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Would you buy a knife under those terms?

I always pay attention to the shipping conditions. There are a couple of legal terms that people who are buying and selling should be familiar with. Free on board location (fob) means shipping party is responsible for the item until it is with the shipping company at the stated location. Free along side location (fas) the shipper is responsible until the is either tendered to the shipping carrier if location is the shippers address or until it is out of the carrier possession at the location named. I have seen the abbreviations used in some eBay listings and know at least on person who lost the PayPal argument because it was fas LA CA. Buyer was in Florida.
 
Hard pass for me on a seller with this language, I have actually passed on a couple of knives that I really wanted due to off putting language in the listing.

My mailman scans the package and then signs "Covid" in the signature field on their scanner and told me that was USPS policy. UPS does the same thing but they at least bring it to the door and ring the bell or wave at me since I usually only have the glass door closed during the day so my dog can bark at everything that passes by our house (and/or I can see when they drop off a package on my porch). I have had a few $2,500 to $6,250 valued packages that I think they would have just left on the porch (which is why I leave the front door open).
 
When I read sales threads that has statements along those lines, I’ll pass. That tells me that the seller doesn’t do a very good job with packing a knife where it won’t be tampered with, develop a hole in the package or doesn’t track the package himself.
Tape is cheap, filling material is abundant. There should be no reason for anyone selling a knife that the packing warrants doubt for either party.
If I can’t have peace of mind with the way I secure a package, I shouldn’t be selling knives. BTW, duct tape is cheap also. Everyone’s motto should be, leave no crack untaped.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
Pretty sure I remember the clerk telling someone they couldn't use duct tape. It can foul their machinery.
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I’ve used duct tape on plenty of packages and have never been told at any post office not to. I think it makes the package look more suspicious though lol.
 
Thanks for the thoughts all. In particular the scenarios advanced where the seller gets hosed are disturbing. Also the thought that signature confirmation is basically worthless at the moment is EXTREMELY disturbing. I'm going to have to check with Fedex (I always use them rather than USPS) to see that their current policy is. My customers are often getting packages worth thousands of dollars I don't need them going missing!
 
Sirquest2k said:
Just in case there is clarification, Im not sure this is a widespread practice of USPS, but may be a local practice or even as a mailman is comfortable with interacting with customers. When I inquired at my local USPS office, they indicated that Sig confirmation was not to be expected, or even bypassed to where they only leave a "pink ticket" requesting that you pick it up. Not very reassuring on their part, and at that no consistency. But, as we have all seen, customer service doesnt seem to be a big practice nowadays.
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I am a city mailman.
If it calls for a signature and you are NOT home we are suppose to leave a slip. You can always request a redelivery with special delivery instructions. I do my best to get a second attempt before I leave for the day! I figure most people work. If you ARE home- you still don’t actually sign for it... your mailman does. You would be watching them do this. He or she should know the COVID 19 protocol.
As far as the pirates.... if I can’t hide it behind something on the front porch or fit it between the doors I will take it to the back door. It’s common sense.
 
Monofletch said:
I am a city mailman.
If it calls for a signature and you are NOT home we are suppose to leave a slip. You can always request a redelivery with special delivery instructions. I do my best to get a second attempt before I leave for the day! I figure most people work. If you ARE home- you still don’t actually sign for it... your mailman does. You would be watching them do this. He or she should know the COVID 19 protocol.
As far as the pirates.... if I can’t hide it behind something on the front porch or fit it between the doors I will take it to the back door. It’s common sense.
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You sound like a great mailman. Our regular guy is awesome too. Unfortunately he has been out for the past two weeks. I hope it's on vacation and not something bad.
The substitutes are not as good. They deliver hours later and they are bad with the scans. We had a package delivered Wednesday this week and the tracking says it will be delivered today.
 
Monofletch said:
I am a city mailman.
If it calls for a signature and you are NOT home we are suppose to leave a slip. You can always request a redelivery with special delivery instructions. I do my best to get a second attempt before I leave for the day! I figure most people work. If you ARE home- you still don’t actually sign for it... your mailman does. You would be watching them do this. He or she should know the COVID 19 protocol.
As far as the pirates.... if I can’t hide it behind something on the front porch or fit it between the doors I will take it to the back door. It’s common sense.
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Yes, you are one of the good ones! Our area of the USPS has seen a lot of complaints for poor delivery attempts, missing packages, etc. I work from home now, so when I was awaiting packages my office is by the front door where I have full visibility of the community mailbox and any pathways for delivery.
 
Thanks for the kind words.

I take my job seriously- not many new hires do. I serve MY customers the best I can.

Some advice.....
1- if you don’t know who your REGULAR mailman is ask!
2- if you get the “delivered” status and you never got it- call IMMEDIATELY! Don’t wait!
 
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Monofletch said:
I am a city mailman.
If it calls for a signature and you are NOT home we are suppose to leave a slip. You can always request a redelivery with special delivery instructions. I do my best to get a second attempt before I leave for the day! I figure most people work. If you ARE home- you still don’t actually sign for it... your mailman does. You would be watching them do this. He or she should know the COVID 19 protocol.
As far as the pirates.... if I can’t hide it behind something on the front porch or fit it between the doors I will take it to the back door. It’s common sense.
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That is exceptional service. I have a great mailman(Mailwoman), but she can't go to those lengths and still get her route done. I see them dragging into the PO pretty late.
As for the signature-I have no proof, but I believe she has been signing for me(I have no problem with it) and just leaving the package. I have received a few high price items that would almost certainly have needed a signature in normal time. I am in a rural area(with most having gates) and getting the pink slips is fairly common-but can't remember when I last saw one.
 
Monofletch said:
I am a city mailman.
If it calls for a signature and you are NOT home we are suppose to leave a slip. You can always request a redelivery with special delivery instructions. I do my best to get a second attempt before I leave for the day! I figure most people work. If you ARE home- you still don’t actually sign for it... your mailman does. You would be watching them do this. He or she should know the COVID 19 protocol.
As far as the pirates.... if I can’t hide it behind something on the front porch or fit it between the doors I will take it to the back door. It’s common sense.
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You sound like an excellent mailman! Thanks for being so diligent!
 
Had a FedEx or UPS guy (can't remember which) recently put a package in our garage, which bothered me. We have a front porch, and if the garage door is open, then most likely someone is home, so why go into the garage? And, stay the hell out of my garage!
 
Seems to be a common thing. That has happened multiple times at our house as well. I don't understand it either. I had a package sitting in the garage for a few days before I noticed it.
 
LastRodeo said:
Thanks for sharing that info. I have still been paying for "signature required". Good to know that it's been a waste of money.
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Locally, during the "surge" of covid, signature acquisition was suspended. That is apparently no longer the case, as I had a pink ticket in my mailbox last week.
That aspect aside, many people have a signature release agreement... sometimes they aren't even aware of it. I was surprised to find out that one was active for my address (I didn't sign it... turns out a housemate had, but she didn't realize it - I only found out because I was outside when the carrier was delivering a package that should have required a signature, and I commented on it). It's not in the computer; so, if we have a different carrier, they'll still be looking for the signature. I don't know if it's accurate; but our carrier said those agreements should be between the carrier and addressees - the day we spoke about it, we discussed where those packages would be left; and I've had no issues.
 
Triton said:
Seems to be a common thing. That has happened multiple times at our house as well. I don't understand it either. I had a package sitting in the garage for a few days before I noticed it.
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And it's not like he put it just inside the door...he put it on the steps to the door into the house, so had to go deep into the garage.
 
jlauffer said:
And it's not like he put it just inside the door...he put it on the steps to the door into the house, so had to go deep into the garage.
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Sounds like he put it where he thought it would be safe, but still found. Maybe good intentions, but bad decision.
 
I have the online signature release setup but I must apply it for each package. It does not seem to be automatic. When "informed delivery" shows a signature required package it also shows me an option to apply the release otherwise signature required stays in effect. I am retired and usually home but if in the back garden or workshop I can't hear the doorbell.
 
Another problem..... if the morning supervisor doesn’t print those “electronic signatures” the carrier doesn’t know. I have a few customers that ask me to put packages inside their mud rooms or screened porches if they are not home. But, unless otherwise discussed - I would NEVER enter another persons garage like that. Understand, I have been on the same route for many years.
 
Monofletch said:
2- if you get the “delivered” status and you never got it- call IMMEDIATELY! Don’t wait!
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I can vouch for this one. I recently had several issues with packages being marked as delivered when they weren't, all within a one week period. One was a knife from a BF transaction, an amazon package, and the final was a knife purchased directly from the manufacturer's website. The first was held at the post office, since the letter carrier decided it was "undeliverable," and the amazon package was left unsecured outside of my apartment complex's office over a long weekend. When I got the delivery notification for the third package, I went down to the local post office and let them know about my situation. I got to have a conversation with my local postmaster, and as it turns out they had been having issues along my route for a couple of weeks, since they had transitioned it to two new carriers. The postmaster gave me his personal phone number so we could stay in touch about the issue.

The package arrived six hours after it was marked as delivered, and the next day the postmaster sent me a text letting me know that the new carrier had been scanning all the packages as "delivered" as they loaded the truck, and that they were changing the carrier for our route, because the other one needed more training.
 
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