STAMPS.com
Stamps.com Check out BBB report Deceptive business practices misleading advertising not worth your money not user-friendly

Here's the BBB report on Stamps.com

Principal Contact: Paul Morris
Business Started: 09/01/97
File Open Date: 03/07/00
Last Report Date: 11/15/04
(This does not include the one I filed today, 11/18/04)

Bureau ID: 13131095

Bureau File Experience

Some complainants allege they are unable to utilize the service due to software problems, or non-receipt of the postage scale needed to post mail with correct postage amounts. Other customers complain they agree to a free 30 day trial offer which they are billed for at a later date. Some complainants allege difficulties implementing cancellation of services. Many complain they cancel, receive confirmation e-mails, but still continue to incurr debits or charges for services on their cancelled account.

A few report the company fails to credit their accounts or reimburse them for postage misprints. The company responds to all complaints by reviewing account status, issuing credits or refunds, closing accounts, or offering reasons or explanations for charges or policies. Some complaints are closed as disputed. Customers are not always satisfied with the company's response. This company's trial offer is only free to the customer if the service is cancelled within the trial period. If the customer elects to keep the service, they are billed for the trial period. Credits for misprinted postage can only be applied to open accounts.

Note to anyone who is thinking about signing up:
(To those who have already signed up and cancelled: Welcome to the Club!)

Do NOT sign up UNLESS you have a lot of mail every month and/or you absolutely cannot live without features such as "Hide Postage" or "print Memo Line at the bottom of your shipping label".

If you have a business and bulk mail stuff (letters, postcards, lots of packages), need special features, and/or never want to leave your house/office again it might work for you. The service does have some neat features (provided the software works and does not corrupt your computer like it did with mine).

Be prepared, however, to learn the dimensions of every single envelope and other mailing supplies, to configure your scales, to configure and reconfigure your printer and all sorts of other "fun activities".

And in case you want to send packages (5lbs) you might as well order their expensive scales right away... The freebie won't work.

Who will get his/her money's worth out of this service?
NOT your average household, that's for sure.
Just for comparison:

If you mail 30 pieces of mail (for example first class mail letters at $0.37 each) a month, your cost is — well - $0.37/piece. That was easy Maths.

Mail your 30 pieces of first class mail with Stamps

You have to buy your postage, that is your 37-cent stamps.
THEN ADD:

$15.99 a month for service (additional) $0.553 per stamp

$3.99 for 125 NetStamps labels (this is a minimum order and these are the cheapest labels) plus
$1.50 S/H (yes, you have to buy them and pay S/H, which adds $0.04 to every stamp).

Your total cost per first class piece of mail: about 96 cents!!!

If you want "fancier" stamp labels the cost goes up.
If you mail less than 30 pieces a month (especially with online banking etc. Available) your cost is even higher.

Additional comments:
If you want to save money on stamp labels you may print postage directly onto the envelope. (You really have to know your printer here AND you still pay the 15.99/month).

CAUTION: You have to pick a specific mailing date for every stamp (or metered postage) you print on the envelope/package AND mail the piece on the exact same date!!! Stamps.com does not heavily advertise this user-unfriendly feature, it's in a footnote, easily overlooked).

That is if you print postage with today's date and miss your mail carrier you are out of luck. If you have just printed something expensive (like an international package or something with special services) you are out of a lot of money, too. Or you can jump in your car, drive to the post office and mail it from there which kinda beats the whole purpose of getting NetStamps & Net postage, doesn't it!?

You can also print postage 30 days ahead - WOW! - that is if you know now and will remember later which particular piece of mail you are going to be mailing out on which particular day of the month. Don't mix them up and again, do not miss mail collection!!!

Now if this sounds just a little bit more complicated than what you think you can handle you may want to go back to the 96-cent NetStamps for your first class mail pieces. Or you might just want to use the USPS 37-cent stamps (they are prettier too) and save a bunch of money.

Annie
Raleigh, North Carolina
U.S.A.

Company: STAMPS.com
Country: USA
State: California
City: Los Angeles
Address: 12959 Coral Tree Place
Phone: 3104825800

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