REGISTERED MAIL is not as safe as we think!

[ForteKitty]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

 

[Enerchi]

OMG!! that totally sucks!

I know it happens, but you never think it will happen to "YOU"!

Hopefully Athenaworth got the stone. good advice about the tape...

 

[athenaworth]

The diamond was safe and sound thanks to fortekitty's festiduiousness.

 

[ForteKitty]

Yes, people always laugh at how my packages look like Fort Knox, but HA! I win this time.

 

[Dancing Fire]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

if live so close why would you needed to mail the diamond?..

 

[ame]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

Wow, people are so damn greedy. Tampering with mail is a FELONY. And it doesn't seem to matter or scare anyone anymore. I usually bring the item in already paper taped (which I hope it was) so they stamp it in front of me. I also usually do it all at the main post office, not that it matters, but I feel like it's safer....

I am sorry to hear it was tampered with but SO GLAD that it arrived and was still there. I hope you both file a police report or contact the Postmaster.

 

[Enerchi]

Yes, people always laugh at how my packages look like Fort Knox, but HA! I win this time.

Yes you do!!! so glad you did prep it so securely. That is so insane about the attempt to rob the box. Yeah, I know people do it... but really... ?????

Glad you got your item Athenaworth!

 

[ForteKitty]

DF- What difference does it make? Shouldn't Registered Mail be safe regardless of the distance? Are you blaming the victims?

 

[Dancing Fire]

DF- What difference does it make? Shouldn't Registered Mail be safe regardless of the distance? Are you blaming the victims?

wouldn't it be safer to bring the diamond to the store yourself?

 

[ForteKitty]

Ame- I've always packaged the item at home so they can't see what is inside. If the Postmaster him/herself doesn't call me back by tomorrow, I'm raising hell.

 

[ame]

Ame- I've always packaged the item at home so they can't see what is inside. If the Postmaster him/herself doesn't call me back by tomorrow, I'm raising hell.

I would too! I always get one of those white boxes they sell at the post office and then the paper tape to seal it.

It ASTOUNDS me that someone working in a job like that, someone who NEEDS that job to not be cut due to funding, would risk their future employability trying to get inside a package. And since it's registered, there should be a name on it every time it was touched, so hopefully they can identify the culprit from that list.

 

[Dancing Fire]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

then i wouldn't have signed for the package..

 

[ForteKitty]

And then what? The diamond box was still taped inside. Should she have sent the package back to me? Let them have more time to actually get the diamond out this time??

 

[Ravinmad]

I get 100% that the mail is supposed to be secure, tampering with it a felony, etc, and understand your being pissed about the tampering and thank heavens you're as dilligent as you are in the fort knox packaging, seriously could you put up a post with images of how you make up your package as I think even if one of us are saved the grief it would be worth it. If you arent interested perhaps Rhino,OldMiner or another who does alot of this can give us a demo. Video anyone?

I feel that sometimes we forget that 18 miles for some people is just a lil jog down the road. Take me, I drive about 17 miles one way to work, and it takes me approximately 20 minutes.

Distance is not always time-relative as it the case with big cities and major metro areas


There was a time I ran a crew of cable internet technicians in the greater chicagoland area back in 2000. I've had several times where guys taking a 4 mile trip in the middle of the day, downtown would take 2 hours if things were bad. Our dispatch office, was in Tuscon, AZ. and they couldnt fathom how things so close together could take so long to drive. It created havoc for several months until we brought half a dozen dispatchers out and had them drive around for 2 days with our guys to get the idea. Different worlds they and we lived in and the traffic blew their mind.

For me, I live inbetween 3 fairly small sized towns/cities and travel now is a breeze except for when the snow flies.

I totally understand the long working hours and days as I'm about to hit a several week stretch of 10-12's and 7 days a week, but its the nature of the beast

Glad the moral of the story is that the diamond made it, you're following up with the Post Master, and with luck the person who tampered with the package got injuried in the attempted hiest!

 

[athenaworth]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

then i wouldn't have signed for the package..

That's just about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You mean to tell me you'd just give the destroyed box back to the people who destroyed it based on what... Your laurels?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The instructions sent by vendors when you need to ship something back to them are very good. They require that the items be double boxed to make it difficult for a slit in the top box to allow a thief to get anything! The item should be inside it's box inside a bubble envelope inside the small box. Then small box inside a medium or large box padded so that it doesn't move around. So in effect, there are several layers before you get to the item you are sending.

Athena, just curious, I assume you questioned the person who delivered the package. What did they say? I would have really wanted a witness to the fact that the box arrived with a hole in it just in case something was missing and a claim would have to be made. Maybe they had a sticker on the package indicating the hole? I have had something like that before on a package that was damaged.

 

[athenaworth]

There was a note on it indicating that the box was damaged when received in The City of Industry (which I believe is the halfway point between FK and me). Pictures were taken before the box was opened and then a ton were taken after.

 

[ForteKitty]

City of Industry is actually 9 miles SW of me, but it's a big sorting facility and all the mail in this area goes thru there. So it happened between my city and there. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out who did it, if they are indeed as strict as they claim.

oops, it was supposed to say SEast of me, so it went 9 miles east, then 18 miles west. They better be able to figure it out.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, that is good. I have had those notes before, so in this case, they basically know the window of when it could have happened.

 

[Gypsy]

I fort knox too. Totally worth the time it takes to do it. Thank you for the PSA FK!

 

[stargurl78]

Thank you for sharing this FK! I usually am pretty good about over packaging stuff I send but now I will make sure of it.

 

[ForteKitty]

I just thought of something. I'm going to duct tape the INSIDE of the box next time. THEN put the diamond inside another box and duct tape that smaller box to the inside of the bigger bix.

 

[Dancing Fire]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

then i wouldn't have signed for the package..

That's just about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You mean to tell me you'd just give the destroyed box back to the people who destroyed it based on what... Your laurels?

o.k.,then i'll give you another "dumb" advise. i wouldn't have signed for the package, instead i'd go to the station and pick up the package and open it front of the postal employee so that he/she can be a witness if there was no diamond in the box.

 

[onedrop]

FK, thanks so much for posting this! I just mailed something using registered mail and I wish I'd read your packing instructions before I did. Luckily my package arrived safely, but now I know how to insure against sticky fingers for future reference! Glad things turned out OK with your package despite the issues.

 

[ForteKitty]

PSA alert!!!

I sent a diamond to Athenaworth yesterday, via Registered Mail, and it arrived today with a 4 inch tear on the top of the box today. (we live maybe 18 miles away so it arrived fast) Someone intentionally tried to get into it and you can see where they dug their finger in. If the diamond wasn't taped to death to the box and completely stuffed, they would have gotten away with it. I filed a complaint, but it doesn't seem like they're going to do anything about it.

Please tape the shit out of anything you're trying to send!!!

then i wouldn't have signed for the package..

That's just about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You mean to tell me you'd just give the destroyed box back to the people who destroyed it based on what... Your laurels?

o.k.,then i'll give you another "dumb" advise. i wouldn't have signed for the package, instead i'd go to the station and pick up the package and open it front of the postal employee so that he/she can be a witness if there was no diamond in the box.

The package wouldn't have gotten to the station until 5pm, and it wouldn't have been available for pickup till the next day. Who knows what might have happened overnight? What if that person takes it on their way back?

 

[Dancing Fire]

[quote="ForteKitty|

The package wouldn't have gotten to the station until 5pm, and it wouldn't have been available for pickup till the next day. Who knows what might have happened overnight? What if that person takes it on their way back?[/quote]


then you file an insurance claim.

 

[slg47]

wow I am so glad the package made it safely! that is scary though-thanks for the heads up! I definitely don't feel as stupid about my insane packing methods now!

 

[ForteKitty]

DF, this is an oec and not replaceable at that price. I'm not even sure I can find one that's patterened as nice. It's not like an rb that's easily replaceable.

eta: it's like a one of a kind koi, and you got it for 75% off. Even if they give you what you paid, you can't replace it. Does that make sense?

 

[Dreamer_D]

Good wake up call. I have been packaging things pretty well, but I can do better.

I do think the advice is actually not to sign for or accept a package if it is damaged or your insurance claim will be affected. I seem to recall one of the vendors talking about this somewhere. Now I am curious what the actual protocol should be, separate from this particular situation.

It also makes me think about how we insure things like OECs when shipped. Surely it should be insured for the price we would need to pay to walk into a retail store and replace it? Of course, then we need to prove its value with an appraisal or receipt of sale or some such. Againm food for thought that I am going to think about in future.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

All I know from past experience is that you have to provide a receipt for what you paid if you make a claim. So insuring for a lot more than you paid wouldn't exactly make sense unless you did perhaps have a good independent appraisal. Not sure how they would handle that, but it would be good to know.