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AIBU?

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Original poster

Sender didn't pay the full fee

147 replies

ElderMillennial · 10/04/2021 14:40

What do you do if you get a card through the post saying you need to pay postage before an item can be delivered?

I got a card through today saying we should go online to pay within 21 days. It is only £1.50 but can't think what this would be and not sure I want to pay without knowing? Not expecting a delivery and if I was I don't think a retailer would do this.

If we don't pay I think it just goes back to sender so they would know they haven't paid enough...

OP posts:
SuperLoudPoppingAction · 10/04/2021 15:24

Some folk have had magazines from Jehovah's witnesses recently with insufficient postage.

Malbecfan · 10/04/2021 15:27

Go to the sorting office and ask to see it before paying. Ours is brilliant like that, just a shame that their opening hours don't fit with people who have to go out to work. I once received a card like that and asked to see it. It was a birthday present from my sister but the tightwad hadn't put enough postage on it. The lady said I could reject it if I wanted to. I wish I had; it was a tacky mug saying "Malbecfan is 50" from Moonpig or some other such place. A total waste of my time, diesel and money on such a piece of tat.

misskatamari · 10/04/2021 15:35

That does look like a proper Royal Mail one. I get texts about this which are obvious scams, but grey card through the door is usually how RM
do this. I've had this happen before, the most memorable being my work sending through redundancy paperwork and not paying the required postage, so I had to pay £1.50 for the privilege of receiving it. Thanks for that! 🤣

Hankunamatata · 10/04/2021 15:36

Go to royal mail website like others suggested. I had this and was a card from mum loaded with stuff

Ariela · 10/04/2021 15:42

In that case I would go to RM sorting office and ask to see what it is.
In the past I've had junk mail, but it might not be.

Original poster
ElderMillennial · 10/04/2021 15:48

I was going to go to the post office to ask to see it but now thinking for the sake of £1.50 maybe I'll just pay and take the risk, rather than queuing at the sorting office, since it seems to be a legit RM card

OP posts:
Original poster
ElderMillennial · 10/04/2021 15:48

Annoying if it is junk mail or a survey!

OP posts:
DomingoinLittleOakley · 10/04/2021 15:59

The last time I had that it was because my accountant hadn't put a stamp on the letter. The letter enclosing his invoice.

I wasn't pleased.

Gwenhwyfar · 10/04/2021 16:08

Could be genuine, but why bother. Is there something you really want?
I particularly wouldn't bother going to the sorting office for it.
It used to happen a lot in an old job and it was people not putting enough stamps to cover the weight.

Gwenhwyfar · 10/04/2021 16:09

@ElderMillennial

I was going to go to the post office to ask to see it but now thinking for the sake of £1.50 maybe I'll just pay and take the risk, rather than queuing at the sorting office, since it seems to be a legit RM card
Yes, it would cost me about a £1 on the bus to go to the sorting office so I'd be doubling my cost. I would put a message on Facebook asking if anyone has sent me something.
Cindie943811A · 10/04/2021 16:10

This has happened to me several times. The PO is so user unfriendly there is no way one can possibly tell what it is all about without first paying. Impossible to talk to a real person on the phone about it. I’m disabled and there is difficulty parking at the postal centre.
During COVID I’ve needed assistance in posting letters. One letter someone kindly posted for me was delivered the next day — back to myself! This meant a new envelope and a new stamp and finding someone to post it for me! The delivery postie is marvellous but the system is rank

Gwenhwyfar · 10/04/2021 16:10

@Malbecfan

Go to the sorting office and ask to see it before paying. Ours is brilliant like that, just a shame that their opening hours don't fit with people who have to go out to work. I once received a card like that and asked to see it. It was a birthday present from my sister but the tightwad hadn't put enough postage on it. The lady said I could reject it if I wanted to. I wish I had; it was a tacky mug saying "Malbecfan is 50" from Moonpig or some other such place. A total waste of my time, diesel and money on such a piece of tat.
Why is a birthday mug so bad? I'd find that an OK present!
FreekStar · 10/04/2021 16:10

Why are there so many idiots stating it's a scam? It could be but none of you know that for sure.

oakleaffy · 10/04/2021 16:11

@ElderMillennial

I was going to go to the post office to ask to see it but now thinking for the sake of £1.50 maybe I'll just pay and take the risk, rather than queuing at the sorting office, since it seems to be a legit RM card
I have had these....Usually with overseas VAT and handling fee to pay.

If it is from RM, chances are it is legit.

Today I had an obviously fake email asking for more details so a parcel can be delivered...That is clearly a scam, and blocked.

CastleCrasher · 10/04/2021 16:12

Looks like a legit royal mail one as others have said. Would you know anyone sending you a catalogue for mlms beauty or cleaning products etc? Have seen quite a few huns people recently who have sent them out and under paid the postage

Frazzled2207 · 10/04/2021 16:13

i've looked up the link. It looks legit enough tbh.
This has happened to me a couple of times. Innocent enough explanation. But if you bought something from a company and they didn't get the postage right then you should ask them reimburse you £1.50 (keep the card and send a pic)

Original poster
ElderMillennial · 10/04/2021 16:14

I wouldn't post on Facebook as I don't use it and the people I can think of who might have sent something are not on there.

I think I will either pay online or just leave it to be returned to sender (haven't decided).

If someone has sent me something they might ask in the next few days if I've received it.

OP posts:
Unmellowbirds · 10/04/2021 16:17

One other thing, OP - check your sorting office hours before you go. I went to ours yesterday lunchtime to find they've reduced them to two hours per day. On Monday, it's only open from 7-9am...... so it might be easier to opt for redelivery if it's anything like ours.

Daisy95 · 10/04/2021 16:17

I had this once and wasn’t going to pay it but my mum made me as she was intrigued to know what it was.. it was a cheque for £50,000 from inheritance I knew nothing about 😂! So glad she made me go!

ThatOtherPoster · 10/04/2021 16:20

I think I will either pay online or just leave it to be returned to sender (haven't decided).

It's £1.50! It could be a registered letter telling you you're the sole heir of a fortune...

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 10/04/2021 16:20

No way it could be a scam, except in the extremely unlikely event that RM themselves were trying to scam you. You putting paid-for stamps on a card and sending it to them financially could benefit nobody but themselves, unless you were somehow using counterfeit stamps.

Quite often, people are over-optimistic about what things should cost to post. They'll very roughly estimate it (in their favour) or assume that it 'must be close enough' and that it won't be checked.

Our DS once received a lovely jigsaw postcard from his DGPs on holiday. We were very curious to see that it was something addressed to the child of the house, so we went to fetch it and paid the fee. It turned out that the card had been put in the post as a made up jigsaw, thus just a rectangle of thick card, but the pieces had worked their way loose in transit and then all bundled themselves up in one corner, so that one part of the envelope had become too thick for the allowable dimensions of a letter. We never told them, as they'd have been really upset - it was just a genuinely kind gesture and they couldn't really have guessed that might happen. If anything, I think the postcard makers could supply them with a very tight-fitting sleeve as well as the envelope.

AcornAutumn · 10/04/2021 16:21

@ElderMillennial

I wouldn't post on Facebook as I don't use it and the people I can think of who might have sent something are not on there.

I think I will either pay online or just leave it to be returned to sender (haven't decided).

If someone has sent me something they might ask in the next few days if I've received it.

Leave it

I've had this twice

A scatty friend sent slippers that were way too big

A travel catalogue sent one that I never requested

I will ignore these in future. My sorting office wouldn't go to get it unless I paid.

steppemum · 10/04/2021 16:22

@LivingDeadGirlUK

There is a scam where people put the card through your door but it's not from Royal mail. If your not sure take the card to your post office and double check.

You don't really get the 'not paid enough' situation these days as someone would have had to stick stamps on a package themselves instead of taking it to the post office to post, but it does still happen sometimes (my Aunt used to think if she can wedge it in an envelope she could send it with one stamp). But you should be given the option to go to the sorting office to pay and retrieve it, rather than plug all your bank details into an unknown website :)

Oh you really do.

I have someone who has done this to me several times. Small item tucked in to a letter, with a normal 2nd class stamp. Except the little item is a little bit too thick.

I agree with PP though, the scam is usually a text message.
If you have a card, you can log on to the actual Royal Mail site and see if it is genuine, or go to the PO.

mindutopia · 10/04/2021 16:35

It's very normal to get asked to pay postage by Royal Mail if it isn't enough to be delivered. I've had to do it several times with older relatives who didn't put enough postage on something they sent. It also happens with overseas parcels if you need to pay import duty (e.g. through Parcel Force). If in doubt, you can pay at a big post office (it should say where on the card).

LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee · 10/04/2021 16:41

I had a card a few years ago, it was genuine and I had to go to the sorting office. They wouldn’t let me see the item before I paid though, really annoying as at the end it turned out it was only a clothes catalogue.
After a few emails the clothes company agreed to transfer me the money I had to pay so not too bad.