Has the USPS ever lost your diamond?

[sassy_pants]

I sent mine off early Saturday morning, priority, insured, registered. As of almost 4pm Monday, the tracking number is still coming up as NOT FOUND. Eek! When should I start to panic?

I called them, but they "only have access to the same tracking information I can get on their website". Not much help! If anyone has experience with an insured loss from them, I'd be interested to know how it was settled.

 

[FancyIntense]

It sounds like a problem with entering the tracking numbers correctly. Are you including the all the numbers like the first three that start with like 420? Call your post office directly (the local number on your receipt) or go down there, the 800 number is only a call center. The not found message is a number issue. Does the tracking show package acceptance? Since you just did it Saturday the package may have not moved yet with no information to report, but it usually shows acceptance. I would not worry yet, but if it's convenient go down there with your receipt and id. I have done the same mailing many times and it always lags with the info.

 

[sassy_pants]

Thank you, good advice. No, acceptance is not shown on the Tracking page, just NOT FOUND in scary red letters. I've tried typing in the number a bunch of different ways, following the formats they have listed as well as ones with and without the letters. On the phone I listed our the letters and the numbers separately and got the same result??? I will try my local post office. I was standing there when they scanned it in, so I should at least be able to see that, right?

 

[yssie]

I sent mine off early Saturday morning, priority, insured, registered. As of almost 4pm Monday, the tracking number is still coming up as NOT FOUND. Eek! When should I start to panic?

I called them, but they "only have access to the same tracking information I can get on their website". Not much help! If anyone has experience with an insured loss from them, I'd be interested to know how it was settled.

May well not have been picked up yet - I've noticed that packages sometimes don't start moving until 6pm or later around here.
If you hadn't sent it registered I'd have also suggested that a postal worker may not have scanned it, but registered is very safe It does take a very long time, though, so prepare to bite your nails for a couple of weeks!

 

[MissGotRocks]

The USPS is not good with updating their tracking info. Don't worry though - I am sure it will arrive safe and sound! It is signed for at each step along the way but often times tracking is not updated until it arrives.

 

[msop04]

Not with a diamond, but I've had this happen several times. It always showed up on the tracking service later that night or the next day. USPS tracking site isn't the greatest. Sorry you're so stressed! It should be fine -- just give it some time.

 

[MollyMalone]

Yep, registered mail doesn't travel through the ordinary channels, so it takes longer because the package, e.g., "stays put" through weekends -- which is why I've never paid for Priority Mail, but perhaps that's the only way to receive (hopefully) tracking updates, which is not a feature of registered mail (registered mail simply reports successful delivery & even that has to be requested).

Registered mail can indeed be nerve-wracking but it's the delivery method strongly recommended by Jewelers Mutual as most reliable. Since they keep better tabs on losses than any of us can, I hope you find their endorsement of your chosen MO reassuring.

 

[denverappraiser]

Registered mail doesn't track AT ALL. A postal worker has to sign for it at every point that it changes hands but the online tracking system isn't connected to this in the slightest. All you can trust on it is confirmation that it's been shipped and confirmation after it's been delivered. It's annoying but it's not even really a problem. It's a security thing. Depending on where you're shipping from and to, expect it to take 3-7 days (not including weekends and holidays). It's not quite that they never ever lose a package but it's a VERY secure shipping method.

Paying extra for 'priority' is a total waste. Not one thing changes except for the postage.

 

[WinkHPD]

I have never had a stone lost in USPS registered mail, although one time many years ago a client's husband sent two sapphires back to me to have one mounted and the other returned. This was in December and in February I called to ask why they had not returned the two stones as promised.

When she told me that her husband had just dropped them in a mail box I suggested we wait another month and then report them stolen. She was very upset that I would not just send her money back since her husband said he did ship them, but did not register or insure them. I did give them a discount and returned what would have been my profit as I felt badly for her.

Two and a half years later I got a package in the mail that was postmarked in December of the original shipment year, and three days earlier in Boston of the current year. (Three days before I received it.)

When I took the box to the post office and asked, What the HECK?! I was told that most likely the bag was emptied for sorting and then tossed into a corner to wait being needed again. Since it was sent in December, it waited a long time. Then when it was finally used again, apparently it went to Boston with a number of other packages, and this time when it was emptied out the box came out, this time.

It was a happy day that I got to call her about the gems having been found!

Wink

 

[diamondseeker2006]

When you send Priority with Registered, you DO get tracking. My guess is that your package did not go out Saturday since it was Registered and it will show up tonight or in the morning on tracking. It definitely should assuming you are entering all the letters and numbers correctly. It will give a projected delivery date based on Priority, but that is meaningless since Registered is what it really is.

It is true that tracking does not show up if you send by a lesser method than priority with registered, other than it may show picked up and then delivered. Priority doesn't help it get there faster, but it DOES show the tracking.

 

[sassy_pants]

Very interesting discussion! Wink--you have the best stories!

Okay, I'm a little less worried about it now. I will just give it a few days even if the tracking never shows up. The only reason I was worried not to see anything on tracking is because the clerk specifically told me to check it online by typing in the number. But he was extremely surprised that I was able to insure for over $5,000 since he thought that was the highest limit available, so perhaps he was not crystal clear on all the specifics of the various mailing methods.

But it does make me wonder...if you send registered and insured (not priority for the sake of argument), at what point do you declare a package lost if it doesn't arrive? Two weeks?

 

[WinkHPD]

Very interesting discussion! Wink--you have the best stories!

Okay, I'm a little less worried about it now. I will just give it a few days even if the tracking never shows up. The only reason I was worried not to see anything on tracking is because the clerk specifically told me to check it online by typing in the number. But he was extremely surprised that I was able to insure for over $5,000 since he thought that was the highest limit available, so perhaps he was not crystal clear on all the specifics of the various mailing methods.

But it does make me wonder...if you send registered and insured (not priority for the sake of argument), at what point do you declare a package lost if it doesn't arrive? Two weeks?

I no longer use registered mail because it can just take too long. Still I am pretty sure that Registered Priority mail can be insured up to $50,000. (I reserve the right to be wrong since I am no longer using the service. I have gotten pretty spoiled by the Overnight delivery of FedEx.)

Wink

P.S. Thank you for the kind comment on my stories Sassy_Pants. I think it is a side effect of living a long and exciting life. I have done a lot of things before finding my perfect, for me, profession. Since finding it I continue to strive to do it right, which also leads to a lot of fun stories. Live is too good not to create stories for those who treasure them, and I do!

 

[kenny]

No.

100% success rate with USPS Registered.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, that is correct that you can insure up to $50,000 with Registered now. $5000 is for regular priority mail. Honestly, a friend recently sent a diamond by Registered to a popular ringmaker here, and her postal worker also told her the ins. limit was $5k but she knew better. I think if I couldn't get a job in a jewelry store, my next hypothetical job should be at the post office. This hobby makes one learn more than the average jewelry store or postal worker!

Sassy, the tracking absolutely should show up by tomorrow. Something would be wrong if it never showed up. You do enter all the letters and numbers. I believe they say you have to wait 30 days before filing a claim for a lost item. But I will say that I have been here for 10 years and there have been a good many people worried, but never has a diamond been lost through Registered mail that I can recall.

 

[simurgh]

Just wanted to chime in to say I definitely wouldn't worry yet. I've sent lots of things (though not valuable!) through usps and in my experience they're always slow to get tracking info up. I've had things arrive before any tracking info was available. Also, what gets done (or not done) between Friday night and Monday morning seems to vary, but again I often find nothing happens. Good luck (and post when it arrives! )

 

[sassy_pants]

Tracking updated at 2am! Hasn't arrived yet, but wonderful to see something other than "Not Found"!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Tracking updated at 2am! Hasn't arrived yet, but wonderful to see something other than "Not Found"!

Great! I am sure it just didn't go out until Monday. I don't know the distance you are sending it, but 3 days to a week is typical and longer if the distance is far.

 

[denverappraiser]

I don't send much registered mail anymore because I"ve got 3rd party insurance that covers faster methods but I RECEIVE registered packages nearly every day, and have for more than a decade. I've never had a problem beyond the fact that it's sometimes a little slow.

 

[bcavitt]

One of our vendors that ALWAYS ships registered no matter what the value has added Priority Mail 3 day to their packages to not only add tracking information, but the insure a slightly faster delivery time. Never had a loss with USPS and our private insurance for our shipping gives us premium and liability incentives to ship USPS.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

One of our vendors that ALWAYS ships registered no matter what the value has added Priority Mail 3 day to their packages to not only add tracking information, but the insure a slightly faster delivery time. Never had a loss with USPS and our private insurance for our shipping gives us premium and liability incentives to ship USPS.

I also do Priority with Registered to get the tracking, but it in no way makes it faster. Registered is registered and goes at registered pace no matter what.

 

[sassy_pants]

An update on my package (since I know you've all been on the absolute edge of your seat wondering what happened!):

My diamond arrived safe and sound on Thursday. I sent it on Saturday morning, both priority and registered, from the Midwest to CA. There was an update Monday night that it arrived in CO and another update Wednesday night that it was at a post office in CA. So, not counting Sunday, it took 4 days and I got a tracking update every 48 hours. I heard from the recipient that it had arrived a good 12-15 hours before the tracking updated to reflect that.

But overall experience was good. It arrived safe and sound in a reasonable amount of time, and I did get a few breadcrumbs of info over the 4 day period to calm my nerves.

 

[singer]

It has happened to me...where it said tracking # not found. Finally, on day three it showed up online. Website is not dependable, but the ring did finally show up at my doorstep on day 5. I have a feeling it will get to its destination just fine. Take a deep breath.

 

[Demon]

I've never had anything lost by USPS, but lately their tracking systems seems to have gone haywire. You used to be able to reliably follow it through every step. But recently I was expecting a delivery from Georgia. According to USPS, the package remained in Ga and I got an update saying it was undeliverable and still in Ga - I live in Colorado. The company sent out a replacement, and the tracking said it went through various cities on it's way here. Said it made it to Colorado then was sent to Kansas where it was left at a mailbox. Now we did eventually get both packages (the 2nd one first), but I don't trust them anymore.