I signed up for an account on stamps.com at the beginning of the year to make it easier to secure stamps during the bad weather of the winter months. Learned today that stamps.com has been charging me $7.99 per month since that initial purchase.
Spoke with one of the customer service representatives today who confirmed that the service costs $17.99 even if you don't buy a single stamp. So, they charge you $215.88 for the "right" to buy stamps over the web. That $215.88 does not get you a single stamp.
We're talking about a government institution that is supposed to be serving the public trust; instead they are engaging in subtrefuge, misleading consumer, and basically stealing your money unless you're paying very close attention to your billing statements.