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Shipping via US Postal Service

Mark Shaw

By Mark Shaw
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Trulyvintage 10,000+ Points

Trulyvintage

Posted
Posted (edited)

Considering the volume of mail handled each day - the actual percentage of 

lost mail is acceptably low.

 

Which is of little comfort to those who

do experience lost mail …. 🤔

 

I recently left my wallet at a friends house

in California - he posted some stamps on

an envelope and popped it in the mail.

 

It was returned to him for “ postage insufficient “ so he sent it Priority Mail

to Deer Harbor USPS on Orcas Island, WA

and it arrived safe & sound 👍

 

 

Jin

Edited by Trulyvintage (see edit history)
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ia-k 1,000+ Points

ia-k

Posted
Posted

Feast or famine-

 

Shipped a carburetor to be rebuilt by USPS to 3 states away and about 750 miles. "Disappeared" for week and just said "in transit to final destination" or similar after the 3 day priority shipping date estimate passed. Finally got a notification it was delivered.

 

Ordered a battery for my cordless drill on eBay shipped by USPS. 6 states away and 1800 miles. Ordered on Saturday and received on Tuesday, 3 days later. 

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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

Posted
Posted

Thats a shame.  I am not really a parts seller but found myself with a stash of stuff I didnt need. Some I sold some I gave away. I used USPS for a lot of things with no problems. I have a post office about a quarter mile from my house that until they recently plowed it over was literally right in the middle of an apple orchard. Very rural. I know the employees by sight, and they got to a point that everytime I would take something in I could sense the aggitation for whatever reason, So I stopped going there and started using a shipping depot 30 miles away. Havent had a problem with anything yet. Most of the stuff goes through fedex from there.

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MCHinson 25,000+ Points

MCHinson

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I ship merchandise to my customers several times per month, and have done so for a number of years. Most are shipped via USPS Flat Rate Shipping. I also occasionally use UPS at the request of customers, typically when the destination is a construction site that does not yet have a mailbox. Over the years, I have had two USPS packages that got lost in the system and the delivery was delayed a day or two. I had one package that was lost totally and USPS paid the insurance claim without problem. UPS lost a package for a customer within the last year. UPS paid the insurance claim. 

 

Mark, If there was no tracking record on your package, it would appear that your package was lost at the original post office as it never got scanned in, which I am sure is why they refused to pay the claim - as they had no record of ever receiving it. If you present it to the clerk, they should scan it into the system while you watch, which should prevent this problem. 

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MCHinson 25,000+ Points

MCHinson

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, JFranklin said:

It is scanned and the tracking # is on the customer receipt. I don't think it would work any other way.

If you generate the postage label at home through "Click and Ship" on the USPS website and then drop it off at the post office without dealing with a human being, it could be lost before it was ever scanned so they would not have a record of receiving it, and they would deny the claim in that situation. If it ever got scanned and then was lost, they should pay the claim. The tracking history would show that they lost it.  

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mike6024 10,000+ Points

mike6024

Posted
Posted

USPS includes insurance automatically, doesn't it?
And they refused to pay even though admitting it was lost? I don't get it.

Just asking because I am planning to send parts that are worth $200 and I've assumed I am covered in case they get lost.

I do pay at the post office and the tracking number is on the receipt.

I have an account with FedEx and used that for a few years, really liked it, and they raised prices a lot so it's not necessarily my favorite anymore.

 

FedEx gives you a bit of a discount if you have an account with them; you need a credit card on file with them; everything insured automatically, but if it's very valuable you may need to pay extra for additional coverage.

 

I'd say get an account with FedEx if you refuse to use USPS anymore.

refusing to pay on insurance for a lost Priority mail Box has me concerned.

 

 

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John348 25,000+ Points

John348

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18 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Just shipped a box UPS today with extra insurance, clerk asked if I could prove the value. It was insured for the eBay sale price.

 

I also ship pretty much all of my eBay sale via the post office but you might want to purchase the postage through eBay and the proof for the value of the item for the insurance is already calculated by the sale, also it is cheaper then buying from the post office direct. You do need a postal scale if don't have one already.  I schedule a pick-up and leave it on the porch in the morning. It has been pretty painless. 

 

 

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

Posted
Posted
Just now, John348 said:

 

I also ship pretty much all of my eBay sale via the post office but you might want to purchase the postage through eBay and the proof for the value of the item for the insurance is already calculated by the sale, also it is cheaper then buying from the post office direct. You do need a postal scale if don't have one already.  I schedule a pick-up and leave it on the porch in the morning. It has been pretty painless. 

 

 

 

I don't understand, nor do I trust "eBay math". If I list something for say $35.00 along with the "Make an offer" option, and I accept a $5.00 offer it still gets listed as a $35.00 sale. I'm not ready for them to make up postage rates at this time in my life. Bob 

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John348 25,000+ Points

John348

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

 

I don't understand, nor do I trust "eBay math". If I list something for say $35.00 along with the "Make an offer" option, and I accept a $5.00 offer it still gets listed as a $35.00 sale. I'm not ready for them to make up postage rates at this time in my life. Bob 

 

Bob,

(Just for example) Purchasing postage for a medium flat rate box from the post office direct at the post office is $15.80, that same postage for the same box printed on your printer, through eBay is $13.70. It is a pretty good deal. 

Edited by John348 (see edit history)
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TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

Posted
Posted

I was in touch with a fellow car enthusiast from South Africa. He had nightmare stories about their postal service and the independent carriers as well. Said he would wait months upon months for stuff IF it even showed up.

 

I dont think that shipping in the US is that bad. Like was said tens of millions of parcels a day. A few will slip through the cracks.  In all my years I have had maybe 2 bad experiences and 1 was partially my fault. Another was a dash bezel that I sent to have it refinished. It was mailed back to me and 6 years later I am still waiting for it. I contributed the problem with that one to the fact that between my house and office at the time I have 3 post offices within about 5 miles. I thought it had a mismatch of addresses. I kept checking with each one on a daily basis for weeks with no luck. The vendor did make good and sent me a new piece out.

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auburnseeker 25,000+ Points

auburnseeker

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I buy my shipping through Pirateship.  They are a provider of USPS shipping at a discount.  I've been very happy with them.  If there is ever a shortage or even overage you will get a notice and they will credit you or charge you the difference so your customers don't get a postage due package.  That's if the USPS catches the mistake.  I have had it happen once with a regular customer that I shipped a box full of brochures and owners' manuals all from the 60's or older and most from companies that don't even exist any more.  Well i got a notice that it was reboxed and I was being charged the full priority flat rate instead of media mail. 

I figured well they must have opened it and depending on what clerk is working most seem to agree it's pretty much educational material at this point since you can't buy anything in any of the brochures.  Once in a while you'll get one that doesn't agree. It's pretty rare though. 

I emailed the buyer to make sure it did arrive Ok and to see if they reboxed it as I don't believe the box I use or contents were short enough to fit in a flat rate.  He said no it was still in my box and never had been opened. So it wasn't inspected.   I thought that was odd,  but just shrugged it off.  I ship alot so if I had this one get soloed out,  then fine.  Not worth arguing. It was probably about 5-6 lbs of literature. 

 

Well i got another the other day.  This one bothered me.  Same deal reboxed relabelled as priority mail according to the USPS note sent to pirateship with the reason for the upcharge.  This was an 8 ounce package that the buyer photographed for me when it arrived after he opened it. It was never reboxed or relabelled and in fact never even opened for inspection as you can see the original single strip of tape.  It would have needed to have another piece applied to keep it closed if they cut it to open it up for inspection. 

So this was not a case of disagreeing on the qualification of the contents for media mail.  Even if it was it should have been upgraded to first class at only 8 ounces or worse just priority mail 1 lb.  which wouldn't have been another 13.50 upcharge,  not including the original 3.19 I paid.  Glad the customer got their 3.50 brochure though.  

 

 

s-l1600.jpg

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greenie 10,000+ Points

greenie

Posted
Posted

I ship with my local post office almost every day. They stumbled during the last holiday season and there was a real crisis at the large distribution centers.

I try not to ship anything that is so valuable I would be heartbroken if it was lost.

The vast majority of shipments go as planned.
I live about 2 hours from Hershey. When my vendor space renewal was due, I drove to the Hershey post office and the lady there hand cancelled my envelop and placed it directly into the Region’s slot. 

 

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60FlatTop 25,000+ Points

60FlatTop

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Posted

I use the USPS. Any time they have lost or damaged anything they refused the claim but it has only happened a couple of times. No big deal.

 

All the packages go into a big funnel and whichever carrier is available to ship the item across the country two or three times before delivery gets it. No big difference.

 

Some of the biggest laughs I have had were from reading the tracking paths. If I was in the shipping business I would be ashamed to show my father the routes some things take.

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Frank DuVal 25,000+ Points

Frank DuVal

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Having a functioning printer would be step one, understanding how to use it I guess is step two.

Time to step up to the 1990s!😁

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Frank DuVal 25,000+ Points

Frank DuVal

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, mike6024 said:

My mail has been delivered at 8:30 PM a few times the last couple weeks.

Same here. I've even passed their delivery driver on US 17 at 9 PM delivering to houses.

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1937hd45 25,000+ Points

1937hd45

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, John348 said:

 

Bob Is it next to 8 track player? 

 

I have no idea how much money I've saved in my lifetime by not "being into music". Starts with records LP's and 45's, they were cheap, but you had to have a turn table. Then it went to tapes and the tape player, followed by what 6-8 better mouse traps? People buy records and whatever today based on album covers. How does that work, selling sound  based on the artwork or photo on a cover? 

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Gerczak 1,000+ Points

Gerczak

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Posted

So I went in to drop off a prepaid package to my local post office and I asked the postman if I could just stick small prepaid packages in my mailbox to ship instead of bringing into the post office.  He replied "Do you trust you postman?"  I thought it was a bit weird as I thought he was my postman. 

 

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Mark Shaw 25,000+ Points

Mark Shaw

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On 9/22/2021 at 6:14 PM, MCHinson said:

I ship merchandise to my customers several times per month, and have done so for a number of years. Most are shipped via USPS Flat Rate Shipping. I also occasionally use UPS at the request of customers, typically when the destination is a construction site that does not yet have a mailbox. Over the years, I have had two USPS packages that got lost in the system and the delivery was delayed a day or two. I had one package that was lost totally and USPS paid the insurance claim without problem. UPS lost a package for a customer within the last year. UPS paid the insurance claim. 

 

Mark, If there was no tracking record on your package, it would appear that your package was lost at the original post office as it never got scanned in, which I am sure is why they refused to pay the claim - as they had no record of ever receiving it. If you present it to the clerk, they should scan it into the system while you watch, which should prevent this problem. 

It was scanned in at Portland, but never made it out of St. Louis.

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MCHinson 25,000+ Points

MCHinson

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Posted

Mark,

If they scanned it, and they did not deliver it, call your postmaster and complain. They should pay the insurance claim. Sometimes it takes talking with a human being in charge to get them to do the right thing. 

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Bill Stoneberg 25,000+ Points

Bill Stoneberg

Posted
Posted (edited)

I bought a carb from a vendor on Ebay.  I tracked it to my house and when they delivered it the package was torn and the box was empty.

 

I refused to accept it and the seller went looking of fit.  Never found it so got my money back.

 

Somewhere, someplace there is a Carter AFB for a 1960 Buick Electra.

Edited by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)
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JamesR 25,000+ Points

JamesR

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Posted
On 9/22/2021 at 5:47 PM, Mark Shaw said:

Not long ago, I shipped a valuable car part via USPS Priority from WA to IL. 

It was lost, no tracking info, and they refused to pay the full insurance coverage I paid for. 

 

I no longer use USPS. 

 

Have others had this problem with USPS?

 

Very sorry for your lost package. I suspect Bill Stoneberg's experience in the comment above approximates the fate of your package, if my own experience is any indication. These kind of mess ups at USPS are often equipment related. Don't be surprised if your customer/recipient receives the package anywhere from two weeks to two months from now...and in damaged condition. The contents may or may not be missing or harmed, and there is usually a note from USPS saying, "Sorry, we damaged your package" or something. Most car parts are durable, so that's a plus.

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