convenience justified.
Written: May 03 '00 (Updated May 03 '00)
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In considering the eCommerce revolution (i.e. eBay, online specialty stores, etc.), shipping stuff is becoming more of a daily ritual for most, sending home made goods to Internet customers, sending auctioned products, anything and everything is being sent all over the world. So naturally an evolution in the shipping process would be expected, thus electronic postage...and thank goodness! One of these companies comes to us in the form of Stamps.com.
Stamps.com offers a way to purchase postage and print out labels on a variety of media from Avery labels to envelopes all through software that can be downloaded and does not require any type of "postage meter", because it stores your account on their servers--allowing you to download the software anywhere, login, and print your postage...a useful feature in case you're not at home and need to send something out...although I haven't used it anywhere but home yet. It is also a feature that other competing postage companies do not provide, as they have "postage vaults" that need to be connected to your computer.
Stamps.com also features different plans and often offers "free postage" offers. When I first signed up, they gave me $20.00 of free postage just for trying it out, however I think that plan is now discontinued. I did notice, however, that they are now offering other plans which seem just as good...even better.
The software also checks the address you are sending to. And, you can also customize envelope postage so that it has a picture next to the return address. There are a lot of other things such as postage logs and customized postage amounts (if you wanted to add things such as delivery confirmation, insurance, etc.).
The technicals: You do have to sign up for a plan (that's how they make money). Here's the basic run down, although you may want to visit their site for specific details, you can choose a monthly or yearly plan, which charge a reasonable amount (about $2.00 per month, or $20.00 for the year). You have complete 24/7 access to printing and purchasing postage. You may also be charge a fee if you print over $20.00 of postage in a month, approx. 10% or so. But, if you do print a lot of postage you might want to consider their business plans.
Also, in case you misprint postage, you can send the misprinted item to Stamps.com, and they will issue you a credit. However, I found this offer to be a waste if you misprint $0.33 stamps, since you have to pay the postage to get the misprinted envelope to them, so be careful there...use the test print feature first!! :)
Their customer service is also very good! They can be reached via telephone or through their website, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My experience with a customer service rep. was very positive...I told them about my problem, and they helped me fix it immediately. Any questions about how much postage, what can be shipped from a drop box, etc. can also be answered anytime.
All in all, the ease of downloading their software, which installed flawlessly, and the ability to print postage anytime I want, is a convenience I can't do without. One warning though, because electronic postage is so new, I found that some postal workers don't know what it is. Don't let them charge you for postage if you take it directly to them...point out that you already have a certain amount of postage, and only the difference needs to be paid. Have fun shipping stuff!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kilago
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Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 4 members
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