Surcharge on Stamps at Grocery Stores

**nuisance26** · 01-19-2009, 10:11 AM

~I've almost always picked up my stamps at the service desk of grocery store because it's so much faster than waiting in the long line at my P.O.. The last time I asked for a book I noticed the book looked a little different but didn't really look at it closely. After I got home I realized the book was a small envelope with 12 stamps inside. AND they didn't cost $.42 each. I was surprised and annoyed to discover that I'd been charged $.53 per stamp because of a new added surcharge. Urg! So be more careful than I was and buy your stamps somewhere that doesn't charge you for the convenience.~

**Greebo** · 01-19-2009, 10:15 AM

Because I expect someone to come on and say, "They can't do that, it's illegal"...
http://www.snopes.com/legal/postal/resellstamps.asp
It's legal.

**Ilovesewing** · 01-19-2009, 10:20 AM

Wow - I just bought stamps last week, but they didn't charge me a surcharge. They get you coming and going don't they?

**Michelle** · 01-19-2009, 11:20 AM

I will pay attention when I buy mine at the grocery store. I've done it twice in the past 6 weeks, and I wasn't charged extra, thankfully.

What a rip. :hopmad:

**The Muse** · 01-19-2009, 11:29 AM

OMG! What happened to value-added customer service? You're already there buying groceries, do they REALLY need to make an extra buck off of you?

**frugalfriend** · 01-19-2009, 11:37 AM

Thanks for letting us know! I buy all my stamps at the grocery store, so I'll be watching for this. What will they come up with next?

BTW, what store was it?

**nuisance26** · 01-19-2009, 01:03 PM

~It was Pathmark.~

**phoeny_moonstar** · 01-19-2009, 01:05 PM

Thanks for the info!! I normally buy mine at the gas station or the bank.

**Spikey1341** · 01-22-2009, 09:15 AM

I buy mine at the post office. No surcharge there!

**pbobber** · 01-22-2009, 09:28 AM

I use the USPS stamps by mail. Delivered to my door, no extra charge. My PO usually delivers the next day.

**Momof3girls** · 01-22-2009, 10:06 AM

Oh crap! I, usually get mine at either the grocery store or the bank! Yet another way my money isn't going as far!

**TigerGirl1226** · 01-22-2009, 10:45 AM

Definitely check you bank. Mine doesn't charge extra.

**VanVivCam** · 01-22-2009, 11:50 AM

I never thought about buying stamps at the bank! Thanks for the extra info.

Sorry you got screwed at the grocery. What will they think of next to remove people from their money?!?!?!

**KKCondrey** · 01-24-2009, 10:06 AM

Not going to lie to you we have a surcharge at work when people ship postal and most of them don't care as we get them in and out quicker than the PO does, plus if its a large box or includes custom papers (apo/fpo or international) it has to be taken to the counter so we end up having to wait in the PO lines for them. You have to pay for convenience. Kind of like going to the gas station and getting dog/cat food cause you don't want to drive 5 miles further to the grocery store so you end up pay twice as much for the convenience of not having to drive further and wait in line longer. Don't get me wrong I've been to some PO's that are wonderful, but the one near us they took out all their stamp machines so you have to wait in line even for one stamp and since that happened more and more people come to us as we are right down the street (1/2 mile or so). Most are so use to coming to us don't even wait in line....they just find an empty spot on the counter near the register lay down their mail and 50 cents and leave.

Granted the UPS Store I work at we don't sell stamps (we do have a meter machine though). When I worked at one back home (when they were still MBE) we charged extra but we also had a coupon on them for $2 off UPS shipping. Since most of our customers shipped UPS there were no complaints. They would spend $1.20 more for the stamps but the next time they shipped (usually within a day or two) they would save $2 so we were actaully saving them 80 cents.

**KKCondrey** · 01-24-2009, 10:08 AM

I should add that I let people know up front that they are paying more if they send it thru us. I'll even tell them what the cost of postage would be if they went to the PO instead and 9 out of 10 times they stay with us anyway as we are more convenient for them.