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Original poster

Post Office assistant charges me incorrectly and insists I don't make complaint

173 replies

PurpleStarrySocks · 09/10/2023 20:28

I took a large letter into a branch of the Post Office to post to make sure I had the right postage on it before posting it.

The Post Office assistant said how much it'll be, then I promptly paid. As he handed me the receipt, I remembered that when I looked up how much the postage would be, it wasn't as much as he'd just charged me. So, I asked the Post Office assistant whether I'd been charged the large letter rate or the small parcel rate. He said large letter, then took my large letter again, put it through the plastic gauge thing the Post Office have and confirmed it was the size of a large letter.

I showed him the receipt, which showed that I'd been charged for a small parcel. The Post Office assistant said the computer automatically chose small parcel and not a large letter and that there wasn't anything he could have done and that he didn't do anything wrong. He then repeatedly said "I told you it was x amount before you paid." I agreed that he had, but that it shouldn't matter, as it's now come to light that I'd been charged the incorrect amount. He made it seem like it was my responsibility to know I'd been charged correctly before paying. I think I should be able to trust that a Post Office assistant charges me the correct amount.

The Post Office assistant kept saying he couldn't choose 'large letter' or 'small parcel' and that the computer chooses automatically. I said I'll take it up with the Post Office. He then kept telling me he'll lose his job if I made a complaint and that a colleague of his had lost his job for this reason. He offered to pay me the difference out of his own pocket, which I declined initially. However, he kept going on about how he'd lose his job if I made a complaint, so I felt I had no choice but to take his money just so that I could leave. The Post Office assistant looked in his wallet, didn't have the right money, so gave me the money from the takings. I felt so uncomfortable having this played out while other customers were waiting.

This Post Office is local to me and has recently come under new management. I'd never had any issues with them, or any other Post Office, in the past.

My questions are:

  1. Is it true that the Post Office assistant couldn't choose between a large letter and a small parcel? It seems unlikely to me, as how can the computer tell what size the parcel is based on the weight?
  2. Shouldn't I be able to trust that a Post Office assistant charges me the correct amount for postage and not rely on me to know whether I've been charged the correct amount before paying?
OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:01

I'm pretty sure the Post Office assistant that served me is actually the owner of the shop. I doubt he would have had a supervisor to seek advice from.

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:05

MMAMPWGHAP · 10/10/2023 00:04

Lots of people don’t use the Post Office v often and don’t realise when they’re being overcharged.

Over the last couple of years I’ve had to send a lot of tracked/signed for mail. I’ve found I am seldom offered the cheapest service. If I ask for ‘signed for’ I am quoted the first class price, second class is not mentioned. I know that most of the time second class arrives just as quickly. I have learnt to ALWAYS ask if that is the cheapest price possible. The difference might be 50p but that’s over 20% more than it should be.

It’s not a scam, it’s not going in their pockets but it’s not encouraging us to use Post Office Services.

If lots of people are consistently being overcharged for services across the country, then the Post Office must be increasing it's profits massively. Still, it seems that for most people, they think this is perfectly OK, so the Post Office will carry on ripping people off because most people think it's acceptable to be charged more than they should be for a service it would appear.

OP posts:
ZolaBudd · 10/10/2023 08:07

lol at the incessant notifications for my post further down 😏

Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:09

To be clear to everyone who thinks I'm some sort of evil person for highlighting the fact that I was overcharged by the Post Office assistant. It was he who spoke rudely towards me at having been 'caught out'. I was very polite. Just because I asked about the over payment doesn't imply that I was anything but polite.

To this Post Office assistant, the option of paying for a large letter that is not in the form of a stamp does is not possible. So, each and every time I want to send a large letter that's over the weight of a large letter stamp and within the weight of a large letter, that option is supposedly not available at this Post Office. How can this be right?

OP posts:
Jbrown76 · 10/10/2023 08:10

It's not just the weight but also the dimensions of the item, of it doesn't fit or struggles to fit through the letter sorter device then it's classed as a small parcel

Post Office assistant charges me incorrectly and insists I don't make complaint
Unicornio1990 · 10/10/2023 08:13

PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:05

If lots of people are consistently being overcharged for services across the country, then the Post Office must be increasing it's profits massively. Still, it seems that for most people, they think this is perfectly OK, so the Post Office will carry on ripping people off because most people think it's acceptable to be charged more than they should be for a service it would appear.

Show quote history

The Royal Mail does checks on Post Office post bags to make sure they've been sized correctly and the Post Office can be fined for doing them wrongly. Also, I imagine most PO staff just want to do the job correctly. It's not some big conspiracy 😕

Unicornio1990 · 10/10/2023 08:16

PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:09

To be clear to everyone who thinks I'm some sort of evil person for highlighting the fact that I was overcharged by the Post Office assistant. It was he who spoke rudely towards me at having been 'caught out'. I was very polite. Just because I asked about the over payment doesn't imply that I was anything but polite.

To this Post Office assistant, the option of paying for a large letter that is not in the form of a stamp does is not possible. So, each and every time I want to send a large letter that's over the weight of a large letter stamp and within the weight of a large letter, that option is supposedly not available at this Post Office. How can this be right?

Look up the price of the letter for its weight/size and put on the correct number of stamps that would cover the postage, then post it in a postbox.

Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:16

Fairysteps11 · 09/10/2023 23:33

I work at a main branch Post Office. Letters/parcels are weighed and the computer, depending on weight chooses the option. It can be over ridden unless the weight is more than the maximum allowed. For example, if a standard letter is over 100g, the computer will automatically default to large letter and we cannot choose a standard letter. We can then change it to small parcel if the item is too big dimensionally for a large letter.
There are also ways and means to change this, even when a stamp is printed and money has been paid. Although, if you've never done this before, it is not something you would know easily where to find it on the system and input the correct codes.
We're humans, not machines and sometimes, in all jobs, people will get things wrong. Hopefully this incident will make the man concentrate a bit more and be more aware.
It's a minimum paid job with a hell of a lot to learn and a lot of responsibility, don't be too harsh on him.

@Fairysteps11
Thank you for explaining this and for bringing insight into this matter. So, as my large letter was 400g, should the computer have defaulted to 'large letter'?

The computer system does sound complicated. I don't feel I'm being harsh on the Post Office assistant. I don't think I or anyone else should overpay for a service.

OP posts:
IkeaMeatballGravy · 10/10/2023 08:18

How privileged some posters are, not everyone can afford to let a quid or two drop for the sake of not making a fuss.

I work in retail, the assistant is not going to get fired over one mistake. If this is something he does regularly then he needs to sort himself out, not embarass customers like the OP who have paid more than they should.

Jbrown76 · 10/10/2023 08:18

A couple of years ago, we searched online before hand for the weight and dimensions of a package we wanted to send and were quoted x amount, went to the post office and they only offered an amount £8-15 more expensive. I reported it to my local council's trading standards team, and they didn't investigate but said that I should have asked for all the options (rather than the worker telling me them). I didn't get very far...

Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:20

Jbrown76 · 10/10/2023 08:10

It's not just the weight but also the dimensions of the item, of it doesn't fit or struggles to fit through the letter sorter device then it's classed as a small parcel

After I asked the Post Office assistant if it was going as a large letter, only then did he check it with his gauge. He said it was a large letter and that I'd been charged for a large letter. I then had to show him the receipt to show him that I'd actually been charged for a small parcel. He agreed I'd been charged incorrectly, but said that it wasn't his fault.

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleStarrySocks · 10/10/2023 08:24

Unicornio1990 · 10/10/2023 08:16

Look up the price of the letter for its weight/size and put on the correct number of stamps that would cover the postage, then post it in a postbox.

Show quote history

So I should line up at the Post Office, ask to buy stamps of x value and stick them on myself, as I can't trust the Post Office assistant to sell me the correct postage. It seems ludicrous, but perhaps that's the only way of getting the correct postage from this particular Post Office. 🙄

OP posts:
nottaotter · 10/10/2023 09:11

@PurpleStarrySocks I send a lot of large letters and small parcels as I have a small online business. Luckily my two local PO are very good.

What the guy said to you still seems bizarre to me. There is a big price difference between the two as well. My local office even tries to help me out my encouraging my items through the fake slot thing!

1month · 10/10/2023 09:55

Wow sorry you’ve had some nasty responses on here.

Many MNers do not live in the real world and it shows when they say things like “it’s just a couple of quid”.

It was completely wrong and he sounds very unprofessional and highly likely to be running some sort of scam.

Every elderly person I know uses the post office to get their pension and uses it’s other services too.
If he’s taking a pound or 2 from multiple people a day, then it is going to add up.

His reaction and trying to pay you out of his own pocket, scream guilt to me.

I don’t know if I would go and complain though, as you’ve already got your money back and I’m not sure what else can be done.

Murpe · 10/10/2023 10:08

This is such an odd situation. I use the PO at lot to send parcels for my small business, and they do occasionally (rarely) make a mistake, and when I point it out to them, it's refunded and they put it through at the correct product category and charge me the correct price.

As both a former shop assistant and as a customer, mistakes do happen and it's sometimes not until the customer has a receipt in their hand that they will notice an error - I've never known anyone try to insist that I should have realised I was being overcharged incorrectly before handing over payment.

The whole encounter was bizarre, from him claiming not all the PO products were available for him to select (I have heard before about the defaulting thing, but they change it), not just refunding and doing it again, blaming you for his mistake, and not going through the right procedures to give you back the money (to which you were fully entitled - I can't "let go" a couple of quid).

Bellaboo01 · 10/10/2023 10:37

PurpleStarrySocks · 09/10/2023 20:28

I took a large letter into a branch of the Post Office to post to make sure I had the right postage on it before posting it.

The Post Office assistant said how much it'll be, then I promptly paid. As he handed me the receipt, I remembered that when I looked up how much the postage would be, it wasn't as much as he'd just charged me. So, I asked the Post Office assistant whether I'd been charged the large letter rate or the small parcel rate. He said large letter, then took my large letter again, put it through the plastic gauge thing the Post Office have and confirmed it was the size of a large letter.

I showed him the receipt, which showed that I'd been charged for a small parcel. The Post Office assistant said the computer automatically chose small parcel and not a large letter and that there wasn't anything he could have done and that he didn't do anything wrong. He then repeatedly said "I told you it was x amount before you paid." I agreed that he had, but that it shouldn't matter, as it's now come to light that I'd been charged the incorrect amount. He made it seem like it was my responsibility to know I'd been charged correctly before paying. I think I should be able to trust that a Post Office assistant charges me the correct amount.

The Post Office assistant kept saying he couldn't choose 'large letter' or 'small parcel' and that the computer chooses automatically. I said I'll take it up with the Post Office. He then kept telling me he'll lose his job if I made a complaint and that a colleague of his had lost his job for this reason. He offered to pay me the difference out of his own pocket, which I declined initially. However, he kept going on about how he'd lose his job if I made a complaint, so I felt I had no choice but to take his money just so that I could leave. The Post Office assistant looked in his wallet, didn't have the right money, so gave me the money from the takings. I felt so uncomfortable having this played out while other customers were waiting.

This Post Office is local to me and has recently come under new management. I'd never had any issues with them, or any other Post Office, in the past.

My questions are:

  1. Is it true that the Post Office assistant couldn't choose between a large letter and a small parcel? It seems unlikely to me, as how can the computer tell what size the parcel is based on the weight?
  2. Shouldn't I be able to trust that a Post Office assistant charges me the correct amount for postage and not rely on me to know whether I've been charged the correct amount before paying?

Hoping you are ok and you will get over the mix up with large letter/parcel mix up and then getting the refund for the difference that you were accidently charged.

There might be a support group if you're that traumatised.

Sunshineclouds11 · 10/10/2023 10:39

*This is suck a tedious and stupid thing to say. Get over yourself.

I think the OP is I'm the wrong. I really do.

But in what world does that suggest it's the only thing she has to worry about? Often people focus on small things when there is something big going on. Distraction I imagine. Don't be a tiresome cliched dick*

Wow, my comment really wasn't that deep, which is why I put the laughing face.

Don't worry.

MiniHector · 10/10/2023 10:49

@Bellaboo01 , thanks for quoting the OP for those of us who missed it at the top of every page.

MrsSkylerWhite · 10/10/2023 10:51

A mistake was made, it happens.
Not something to be complained about.

excelledyourself · 10/10/2023 10:57

All I know is, is that I never want to read the words 'Post Office assistant' again

Bellaboo01 · 10/10/2023 10:59

MiniHector · 10/10/2023 10:49

@Bellaboo01 , thanks for quoting the OP for those of us who missed it at the top of every page.

You're VERY welcome :)

echinaceadreams · 10/10/2023 11:00

So you knew how much it should be. He told you how much he would charge. And you just went along with it and THEN got annoyed?

MiniHector · 10/10/2023 11:02

@MrsSkylerWhite , In my case I was overcharged by £1.50. Quite a lot as a percentage.

FranticHare · 10/10/2023 11:03

Mistake was made and rectified.

Why go after this poor blokes job?

Its a thankless role - a lot of pressure, and lot of money to be responsible for and kept reconciled, and about a million different products etc to sell and know about. All for minimum wage. So many rules about what can be sent where and with what paperwork for all around the world, plus all the financial products.

And the PO as an employer on the whole are crap (understatement of the year).

Then the customers get arsey when you dare to ask what's in their parcel to check whether they legally can send it, to make sure its insured to the correct value, and goes with the correct paperwork.

Let it go!

MrsSkylerWhite · 10/10/2023 11:07

MiniHector · Today 11:02

@MrsSkylerWhite , In my case I was overcharged by £1.50. Quite a lot as a percentage”

It was a mistake, Assistant offered to repay the difference. Such a fuss about nothing.

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