It pays to question postage charges (From Basingstoke Gazette)

It pays to question postage charges

11:02am Friday 20th January 2012 in Letters

Sir.–I recently had to collect a letter from the sorting office at Priestley Road because, according to the card that had been left, it had insufficient postage.

When I was given the envelope (it was, in fact a Christmas card), it had a first class stamp and was not one of the large variety.

I questioned the chap why I was being charged £1.12 (12p excess postage and £1 for the collection) and he said it was probably too big. I asked him to check it with the gauge that is available at post offices to check the size of letters, and guess what, it slipped through the slot for an ordinary first class letter.

To be fair, he did not charge me (!) but my point is, it should have been delivered in the usual way and I should not have been asked to go and collect and pay for it.

It is only because I work in an office postroom environment that I queried it.

I am concerned that there are others out there who have probably gone to the sorting office, completely oblivious of the fact that they could have been paying for letters that are, in fact, within the size and weight for a first class stamp.

I urge people to question the staff at the collection point if you are handed a normal-sized letter and feel that you are being wrongly charged.

It doesn’t take a second to use the gauge that is at their (and your) disposal, and you could save yourself some money.

–Name and address supplied.