USPS lost mail update.

[kturock]

I just found out, from several differnet USPS empolyees, that unless you put a number on it; it won't be looked for if something doesn't get delivered. I don't know when this policy change occurred, but it's SOP now.

The old procedure was you filed out a form; I believe it was Form 1510, "Lost Mail Form". Then it was sent backawards, from the office that was supposed to deliver it, back along the 'mail flow' path, to the office that first handled it.

Now, unless it has a number on it; like Insured, Delivery Confirmation, Certified, Registered or Express, they won't even attempt to look for it. The form doesn't even exsist anymore.

I just found this out, the hard way. I've been selling on Amazon.com. I sold an old martial arts book for $3. Amazon charged the buyer $3.99 for shipping; which they payed me. The book was sent Media Mail, but no insurance or D/C. After 3 weeks she sent me an email demanding that she receive it by the weekend or she wanted the money back. Since I mailed the book weeks before, there was nothing I could do.
My usual SOP is under $9 it got nothing. $9 and up it got insurance. Guess I'll have to add D/C for things that don't get insurance. It's better to eat the cost of it as opposed to the cost of the item.

Long story short, she filed a claim with Amazon, they paid her from my account. The book is MIA, she claims to still not have received it; and I have no way of trying to find out. I'm out the book, and the postage.


So, everything you ship now NEEDS to ahve a number on it, even if it's just D/C. It's only about .75, but at least you can try to find it.
I've shipped hundreds of items; between Ebay, here, Amazon and Gunbroker.com; and this is the first item I've had lost or damaged that I sent. OOPPS... I take that back. I did send some TK skellies and a couple snapped.

[jlong05]

Interesting policy update.

Thanks for notifying us all KT. I typically send everythign with DC anyway, but have been known on a few smaller items between friends here to not bother, but given the new policy, that may need to change. I wonder if this SOP change is due to the added work that the research took.

[kturock]

My GUESS is it's because there's less people working. They've [USPS mangement] have cut, disbanded, eliminated entire sections. What was called 'nixie' where torn and damaged things were sent, no longer exsists. The people who worked it have either died, retired or been forced to work in other positions.
The entire "Tour 2", 'day shift' no longer exsists for sorting mail. What used to be 24/7, is now more like 17/6.5.
The postmaster said USPS would run more like a private company, and it is. If you don't pay for a service, you don't get it. Everything is sold now, or doesn't exsist. And customer service has been replaced by machines. Every office in this area has had the number of people who actually see customers reduced and replaced by machines; the APC. {automated postal center}. The things it can't do, USPS doesn't want to continue to provide.

[mrrshann618]

Tell me about it, I was replaced a few months ago by a "lowest bidder". Now I'm sitting waiting for another RCA job to open up close to where I live.
I understand Electronic mail has really hurt the postal service, but you still need people who know what they are doing when delivering mail.

[peacemystic]

I just found this out, the hard way. .

UH-OH you creditability as the go too man for USPS just took a hit!

[kturock]

Tell me about it, I was replaced a few months ago by a "lowest bidder". Now I'm sitting waiting for another RCA job to open up close to where I live.
I understand Electronic mail has really hurt the postal service, but you still need people who know what they are doing when delivering mail.

Yups.. contracting out...it's how all of the new area or restructed ares areas getting delivered.

Like I said, just like big business..

[yellow_fever]

So it just gets worse shipping international then. Only insurance or high prices for the "works" to cover ourselves now adays.
Duncan

[Ironhide]

Not necessarily, when shipping internationally you have the customs form number to track your package.

[kturock]

Customs forms can be scanned at port the country of origin and at the country of destination. Note I said "CAN" not will or must.
But for international, only Registered and Express Mail will get scans. Insurance is a might be scanned; since not every country has scanners, and not all the same scanners.

There are only 2 numbers that can TRACK; foreign or domestic. Express or Registered, everything else [d/c, insurance, certified] helps with a TRACE.

Now without anything you can't even list it as lost.

[retlok]

If we're sharing disgruntled stories about USPS...

I was recently waiting for a package of paints and checked the Delivery Confirmation number; it was marked delivered a couple days earlier. After a weeks worth of wrangling with the post office, I found out the my normal carrier's father was in the hospital with cancer; the day he tagged my package delivered was the last before he took bereavement leave and he was "distraught." My guess (and that of the post master) was that he put the package in the wrong box.

However, because it was scanned delivered, I was out of luck. Paypal's dispute process isn't concerned once it gets marked delivered. It wasn't "stolen" for insurance. The company I bought from was polite but not terribly concerned. I was just screwed, where as if it'd been lost or put on my porch and taken... there might have something to be done about it. So the delivery confirmation number doesn't always help...

And I'm still bitter.

[TomGuadalupe]

I just had this happen to me, completed a trade and the package i was to receive has been marked delivered even though i have received nothing.

So im out $1300, and yeah bitter is not a strong enough word.

I mean i can never bring myself to buy the minis that were lost and im so sickend by the whole ordeal i might be done trading.....

[MagickalMemories]

Man.

Someone forgot to read the date on the last post.