Holster lost in mail! What do I do?

[hoser]

Ok, bought a holster from a forum member. He sent Priority Mail and tracking says it was delivered (via delivery confirmation) last Thursday. However, I was home and there was no delivery (as most of you probably do, I was waiting anxiously for it).

What NOW? I reported to PO and they said they'll get back to me. Seller shipped it for delivery confirmation only and did not require signature. Also seller did not insure it (it was only a $50 purchase).

Anyone have any advice? Am I S.O.L?

 

[hoser]

Ok, bought a holster from a forum member. He sent Priority Mail and tracking says it was delivered (via delivery confirmation) last Thursday. However, I was home and there was no delivery (as most of you probably do, I was waiting anxiously for it).

What NOW? I reported to PO and they said they'll get back to me. Seller shipped it for delivery confirmation only and did not require signature. Also seller did not insure it (it was only a $50 purchase).

Anyone have any advice? Am I S.O.L?

 

[Revolver King]

Unfortunately we all are worried about that kind of thing happening to us. I don't know what to tell you other then asking the seller to split the cost with you.

 

[photoman]

Bummer. Ride your local Postmaster like a bad habit and see if they can find it. That's about the best you can hope for.

 

[tbury]

Delivery confirmation only means they delivered it somewhere not to the correct address. Even UPS and FedEx delivers to the wrong address and even get a signature. As Photoman says keep bugging them, and hope it shows up.

 

[JnBy]

About a year and a half ago, I ordered a holster online, and it was delivered via UPS. I couldn't absolutely prove it, but I'm pretty darned sure a neighbor stole it from my front door area. The UPS guys and gals in my area were all decent folks, and very professional. They usually left deliveries at my front door for me, so I'm sure it wasn't them.

Anyway, I called the company. They were great, and promptly sent out another holster at no charge, even though they weren't required to do so. They contacted UPS to file a claim, and UPS in turn contacted me about the details, which I cheerfully provided.

For my trouble, UPS put me on their list of customers that they required a signature from for EVERYTHING that they delivered thereafter. It was a pain in the you-know-what, because I worked during the day and had to go downtown and sign and pick up all my packages in person. It was a relief when I moved.

I'd advise a tactful approach in handling the situation. Good luck!

 

[ColbyBruce]

Go to your post office, ask to speak to the delivery supervisor. Tell him your story, show him the delivery confirmation number, let him look that up to confirm it was delivered. Ask to speak to the mail carrier on your route that day. Ask him to check which employee used the scanner that scanned that item on that day and ask to speak to that employee.

Go through the same thing with the postmaster.

It is quite possible the item was scanned and left in your mailbox. Delivery confirmation requires no signature. This package may have been taken from you, if so there is not much else that can be done.

 

[szuppo]

Short answer.........yes, SOL

If you ever have to ship anything and you want it to get there don't use the USPS. They have lost several things over the years that I have either shipped or had shipped to me. The endless paperwork to get anything done even when insured is a joke.

Bottom line, use UPS or FedEx. I prefer UPS myself.

 

[Revolver King]

Bottom line, use UPS or FedEx. I prefer UPS myself.

I know a lot of people that would argue that point. I'll take USPS any day.
The reason UPS and FED-X requires overnight shipping on fire arms is because their employees were steeling them blind. Then trying to get the ins. is as bad as they come.

 

[Dale53]

I am a fan of the USPS. We have excellent carriers and my experience has been better than good. They are ALWAYS on my Christmas list simply because they do a fine job.

On the other hand, they have made a mistake or two in the past thirty years. It happens. That is why I tend to insure anything that I am not willing to "eat".

Dale53

 

[Guest]

You've got all the best suggestions already listed. Talk to the PO and they should be able to figure out just where it might have been delivered.

 

[Jack Flash]

I would not knock the USPS, but if you ship something via UPS, its value is insured up to $100 as part of the shipping charge. Anything about $100 you have to pay extra to insure.

 

[WFR]

I recently had the same situation happen.
Bought a Galco ammo carrier from a forum member on another forum.
He sent it priority with Del conf.
USPS tracking said it arrived Sat.
I finally got around to the PO on Wed and no package in my PO box or key for a locker.
Called USPS next morning and they looked around for it. Gave them til next day and they looked some more. I asked to speak to the Postmaster.
She was very polite about it (small town) and she asked if I would give her 2 business days to look into it. I agreed.
She calls me back by 5:45 pm that day and had amazingly found my package "in my PO Box" (keep in mind that the clerk looking for it had looked in my box and all the surrounding boxes multiple times while I waited on the phone).
Long story short, my package had some slight tears in it and had obvously been tampered with.
It had USPS stamps on it stating it had been damaged during delivery.
Who knows what happened but the moral of the story is to be polite and get the Postmaster involved! I really think if she hadn't found it they would have helped me replace it somehow.
I hope your package shows up soon!
WFR

 

[hoser]

Started an investigation and also spoke to someone at the post office near my house. She said she'd look around.

If I paid for this holster, is seller responsible for insuring it and making sure it gets to me? I understand him not wanting to insure something that's only $50, but since it's lost, who technically should "eat" the cost (for the record, I always insure things I sell for this reason)?

 

[Centurian77]

Technically the seller is to insure delivery- so this is on him, not you. He needs to call the post office daily until it is found or refund your money.

 

[grey2393]

I believe it is on the seller. If you order from a catalog (big retailer) you would hold them responsible if the item did not arrive. I have sold a lot of items and always use USPS. On only two occasions did the item get lost. I refunded the payment and took the loss. It is the right thing to do. The seller is responsible to make sure the item arrives.

Grey

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Try checking with the post office to see if there are other streets in your immediate area that have the exact same address on them. Then go to those homes and inquire about the package.

 

[hoser]

I feel this way. This is why I always insure items I sell and ship. But I also feel bad for seller because he shipped Priority Mail so I could get it faster, but then again, it's definitely not MY fault. Bummer situation!

 

[Dale53]

These matters should be discussed with the seller BEFORE it ships. You are in a much stronger position BEFORE. Remember this experience and you can forestall much worse in the future. Hopefully, they'll find it for you.

I ordered some parts from Ruger. The lady who talked to me, was not very good on the telephone. I could hardly understand her. I spelled everything out for her and she got both the name AND the address wrong. The post office delivered it to me, anyway. I have absolutely NO idea how they figured out it was me. I called the Post Master and thanked him and told him to pass the thanks onto the post man. The post man told him there was no such address but he figured a package from Ruger was probably for me as there were clues in the address and name (partly correct and partly wrong). That was a minor miracle.

Dale53

 

[m75rlg]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F..._Board#Free_On_Board

This ought to make it clear as mud.

(You need to negoiate this before sale to make it clear.)

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Originally posted by hoser:
Started an investigation and also spoke to someone at the post office near my house. She said she'd look around.

If I paid for this holster, is seller responsible for insuring it and making sure it gets to me? I understand him not wanting to insure something that's only $50, but since it's lost, who technically should "eat" the cost (for the record, I always insure things I sell for this reason)?

I regularly ship out products using USPS first class mail with delivery confirmation. First class mail travels with Priority Mail, so there is no added benefit to Priority Mail in delivery time or service. I have had only one incident of a "lost in the mail" item in which the customer came across as absolutely sincere (other items had been taken from his mail around the same time), so I replaced the lost item at no charge.

On the other hand, I have had a few incidents in which a customer claimed not to have received an item, then I check the delivery confirmation on the USPS web site and get the delivery date and time, report that to the customer, and get a "Oh, yeah, my wife put it in the closet".

Is seller required to replace. I don't think so. The transaction was known by the buyer to involve delivery, so some degree of risk is reasonable to assume.

Is seller required to insure? No, not unless the buyer wishes to pay for that service. USPS parcel insurance on a $50 item is $1.70 (3.4% of total sale price, which means that a seller would be making every 30th holster just to cover the insurance costs).

Most homeowners' insurance policies provide coverage for personal property away from the home. But few of us have deductibles that would make a $50 claim a real option.

After saying all of that, personally I prefer not to have unhappy buyers, so I would do my best to reach an amicable agreement with the customer. Just as long as the customer was being reasonable I would try to accomodate the customer. But when I am being pushed, I have been known to push back!