USPS shipping question

I recently sold off most of my vintage video game collection, and dropped off about 40 packages at the post office this week. I'd pre-printed the shipping labels through Paypal for all the domestic packages, and was only paying for all the international packages . . . or so I thought.

After ringing me up for my bushel of international shipments, the clerk randomly threw a couple of my domestic packages on the scale - even though they were already paid & ready to ship. He explained he was just checking my weights "for my sake" to see how accurate my scale at home was. Turns out my scale is shit, and I had to pay the difference on a handful of packages.

The clerk also enlightened me that if my packages were to go through the mail system and arrive at their destinations with incorrect weight, it is up to the recipient to pay the difference in order to receive the package. If the difference is not paid, the package is sent back to me, and I'm out the shipping. Anyway, I've been using the same 2 scales for YEARS now, and I've never had complaints of my buyers needing to pay anything to pick up their package. Have any of you guys had to pick up the difference on a toy or something that was "underweighted" ? In most cases my scale was a couple ounces off, but in one case it was plenty off (the box was larger than my scale, so I'm guessing odd weight distribution came into play).

I plan to jump on Google & Amazon to read some scale reviews, but do any of you guys have a scale you love & would suggest? Obviously a search engine will help me out here, but I don't plan to get a postage meter. I specifically bought our kitchen scale because it's both space-saving and was rated highly for accuracy. Most of my packages weigh so little that it does the job, but it may be losing it's touch and need replacing (or calibrating).

 

http://www.oxo.com/p-502-5-pound-food-s ... splay.aspx

i love my oxo scale, though i do use it more for baking than for shipping. and as for the "bigger-than-the-scale-weight-distribution" issue,
you could always try putting a bowl on the scale (smallest side in the center of the scale), zeroing out, then putting the box on top of the
bowl. that way, the full weight of the box is evenly distributed across the sensor area of the scale. (or at least in theory...)

 

And of course, the PO scale was calibrated properly.

I worked for about a year at the TX Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for checking publicly used scales for accuracy (though not the PO). They said that scales in heavy use are frequently out of calibration. I doubt the PO maintains their scales better than any typical grocery store.

 

Yep, that's what I planned on doing for further shipments. Sold off a bulk of old collections since I'm moving, and all remaining things to ship weigh 2-6lb so too much for my scale anyway.

I agree with you on this. Reminds me of when I sold a deluxe / collectors edition game for like $8.25 shipped, but shipping was $8.75 I want to decline the shipment, or have them double check, but I just let it go and ate the loss. Then the buyer had the gaul to complain and ask for a refund

 

sent this in PM but figured everyone else could use the info

to check your scale the "old fashioned way" get a handful of nickels %90 should register at 5 grams even, the other 10% should weigh in at 4.9 grams

 

Thanks - if I can remember I'll send something your way in the next few days in one of my trips to the PO.

 

I have an offbrand scale that i got off ebay.

i've sent out 100's of packages and have never had any issue, though i sometimes add a a few ounces more for good measure.

Anyway there really isn't a difference if the scale is off by a few ounces.

the paypal, bulk shipping app, only has range selections 1- 9oz, 9oz, 1 lb, 1.1# - 2-3# etc.
so i highly doubt that being off ounces matters.

and no offense if any of you are one, but i highly doubt the lazy ass postal workers are going to weigh packages just to check once its on its way.