PLEASE HELP - POST OFFICE TROUBLE

[MyLittleBlueShop]

I never thought I would be asking help for this, but here I am. I will try to make it short.

I sold a low-price item. I shipped it right away with tracking.
Today, seven days later, the envelope is returned to me with a sticker stating "insufficient address"
I called the USPS and asked if I had to pay postage again to re-send. And, if it was their fault, would I still have to pay postage to re-send.
I was informed that if it was my fault, of course I had to pay postage to re-send (I knew this)
If it was their fault, I had to go to my post office and talk to the person in charge to see if they would agree to send it again without charge. Ha!

I always cut and paste the customer's address because I do not want to make any mistakes with addresses, so I know this was not my mistake. I checked with the customer and the address is absolutely correct. Of course my customer does not want to pay double shipping.

I am going to the post office tomorrow to discuss this matter with them.

Now for my question. If it turns out that they insist on a second payment for sending the envelope again, even if it was their mistake, should I cover the cost in the interest of good customer service and client relations? I almost want to do this, but I am a little torn. My customer has been very gracious about this, but I understand how she does not want to pay double shipping, and more so in view of the fact that it was the USPS's mistake in the first place.

What would you do?

Thanks for any help you may offer.

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

Did you print your shipping label with Etsy shipping or Paypal?I'm not sure about Etsy, but I do know that Paypal will alert you if an address appears incorrect. That being said, I would resend at your expense if the post office says you have to pay. It's good customer service.

[Former_Member]

I would just cover the new shipping costs, it's not worth having an angry customer and getting negative back. (And if it's just an envelope, I'm guessing the postage wasn't that expensive to begin with).

Can you ask the customer if they have an alternate address to try, maybe work or a friend's house? That way you can hopefully avoid the problem from happening a second time...

Good luck!

[MyLittleBlueShop]

Thank you both. Actually, the postage was $3.00, the same as the item. That is why neither the customer nor I feel inclined to pay for double-postage for such a small item.

I feel a little silly paying for the USPS's mistake (if it comes to that). Money is kind of tight, so to speak. But then I think, if this creates good will, it is more than worth it. I believe it is just good customer service to go ahead and take the loss, even when it was not my fault.

I think it is a great idea to ask the customer for an alternate address.

[ModernSwitch]

In the way I price my items about .10 cents from every sold item goes towards "Good Customer Service". This way I'm covered for things like having to re ship a returned order, or re make a broken item. It also includes things like wrapping paper or little note cards if I know it's someones birthday. Sometimes on a larger order I'll bump up the shipping to priority, or if I know someone needs something right away I can send it priority as well. Really it's a nice feeling to know I'm covered if I have an issue.

[AnimalFancy]

This situation is just part of doing business. Every business has to eat some cost now and then. Your customer is in no way responsible, and ultimately, it is our responsibility as sellers to make sure a customer gets their purchase. It's just the way it is, so best to just take the loss, ship the item, and hope the customer gets it safely. And then, brush it off, and move on.

As a rule...provide the best customer service possible, and when an issue arises, if it not the customer's fault, then sometimes we just have to go the extra mile or two...and sometimes three or four. :)

[MyLittleBlueShop]

Donna and Crystal,

I have come to the conclusion that my first reaction was right and you just confirmed it. I will go to the post office today to see if they can re-ship free of charge. If not, I am prepared to re-ship at my own expense. Bummer. I know that is how things are. I started as a buyer on Etsy (I still am), and, in a similar situation, I know I would have appreciated the seller taking that extra step (even though I must admit I would have felt uncomfortable knowing that she/he spend her/his own money to re-ship). =)

Thank you all for your good advice.

Best wishes.

[kidsstore]

Unfortunately with all of the changes in the USPS there are going to be more and more delivery issues. It is possible that your customer's route had a substitute delivery person who either didn't know the area or didn't take the extra time to find her address. It is very doubtful that you can prove that the USPS made a mistake where they will resend the package for free. I've been told by postal clerks that the USPS is not the best place to work right now, and their employees are under a lot of stress. Employees are being moved from location to location, job to job, and sometimes getting fired for the least little infraction. Rules and procedures are changing from day to day, and the employees are having a hard time keeping up with them.

As online businesses, we will all have to work through this with the USPS and possibly raise our costs a little to help offset any additional expenses. If it were me I would send it at my expense to make sure I provided the best customer service I could, and then try to figure a fair way for both my future customers and myself to help cover the costs if there are other delivery issues that are neither the fault of my customers or myself. Good luck.

[Former_Member]

Good luck. Keep in mind though, that just because YOUR post office says it's okay to ship, doesn't mean another post office along the way will agree with it and will send it straight back to you again.

I sent out an item and I went to the post office to do it, he categorized it as a letter because the envelope I was using was bendable, so it didn't qualify as a package. Couple days later I got it back saying not sufficient postage. I went to the post office, talked to the same man who I dealt with the other day and he said that another post office must have thought of it as a package and sent it back to me.

Moral of the story, it may NOT have been your post offices fault but another's along the way. So you may run into this problem a second time, I'd ask for an alternative address.

[Former_Member]

My local post office has resent mail that was returned to me free of charge; I would print off a google map showing the address and area the mail should be going to as proof, also. It probably depends on the person you talk to and your reaction to what they say- remember- you are in charge based on your reactions! (Or as we used to say in class, like responds to like)

Jamie- you're right about the mail person- we used to have some real issues in my area; one peron on my mail carriers route had the same 8121 address as me, just for a completely different street; we would always get each others mail, and up and down my street it was musical mailboxes everyday.... apparently matching numbers was too difficult for this person (and might I add, we live on a rural street, we do NOT have mailboxes that are lined up in a row!) And of course, my favorite, recieving mail for IL, not MI!

[Former_Member]

Like the saying goes "It's not your fault, but it is your problem".

I'd just pay again.

Nicolette: I did the exact same thing! Printed the map and taped it on a package that came back "no such address". The recipient asked "What the heck?" but I explained I couldn't think of another way to prove it was a real address.

Elissa: totally agree! The rules vary greatly from P.O.. to P.O. because there are way too many rules an regulations. Yesterday I was hit with the "cubic foot" upcharge.....priority rate went from $17 to $35....last week I received a small package with a styrofoam 'peanut"inside and a note from the seller that she includes it because a "package" must be at least 3/4" thick according to her P.O..

Everybody who uses the USPS: check out this for laughs:
http://www.nerdylorrin.net/jerry/postages/index.html

UPS and FedEx are looking better and better to me......they have MUCH fewer rules.

[PrairiePrimitives]

Maria, you're running a business, correct? So you're also doing business taxes too (i.e., filing Schedule C with your 1040), correct? So if it ends up that you have to pay the postage, it's a business expense. End of story.

[PrairiePrimitives]

Janet, but have you checked UPS and FedEx rates lately? For the things I ship, they are freakin' expensive!