Uptick in items being stolen in transit

[YadaYadaYada]

I’ve noticed a lot of stolen posts on IG lately, as in someone ordered something and it was stolen in transit. Seems to be happening a lot with USPS. Just saw another one this morning. I’m sure this is also happening with items ordered through EBay and other online marketplaces as well.

Maybe if you are buying something then go with registered mail. I’ve been paying extra for Priority Mail Express (although I know it’s not as safe) just so items are in transit for as little time as possible.

Anyone with any other ideas on how to keep our trinkets safe while on their way to us, please share!

 

[winnietucker]

I just sent something out and haven’t received confirmation of receipt despite tracking saying it was delivered 2 days ago…. This was not what I wanted to see. I’ll be following up to confirm the item was received. My ACA is going out soon for a reset… I was thinking about sending via registered mail and now I definitely will.

 

[bludiva]

There have been a couple of heists in my area where people have stolen the master key from a postal worker and then had access to banks of mailboxes. There's one case where an HOA has been fighting with the post office and refusing to fix the mailboxes, and the residents have had to pick up their mail in person for months. Last year someone stole a box of packages right off the mail carriers truck in our neighborhood. I don't know if people are getting more brazen or more desperate but seemed like no one used to mess with mail carriers and now I'm hearing about it often. I've only used registered mail once but the piece of mind was worth the extra wait.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@winnietucker, I think registered mail is the safest but depending on who is doing the reset, you might want to get a label from them. This is what I did with David Klass and it got there safe and sound.

 

[Cerulean]

Registered mail is just probably the safest. I just shipped something via registered mail and it’s as slow as molasses and I don’t get any tracking updates. I thought the package hadn’t moved because all I saw was that the label was created.

Just a forewarning - it’s a bit scary not seeing updates but I think it has the greatest guarantees for sure!

I’d also always have the vendor create labels where possible instead of managing it yourself. That isn’t always possible but it’s the route I privilege

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@bludiva, it seems that people are getting more desperate and more brazen. Scary times we live in.

 

[ean]

I was just gonna post about that. So many stolen USPS packages on IG it seems like.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Cerulean, I think I’ve only used registered mail once but I didn’t remember that the tracking doesn’t get updated, that is a bit unnerving! I guess that is the trade off for safety. My anniversary ring that I just got a month ago was mailed Priority Mail Express Next Day (this was the seller’s choice since shipping was free) and boy am I thankful they sent it that way.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I was just gonna post about that. So many stolen USPS packages on IG it seems like.

I know, it’s really sad. Can’t imagine waiting for some lovely bauble to have some low life thief steal it, talk about heartbreaking!

 

[mayaINaU]

I have had one item stolen that I was returning to The RealReal via their own UPS return label. I felt like I was having a heart attack until it was finally resolved and they refunded me a few weeks later. Everything else high-value I have had sent to me via FedEx overnight, or if international, DHL as fast as they can do it and with tracking, and I’ve had no problems with those. Denver Appraiser told me he always does FedEx overnight.

 

[yssie]

One of my vendors has the opposite issue and prefers USPS because FedEx is the problem carrier out there right now.

It seems like shipping in general is more problematic these days. Heck that Brinks heist a few weeks ago - if Brinks isn’t safe what is!?


From my perspective - when I sell something as a private individual it’s always below retail. In the past I’ve been quick to refund buyers if there was a shipping issue (tracking failed to update, package taking worryingly long) - and fortunately in both instances the buyer was honest and let me know when their packages came in, and both returned the refunds. I did have one bad experience though, and I won’t be doing that ever again - buyers who choose to buy from private individuals are also choosing to take on shipping risks. Don’t want the risk? Then pay more to purchase from a retailer, or pay more to use an appraiser intermediary, or pay a vendor to send me a shipping label: My responsibility as a private seller ends the moment I leave the package with the carrier and get a receipt to prove drop-off. In cases where a package does go missing I’ll of course do my best to remediate with the carrier (usually it’s the shipper who had to file a claim), but I won’t be refunding anything until I get that money back from the carrier.

 

[Rfisher]

I’ve noticed a lot of stolen posts on IG lately, as in someone ordered something and it was stolen in transit. Seems to be happening a lot with USPS. Just saw another one this morning. I’m sure this is also happening with items ordered through EBay and other online marketplaces as well.

Maybe if you are buying something then go with registered mail. I’ve been paying extra for Priority Mail Express (although I know it’s not as safe) just so items are in transit for as little time as possible.

Anyone with any other ideas on how to keep our trinkets safe while on their way to us, please share!

Just curious if the uptick is missing boxes or receiving empty boxes?

The empty box is my fear. Do I now wish to film the handover from the delivery person, to the unboxing?

Ugh.

 

[Lookinagain]

I've been using registered mail when shipping things to DK. I do get tracking updates, although the route taken is somewhat convoluted. Seems to circle around a bit. But it is the safest, and also, if you are insuring, the insurance is less expensive than the same amount of insurance for USPS priority. My things have been getting from New England to California in about 4 days, so not so terrible.

 

[yssie]

Just a quick reminder here - I think everyone here knows this but maybe for lurkers - Registered is only super safe within the US, as soon as a package leaves US soil all US federal guarantees cease to apply. No more direct personnel handoff, no more caged transit, no more recipient signature requirement. So for international packages USPS Registered is no safer than anything else in the local mail system!

 

[mayaINaU]

This is why I can’t feel sanguine about buying something to check it out in person with the potential of returning it. I’m so afraid of things being stolen on the return trip. When I ordered my watch from Japan, DHL was supposed to get my signature but they didn’t and they just dropped it off. I had planned to film myself opening it before accepting delivery but it wasn’t possible. Thankfully everything was in the box.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Rfisher, I’ve seen both and actually one buyer received her package and someone had obviously tried to steal the contents. The only saving grace was the seller very securely packaged the item with double boxes and a lot of packing tape. They apparently didn’t have enough time to get into the second box to get the ring!

 

[Mreader]

I just sent something out and haven’t received confirmation of receipt despite tracking saying it was delivered 2 days ago…. This was not what I wanted to see. I’ll be following up to confirm the item was received. My ACA is going out soon for a reset… I was thinking about sending via registered mail and now I definitely will.

I would ask the vendor who is resetting it for a label and you can just pay for it; that way your item would be covered under their separate jewelry policy.

 

[Mreader]

I've been using registered mail when shipping things to DK. I do get tracking updates, although the route taken is somewhat convoluted. Seems to circle around a bit. But it is the safest, and also, if you are insuring, the insurance is less expensive than the same amount of insurance for USPS priority. My things have been getting from New England to California in about 4 days, so not so terrible.

So registered only took 4 days? Again DK will give you a label and you pay them; so much more peace of mind imho.

 

[rainydaze]

Shipping always gets me twisted up. (I have used USPS Registered, Priority, FedEx Overnight, and UPS. I have sent it myself, and used a vendor's label.)

At the risk of outing myself as still feeling clueless when it comes to shipping... why is a vendor's label the best option? Because it carries insurance if the package is lost or stolen and the claim is not against our own insurance which dings us? The vendor's insurance truly will pay out to us even when the item was our *own* item that we were shipping *to them*... not something they have touched or created for us yet?

USPS Registered offers the most security (within the US) and will also insure jewelry and pay out in case of loss/theft... is this accurate?

Why is a vendor's label still preferable to US Registered?

USPS Priority and FedEx won't insure jewelry - correct? - but these options get the item to the destination faster for peace of mind. Also, these options may camouflage the item some, as they don't signify it as something super important. However, these packages appear to be experiencing the most loss/theft and it is increasing and since the items within are not insured, it's the most risky. Is this the general line of thinking?

If FedEx and UPS are having so many packages stolen, why is a vendor's label (which is usually FedEx or UPS) still desirable? Oh, bc the vendor can actually have the contents insured for us through the vendor's own policy, whereas when we send it ourselves via FedEx or UPS the contents aren't insured...

Except, what about JM? Whenever I have contacted them to ask, they have assured me that my items are covered in transit however I sent it. So then I thought well why not send it overnight via one of the usual carriers.... I think @yssie once posted that it's better to make a claim on the vendor's insurance vs our own, which makes sense.

Although, if we are talking about items we are selling, then those would not be on our JM or jewelry policies... nor would we have a vendor to provide labels... so if we are shipping something we are selling, what then? Registered? Will appraisers who act as an intermediary provide a label that offers insurance through their policies?

Writing that all out helped some of it to pull into focus more. However I would still be eternally grateful for any replies offering answers/insight/confirmation.

 

[bludiva]

i was just looking at this b/c i had a ring to return & sent it via the label provided. i was anxious til i got the notification that it was delivered & signed for. i would have rather used registered mail - you can insure an item up to 25k i think or similar. priority you can insure up to 5k. i've been lucky, only a couple of small items that have gone missing over the years and the most recent one the seller reimbursed me. but with the porch pirates and people attacking postal workers and sticky fingers everywhere, buying a big ticket item in person feels safer.

 

[Mreader]

At the risk of outing myself as still feeling clueless when it comes to shipping... why is a vendor's label the best option? Because it carries insurance if the package is lost or stolen and the claim is not against our own insurance which dings us? The vendor's insurance truly will pay out to us even when the item was our *own* item that we were shipping *to them*... not something they have touched or created for us yet?

I honestly thought that if you get a vendor's label the item is insured under their jewelry policy. But it has never been put to the test thankfully. Once a vendor asked how much my item was worth so that he could insure it properly when he sent me the label, so this is why I assumed that. But I admit I don't fully know. I would be curious to hear about anyone who did ship something, it got lost, and then they filed a claim.

 

[mayaINaU]

I honestly thought that if you get a vendor's label the item is insured under their jewelry policy. But it has never been put to the test thankfully. Once a vendor asked how much my item was worth so that he could insure it properly when he sent me the label, so this is why I assumed that. But I admit I don't fully know. I would be curious to hear about anyone who did ship something, it got lost, and then they filed a claim.

I returned an item to the Real Real using their own label and it was stolen in transit (empty box arrived). The Real Real did not immediately refund me but I had to go through a whole rigmarole with UPS and then when UPS determined that it had disappeared under their watch (I assume, no one really told me), and I am assuming refunded The Real Real, the Real Real then refunded me. I kind of felt like I was left to drift—no real reassurances from anyone until
UPS completed whatever their investigation was.

 

[Mreader]

I returned an item to the Real Real using their own label and it was stolen in transit (empty box arrived). The Real Real did not immediately refund me but I had to go through a whole rigmarole with UPS and then when UPS determined that it had disappeared under their watch (I assume, no one really told me), and I am assuming refunded The Real Real, the Real Real then refunded me. I kind of felt like I was left to drift—no real reassurances from anyone until
UPS completed whatever their investigation was.

That sounds very stressful. I think even if you are covered it’s going to be a hassle with the insurance. It’s the same way even with hospitals etc. and sometimes you have to fight to get the claim settled unfortunately. I’m glad you got your refund!

 

[Lookinagain]

So registered only took 4 days? Again DK will give you a label and you pay them; so much more peace of mind imho.

well, their label is usually UPS or Fed EX, I forget which. So yes, you are insured if something goes wrong. But if shipping in the US, Registered is probably the safest way to make sure something doesn't go wrong, because of the security used. I don't want an insurance claim, I want my things to get there. That's my peace of mind. So whatever does that for you or me, is what we should use, I guess.

 

[Mreader]

well, their label is usually UPS or Fed EX, I forget which. So yes, you are insured if something goes wrong. But if shipping in the US, Registered is probably the safest way to make sure something doesn't go wrong, because of the security used. I don't want an insurance claim, I want my things to get there. That's my peace of mind. So whatever does that for you or me, is what we should use, I guess.

Excellent point. I think if I sold a big ticket item I would choose registered.

 

[lovedogs]

Just curious if the uptick is missing boxes or receiving empty boxes?

The empty box is my fear. Do I now wish to film the handover from the delivery person, to the unboxing?

Ugh.

That's what happened to me when I sold my jedi spinel "ringdant". It came to the buyer in an empty box. Ugh, I was so sad.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I just had DHL lose an OMC ring purchased thru 1st Dibs. It went from the seller to Heathrow and vanished. I'm thinking they have a theft problem.