Did I figure out a way to scam the post office?

[Steve]

I like to pay for and print shipping labels online when I send stuff. Today I was sending something via USPS, and went through the whole Click 'n Ship process.

I got to the point where the "Print" window should pop up, but I didn't see anything, so I clicked on "No, the label did no print, please return it to my shopping cart and do not charge my card."

Went through this 3 or 4 times but nothing happened. Thinking maybe I needed to clean out temp files, etc. I logged out of USPS's site and closed my browser window.

Lo and behold the print window was there, somehow it had appeared as a pop-under rather than a pop-up. I printed it and sure enough got a label.

I then realized that since my card wasn't charged, I could maybe send with this label and not get charged.

Too chicken to try though, I believe mail fraud is a felony and I'd rather become a citizen than get deported.

I logged back into USPS's site, went through the steps again, got to the printing point (this time it popped up) and canceled the print job. I then said Yes, that it had printed and that they may charge my card.

I took it to the post office and had them scan, since I noticed the DC number on my printed label was slightly different than the last time I went through the process. My DC number is working.

I guess what I could have done is taken my unpaid label and have the post office scan it to see if it would work. If they said "it's not paid for" I'd have just said something airily about computer problems and paid the $4.60 right there.

 

[MisterJackson]

I imagine when the barcode for the first label is scanned by the P.O. it would show in their system as no good. Then the men in black suits would come pick you up.

 

[OdiN]

Yeah you'd have a new barcode and all so it wouldn't work. If you say it didn't print then it cancels the label.

I hate the stupid click and ship crap because it requires Java to do it - last time I tried at least. Problem with that was that they didn't make it obvious that it required Java. So I went through the whole process and went to print, but then it was like...you gotta have Java. So I had to cancel it and since it was from paypal I had to wait for like a week to get the money back in there and had to use my debit card at the post office. Stupid.

 

[FoBoT]

the reciever would probably end up with "postage due" and have to pay it

 

[markgm]

Wait a second...

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
the reciever would probably end up with "postage due" and have to pay it

that or it'll be returned to sender.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: markgm
Wait a second...

He likes DPing.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: FoBoT
the reciever would probably end up with "postage due" and have to pay it

that or it'll be returned to sender.

That would be funny...because then they have to pay for it both ways.

Just send tons of random crap that you don't want and don't pay postage. Let it sit.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yeah you'd have a new barcode and all so it wouldn't work. If you say it didn't print then it cancels the label.

Maybe I'm missing something... seems to me the OP printed the first one and then said it didn't work. Then he paid for another one with a different bar code and didn't print it but said it worked. He then took the first one, the one which he clicked no to, into the post office and they accepted it.

Doesn't that mean they didn't mind that he had clicked the "no" button?

 

[NetGuySC]

Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

 

[darkxshade]

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

that'll only work if you're sending it to someone who lives in the same zip code.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: darkxshade

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

that'll only work if you're sending it to someone who lives in the same zip code.

As a kid, we tried this once. Someone was on to us.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: darkxshade

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

that'll only work if you're sending it to someone who lives in the same zip code.

As a kid, we tried this once. Someone was on to us.

You aren't supposed to put it in your own mailbox.

 

[maxster]

USPI gonna put you in FPMITAP

 

[intogamer]

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

I have tried this with another AT member, but I used his address on both fields. It was a light padded envelope.


Success though!

 

[xeemzor]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

I have tried this with another AT member, but I used his address on both fields. It was a light padded envelope.


Success though!

Hands off for proving you are too cheap to pay less than $1 for postage

 

[intogamer]

Originally posted by: xeemzor

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

I have tried this with another AT member, but I used his address on both fields. It was a light padded envelope.


Success though!

Hands off for proving you are too cheap to pay less than $1 for postage

Experimental purposes!

 

[Mr Pickles]

Sneaky! I've always wanted to print my own stamps. I mean cmon... they are so easy to make.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: xeemzor

Originally posted by: intogamer

Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Put the address of where you are sending it as the return address, and put your address as the address it is to be sent to, then drop in a mailbox with no postage..

I have tried this with another AT member, but I used his address on both fields. It was a light padded envelope.


Success though!

Hands off for proving you are too cheap to pay less than $1 for postage

Experimental purposes!

Your honor I was not robbing that bank, I was conducting an experiment.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yeah you'd have a new barcode and all so it wouldn't work. If you say it didn't print then it cancels the label.

Maybe I'm missing something... seems to me the OP printed the first one and then said it didn't work. Then he paid for another one with a different bar code and didn't print it but said it worked. He then took the first one, the one which he clicked no to, into the post office and they accepted it.

Doesn't that mean they didn't mind that he had clicked the "no" button?

I got to the point where I needed to print, but the print window did not appear (it turned out to be under the browser window). My email inbox is full of USPS cancellation notices. The fourth one is the one I printed and sent, and tracking it so far seems okay.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Steve
I got to the point where I needed to print, but the print window did not appear (it turned out to be under the browser window). My email inbox is full of USPS cancellation notices. The fourth one is the one I printed and sent, and tracking it so far seems okay.

OK, but the key point is that you are using one of the labels that you said "No" to when it asked if it worked, right?

 

[jtvang125]

It'll just be an invalid bar code once they scan it at the PO. They'll probably send you a note about a problem with the package and to come back in or they'll take the inititive and return it to you.