FP Mailing Solutions

The current meter that the business was using had gone through the decertification process by the [redacted]. FP is the manufacturer of the equipment and the local representative that had visited the business is a separate entity from FP. While FP had notified the representative and the business of the...

decertification, FP had not received notification of the intent to cancel the account. This particular account is slated to have new equipment sent, at no additional cost, to fulfill the remainder of the term as the current agreement is still active as it has [redacted] regulations that need to be adhered to until the return of the postage meter. Should the business not want the exchanged equipment, that shipment will attempt to be stopped, and upon return of the current equipment the account will be closed. There is a current open balance on the account of $294.52 which incorporates two quarterly invoices. Upon payment of one of the invoices, which includes billing for 2015, and the return of the equipment the account will be closed. As the business added postage to the meter at the end of December, upon the return of the equipment any remaining postage will be able to be pulled from the meter and put into their account with the [redacted]. Any remaining postage will be refunded by the [redacted] in accordance with their policy as found in the U. S. Postal Service DMM® 604.2.8 and 604.9.3.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/22) */
The matter is being resolved directly with the business.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/09/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
George contacted the agency. It was requested that the...

agency be released from the contract. George stated that a new meter will be sent and the other one returned to them postage free. He personally will be called to set up the meter and if there are problems, he will directly take care of them, not going through the customer service line. He was going to research the support person who was rude to our IT person. I informed him that we will be doing another mass mailing in about a month. If this meter does not perform and there are breakdowns, it has already been stated that if necessary, the agency will buy out of the contract.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/10) */
FP is in the process of resolving the matter directly with the business.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2015/08/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
FP has offered to void the bill for the...

year of service that was charged after service was discontinued.

We have reached out to and resolved the matter directly with the business.

Revdex.com:
I received a call from [redacted] at FP Solutions in reference to my complaint ID [redacted]. He agreed to release our business from the contract, which contained, in my opinion, a deceptive auto-renew...

policy. He is waiting for me to return the postage meter on February 15, 2017. Assuming Mr. [redacted] follows through on his offer to release us from the contract, I will accept that this resolution is satisfactory.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/18) */
We have attempted to reach the business a number of times both via phone and email to address their concerns, but they have been unresponsive. FP had received the equipment back earlier this week from the business, but a return of the equipment...

does not negate the business's obligation to their contract.
While we apologize for whatever issue the business had experienced with the meter and power cord, and any issue for a credit could have been addressed, but the main issue would be to ensure the business had an operable meter. Upon investigating their account, no funds had ever been made available by the business to their USPS account for postage in order to make the meter work. This a violation of the USPS terms in the Terms and Conditions of the agreement, Section 4.b. Without postage in their account to be downloaded onto the meter, the meter would be inoperable.
Moreover, no payment has been made by the business in the amount of $260.00 - an initial flat rate shipping fee had be paid, in the amount of $21.85. Currently the business would have received an invoice billing for the term of the contract in the amount of $287.47 and at this time no additional return processing fee has been assessed. In order to bring this to a resolution, FP will not assess the return processing fee and offer a reduced amount due to $150.00. Upon payment of the settlement amount, the account will be considered closed. As an alternative, FP would be happy to send the business out another meter and credit the business the time that they were without the equipment, as long as the business can fund their account as required by the USPS in order to ensure the equipment will be operable once received.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: From: [redacted] [mailto:gs[redacted]law.com] Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2016 2:10 PM To: [redacted]...

<[redacted].[redacted]@chicago.Revdex.com.org> Subject: complaint #[redacted] Dear Sir Or Madam, I received an email stating “Revdex.com has received the complaint that you submitted on 6/20/2016 against FP Mailing Solutions. For your records, this complaint was assigned ID [redacted] in our system. Before Revdex.com can proceed with the conciliation process, we need some clarification from you on the following issues. Can you please verify if this complaint has been addressed to you properly by the business?” I could not respond on the Revdex.com site and was told to use the above email address.   The complaint has not been addressed properly by the business, FP Mailing Solutions.  In response to my initial complaint, FP Mailing Solutions responded as follows:  “We will check into the information provided and contact the business directly to reach a resolution.”  However, FP Mailing Solutions failed to contact me to discuss any resolutions.  Based on the failure of FP Mailing Solutions to contact me as they claimed they would do, I responded that their response was rejected.   It has been almost a month since FP Mailing Solutions said it would contact me to resolve, with no attempt by FP Mailing Solutions to contact me.  It is hoped the above provides the clarification your requested.  If not, please feel free to give me a call.  Thanks  Best Regards, /s/ [redacted] S. [redacted], Esquire[redacted]     [redacted]Facsimile:        [redacted]Email:              gs[redacted]law.com  
[redacted]

I would NOT recommend this business to anyone. We used them for years and thank GOD we are finally done with them. Every little thing extends the contract years and it is very shady on how it happens. Even adding rate guard will start your contract new again. When we decided to terminate them and spoke to their customer representatives, we got incorrect info because their reps have llttle training. Make sure you record full names and dates of who you talk to because this will be very important as your complaints go on and on and on.... RUN AWAY. It is much cheaper and easier to use [redacted] Also their ink cartridges are junk. Sometimes we would use them for a week and they would break. Those are quite costly. Again, [redacted] is the way to go. Customer service with [redacted] is nasty. They don't call you back. They have bad attitude. There is NOTHING good about this company. Learn from our mistake.

We have attempted to reach the business several times over to discuss the account and bring this to resolution.
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Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/08/22) */
The business first made postage available via credit card deposit to the USPS on July 23, 2014 so that the postage meter could be used. As shown in the attachment by the ascending and descending registers - the business received two new...

postage meters from FP. Between December 2013 and July 2014 FP was unable to contact the business to find out the status of the postage meter. During that time, a number of locks had been placed on the meter as required by the USPS.
Attached is an invoice that was sent to the business on June 10, 2014 (Attachment pp. 8-9). At this time the business has not paid this invoice and they are currently on credit hold for non-payment. The payment history of this business has been slow at best. Both their December 13, 2013 and March 10, 2014 invoices were paid on April 16, 2014.
The business would be required to return the equipment to FP at the end of their contracted term, as stated and agreed upon by the business in Section 3.i. (Attachment pp. 3 - Highlighted). To date, FP has not received the postage meter and presumably still in the possession of the business therefore a request for a refund for shipment should have been done.
The business is liable for their contractual obligations as is FP. Unsure of what issues the business is experiencing on new equipment aside from a jammed ink cartridge that had been most recently stated by the business, FP has attempted to troubleshoot the issues and again offered to exchange the equipment but was met with a number of vulgar remarks. If the business is unable to remove the ink cartridge from the ink cartridge, this would not be an error in operation of the equipment but rather one caused by an action the business. The business has declined to have the equipment exchanged, a service that is provided by FP at no cost to the customer for shipping or equipment, both directly to FP in their correspondence here.
The business was informed of their contract and that they would still need to pay both the past due invoice as well as through the remainder of the term. The business would also be assessed a $750.00 return processing fee (Attachment pp. 3). FP is again offering to exchange the equipment and requests the business remit payment for their past due invoice immediately. Should the business elect to proceed with the cancellation, they will be liable for all of their contractual obligations. Once the equipment is returned to FP, the business can then submit a letter requesting their postage, amount specific, be refunded which will then be sent to the USPS so that their remaining postage can be refunded.

The matter has been resolved directly with the business.

FP is unaware of any outstanding issue on this account as the balance on the account was waived on September 28, 2016 – prior to the filing of the complaint. There is nothing due from the business.

We will resolve the matter directly with the business.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/02/07) */
Attached is a copy of the contract signed by the business. On both the first page of the contract under the term length as well as on the second page in section 10. Term and Termination it is stated that the contract is set for an initial...

term, which in this instance was twenty-four (24) months and would automatically renew without any action from either party for an additional one (1) year period unless a 90 day written notice had been provided by the business prior to the end of the current term. Yes, the business did call to request the cancellation of their account on November 4, 2013 but that had already exceeded the time in which it would have been necessary to notify of their intent to cancel as FP would have needed to receive their written notification prior to July 23, 2013. The business did receive multiple invoices: the first was a regular quarterly invoice in the amount of $44.85 that was sent out as the business returned the equipment unauthorized. The other is for the remainder of the term in the amount of $176.83. Both invoices are valid and the total amount of $221.68 is due. The business was speaking with the credit manager,[redacted], but disconnected with him and could not come to a resolution therefore the full contracted amount stands.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/05/10) */
The PostBase meter is compatible with Windows 8 software, as that is not an error listed on the specifications. The postage meter did function less the software as it seemed to be a driver error with a computer on the end of the business...

that would not take the download. Having the software being unable to download while still having a function meter less CBP rates is not what FP wants anyone using the service to experience, but with the error being out of FP's control and unable to troubleshoot to a successful result does not lead to unacceptable business practices. Despite the meter still being able to function less the software, FP has cancelled the contract at the request of the business. The remaining postage is refunded by the USPS directly, and the request has been submitted. The reimbursement for the remaining postage, $244.17, can take 6 to 8 weeks for the USPS to process and that is likely the reason that it has not yet been received.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/05/12) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Yes, the contract has now been canceled and the postage refund is being processed, but FP Mailing Solutions still is billing us for the full amount of the contract minus what has already been paid. We asked for it to be voided, as in no money owed for the terms of the contract considering they were unable to troubleshoot the software problems successfully. The Postbase30 Meter did not work with CBP Rates because the software & drivers that are required for CBP would not work on any of the computers we tried. We downloaded all software and all drivers FP Mailing Solutions' IT department told us to use and that they emailed to us, not just on one computer, but on several different computers. This was not a one computer issue. We did everything their IT department asked of us as we stated in our complaint. Their IT department could not give us the results promised. The software was the most important part of the postage machine for our company, as we needed the ability to print commercial based pricing (CBP) rates on the postage meter.
We would have never selected FP Mailing Solutions as a postage provider without receiving the CBP rates, as that was the most important requirement for our company. We will not pay for a three-year plus contract for postage meter software that their own IT personal could not get working on more than one computer. This is the issue that we are questioning their business practices on. [redacted] stated in our last communication that we would be billed the remainder of the contract regardless of the reasons, since we canceled our contract before it was done. This is unacceptable.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/05/13) */
There seems to have been a misunderstanding in the previous response regarding the cancellation of the account - the account has been closed and the contract cancelled with no further funds due as originally requested.
Final Consumer Response /* (2000, 11, 2014/05/15) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

We do believe that the past updates have crossed over each other as a settlement had been agreed upon on July 22, 2016. One day after the business’ email, but three days before the update of this status.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/02/28) */
The business had received the opti30 postage meter and had unlocked it on November 8 2013, as it is locked for shipment, but had not provided any means for downloading postage. On November 21, 2013 the business had provided banking...

information that would allow for postage to be downloaded from their account to the meter. As seen by page 7 of the attachment the business was able to download postage ($100.00) on the 21st on November as soon as they made the funds available. When speaking to our Customer Care there were no error messages that were displaying that there was an issue with the equipment, the trouble the business experienced in downloading would have been with their line. The day after the business successfully downloaded, November 22, 2013, the business called in again to request to cancel their contract due to the service. At that time the business was informed that FP could exchange the equipment but if the error persisted then the trouble is with their phone line. This option was not viable and the request for cancellation was made and so the business was informed of their contract term. Again in December 2013 the business submitted their request to cancel their account. The business was informed that they were able to download their postage onto the meter and that there are no issues with the equipment, so if the equipment is returned they would be billed per the terms of the contract (Attached PP. 1 - 6).
The equipment was received on January 27, 2014 and the billing due for the term of the contract is $1,667.75. FP was willing to exchange the equipment and troubleshoot the issue with the business, but the equipment was returned while still under contract. In order to bring this to a resolution, FP is willing to send another meter out to the business in order to verify their lines or in they want to continue with the cancellation reduce the final amount due from $1,667.75 to $1,000.00.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I was told after I complained about the excessive price of $3,700.00 for a replacement meter that I could send it back for repair and pay the repair amount. I was NEVER told to pay the $3,700.00 or my meter would be turned off. Also in all my interactions the the staff of FP they extremely rude. I was treated as if I was a deadbeat. We have multiple meters with this company and I will not be renewing any of them at end of term. But not because of the cost to repair the unit but because of the way we were treated. I still think they are in breach of the contract by shutting off our meter after only 10 days of active collections. As I said before I was just waiting for the repair invoice because that is what I was told after complaining about the $3,700.00 invoice. 
Sincerely,
Rodney Frederick

In my experience is with this little organization customer service was at the very bottom of its list of priorities. It does business as though it's stuck in the 1940's.