# Possibly dumb question about shipping UPS. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-shipping-ups/606124 "2011-12-14T02:35:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-shipping-ups/606124/1 "2011-12-14T02:35:53Z")
So I’ve got a package that I need to mail out, and I really won’t have any time this week to run to the post office, UPS store, etc. There is, however, a UPS dropoff right outside my workplace, so I figure I could just print out a shipping label and drop it off for pickup. The problem is I don’t know exactly how much my package weighs. So if I put say 5 pounds and it actually weighs 6 pounds, what do they do? Charge my credit card? Return the package? Throw it off the back of a moving truck? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-shipping-ups/606124/2 "2011-12-14T03:06:56Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > So I’ve got a package that I need to mail out, and I really won’t have any time this week to run to the post office, UPS store, etc. There is, however, a UPS dropoff right outside my workplace, so I figure I could just print out a shipping label and drop it off for pickup. The problem is I don’t know exactly how much my package weighs. So if I put say 5 pounds and it actually weighs 6 pounds, what do they do? Charge my credit card? Return the package? Throw it off the back of a moving truck? Most of the time they reweigh it during processing and just charge you that amount. Sometimes (especially during the busy holiday season), the package slips by without getting reweighed and they just charge you according to what you put down. So be careful not to over-estimate! ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-shipping-ups/606124/3 "2011-12-14T03:10:32Z")
Obviously it’s good to have this info on the SD, and I don’t mean to be dismissive, but it would probably be good to just ask UPS your question (and post their response). I’m guessing they’d answer pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-dumb-question-about-shipping-ups/606124/4 "2011-12-14T03:15:52Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Most of the time they reweigh it during processing and just charge you that amount. Sometimes (especially during the busy holiday season), the package slips by without getting reweighed and they just charge you according to what you put down. So be careful not to over-estimate! We have a business account and that’s what happens with us. Our bill usually has little adjustments on it. Things like we entered it as ‘residential’ but it was actually ‘business’ so we get a refund or we entered it as 23# but it as actually 25# so we get billed a little extra. From what my driver told is, as far as catching the weight is concerned, how anal the auditor is decides how many slip through unnoticed.