Maximum weight for "first-class package return service" label for ebay?

July 22, 2020 11:56 AM

I need to return something I bought on ebay that has "free returns" (i.e. seller pays for return shipping.) This is done by printing out a label on ebay that says "First-Class Package Return Service" and does not list a weight. For reasons beyond the scope of this question, I am worried the package I am sending back might be heavier than expected (on the order of 10oz insted of 6oz.) Will it be OK? How does the weight limit on this service work?
posted by needs more cowbell to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

Response by poster: (I looked around on ebay and on the USPS site a bit and suspect that if it's under 11oz or 16oz it will go through but don't feel sure so I'm mainly looking for info from someone who has personal knowledge/experience beyond googling.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:59 AM on July 22, 2020

I have returned items heavier than 16 oz, with no problem. Specifically, a rechargeable drill battery.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:14 PM on July 22, 2020

Response by poster: My question is more if there's an approximate weight attached to each label other than (maybe) a general "maximum of 16 oz" for every such label. Like if this item might be expected to weigh ~6oz when packed up but when I send it back the whole shebang is ~10oz, will that make problems with it reaching the seller?
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:19 PM on July 22, 2020

Unless you’ve added something extra to the return package I wouldn’t worry about it at all. If it’s the same weight coming and going (even plus a couple extra ounces) it should be fine!
posted by Champagne Supernova at 12:25 PM on July 22, 2020

6 oz vs 10 oz will not matter. I have returned stuff weighing much more than the original label, with no issues.
posted by Slinga at 12:27 PM on July 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

USPS says 16 ounces, for what that's worth, but in general I would expect for overages to be paid by the recipient and wouldn't be your problem or prevent mailing.

First-Class Package Return® Service is a smarter way for high-volume shippers to quickly receive lightweight (under 1 lb) documents or merchandise. - https://www.usps.com/business/return-services.htm

posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:31 PM on July 22, 2020

Response by poster: Follow-up: the package went through successfully.

As an explanation, what happened was that I ordered a bunch of items (bras) from one ebay seller (all "free returns") and needed to return several of them, because bra fitting is complicated. For some reason the seller marked two returns as "closed" (and refunded my money) immediately, before I'd even printed out the shipping label, and then I was no longer able to print out a label. (Ebay requires each item be returned in its own package even if they were mailed out together initially, so each return is separate from an ebay's perspective.)

When I emailed the seller they said it was a mistake and suggested I just pay for return postage for those bras and they'd offer me a discount on future orders. This was not a good solution, but the whole thing seemed to be done more out of ebay cluelessness than any malice (they seem to have a large brick-and-mortar store.) I still wanted to get the two already-refunded bras back to them, and just including them in the packages of other bras I was returning (for which I was able to print out free shipping labels) was the easiest way to do that without paying more myself, but I wanted to make sure they'd go through. And they did.
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:16 AM on October 4, 2020