out from PBS is not valid?  Now this may have been because my package was over 13 oz and I had stamps on it and mailed from the Post Office at the Grocery Store (which apparently is either not a post office or was not aware of the the new over 13 oz postage rule).  But I got a call from my local PO where the book was taken and told that I still owed money if I wanted it to go with delivery confirmation.  I had $2.46 in stamps on it which according to PBS should have been more than enough.  She said she didn't know what website I was using to print off the labels, but that it was not official and I needed to use THEIR DC label or go to someplace like paypal or click N ship.

Anyone know anything about this?

Susan

she must not be familiar with the DC but my understanding is that you have to pay the PO $0.18 for the DC and can't put extra stamps on there for the difference.

But I've mailed packages at a blue box with stamps on it in the past with no issue.  So I do not understand what the problem is.

Susan

You might want to check out the posts regarding recent changes in what can be dropped in a box. There's been one or two discussions recently... ;-)

Nutshell: Anything over 13 oz using regular postage stamps can no longer be dropped in a box or left for the carrier. If using metered postage (e.g, APC postage, Paypal, Click-n-ship), then it's still ok regardless of weight.

I saw those discussions thanks.  But I don't see why that should affect the DC option at PBS.  But if the post office is telling me that it's not valid then I'd like to know why and I want to see if someone at PBS knows anything about it.

Susan

you might want to find another postal employee and ask them.  I always thought that with the DC that you had to have them scan it and pay the $0.18 for it to be valid, but I don't use DC so don't know for sure.

Also, with actual stamps (and not postage from the APC) you cannot put anything over 13 oz in the blue box.  most paperbacks don't exceed 13 oz but oversized ones probably will.  just a heads up.

I had the same thing happen yesterday, Susan. When I handed it to the (surly) PO employee, she told me the postage wasn't correct.

I just sucked it up and paid the difference, but made a mental note to not give packages to her again.

Hey Mimi!  Glad to see I'm not the only one but I still don't know if this is a random thing or a real problem.

Susan

I don't know either - we'll see next time I mail something out.

I think you'll find the information you need here, Susan! http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/view_topic.php?t=55193

(It's a similar discussion on this topic from June.)

ETA explanation.

Thanks for that thread link!  That really helps.

Susan

When I use PBS DC, I just add another 18¢  in stamps and have never had a problem. Sometimes I send them from my mailbox, and sometimes I take them to the counter, and they scan them in if I ask them to do so. Guess our postal employees are more friendly than some.
Harlean from Arkansas

Well I was told by a postal employee today that media mail cannot be left in the mailbox for the carrier to pick up. He told me that it has to be brought in to the PO to be mailed. I sure wish they would all get their "stuff" together.

Dory

"Well I was told by a postal employee today that media mail cannot be left in the mailbox for the carrier to pick up. He told me that it has to be brought in to the PO to be mailed."

-------

Just in case it's not completely clear yet, this is true IF:
A) it's over 13 ounces,
AND
B) the postage is regular postage stamps

Regular postage stamps are ok if it's NOT over 13 oz,. Also, metered postage is ok with any weight.

"I sure wish they would all get their "stuff" together."

--------

Indeed...

I asked specifically about that (I use Paypal for shipping, not stamps) and the books I had today were under 13 oz. He said it didn't matter, had to bring them to the counter to mail *shrug*

Dory

Dory - he might just be like my mailman.   He simply will not pick up packages.  PERIOD done deal.  When I complained to the local PO I was told it's the carriers option (which I took as meaning I had to put up with it because they were not going to do anything about him).   Maybe your mail man simply won't take packages, like mine.

Not having a mail box at my house (mine is in a group at the end of the road) I'm not 100% sure about pickups at home, but what I was told for carrier pick up is that at least one item has to be priority mail or express mail.

Not having a mail box at my house (mine is in a group at the end of the road) I'm not 100% sure about pickups at home, but what I was told for carrier pick up is that at least one item has to be priority mail or express mail.

I think that rule applies if you're using the "schedule a pickup" option on the website.

I went to a small Po in the back of a card shop and they told me they don't accept anything less than .75 for DC.. they said it's a usps thing, not their rule. i had DC already on the package from here and she asked what that was and refused to believe it was DC, even though it says plainly e/DC and then the #  She got out on of their green DC cards and started filling them out. I asked why i needed two DC slips on the package. She put hers over mine! She got really rude and told me choke up the .75 for each of the books (there were 6) or don't send them out. They needed to go out, so i paid it.  She wouldn't even give me the sharpie on her counter to darken out the DC i printed out on here. She told me I could buy one up front!!!!!

Oh well.. Never ever going there again, and neither will anyone I know!

The one in the back of the card shop isn't a Post Office and the people working there aren't very well trained.  It's also doubtful they can even scan anything into our system.

On the other hand we have members who have the same problem at real post offices for the same reason, not very well trained or have forgotten it because it's something they have never seen.

PLEASE NOTE:    

The suggested postage by PBS is not an exact science!!!  It is based on the size of the book first entered under that particular ISBN. The weight may or may not have been correct to begin with - then, along come other editions with the same ISBN, but different fonts, paper, binding, etc., and the weight is no longer the same.  Also - it is based on using the two sheets of paper with the PBS label.  If you use some other packaging, that also changes the weight...  If you don't have a scale at home, you SHOULD have it weighed at the PO...