Stamps.com - lost money paid for postage due to printer error

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on February 24, 2003:

From: Lovelady Diamond [Email User]

RE: Stamps.com - lost money paid for postage due to printer error

I purchased $500 dollars worth of postage using a credit card for the purpose of printing postage on envelopes. This is the first time I've used Stamps.com after having used a Pitney Bowes printing machine for several years. I tried to print about 1200 labels and successfully printed 106 envelopes with postage. After 106 envelopes had been printed, my printer gave me a printing error message and the rest of the purchased postage was deducted from my account.

After pursuing the matter with Stamps.com, they credited back 50% of the postage purchased. I spoke with the USPS, and they said it was a Stamps.com issue and gave me the number for Harry Heck, a high-level manager at Stamps.com. I called him and was told that Stamps.com could not take responsibility for printer errors and that I was basically out the money. As I began to explain my options of (1.) taking the company to small-claims court and (2.) taking the lost amount of postage as a write-off, he abruptly hung up on me.

Thank you.

Glenn Lovelady

Lovelady Diamond

Los Gatos, CA 95032

email: Email User

Just got off the phone with Harry Heck (work in president's office of Stamps.com) and he hung up on me after I told him I might have to sue him for $230 of postage lost due to a printer error. Warning: Don't expext professional service when something goes awry.

I could sue them, but the time and effort that I would have to expend for this amount, is impractical for a small businessman like myself. Glenn Lovelady

President

Lovelady Diamond