Class Sues Pitney Bowes Over Postal Meters

MANHATTAN (CN) - Pitney Bowes charges a deceptive and unfair "equipment return fee" of $100 to $250 for the digital postal meters it leases, a class action claims in Federal Court. Pitney leases the "postage stamping machines, in everyday parlance," and when customers send them back, "Pitney pounces to extract its pound of fiscal flesh," according to the Shakespearean complaint.

Plaintiffs say Pitney's fee is "grossly disproportionate" to the true cost of mailing the machines back. "Pitney Bowes uses the return fee as a cash cow, even though Pitney represents to its customers that the fee covers the 'cost' of returning the equipment."

Lead plaintiff Kings Choice Neck Wear says the $100 Pitney charged it was "approximately nine times the $11.90 cost of shipping the equipment back to Pitney."

Plaintiffs are represented by Jeremy Heisler with Sanford Wittels & Heisler.

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