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returned ring through USPS, now in black hole

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sv77vs

Rough_Rock
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Jan 8, 2010
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So I returned a ring through USPS Express (insured of course, they offer insurance on Express mail up to $5K), which is supposed to be delivered the next day by noon. I shipped it two days ago, and the only thing the online tracking system says is "accepted" at the post office that I dropped it off at.

I called the vendor yesterday to see if they have received it, and they said it wouldn''t be "in their system" for a day or two after they received it. Nice, way to go, another reason not to work with them in the future...

I am trying not to freak out, but it is hard. Has anyone encountered this? I know the tracking is bad/nonexistent with Priority mail and registered mail, but with Express?? This is their most expensive service! I called customer service, and after being on hold for 30 min, they said that they don''t know anything and can''t start looking into it until 24 h after it was supposed to be delivered.

I opened an inquiry once into a package that I didn''t receive (which contained an expensive item), and they never got back to me about it. Eventually, I looked around at my neighboring buildings and found it. Nice. I vowed I would never use USPS again... until I decided to ship the largest purchase I have ever made via USPS!

Ugh...
 
You should have use registered, that is the safest.
 
Yes, well, that is what everyone says. But, at the post office, they told me that they couldn''t insure registered, but I could insure Express. I argued with the post office person for five minutes, but she wouldn''t budge. Should have just gone to a different post office.
 
Yes, the PO insures registered mail and yes, this is the most secure way to ship.

Delays in the mail are irritatingly common. There’s still a pretty good chance that it’ll turn up in the system. Despite the name 'overnight' they offer a pretty weak guarantee that the package will actually be delivered the next day and missing the deadline by a day isn't so unusual. Give them a few days (it sounds like you already have) and then start a tracking on the package by talking to the postmaster as the PO where you dropped it off.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver
 
I have tried calling the post office that I dropped it off at, but I can''t get through. Would it be bad to just pop in and inquire?

Yes, what she told me is complete crap.
 
so sorry for the stress. I know shipping expensive items is nerve wracking. The USPS tracking system is a mess. Nothing is updated until well after the item has arrived so I wouldn''t worry if nothing is showing up there. I agree with the others that is will probably show up. Registered is the safest and they do insure but it can also be slow. Hopefully the vendor will be able to locate it quickly and call or email you right away to put your fears at rest!
 
So long as you did not under-insure the item, you have little to worry about. Likely as not, it will be found and delivered late. Verify that you put exactly the coirrect address on the label, including a Suite number or floor. This can make it go underlivered on occasion. You can immediately go to the post office where it was sent from and get a full refund of what was spent for the shipping since it has not been delivered by the time promised. They pay you back in a money order most times. Their tracking system is poor, but I have found the delivery end to be nearly as good as UPS and Fed-Ex. So long as a package is fully insured you''ll be in good shape. (I HOPE)
 
Oh, I''m sorry this is happening to you. I just sent some stones Express letter (after weighing the pros and cons of using overnight vs. non-overnight registered--and, after hearing some horror stories, deciding that something that looked like a thick letter had less of a chance of getting stolen than something obviously of high value) and when I checked the tracking it actually pretty promptly showed when it had been delivered the next day and the name of the person who''d signed for it.

Hopefully your package will turn up soon!
 
Yes, this really sucks. It was fully insured, though, for the exact amount I paid for it (should have used the appraised value, it is twice as much!! haha).

Worst case scenario: Package is lost/stolen, I can file a claim 7 days after I shipped it, which I have all the documentation for, and within a few weeks (hopefully) I get my money back.

I should stop freaking out. So hard though!!!
 
I''m sorry this happened to you. If it''s insured for the value you paid I would just wait and see. Sometimes it takes a few days and pops out the other end of the system (that''s what happened with my pave wedding ring and Fed Ex--despite them saying the package didn''t exist!!!!)
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You may only claim "cost" or "value", whichever is lower. With the Government you can only collect what you paid, at most. Never under or over insure. Insure ONLY for the actual cost that you can later "prove" you really paid. Postal regulations could fill a large room and ruin a rain forest.
 
Ditto - try not to freak. It''s tough, but the odds really are that it will turn up in the system in a few days - which won''t do you any good if you''ve already had the heartattack
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They "guarantee" next day delivery, but they don''t guarantee to hold up to that guarantee, so it''s really not worth much. USPS tracking being what it is... you''ll most likely hear from the recipient before them.
 
Let''s just say I will never use USPS again to ship anything, unless I absolutely have to. This is terrible. And it is not the first time something like this has happened to me. What horrible luck.

I wish I had taken longer to make my ring purchase. If I had made a better choice, this never would have happened. So, if you are buying online, I advise you to be absolutely sure!

Having to go through this is a nightmare, even if it ends up OK. The worry alone is not worth it.
 
Date: 1/13/2010 9:48:44 AM
Author: sv77vs
Yes, well, that is what everyone says. But, at the post office, they told me that they couldn''t insure registered, but I could insure Express. I argued with the post office person for five minutes, but she wouldn''t budge. Should have just gone to a different post office.
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My husband had the same experience
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How can they not know the policies?? We discovered the mistake shortly after giving it to them and he went back and spoke to a supervisor and got it changed to registered.
 
Date: 1/13/2010 12:45:24 PM
Author: oldminer
You may only claim ''cost'' or ''value'', whichever is lower. With the Government you can only collect what you paid, at most. Never under or over insure. Insure ONLY for the actual cost that you can later ''prove'' you really paid. Postal regulations could fill a large room and ruin a rain forest.
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Dave...the problem is, no way you can prove what was inside the package.
 
Give it a few more days, there have been lots of recent stories about packages going to into a black hole, all the ones I have read, the package reappeared. I recently had a package go missing. It was sitting on a shelf behind the counter the whole time
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check your reciept. Sometimes express isn''t guaranteed for one day, but for 2 days.
 
Date: 1/13/2010 8:08:00 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 1/13/2010 12:45:24 PM
Author: oldminer
You may only claim ''cost'' or ''value'', whichever is lower. With the Government you can only collect what you paid, at most. Never under or over insure. Insure ONLY for the actual cost that you can later ''prove'' you really paid. Postal regulations could fill a large room and ruin a rain forest.
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Dave...the problem is, no way you can prove what was inside the package.
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I shipped a loose diamond to a Texas jeweler USPS, Diamond insured for 15K and the postal clerk (nice lady) asked whats in it gold bars
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I didn''t have all the boxes sealed,so I slid everything out down to the last little cotton wraped paper....then revealed the diamond
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The clerk said Quote (O $hit)...I just chuckled and said lets not loose it OK?

Honestly it took me a long time to find that diamond at that price,but if the USPS lost a 10K diamond insured for 15K.....
I probably would not kick too much and just find another a little better.
 
No, it was guaranteed next day noon.

No, there is no way to prove what was inside the package, but there is strong circumstantial evidence. I am still a student, so if the worst happens, I can take out a low-interest, subsidized loan to pay for another ring.

Still no word on the package, still just says "accepted" on the online tracking system. Everyone I have talked to in the USPS customer service dept. has either transferred me to someone else or has been completely incompetent. I am usually a nice guy, even in situations such as these, but I am starting to lose it. From here on out it will be yelling if I need to and asking for supervisors, and taking down these people''s names for a nasty letter that I am going to write to someone in DC. Which probably won''t accomplish anything...

This experience certainly isn''t making me any less conservative... haha. Imagine if health care were run like this? I mean, it is pretty bad already, but throw in a few more levels of government bureaucracy and it would be a complete disaster.
 
In case of a loss in the US Postal system, you will be asked for documentation proving the value of the supposed shipped item(s) in the lost package. An original invoice is totally aceptable. You will be asked to swear under oath that you are siging the declaration of loss with knowledge that perjury is punishable under Federal law and that there are additional charges which you could be subject to by filing a false Federal report. I think very few people with half a brain would sign a false report if they take the time to read the potential consequences. It may take months for the Postal Inspectors to investigate and approve the payment for the claim, but if you have done the right thing and have proof of the value, you will eventually get your insured amount. The process is slow like glaciers used to be. Global warming has not made postal processes any more rapid.

You are probably correct that Federal health care initiatives will end up as a quagmire of red tape, delay and frustration. That''s always been the Federal model of efficiency.
 
Date: 1/14/2010 12:29:54 PM
Author: oldminer
You are probably correct that Federal health care initiatives will end up as a quagmire of red tape, delay and frustration. That''s always been the Federal model of efficiency.
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And someone who can''t otherwise get insurance, whether for shipping their expensive jewelry or for health care, has or will have access to it.
 
So the package is back on the radar, and has "arrived at unit," which I take to mean the local post office. I guess they just aren''t going to get around to delivering it today. Impressive. At least I will get a refund. I am still a bit nervous, as the package has not actually been delivered yet, but I feel much better.
 
It was received.
 
Use registered mail!
 
I'm glad it turned up. The weather (ice & snow) caused a backlog of packages. I suppose it's possible that your Express Mail was queued up behind other Express Mail that was delayed by weather. I've read complaints and panic attacks all over various discussion boards about "lost" packages in out there orbit someplace. UPS rescheduled one of my packages twice. But with their tracking, you can see that online.
 
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