What happens when the USPS ...

[lrrifleman]

Greetings! April hasn't been a good month for me when it comes to receiving online purchases. So far, the USPS appears to have lost 2 packages almost immediately upon receipt from the sender. One was from a well known business, the other from a private party. Since both were shipped via priority mail, they will be covered by insurance.

My question is, once the USPS makes good on the missing packages, what is my obligation in the event that the "lost" packages eventually appear at my door? Am I obligated to return them or repay the seller? I have never been in this situation before! Could someone please offer some insight!

As always, thanks for your help!

 

[Steve912]

If they show up after you got refunds, the right thing would be to pay the seller the agreed upon price. Wouldn't you want it that way, if you were the seller?

 

[Fishinfool]

The person who has the original shipping receipt is the one who files the claim, usually that being the shipper. He should reimburse you as soon as his claim is paid. If your package shows up later, then you are supposed to reimburse the USPS.

Alternately, the shipper could send you the original postal receipt, and you would start the claim process, with the reimbursement going to you directly.

OR, the shipper could just refund your money out of his own pocket, and then file a claim, but most won't do it that way..

Larry

 

[Eddietruett]

My shooting buddy bought a gun off gunbroker that USPS Lost. It was insured for the full value and after 60 days, the seller returned his money BEFORE he filed a claim with USPS. Now that’s a stand up seller! Of course in about 2 weeks after getting the refund, the gun shows up.

 

[Sevens]

Bwahahaha, tell us when Postal pays out. At this point we are talking about unicorns, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Mythical beasts.

 

[Doug627]

I ordered a chronograph from Optics Planet on this past Monday. It shipped almost immediately. USPS said it would be delivered this past Friday, April 16th. I received it at just past noon on Friday. Today I got a message from the USPS saying that my delivery date would need to be rescheduled and they would let me know when to expect the package once a new date was determined.

 

[Steve912]

Bwahahaha, tell us when Postal pays out. At this point we are talking about unicorns, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Mythical beasts.

I was shipping boxes of range brass off to a reman outfit
for a while, and one box arrived damaged & light.

I always got the weight from the counter man at USPS, when
I sent em off (Priority Mail medium, always over 50#). I put
in a claim for the difference in received weight, using the
remanufacturer's price/pound. Attached copies of my receipt
and their statement. USPS sent a check without asking a
single question.

There was ten or fifteen pounds of 9mm cases rolling around
somewhere, in USPS land!

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Seems like the going time for a simple first class letter, whether going across the street or accross the country is 5+ days.Unless you pay extras and then it is only two days

 

[Rodan]

I usually just contact the seller, and send it back if it's been refunded or replaced.

 

[Rolex28]

As always we should do what is right.....

 

[Breakaway500]

USPS in my area is about as dependable as tossing a note in a bottle into the sea...of Tranquility.
It's been so bad lately I will pay whatever the upcharge is to have whatever sent by UPS. Don't know what's happening...I was told last week by the letter carrier that local Amazon deliveries are being handled by the "new" Amazon delivery vehicle fleet. You would think that should take pressure off USPS but it has been the opposite.

 

[G-Mac]

Since both were shipped via priority mail, they will be covered by insurance.

Priority Mail only covers the first $50.00 of insurance, unless the sender paid for extra insurance.

 

[JET4]

My wife ordered some stuff, it was lost in the mail. She called the seller and they sent her the items again. New stuff arrived and about a month later the original stuff came. She called the seller and they said just keep it no problem.

 

[cherrypointmarine]

My range buddy ordered some 223 bullets m 2400 , back in early December . About a week later he gets a text , they are sitting in Lake Mary , about 50 miles from him . He keeps checking , they are still sitting there . Finally he asks , can I go get them . He was told no , they were at a sorting centre , no civilians . The sellers paid him back , told him if they show up , to please pay them . He called the PO and asked for a claim form , said they would mail it right out , yeah that helps ! By the time he got it , the time limit was almost up . I doubt anything will come of it , which is wrong . The ammo company will just start charging more , and whoever stole them got an Xmas present . Anything wrong with this .........?

 

[Onomea]

Bwahahaha, tell us when Postal pays out. At this point we are talking about unicorns, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Mythical beasts.

I shipped a holster via Priority Mail insured for $100 in November. Box arrived shortly but without holster. I reimbursed buyer his $100, and on 17 November filed a claim for $111.15, covering holster, insurance and postage.

In February I looked up my claim on USPS and saw that it said my reimbursement check had been issued. I called up USPS and said I didn't receive the check. USPs told me to send them a letter stating that they should cancel the original check and send me a new one. On 17 February I sent them a letter so stating, and a copy of my original claim filing.

I'm still waiting...

 

[GaryS]

They have been so slooowwwww lately.

I shipped a part to a fellow member on May 3. It used Priority Mail and it was scheduled to arrive there on May 6. On May 7 the tracking update was "in transit to next facility."

It then disappeared until May 17 when it showed up at the regional distribution center. It was finally delivered the next day.

I bought a small part for a radio from a vendor in WA state on May 9. It was shipped the next day with an estimated delivery date of May 14. It disappeared from their system on May 11, and on the 16th it reappeared as "in transit to next facility."

Today, it showed up as arrived at Zip Code 01153 "unknown location." Turns out 01153 is an internal Zip Code for the Springfield, MA distribution facility. Seems like it might be a lost item location. It's on it's way to the next location and I expect I might see it tomorrow. Or maybe Saturday, who knows?

 

[RSBH44]

I shipped a holster via Priority Mail insured for $100 in November. Box arrived shortly but without holster. I reimbursed buyer his $100, and on 17 November filed a claim for $111.15, covering holster, insurance and postage.

In February I looked up my claim on USPS and saw that it said my reimbursement check had been issued. I called up USPS and said I didn't receive the check. USPs told me to send them a letter stating that they should cancel the original check and send me a new one. On 17 February I sent them a letter so stating, and a copy of my original claim filing.

I'm still waiting...

Good thing they didn’t ask you to hold your breath while you waited.

 

[ostlund]

These topic threads make me so nervous. I want to send a 686-3 to S&W for a tune, or repair, or whatever the problem is. To loose it would make me sick and a new one just a little less sick.

 

[Onomea]

I shipped a holster via Priority Mail insured for $100 in November. Box arrived shortly but without holster. I reimbursed buyer his $100, and on 17 November filed a claim for $111.15, covering holster, insurance and postage.

In February I looked up my claim on USPS and saw that it said my reimbursement check had been issued. I called up USPS and said I didn't receive the check. USPS told me to send them a letter stating that they should cancel the original check and send me a new one. On 17 February I sent them a letter so stating, and a copy of my original claim filing.

I'm still waiting...

And still waiting, 1 June. Today, after looking on line and learning that USPS has "closed" my case, I called the USPS customer service number to get some help. Got in the queue on voice mail and they called me back an hour and twenty minutes later.

After taking my information, the lady said customer service couldn't help, that I needed to call the claims number. (Which is not easy to find, if it exists, on line.) So, I called that. Round and round the voice mail, no one human to talk to. At the end, a survey of how satisfied I was with their service.

Normally, I skip these. (Why should I spend my time trying, likely fruitlessly, to improve someone else's business's customer service?) I took this one, though, and explained that I was unhappy and why, asking that they have a human call me to discuss.

I need to make a post office run later today. I'll see if the people there have any ideas. I find the actual postal workers, the guys and gals in the field, typically pretty efficient and pleasant people.

At the moment, given the above, I feel the USPS has simply stolen my money. I am wondering if it is deliberate, that their way of resolving claims like mine is to just lose correspondence and close cases until the claimant gives up.

 

[sipowicz]

You know what the Post office and Tom McCaan have in common?

75,000 loafers.

My apologies to any hard working employees who might be on our board.