US Postal Service nightmare - Page 2

Originally Posted by volvoscrapper

question for the mail carriers, with all due respect for what is a difficult, underpaid and under-appreciated job......grouchyolddude mentioned an insured package.

I used to insure packages. Had two damaged. Both times the same scenario played out: Recipient contacted me, I went to my post office. They told me recipient had to file claim. I told recipient. Recipient went to their post office, was told to contact shipper, shipper had to file claim. I went back, recipient went back, on and on, nothing. Gabork. Never even got a claim to file! My two shipments were from different post offices, shipping to two different locations. So that's four post offices with the same run-around.

so here's the question: Is it just me? Have you ever heard of anyone ever collecting anything on a USPS insurance claim?

No, it's not you. My wife had exactly that happen as the shipper. No, I've never known anyone to collect insurance from the PO. And I WAS a Mail Carrier in the 80s in Omaha, Ne for seven years. I'll agree that the problems are from Management - vast majority of Carriers care deeply for those on their route. But they're stymied by inept management.

Originally Posted by Kochy

I'd be calling USPS B$#%$ing and wanting my money back, then just take the regular flat rate box into the post office and demand the same discount you would get online because of the mishap.

I did and I tried that. "Nothing I can do." Called "Customer Service". "You'll have to put in a claim with PayPal" even though I'd gone through the USPS website. 2nd time had to pay $1.50 more than I did online. Then come back home and deal with the refund of online payment hassle.

Originally Posted by volvoscrapper

question for the mail carriers, with all due respect for what is a difficult, underpaid and under-appreciated job......grouchyolddude mentioned an insured package.

I used to insure packages. Had two damaged. Both times the same scenario played out: Recipient contacted me, I went to my post office. They told me recipient had to file claim. I told recipient. Recipient went to their post office, was told to contact shipper, shipper had to file claim. I went back, recipient went back, on and on, nothing. Gabork. Never even got a claim to file! My two shipments were from different post offices, shipping to two different locations. So that's four post offices with the same run-around.

so here's the question: Is it just me? Have you ever heard of anyone ever collecting anything on a USPS insurance claim?

Go to the post office, tell them you were the recipient. When they tell you the shipper has to file, tell them, good... cuz I was really the shipper! Now get me my form!

Thanks for the tips but I couldn't even get to the page with the labels to copy or print them out. When I created them, there was simply a button to click to print labels and postage but didn't how the labels themselves. The next day, I couldn't even get a "history page" to get at the labels on my computer nor the Postmaster's. No, it's not my computer/printer as I've paid/printed postage before fairly recently when I shipped a package to Missouri. My MAIN beef is that I paid for a service, everyone involved agreed that I'd paid for it and not received the service. Then was told there is nothing they can do about it. ANY reputable (even semi-reputable) business would have a method in place to deal with something like this. (Remember - the Post Office IS a business as they sell goods and services to generate income and is "self-sustaining", meaning it receives no government funding).

Remember - the Post Office IS a business as they sell goods and services to generate income and is "self-sustaining", meaning it receives no government funding)

That ain't right either cause the Gov't is always bailing them out. Nothing official tho,,,

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

That ain't right either cause the Gov't is always bailing them out. Nothing official tho,,,

Bailed out GM, Chrysler and AIG. They're still "businesses".

i use a 3rd party insurer called inkfrog, if the item is valuable or critical it gets double insured

another tip i have is to always put clear tape over printed labels, alot of times labels get ripped off of packages in transit, this prevents that from happening, 90% of my shipping problems disappeared after i started taping over labels

Originally Posted by jghilino

another tip i have is to always put clear tape over printed labels

^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^

You are instructed to NOT put tape over labels.

We just had another incident. We bought a barracuda pool cleaner. It had 2 rebates. 1 from the manufacturer and another from the retailer. We filled out the paperwork and sent it off. We got one rebate back and then we got the remains of the other one in a post office envelope. It got torn up in their equipment.

Now it is too late to put the stuff back together and send it back. We sent it out, but will probably be denied. They cost us $100 and there is no recourse. Of course we could have sent it registered and insured. But who the heck is going to do that on a rebate?

I am just more and more fed up with them.

I am now shipping packages fedex cheaper and quicker.

Switched over and won't look back.

I can tell you for certain i was having about 20 items a year getting returned to me or lost due to shipping label damage, all of that stopped after i started taping over labels. I dont care what they say to do if it gets in my pocket. Rules are made to be broken.

Also what you said right there happens also, alot of stuff goes thru electronic sorting that shouldnt. Ive had alot of ram sticks and cpus destroyed because they are too lazy to hand scan packages and want to machine sort everything.

fedex is cheaper on large items but higher under 10 pounds

I'm a cheap a$$ when it comes to labels...plain paper, cut the label off and keep other half for my records. Tape over except for the bar code.

self insurance works great till your 1k package gets lost, id rather double insure

I've only had one damaged and sent back as the USPS managed to crush a steel switchbox for a computer system.
It was similar to this one, I have to assume it got caught in the conveyer system. It was as flat as a fritter.