Best Summery

source: http://www.epinions.com/content_638647766660/s_~na?sb=1

I am not going to reiterate the complaints. Other users have done a decent job of that. So let me summarize:

  1. if you are a small business, with variable but regular shipping expenses STAMPS.COM can be a useful service;

  2. However, exactly the same service, but this time FREE (in fact, with discounted shipping costs) can be obtained from the USPS website;

  3. if you are a household or personal user who ships items occasionally AND if you do not read the Terms and Conditions VERY carefully, you are likely to have some costly and unpleasant surprises:

    1. you will be charged a monthly fee regardless whether you use the "service" or not;

    2. you will not get a statement or an email regarding the monthly charges to your credit card or debits to your checking account;

    3. you will not know you are being charged unless you monitor your accounts (credit card or checking) carefully, because there will be no statements.;

    4. STAMPS.COM is not affiliated with the USP despite the logo and blue color scheme of the site; they are "An approved licensed vendor UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE PC Postage" - on the header logo everything is in tiny, almost eligible letters except UNITED STATESD POSTAL SERVICE which is in all caps and at least twice the font size of everything else;

    5. the initial "offering" misleads you in that their trial 30 period is NOT a FREE trial; it's a "risk-free" trial' and regardless what you do during this trial you will be charged; if you don't actively opt-out you will be charged monthly fee;

    6. cancellation is very difficult.

There are THOUSANDS of complaints about stamps.com on the Web. The Wikipedia states "Stamps.com had an "A+" rating with the Better Business Bureau but as of August, 2013 Stamps.com's registered Los Angeles Better Business Bureau account has been under review with over 1,100 complaints lodged against the company dating as far back as 2006." There has been at least one class-action suit against them for their deceptive cancelation protocol. I am not aware of the outcome, but now the Terms and Conditions prohibits you from suing the. You have to submit to arbitration.

https://sites.google.com/site/neverusedstampscomfor359

http://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.stamps.com

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/stamps_com.html

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/specific_search/stamps.com

http://askbobrankin.com/is_stampscom_a_scam.html

http://www.pissedconsumer.com/reviews-by-company/stamps.html

http://www.complaintsboard.com/?search=stamps.com

In my opinion, what Stamps.Com comes under the definition of deceptive trade practices.

I suggest that consumers considering signing up with Stamps.com to be careful to read the website carefully, and to consider whether their postage needs are enough that the service Stamps.com provides make economic sense for them.

If, like I, you feel the need to communicate with the postmaster general of the United States Postal Service, you will want to send a letter to Pat Donahoe, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260-0010. Pat Donahoe is the current Postmaster General as of March 11, 2013.

Complaints with FCC can be done at:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=203&Url=%23%26panel1-6

If you feel like you have been wronged every state has a means for you to do that. Usually it is the State Attorney General, but states differ. In Georgia, for instance, you can file a petition with the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection.