USPS Revenue Assurance Postage Adjustment -- anybody else got one? (2 Viewers)

[WedgeRock]

TLDR: I sent two identical LFRB packages, paying $22.80 each. Both were delivered, but on one, I got a notice that "A discrepancy has been identified for a label on your account." I disputed that, but USPS denied the dispute and claims $54.55 is additional postage is due (on a LFRB that weighed ~18 lbs!), but the identical LFRB had no issue.

USPS has not added the charge to my USPS account (yet) and they have not auto-billed my credit card (yet).

Anyone ever dealt with this before?

=====

So a few weeks back, I picked up 1650 chips in Versa-type cases locally for a PCFer. The chips came in three cases, inside a 12x16x12 Home Depot Heavy Weight shipping box. The whole package weighed about 40 lbs.

After talking with the buyer, it was decided to ship the cases (one with 50 chips) separately, then ship the chips in two LFRB with 800 chips each.

On May 22, 2023, I added some protection for the cases, packaged them up, pre-printed postage at home ($67.85 for Priority), then dropped that package off at the Post Office, picking up 4 LFRB while I was there.

Then I went home and double-boxed 2 LFRB packages, each with 800 chips. I printed labels for each ($22.80 each) and dropped them off at the Post Office.

The Post Office accepted all packages and gave me two receipts (one for the box with the cases and one for the 2 LFRBs). Packages were delivered on May 26 (the cases and one LFRB of chips) and May 27 (the second LFRB of chips). The byer confirmed everything arrived safely.

On May 31, 2023, after the packages were delivered, I got a notice from USPS that a Postage Adjustment was created on my USPS account for one of the LFRB and that additional $54.55 was due (this was the LFRB that was delivered on 05/26/23). I disputed the charge with USPS (because I used a flat rate box and the package was well under 70 lbs, probably about 18 lbs), but on 06/03/23, I got a notice that my dispute was denied.

The post office is claiming that the package "A discrepancy has been identified for a label on your account." How is that possible when I used flat rate boxes? Why was the identical box not flagged for the same?

I've been checking my USPS account, and there is no invoice yet. I have not shipped anything else using USPS since then. I also checked the credit card used, and USPS has not (yet) charged the additional $54.55.

The buyer was generous and sent $200 to cover the $113.45 in charges, so even if I have to pay it, I won't be out of pocket. I just hate the thought of paying USPS $75+ for a LFRB that is priced at $22.

Has anyone had this happen before and if so, what was the result?

 

[KHarp1]

Never heard of anything like this from USPS. I'm guessing that you do a fair amount of business with them since you have an account and a card on file. I would immediately remove my card from that account, maybe even go so far as reporting that card as lost, so they can't just arbitrarily add charges to it. Good luck trying to get it overturned with this government agency.

 

[WedgeRock]

I have an account with them so I can print labels at home when shipping. Pretty sure it comes with PCF membership, but I could be wrong.

I don't ship that often, though, and I don't keep a card on file.

 

[TheOffalo]

Could you have accidentally used a Priority Mail non-flat rate box? I noticed in your picture it says "Mailing Box" on the side:

I looked at a LFRB I have in person and also on the USPS site, and it says "Large Flat Rate Box" on the side:

Instead, you may have used their "7" box:

In which case you would be charged by weight. This box says "Mailing box" and has another line of text that goes past the word "Box", which matches the box in your pic. (Unlike the LFRB, where the second line of text is shorter.)

 

[doublebooyah85]

Yep. Just found out today there is usps priority boxes by weight… @TheOffalo nailed it.

 

[aggie]

Could you have accidentally used a Priority Mail non-flat rate box? I noticed in your picture it says "Mailing Box" on the side:

View attachment 1148020

I looked at a LFRB I have in person and also on the USPS site, and it says "Large Flat Rate Box" on the side:

View attachment 1148021

Instead, you may have used their "7" box:

View attachment 1148022

In which case you would be charged by weight. This box says "Mailing box" and has another line of text that goes past the word "Box", which matches the box in your pic. (Unlike the LFRB, where the second line of text is shorter.)

This.

Also pirateship.com

 

[WedgeRock]

Could you have accidentally used a Priority Mail non-flat rate box? I noticed in your picture it says "Mailing Box" on the side:

View attachment 1148020

I looked at a LFRB I have in person and also on the USPS site, and it says "Large Flat Rate Box" on the side:

View attachment 1148021

Instead, you may have used their "7" box:

View attachment 1148022

In which case you would be charged by weight. This box says "Mailing box" and has another line of text that goes past the word "Box", which matches the box in your pic. (Unlike the LFRB, where the second line of text is shorter.)

That's some bait and switch shit right there. FR boxes and by-weight boxes should be visually distinguishable.

Buyer could confirm, but that's a good theory. All four boxes were from the same stack at the Post Office, so the other box should've been flagged too. And the clerk should have notified me that I had insufficient postage at shipping.

 

[HeWhoWouldPun]

That sucks. Thank you for sharing though.

Today I learned that there are identical looking USPS boxes with slightly different text that results in very different shipping rates.

 

[doublebooyah85]

That sucks. Thank you for sharing though.

Today I learned that there are identical looking USPS boxes with slightly different text that results in very different shipping rates.

They are different shapes/sizes

 

[BarrieJ3]

They are different shapes/sizes

There are some almost exactly identical boxes that are flat rate and not flat rate.

That's some bait and switch shit right there. FR boxes and by-weight boxes should be visually distinguishable.

Buyer could confirm, but that's a good theory. All four boxes were from the same stack at the Post Office, so the other box should've been flagged too.

I've done this. REPEATEDLY. I go grab flat rate boxes come home and pack up all the chips. Sometimes I've realized in the moment when I stack my 10 outgoing LFRBs that one isn't flat rate. What a pain to completely unpack and repack.

And the clerk should have notified me that I had insufficient postage at shipping.

Any time I've made this mistake and not caught it, the clerk has caught it when I go to ship and pay. Super sucks to take home and repack or repack there, once I even just sent it and ate the $50 difference because fuck it.

BUT, if you preprinted at home and dropped off, even if you saw them scan it in right there, I don't think it would be on them in that moment to catch your mistake.

 

[WedgeRock]

BUT, if you preprinted at home and dropped off, even if you saw them scan it in right there, I don't think it would be on them in that moment to catch your mistake.

To tell me I didn't use a FRB with an FRB label, and it was going to cost me 300% more, and I needed to add more postage?

I didn't drop it off, I handed it to a postal employee, and she accepted it, with a FR label attached, that clearly said I paid $22.80 in postage.

 

[BarrieJ3]

To tell me I didn't use a FRB with an FRB label, and it was going to cost me 300% more, and I needed to add more postage?

I didn't drop it off, I handed it to a postal employee, and she accepted it, with a FR label attached, that clearly said I paid $22.80 in postage.

I know it's semantics, but you handed it off as in you stood in line, stepped up to a kiosk, handed it over and had them scan it in and they verbally confirmed edlabel/payment/etc.?

If it was a handoff to the drop off area/person, from what I've seen in like 80ish trips dropping off at USPS across the US, they simply scan and toss it back with no checks and balances. I would anticipate they contact me to fix the issue when it's discovered (my phone number and such is on all preprinted slips), I too would be surprised by receiving the surcharge after the fact.

 

[DoubleEagle]

Use Pirate Ship. Saves a ton of money.

 

[jschips]

I have had packages returned for insufficient funds before after creating a label on the USPS website with the exact weights and dimensions. It can be frustrating every once in awhile. But good to learn to pay attention to the boxes.

 

[TheOffalo]

Noticed something different today at the PO.

Background: I’ve dropped off two dozen packages this week as part of reshipping a GB. I almost always wait in line and have a postal worker scan in the prepaid packages. On Tuesday, however, the line was really long, so I dropped some packages in the secure drop but then one of the packages’ tracking status didn’t update overnight even though all the other packages I dropped off that day updated their status.

So yesterday, the line was long again but I waited in it and had the postal worker scan in each package, same as every other time I’ve waited in line.

Today, though, the postal worker scanning in my packages did something different! For each item that used USPS-provided packaging (SFRB, FRPE, non-flat rate Priority Mail envelopes/boxes, etc.), after scanning the tracking bar code, she also had to scan the bar code on the packaging itself!

(It was not optional; I had a package where the envelope bar code was covered up, so she asked me to grab one from the shelf so she could scan it.)

I have to think that this is a double-check to make sure the postage being used matched or was compatible with the packaging being used. So hopefully this would avoid the issue @WedgeRock encountered!

Has anyone else seen this at their local PO? I mean maybe it’s a new policy that got put in place just starting today, considering I didn’t see it at the same PO yesterday…

 

[ReallyGoodUsername]

Noticed something different today at the PO.

Background: I’ve dropped off two dozen packages this week as part of reshipping a GB. I almost always wait in line and have a postal worker scan in the prepaid packages. On Tuesday, however, the line was really long, so I dropped some packages in the secure drop but then one of the packages’ tracking status didn’t update overnight even though all the other packages I dropped off that day updated their status.

So yesterday, the line was long again but I waited in it and had the postal worker scan in each package, same as every other time I’ve waited in line.

Today, though, the postal worker scanning in my packages did something different! For each item that used USPS-provided packaging (SFRB, FRPE, non-flat rate Priority Mail envelopes/boxes, etc.), after scanning the tracking bar code, she also had to scan the bar code on the packaging itself!

(It was not optional; I had a package where the envelope bar code was covered up, so she asked me to grab one from the shelf so she could scan it.)

I have to think that this is a double-check to make sure the postage being used matched or was compatible with the packaging being used. So hopefully this would avoid the issue @WedgeRock encountered!

Has anyone else seen this at their local PO? I mean maybe it’s a new policy that got put in place just starting today, considering I didn’t see it at the same PO yesterday…

Thanks for the info. I think they must have done a system wide update on SOPs when they rolled out ground advantage (GA). Before that you could use a single label on multiple packages and it wouldn’t get flagged (almost had something incorrectly go to the EU luckily a 3rd party processing facility caught it before the flight over). Obviously a huge liability if someone could just send 3 LFRBs to the same address for the price of one. Since the GA rollout this happened again and they thankfully flagged it early on (though not at the counter).

 

[ovo]

as far as procedure goes, it just depends how competent the usps employee is , some don't do a complete job and scan packages when they should

 

[TheOffalo]

as far as procedure goes, it just depends how competent the usps employee is , some don't do a complete job and scan packages when they should

I know that's always a possibility, but the interesting thing was when the postal worker asked me to grab a same-style Priority Mail envelope to scan as one that I had used that had its barcode covered up. She could not fully scan in that package until that happened. I think that's new...

 

[ekricket]

I know that's always a possibility, but the interesting thing was when the postal worker asked me to grab a same-style Priority Mail envelope to scan as one that I had used that had its barcode covered up. She could not fully scan in that package until that happened. I think that's new...

They do the same at our post office. We don’t have a drop off option so you have to talk to them. They scan the label for the address or enter it manually, then scan the box code to tell if they need to measure or weigh, then give me my total.

 

[bergs]

I verified the one I just got returned with LFRB. I’m just gonna reprint the label and bring it back tomorrow and they can eat a bag of dicks if they want to send it back.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

Use Pirate Ship. Saves a ton of money.

I know this is an older thread, but for others that may stumble in here - THIS. Using Pirate Ship or Shipstation for printing labels is a big money saver and prevents you from needing to have a USPS account to prepay postage. I believe the LFRB cost is about $19.00, so a savings of almost $4 from what OP paid using the USPS site.

Another tip, don't rely on your local Post Office for your boxes. Mine has plenty of these more expensive ones on hand, but always seems to be out of the flat rate boxes. This is where you DO want to use the USPS site. Flat Rate boxes and padded envelopes are 100% free (including shipping) on their website, and ship directly to your home. What could be easier! I keep some of each size on hand at all times.