Posted on 06/14/2013 5:42:50 PM PDT by grundle
This scan of a completely blank signature card is what the USPS offered up as proof that the customer’s package had been delivered.
A woman in California recently sold a laptop computer of hers on eBay for $1,300, but it never arrived at the buyer’s house. The seller had paid the U.S. Postal Service for insurance and delivery confirmation on the package, so she should be able to get her money back and see who signed for the package. Not quite.
She tells CBS Sacramento’s Kurtis Ming that USPS denied her insurance claim because the package was delivered and signed for as requested, but when she asked to see the proof of signature, the box was blank. So either the recipient had signed in invisible ink or no one had signed at all because the package was lost or stolen in transit.
Nope, insisted USPS, that’s a signature. She appealed her claim twice and no one would admit that there was absolutely no proof that the package had been delivered. In fact, all evidence seemed to show that the package had not arrived.
Meanwhile, the eBay buyer was able to get his $1,300 back through PayPal. And so the seller was out $1,300 and the laptop that vanished into thin air.
“Quite honestly I kind of feel like I’m being robbed by the Post Office,” she tells Ming.
Of course, once CBS got involved, the Postal folks suddenly cared… well, sort of.
The USPS admitted that the woman’s insurance claim should never have been denied, but offered no explanation as to why it denied the claim three separate times.
“We don’t know for sure what happened,” a Postal rep tells Ming, presumably before looking up at the clock and deciding to take a 90-minute lunch.
But now that USPS admits this package went missing and is out $1,300 of its own, surely it will be looking into the matter.
Oh wait.
“We are not investigating,” says the rep.
That’s the spirit!
TRUE STORY: a friend of mine sells NFL lanyards on Ebay and during the last Christmas rush before he went on vacation he sent a package to his sister in the east coast, which contained 10 lanyards including the Miami Dolphins.
His sister received the package after Christmas, it’s now 2013, and inside was missing 3 lanyards but “replaced” by a new Calvin Klein sweater and a new baseball cap for the Cubs. They both think that the package was broken open, pilfered, and due to the haste of stealing stuff, replaced with other people’s stuff they also stole and forgot which boxes were which.
My experience also, always using delivery confirmation. I have heard of a scam where the buyer says it's not as described and wants a refund - sending back package. When package arrives, with delivery confirmation, package contains a brick. eBay/PayPal says "Package shows as being delivered, sorry Charlie." I haven't had one returned yet, but if so, I am opening it in front of P.O. clerk with cell phone video rolling.
“Funny, I’ve had over 1,000 transactions equaling well over a quarter of a million dollars on eBay and using PayPal”
Hope you paid your taxes, BIG Brother knows now.
Had two recent USPS packages that tracked to my post office and shown as ‘out for delivery’. Never arrived. EVER.
Last week registered mail tracking said noticed left, I was sitting on my porch and received the mail by hand, NO NOTICE.
After a 30 minute wait they ‘find’ my package?
The US Post Office is too big and should be put to sleep.
Same self-protecting bureaucratic non-sequitur mindset which punishes young children with pop tarts for violating weapons prohibitions: declare an absurdity as justification and stick to it. Surprisingly effective.
I just happen to own a small shipping franchise called GoinPostal. We ship through all of the services including USPS. Of all of the services USPS is the most difficult to deal with on a daily basis. You would not have this problem with UPS OR FedEx. We send 75% of our stuff through FedEx. They are the best with insurance claims for us. As far as price goes USPS is the cheapest for small boxes but is outrageously high on larger or heavier packages.
I don’t know how anyone could look at that photo and conclude he’s heterosexual. You can just look and tell there’s something wrong with him.
The seller is out the laptop and the shipping cost. Not the laptop and $1300. It is possible(probable?) the recipient managed to get the laptop without signing. Or a post office employee stole it.
With the post office you take your chances. The mail gets there at least 99% of the time maybe more. It is useless to buy insurance through the post office and tracking is a waste of time and money also. If something gets lost you play hell finding out what happened, much less collecting on it.
That said, the cost of postage is a bargain.
If you want to track something use FedEx or UPS. They will track it every step of the way which USPS does not. USPS only gives you basic information on pick up & delivery. It may cost a little more but it can be worth the expense.
If one ships to any home address, anywhere, the most you can recover for a “lost/damaged/misdirected package” is $100.00 (UPS) if you don't buy additional shipping insurance.
Business addresses fair a little better, but not much against non tracked packages sent via USPS.
I actually had some “fun” when the USPS claimed they “delivered” a package, supposedly shipped via FEDEX, to a closed, gated, camera monitored business on a Saturday.
If shipping to any residence, pay the extra $2-12 dollar fee or adult signature receipt required, signature proof of delivery, and declared value insurance, or just roll the dice!
Consider it a mandatory Union employee tip!
Professional business insider tip- Always pay for the extra “Declared Value Insurance”, when shipping packages to places like Miami and Chicago.
Just saying....
I did, I had a legitimate enterprising business until the 2nd quarter of '09.
Can't figure out what changed....
bump
Maybe because $1300 is a lot for a used computer????
I just bought a new laptop for $400.
Been buying on eBay for 15 years, selling for 5. I ship my own product USPS all the time and have for nearly 30 years. I receive business supplies regularly via USPS, too.
I have never had a package go missing. I always pay for delivery confirmation and now, the tracking is so simple, I can almost watch it travel and know the minute it arrives.
One thing I learned back in the jewelry business days. Silver and gold supplies and precious stones always ship w/o insurance. In 25 years, we never had a valuable package go missing or be damaged.
Like you, I never even discuss private offers. For a while, I would state this upfront in my listings. Now, if I get one, I simply say “no”. If someone doesn’t like my terms or price, they don’t have to bid or buy.
*ping*
#11
Oh, I’ve had enough of this...
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
No you haven’t.
Yes I have.
Ooooooooooh...
I’ve got two legs
From my hips to the ground and
When I lift’em they walk a-round and
When I lift’em they climb the stairs and
When I shave’em they ain’t got hairs...
Boom!
AhhhUggggh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL9oA1LFoMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x5x8t0p1HM
Thanks for the ping!
I had no idea so many FReepers are also eBayers! LOL!
This week it was UPS's turn to mark something "delivered" that I never received.
We shipped a $400 stroller to Puerto Rico via USPS with signature and insurance. It was delivered and signed for. Then the recipient filed a non delivery complaint in Paypal and despite signing for it, was given our money. We lost both he item and money to the fraud and despite the evidence neither UsPs or Paypal/eBay would help. Fraud is rampant and the scammers know how to exploit it.
Note also that EBay no longer allows sellers to flag bad buyers through public feedback.
You have to go through customs when shipping anything to Puerto Rico.
It is their ethnic “custom” that you tip officials in advance for their “official services”, as it is in most hispanic/latino/cuban/spanish nations.
Chances are fairly high that your (non-paying) customer did not, in fact, directly receive the stroller.
Everything has to pass through Customs first, and then it must be re-shipped to the end receiver.
So now you know!
Next time you decide to naively enter into the import/export field of commerce you are at least for-warned.
Did you really think eBay is one big happy worldwide garage sale opportunity?
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