Lost Knives in mail, USPS Denies Claim

So it is a scam...USPS when asking what you think the price of your invisible item thats already boxed up......then that person at the desk insures you for that price, no questions asked besides if its liquid or fragile......I dont get it, why not ask for the documentation first and THEN move on to the shipping process. Does this have something to do with the fact you were shipping knives.....I have a feeling the wrong usps person (sheeple) maybe was at the end of the phone, and didn't want to hear it, once they found out what you were making a claim for. Keep calling

Keep fighting the fight and stay on them rwknox, you will win!!....besides the extra/new grey hairs!
 
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"No worries, the main point of the post is to gather information. This could happen to any of us anytime we sell and after days of research, I have found there is more incorrect information floating around than correct (as you may have noticed with several posters in this very thread)."


Very bold statement.
 
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I am disgusted to hear this happening so often.. Been in this before as a seller and going above and behind is the key.. go above the 1st tier support agent and behind the the post office directly to their oversight acronym.. office of inspector general. Keep at it, take a documented accounting of every call (detail notes with names) and harass, harass, harass (pleasantly) till you get what was promised.
 
Rob, I hope you get a complete refund; hopefully your persistence will pay off.

Monofletch, Thank you for your input. Based on the knowledge you have gained from your many years of experience at the USPS, here are a couple questions for you:
1) How do you recommend that people ship knives that have a relatively high value (let's say $500 or more)? Would registered mail be best?
2) Is an appraisal the only way to prove value for an insurance claim, especially when the collector value has appreciated greatly from the original sale price? An example would be a SHBM that sold for $297 nearly 20 years ago from Busse, and today sold for $1200 in a BF sale.
3) Do you recommend shipping insurance, like in the SHBM example where there is considerable collector value involved?
Thanks again!

Anyone else with knowledge of the best way to ship, please feel free to provide your input. Links to an earlier thread elsewhere on the best way to ship are also appreciated.
 
It seems to me the value of the item is what was paid to you for the item. In that case, a simple transfer of funds through PayPal with a description of the items should be evidence of current value.
 
gk4ever2 said:
Rob, I hope you get a complete refund; hopefully your persistence will pay off.

Monofletch, Thank you for your input. Based on the knowledge you have gained from your many years of experience at the USPS, here are a couple questions for you:
1) How do you recommend that people ship knives that have a relatively high value (let's say $500 or more)? Would registered mail be best?
2) Is an appraisal the only way to prove value for an insurance claim, especially when the collector value has appreciated greatly from the original sale price? An example would be a SHBM that sold for $297 nearly 20 years ago from Busse, and today sold for $1200 in a BF sale.
3) Do you recommend shipping insurance, like in the SHBM example where there is considerable collector value involved?
Thanks again!

Anyone else with knowledge of the best way to ship, please feel free to provide your input. Links to an earlier thread elsewhere on the best way to ship are also appreciated.
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Good questions, I'll stay nearby to hear Monofletch Monofletch advice on these....
 
extrastout said:
So it is a scam...USPS when asking what you think the price of your invisible item thats already boxed up......then that person at the desk insures you for that price, no questions asked besides if its liquid or fragile......I dont get it, why not ask for the documentation first and THEN move on to the shipping process. Does this have something to do with the fact you were shipping knives.....I have a feeling the wrong usps person (sheeple) maybe was at the end of the phone, and didn't want to hear it, once they found out what you were making a claim for. Keep calling

Keep fighting the fight and stay on them rwknox, you will win!!....besides the extra/new grey hairs!
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Agreed 100%. Shouldn't matter what was in the box. You agreed to pay the price that they asked to ensure your package. Fight it tooth and nail, on principal if nothing else.
 
Panthera tigris said:
It seems to me the value of the item is what was paid to you for the item. In that case, a simple transfer of funds through PayPal with a description of the items should be evidence of current value.
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Good point. How do people declare the value of things like antiques where no original receipt is to be had? Seems that something like a paypal transaction would be the only way to go.
 
I think it helps to generate a PayPal bill for buyers to pay. That lets you invoice appropriately and make a line item fee structure. I don't know if it would make a difference for insurers, but the invoicing function in PayPal does add a sense of objective validity.
 
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My wife was a postal clerk for several years. During that time she said there was only one insurance claim paid through the local office that she was aware of.
 
fishiker said:
My wife was a postal clerk for several years. During that time she said there was only one insurance claim paid through the local office that she was aware of.
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That is sad. If the USPS won't or can't cover their liability with what they are charging they ought to raise the price to the point required to make it a hassle free situation because that is what we believe we are paying for.
 
I have done hundreds of claims. As long as you have proof of loss damage or theft, proof of value, and proof of insurance it will pay.

To answer your questions...
1- regestered is the safest way to mail. It is signed for every step of the journey.
2- You have to show proof of value. Sometimes even a letter from the maker with a price on it or a bill of sale will work. You could also try an estimate from a dealer.
3- I do recomend insurance. Eventually- when all the terms are met- the claim will get paid. If they made it easy everyone would scam the post office.
Be patient. The post office wants to give your lost package time to show up. Believe it or not 7 out of 10 times it ends up being something the shipper did wrong..... wrong zipcode, house number, street. Hell, even a the label came off. Maybe not in this case, but my experience.
 
For really valuable stuff, Registered Mail is the best. Slow, but safe. USPS likes to brag that the Hope Diamond was once shipped by RM.
 
I highly recommend collectors insurance. For a small annual fee you are covered. Shipping, traveling, in home theft, fire, etc... With a deductible of 100 to 250 depending how you set it up.
 
Thanks for the kind words guys!
Your local Post Office should be able to do what I do to help. It just takes a few extra minutes.
The best advice I can give is.......
1) on a misdelivery act quickly- same day if possible. Ask the P.O. to GEO track the package and send someone to recover it. 1800-ask-usps or www.usps.com can help on all matters!
2) Insurance issues - when you ship an expensive package SAVE THE RECIEPT!! It will save you headaches in the future if you need to file an insurance claim.
3) Double and tripple check the buyers address. Like I said before 7 out of 10 issues are the sender's fault. Also before you seal the box slip a piece of paper inside the box with both adresses on it. It helps.
 
FedEx/UPS have the same policy when it comes to insurance? USPS Priority was my go to when shipping folders. For fixed blades I'm a FedEx dude now.(Saturday delivery)
 
If there was a transaction associated with the shipment, then the documentation of that transaction (i.e. the PP payment to you) should be sufficient. If there was no transaction associated with the shipment, then USPS insurance is simply a scam - they take your money, but they will never pay out for the insurance that you've purchased. I know this through bitter experience.
 
The trouble is that USPS doesn't understand how insurance works, and people don't read the fine print when buying it. If you buy e.g. general household contents insurance, you are insuring against a general class of losses, not against loss of a specific item, so it is reasonable for insurers to ask you to provide proof of value for an actual loss. However, if you are insuring loss of a specific item, you are buying a specific amount of insurance that reflects the value of that item to you. It doesn't matter if the market value of the item is lower because you've already paid for the value of insurance you've paid for. USPS gives you the impression you are getting one type of insurance, but then treats it like another and makes it very difficult to establish your claim in many circumstances.
 
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