that if the package blew up, how they'd know who sent it (with non-stamp postage), and received the vague answer from a P. O. person: "Well, you'd be surprised how they can re-contruct (the postage label) ...." I'd find it hard to believe enough would remain for them to trace  anything myself.

Has anyone ever handed over a stamped package, and had the clerk note your ID in writing (a logbook), or do they just accept it, and slap on a $0.00 strip? If the former, and even if they have cameras and could (highly unlikely) identify a likely suspect, the person could've changed their appearance for the transaction?

Megan, sounds like inadequate USPS employee training.  Go ask questions and make a fuss if necessary, your package was mailed correctly.

I've heard the 13 oz rule works under the assumption that 'the bad guys' would not go inside to purchase postage, or hand a dangerous package over the counter.