We have a local shipping store just around the corner from my house. The Shipping Outlet. For those of you in my neighborhood – it is the one right by CiCi’s Pizza.
I have been going here as long as I have lived in this house… and even though I am not in there all the time, after 7 years, the owner there knows me by name. I love that she was always friendly and helpful. She would always weigh the item, set it aside and “take care of it later” so I could get in and out as fast as possible.
Sometimes the UPS prices were a little higher. Sometimes I walked away wondering how something got so expensive to ship. But I felt the personal service made up for it.
Until today.
I took in about 65 Christmas cards to mail. The cards were Christmas Card size, maybe a little bigger. The gal that I have been waited on for 7 years was there and she greeted me as usual. Then she said ALL the cards were oversized. We went through the routine. She weighed them, set them aside, saying she would take care of it later, and said each one would be $0.76.
Nearly $50 later, I drove away feeling like something wasn’t right. It really can’t be that much. So, ignoring the other things I had to do, I drove to the post office.
I asked an attendant there to measure the card. And guess what?
NOT OVERSIZED!
Suddenly, everything became very clear. By setting these things aside, she could affix the right postage after I left. While I was there however, she could tell me an amount that was more than what it really was. Pocketing the difference.
Now, maybe I am horribly wrong, but this gal has been around long enough to know what an oversized envelope was. How many times have I been tricked into paying just a little more for something? I began to remember all the instances she had done this sort of thing. All the times something felt too expensive.
Well, I went back to the Shipping Outlet and got a refund on the difference. She wasn’t happy. I could tell from her comments and body language that she knew she had been caught. I only hope she really mails my Christmas Cards and doesn’t shred them.
From now on, I think I will stick with the Original. The One and Only. USPS.
What do you think? Was she just being sneaky or do you think this was an honest mistake?
11 comments:
Ugh. Stuff like that just makes me sick. I'm so glad you stood up for yourself and got your refund.
It would have been fun to let them get shipped and then check with somone who received one to find out how much postage she put on it.
I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt at Christmastime though, so I'll vote for she eyeballed it and overestimated, but would have put on the amount of postage she charged you for, even if it was a pretty liberal interpretation of the size guidelines :)
Oooo. That's just not right. I'm glad you caught her in it! I wouldn't be back either.
Oh my gosh that is terrible that someone would do that. Its amazing that she hasn't ever gotten caught until now. Good for you for going back and getting a refund.
SNEAKY!!! Glad you got your money back. I hope she didn't do it all the times the past...go to the Hallmark by Bashas next time, they are a USPS affiliate and are very friendly.
Soooo glad you went back AND got the refund. Yikes!
I really hope she just made a mistake. I guess I trust people way too much. Good for you for trusting your gut and getting a second opinion, and for getting a refund.
You'd think if she really made an "honest" mistake, she would have gone the extra mile to keep your future business by offering a future discount or something. Oh, where has customer service gone these days?
I think sometimes I am WAY too trusting. I always want to believe that people are honest. But if you ask my husband, who owns a business--most people would rip you off and not think twice about it. It's all about their bottom line. Way to watch out for YOUR bottom line! And if you go to USPS--just don't go down to Falcon Field--it's a ZOO down there!
Wow, that's an amazing story! I had heard that they charge more for postage at those places, but never tried to mail a letter there before.
I'm sorry, but I think she knew...by they way she acted when you went back, she had to know.
Is there an 800 number you can call to report her?
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this is crazy! glad you went back.
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Wow! That is so sad!! I'm sure that she was and has been incorrectly overcharging you. Especially after all of those other times of thinking that it was too expensive. At the post office, it seems to always be the opposite, cheaper than it seems like it should be. Stick with the post office. Yeah, and make sure your recipients receive their cards, unharmed. What is this world coming to???
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