Sorry, but I need to have a little tantrum here 😦
Every few weeks (and sometimes more frequently) I get one of these in my Post Box. Effectively, someone has sent me a submission or competition entry but hasn’t put enough stamps on the envelope which means while they save 60cents, I have to pay a penalty which amounts to $2.10 for that 60 cent shortfall! And, I have to wait in line at the small and often busy PO instead of just collecting my mail and heading home. Admittedly, most people just haven’t realised, (perhaps because there are actually so few stamps on mail these days with so many pre-paid items) and they are happy to send me stamps to cover the cost when I tell them but some don’t which is a bit disappointing. Positive Words magazine only just covers its printing and postage costs each month, meaning I do all the work (except printing) for free and don’t get anything for my time or those extra little bits and pieces (paper, power etc).
So . . .please, please, please put the correct postage on your mail 🙂 for a quick reference that is – 60cents(Aus) for a small of business envelope (not too thick-under 20mm), $1.20 for A4 envelopes up to 125grams and $1.80 for up to 250 grams.
Thank you 🙂
Positive Words Magazine 
Comments on: "The Downside :(" (6)
I think you are very good to pay the costs… most would return to sender and if the sender wished to enter the competitions they would have to pay out from scratch.
Thanks Pseu! Actually, the man at the PO told me one day a few months back that he had just received a couple but as they had return addresses on them he was going to send them back because he didn’t think it was fair on me! But most of them don’t have return addresses and I don’t know who sent them until after I pay the fee and open them up. Fortunately, most people are good 🙂
good for you for mentioning it–we already suffer enough for our art–you don’t need to suffer more financially
Thank you – I don’t like complaining but perhaps it will make a few people realise what happens ‘at the other end’. Probably some think no one will notice but I think we have a very pedantic mail sorter in my area 😦 He/she doesn’t miss anything!
competence where you don’t need it!
Great rant…and justifiably so, Lancer!