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

[PurpleStarrySocks]

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?

@MrsSkylerWhite , it wasn't rectified. The assistant laughed at me when I complained. It wasn't a fuss about nothing. You are mixing me up with the OP.
I had a small parcel and was charged for a medium parcel.
At the time, money was really tight and the £1.50 had to come from somewhere.

I love all the people saying get over it and being sarcastic and rude to the other poster.

You go in to Costa and your usual drink is 3.95, you are charged 5.50, you are going to say no worries and happily pay ad collect your drink?

Yep thought not.

Good point re percentage. So, I've just worked out that I was charged 48% more than I should have been.

The previous owners of the Post Office & shop were very good, and like yours, would always check if a parcel would go through the plastic gauge thing first if it looked like it might.

I too wondered how others would behave in a similar situation, like your Costa example! Very well put, @nottaotter!

@PurpleStarrySocks

You got the money back( less than £2)

You want to report- go ahead and do it.

Why argue in several paragraphs with everyone who doesn't agree?

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?

No, but also yes! How much did it weigh? There is a weight limit on LL, as well as a size one. It's been a while since I worked in a PO and I use business mail services now which have different limits, but I think it's 750g.

It might also be that he either didn't know how to cancel the transaction and start again, or wasn't authorized to. Even without the sending of people to jail for a computer glitch, Horizon (PO system) is a proper bastard (technical term!).

Let me say again that I was very polite and it was the Post Office assistant who was rude and made me feel uncomfortable. Why on earth do people think I was going after this person's job?! It's not personal. I'll reiterate that I initially declined the Post Office assistant's offer of him refunding me the difference out of his own pocket. As the Post Office assistant was adamant that he hadn't done anything wrong and that it was a computer fault, I said I'd raise the issue with the Post Office.

If this happens to everyone who goes into that Post Office who wants to post a large letter above the cost of a large letter stamp and is charged for a small parcel, as the Post Office assistant says he can't choose the large letter rate, he has effectively rendered it impossible for anyone to buy postage for a large letter above the stamp rate. That's OK for everyone who visits this particular Post Office?

I WISH I had so few problems that I could fixate on something like this😁

Or you could just buy a supply of stamps and use them when you need to?

I agree that you should not have been overcharged, and that the assistant acted strangely, but if you feel that you can't trust the PO because of this then you might as well just take full responsibility of your letters yourself. Or you could just pay for them online and have them scanned in at the PO.

@PurpleStarrySocks You sound hell bent on going after this poor bloke.

I would love to hear his side of the story.

You dress it up as wanting to protect everyone else in the community from this poor guy - but its not that at all. Being so fixated on this one transaction is not healthy. I would be more on your side if you had had multiple bad experiences. Even if your story is 100% accurate - people are allowed to make mistakes. I bet even you have made one in your dim and distant past.

My son works for the post office and he said that the computer suggests what to send an item as (letter, large letter, small parcel etc) by its weight but it's very easy to change and happens all the time. He also said spoiling the old label, refunding your money and putting the right postage on the item should also have been very easy for the clerk to do and that he has never heard of anyone losing their job for accidentally putting the wrong label on an item.

Kindly - get some perspective. And find some interests in your life to focus on

Goodness, that actually bought a tear to my eye for that young man.

I disagree with most people on here. The assistant has ONE job should get it right, the post was obviously a LARGE LETTER which he could SEE. NO EXCUSES.
in a similar thing we regularly use our own cups in Costa but alway have to point it out that we get 2 beans towards a free drink.

That's two minutes of my life I won't get back. Just move on

Nobody forced you to read it @Chickpea17

Is the post office franchise a family run business? Maybe they're trying to bolster profits by overcharging people? I don't know. But if you were overcharged then you were right to complain. The reaction of the assistant sounds dodgy to me.

I'm at work now, have just checked on the system. When you enter a weight of 400g it defaults to small parcel. I would then, if it was in within the dimensions of large letter, change and select large letter.

Anything over 250g it automatically selects small parcel.
Saying that, he should have been able to reverse the stamp and given you a refund.
I would honestly say he was possibly new and scared stiff. There is no way (at least at my branch) that staff would be able to get away with pocketing any money. All stamps are recorded on the system, we cash up and know if we're even a penny down.

I'm so glad you told me that lol what would have I done!!!

and no one asked you to tell her off.

Seems pretty clear from all the workers here and him being the owner of the franchise you think that he is refunding to his own pocket and were you to raise this with the po they would 🔎 and find his scam so he would be sacked.

I won't go to my local PO because everyotme I have a large letter they charge me for a small parcel and others don't. Its the one woman and she is especially arsey about it, even though I am extra polite (I make a point of it).

It absolutely is a racket. By all means complain but you are likley to be sent a book of stamps and that's about it. No one is going to lose their jobs, they just felt you were making a fuss so they thought they'd make a bigger one.

It is absolutely a racket to prop up a failing system.

The cost of sending stuff went up again on October 2nd OP I’m not sure if you are aware, also the post office are trying to move away from sending letters and focus more on parcels and other transactions.

@Fairysteps11 Thank you so much for checking and reporting it back on here! It's really good to know that it is possible to select a large letter on the computer system. Now, next time I send something similar at this Post Office, I guess I gave the awkward conversation of politely letting the man know that he can indeed select the large letter rate...