I have a package at the post office but I have to pay the postage on it before I can receive it? Can someone tell me why that is? I didn't realize that we had to pay the postage on the books we RECEIVE from other people. I'm a little on the angry side about this. What do I do about it?

If you have to pay postage, it means the package arrived POSTAGE DUE. This means that either there was a problem in the post office, or the sender didn't put the correct postage on the package.

If it was a problem with the post office, they should be able to sort that out for you. If it's a problem with the sender, you can mark the books received with a problem and ask for a refund of your credit.

Normally, this shouldn't happen, but it does sometimes!

Go there and find out what the problem was.

Could be a USPS error and you can get it without paying. 

Could be a book you sent and it came back for some reason.

Could be the sender didn't put enough postage on it, or it got bumped because they used priority products.

If it was the sender's fault, you can refuse it and it will go back to them postage due. You can ask the PO to hold it for a few days and PM the sender to see if they will send you the postage or a credit to cover it.

If it is your fault, address wrong or something, then you will have to eat the additional postage.

What if the sender won't give me a refund?

If the sender won't refund the $, you can either accept the package and be out whatever it costs, or refuse to accept delivery of the package, at which point it will be returned to the sender, postage due.

I would definitely check with the post office, and like the others said, you can decide whether you want to pay the extra postage for the book or not.  If you don't, the book will be returned to the sender and they can decide whether to resend it or let it go "lost" and you'll get your credit back.

It also could be as simple as say .13cents due. This member may have placed the "suggested postage" on the package and it may have been wrong in the system. I agree with the others. Check with the PO and see what the issue is then decide what you want to do. If you refuse and it gets sent back to her then all you have to do is let the book go lost and you'll get your credit back.

You shouldn't be angry. Things happen it life and it could very well be a mistake. If I accidentally sent a book out with postage due, I'd want someone to let me know so I could reimburse them. It's possible the person's scale could be slight off if they send from home, a stamp could have come off, any number of things. I wouldn't jump to conclusion that someone deliberately made you pay postage. Just my thoughts.

I have to agree that at this point there is nothing to get upset about. Honest mistakes happen. Is there anyone who hasn't made one? Possibly the sender used the PBS suggested postage and it was wrong. That happens. PBS gets the weight info on books from an outside source and that info isn't always correct.  An honest mistake on their part. Wrapping material can significantly change the weight and affect the postage amount.  I would give the sender the benefit of the doubt and if it was their error at least give them a chance to correct it.

Help Center sez

• I received a book postage-due!

I also wanted to point out that postage due is NOT a RWP transaction so please, if you do accept the book and pay it without reimbursement, don't mark it that way. Postage due books should be received normally and then in the PBS info box you can put in that it arrived postage due and whether they would or wouldn't reimburse you.