USPS LOST my package that was to be mailed to SK!

[onedrop]

Okay, now I am curious. If a jeweler provides a shipping label, does that mean that mean the jeweler covers shipping, and the customer pays the insurance? Or does it mean that the jeweler covers both the shipping and the insurance? Or is there some other set up?


Mynah*bird: I am sure that your package is in transit (safely) and will arrive intact, and hopefully soon!! Don't worry.

 

[Mynah*Bird]

Update!

Thanks to all for your reassuring words, I have been a nervous wreck!

A postal worker called me this morning to inform me that *magically* my package appeared in NY. They proceeded to tell me that maybe I should NOT be using them to mail packages of value and stick to Brinks or FedEx or the like. I about flipped a gasket. SK specifically asks that packages are sent via registered mail, and that the USPS is the ONLY shipper that can cover high dollar items and like many of you have noted, is the most trusted way to get a package safe. The woman talked to me like I was a 3 year old trying to use legos. Unpleasant conversation to say the least, however, my package did pop back up on the system showing it did in fact make it to NY, not delivered, but to NY.

I did pay the extra fee to "expedite" the shipping, which I will NOT be refunded for. I don't understand how they can sell something that they can't back with a guarentee at all. Bad USPS. I do admit that reading everyone elses experiences made me feel better about the situation while I was waiting. I don't know why registered mail isn't as trackable as the Priority since high cost items ship that way??


I am also curious to hear the answer about who covers the item if a vendor sends out the shipping labels as well? Insurance and all that jazz is kind of confusing to ME when it comes to shipping things back and forth.

DiamondSeeker, No, it is not the OEC that is in my avatar ring...

Again, thanks so much for the comforting words! Although it is NOT in Steven's hands yet, I feel MUCH better about all of it!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Okay, now I am curious. If a jeweler provides a shipping label, does that mean that mean the jeweler covers shipping, and the customer pays the insurance? Or does it mean that the jeweler covers both the shipping and the insurance? Or is there some other set up?

Onedrop the label means they have paid it all up front to FedEx. How the jeweler chooses to bill you for it later, if at all, is another matter!

 

[Sparkle524]

So if USPS registered mail only insures up to $25K what happens if you need to ship a diamond/piece of jewelry that's more expensive?

Mynah*Bird - I do hope that your package arrives safely.

 

[onedrop]

Okay, now I am curious. If a jeweler provides a shipping label, does that mean that mean the jeweler covers shipping, and the customer pays the insurance? Or does it mean that the jeweler covers both the shipping and the insurance? Or is there some other set up?

Onedrop the label means they have paid it all up front to FedEx. How the jeweler chooses to bill you for it later, if at all, is another matter!

Thanks for clarification DD! That is what I thought, but when others started asking about shipping costs when a label was provided by a jeweler I got confused.

Mynah*Bird: Well, at least you got some updated info, yay!! Sorry about USPS not refunding your $ for the expedited shipping. Seems ridiculous to me that no refund was issued, since you were given incorrect info by a USPS employee.

 

[oldminer]

You can ship USPS Express Mail overnite delivery, or at worst, second ay delivery with a declared value up to $5,000 for insurance. Registered, you can declare up to $25,000, but it is the world's slowest method. Registered is nearly 100% safe, but you just have to have patience. No matter how you send a shipment, the USPS tracking system is virtually worthless. It is an "after the fact" tracking history system, not a live system like UPS or Fed-Ex. No doubt, your stone is not lost, but will magically reappear after taking the longest, slowest route possible to its destination. Postal employess tend to avoid theft of registered mail. Everyone who tocuhes these shipments counts and signs, so not much at all goes missing.

Never use Priority Mail along with Registered Mail. It is an option which generally makes you pay a minimum of $5.20 for shipping plus insurance, while regular Registered Mail has the 1st class rates below $5.20 per piece available on a light weight package. You can send lower value jewelry Priority Mail with some insurance coverage, but it not nearly as reliable as Registered or Express Mail. Always require a signature for any important US Mail shipments. NEVER waste any money on a Return Receipt. It does not make an item get to its destination and a signature on delivery can be requested for less cost and is just as good or better.

 

[Ravinmad]

Start calling up the food chain and get ahold of the Post Master, not just the general postal worker at you location. Complaining to just whomever on the phone is like complaining to the server at a bistro about how crappy of service she provided you. You goto either the shift manager or the Owner in these cases. And for that matter, hitting up the local or regional PostMaster is getting to that same level of person. They will handle it and make things right 99% of the time because they dont want you emailing the PostMaster Generals office in Washington, DC.

 

[oldminer]

A label supplied by some firm in the jewelry trade will be fully paid for the shipping and the private insurance required by the value of your items being shipped. Who pays for it? Initially, the jeweler pays for the shipping because they are the ones able to cover the insurance issues. Fed-Ex does not cover any jewelry regardless of declaring a vsalue or not. In the long run, the consumer pays the overall costs of shipping and insurance, but the ease of getting a paid, insured shipping label is a very good feature to offer people. Most evreyone in the trade who has insurance coverage has the ability to offer shipping labels for sending or receiving. We have three different shipping insured capabilities and there are several more available to the trade.

 

[Laila619]

The USPS makes me so mad.
All Registered travels at the same snail pace.
They try to sell you a more expensive faster way but it's a rip off.

Last time I made a HUGE scene and called to supervisor over.
They told me if any registered package does not arrive within 15 days I can file a claim.

BUT THEN WHY DO THEY SELL A FASTER RATE?

Clearly this rip off is happening all over the country and I'm pissed.

Yep. Thanks to PS, I learned about this silly scam. Now when they ask me if I want "expedited" Registered mail, I just smile and say, "Nope!"

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The postal worker who discouraged you from using RM really needs to be reported. The whole purpose of it is to safely ship valuable items up to $25k in value! I'll bet they don't know that the Hope Diamond was once sent by RM!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

So if USPS registered mail only insures up to $25K what happens if you need to ship a diamond/piece of jewelry that's more expensive?

Mynah*Bird - I do hope that your package arrives safely.

You either use your jewelers insurance, which likely coveres higher values, or rely on your own personal jewelery insurance. Read you policy carefully. I know Jewelers Mutual covers your jewelery while it is in the mail to a jewler. Other comanies may not offer that type of coverage.

 

[Mynah*Bird]

The postal worker who discouraged you from using RM really needs to be reported. The whole purpose of it is to safely ship valuable items up to $25k in value! I'll bet they don't know that the Hope Diamond was once sent by RM!!!

Yes, this is the same individual who demanded me to tell them what was in the package. I intend to contact the PM later today to relay my disgust on all accounts.

I had no idea that was EVER sent in the mail, I assumed it would have been chauffeured around in a floating golden carriage on a very soft, down-filled pillow with soft music playing in the background! Hahaha!

 

[Mynah*Bird]

So if USPS registered mail only insures up to $25K what happens if you need to ship a diamond/piece of jewelry that's more expensive?

Mynah*Bird - I do hope that your package arrives safely.

You either use your jewelers insurance, which likely coveres higher values, or rely on your own personal jewelery insurance. Read you policy carefully. I know Jewelers Mutual covers your jewelery while it is in the mail to a jewler. Other comanies may not offer that type of coverage.

We have JM thankfully!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I have seen people here with very high value items use Brinks, or another service that I can't think of the name of, for very high value items. This would come into play when sending a diamond you have in your possession to a custom ring maker, for example.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The postal worker who discouraged you from using RM really needs to be reported. The whole purpose of it is to safely ship valuable items up to $25k in value! I'll bet they don't know that the Hope Diamond was once sent by RM!!!

Yes, this is the same individual who demanded me to tell them what was in the package. I intend to contact the PM later today to relay my disgust on all accounts.

I had no idea that was EVER sent in the mail, I assumed it would have been chauffeured around in a floating golden carriage on a very soft, down-filled pillow with soft music playing in the background! Hahaha!

Good! The postmaster needs to know that so they can be sure employees are not giving out bad information like you were given!

The Hope Diamond mailing was long ago, but it illustrates that it was and still is the safest method for a regular person to send something a long distance! It wouldn't even have to be a valuable item...it could be used to send a sentimental item that could not be replaced.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Double post...says server error every time I click delete!

 

[kenny]

I have seen people here with very high value items use Brinks, or another service that I can't think of the name of, for very high value items. This would come into play when sending a diamond you have in your possession to a custom ring maker, for example.

Malca Amit specializes in shipping higher-value diamonds.

http://www.malcaamit.com/

 

[steelmagnolia]

I'm glad it arrived at least to NY. No doubt it will be in SK's hands very soon.

Right before Christmas I sold a couple of used iPhones on eBay. I took every precaution when mailing them, and to this day, the system still says that the package never left my facility. My mail ladies are the nicest ever and they said they watch every package get scanned in personally (it's a PO inside a grocery store). They said my label may not have been read well by the scanner and they *should* have manually entered in the numbers and didn't. The buyer on eBay wouldn't respond to me about whether or not the package was ever received, and it was a long 45 days to wait and see if a PayPal claim would be opened! I agree that I hate the USPS sometimes and hate even more that sometimes it's still the best and safest way to guarantee arrival of high ticket items when they make us nail bite through the entire process!

 

[oldminer]

I see someone above has stated that Jewelers Mutual covers losses in the mail when sending an item to your jeweler. I have not heard of this for coverage in the consumer policies of JM. This does apply to dealers using Express Mail when sending out packages who have JM coverage, but I would ask that the poster clarify that subject as far as JM coverage insuring consumer's shipments in the mail. Seems unlikely, but we ought to be sure before endorsing that kind of risk.

 

[carpediem06]

so what is the best way to send high priced items? USPS, FedEx, or UPS?

i've heard shady things regarding all of them