USPS shipping - coins
Exbrit
Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭✭
So the USPS screwed up again. Not once, not twice, but three times so far on the same order.
1) I called three days before the coin was supposed to arrive at my local post office for delivery to advise them of the forwarding change of address request that has been in place - the local office must not have read it. (Tried to avoid problems with the forwarding)
2) USPS sent the coin back to sender because of an expired forwarding request - the forwarding request is not expired which was confirmed by USPS.
3) I called USPS customer service to advise of the problem in an attempt to redirect the package. They sent a request to my new post office and not the one that would be forwarding the coin.
4) the sender also sent a request to reroute the coin to the correct address - this request was not acted upon.
What a comedy of errors. Time to privatize?
Anything like this ever happen to you?
I should mention that I am very happy with my new Post Office.
Comments
My USPS is very fast and accurate. Forget about "privatize".
I had one hit my town then they redirected it to a different town 200 miles away. It finally made it back a few weeks later, With a big crease (Apollo poster) down the center of the flat thick oversize envelop, but generally they all do good. Looks like they tried to slide it into a small mail box even though a “do not bend” was stamped on the outside. I think they get burned out with the endless customers coming in day after day. I could not do it so I guess I admire their resilience.
all of my ebay high dollar shipments are stamped "do not forward, return service requested." My listings clarify that item will not be forwarded and that buyer needs to make sure his paypal shipping address is up to date.
Having the delivery address changed once item is in transit is a popular scammer trick.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
I did advise the Sender of the new address and actually updated the address on their website. They must have had a glitch and sent it to my old address. This did not go through eBay or PayPal.
There are times mistakes happen within the USPS but nobody can come close to their service. They can get a package from coast to coast in 2 to 3 days with just regular priority service. The other private shippers can’t do that unless you pay through the nose on expedited shipping. Standard shipping via the competitors is slow as molasses.
How was it sent? If it was sent with no forwarding from the shipper, the Post Office is supposed to return it aren't they?
[edited: sorry, I didn't see @derryb response before I posted this.]
I love the Post Office. They are my preferred shipper whenever possible. You can even send a 1st class package to multiple countries around the world that can be tracked right to delivery through their system. An 8 ounce 1st class package is $10 to $12
This
It had no such restriction and the sender tried to correct the routing via USPS.
I really like my local USPS PO and have had great service.
A hiccup or two but resolved.
I had a mis-typed my return address on a submission to our host. The package went everywhere except to me. I was anxiously tracking with Informed Delivery. Finally, returned to sender, called our host to fix the address, and got the package re-mailed and at no extra charge. Not the USPS fault and I completely accepted the blame but am very happy I got the package.
When I buy stuff to be mailed, I mail to where I want delivered.
some days peanuts, some days shells.
I never get shells from the PO; I love them.
Considering the volume they do, a few shells are permissible.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
What was the service? Registered? Priority?
So do I.
First class unfortunately (with tracking)
Well, then they should have forwarded it, unless the forwarding expired.
Well that's just crazy talk!
Did you purchase the coin on ebay? If so, did you have your new address updated on your ebay profile? If sellers on ebay ship to an address other than what is on file at ebay, they lose protection if I understand their rules correctly. So as an ebay shipper, I will not ship to any address other than the ebay listed one (even if you changed the address on my website).
I'd be unhappy with the post office, too- just not for the reasons noted. I am surprised that a phone call to customer service can get a package rerouted- how can they be sure you are who you say you are over the phone?
Correct - the forwarding is still active and not expired. This has been confirm three times by USPS. It's just an unfortunate set of circumstances that USPS has trouble being as large as they are and bureaucratic at times. Normally they are excellent. This is just a weird one.
Yes, the USPS does mess up sometimes... but overall they are very dependable and troublefree. They are always my choice for shipping in most circumstances. But... one has to realize the USPS system is highly automated... works very well ... until someone intervenes such as calling and trying to change something. Not that you can't do that... but it then causes human interactions and thus more chances of misunderstanding and errors on the deliveries. Perhaps by making the contact to USPS, the individual you contacted got confused what info you were trying to relay, and thus goofed in response?
I actually canceled a shipment to Qatar on Friday and ate the $7 PayPal fee because of address problems.
They won't. But remember, he had a forward request in place already.
Please read my email that you quoted for the answer.> @tincup said:
That may very well be the case!!! Try talking to someone (problem solving) at some of these highly automated companies. They work great and are very efficient until there is something a bit out the ordinary.
That's not an issue because they already had all of my information including the forwarding information in their system. If I was trying to reroute it to a different address - all kinds of red flags should be raised.
Totally agree. USPS is really great.
I have recently had numerous problems with Amazon (mostly super-slow). I attribute this to my not being willing to buy a "Prime" membership.
I thought he said they did:
"I called USPS customer service to advise of the problem in an attempt to redirect the package. They sent a request to my new post office and not the one that would be forwarding the coin."
Now that we have beaten this horse to death and I had a chance to vent, We can all get back to discussing the 2019 enhanced reverse proof ASE. Just Joking!!!
Yes, but he had a forwarding request in place. If I call now (without one) and ask them to forward to another address, they will not do it.
"Please read my email that you quoted for the answer.> @tincup said:"
Yep... overlooked that this was not over ebay!
While I would certainly be frustrated on how the shipment went, I personally would not stop using USPS.. they are still the best out there! I have heard plenty of shipments gone awry with all of the others... UPS, FedEx, and so forth.
USPS can be interesting. I have a great local branch with friendly and helpful people.
My favorite experience though was sending a check to NY from Virginia, thankfully I tracked it as I'm not sure Id've believed it otherwise. Coincidentally this happened shortly after the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. My check went from Virginia to Colorado and hung out for 17 days before making its way to its destination. It arrived a day after my replacement check made it and I'm guessing it was at one heck of a party.
When I had a small standard mail box there were a lot of "Do Not Bend" envelopes that were nearly folded in half to fit in the mail box. Not really a big deal as most were magazines or legal documents, but still it could have been important. Not an issue anymore though, I upgrade to the large mailbox with the locked bottom compartment.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/mysetregistry/showcase/6602
Overall I've been very happy with USPS service. The only issues I've had are misplaced packages when I went in to pick up for signature confirmation. One was accidentally put back in the "outgoing" bin and had to make a circle back to the local distribution center, the other was a thin registered package that I think someone just didn't see when they were looking for it. Both were found the next day. Coincidentally they were both $1k packages.
I think this makes all the difference.
Collector, occasional seller
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Overreact much?
Perhaps this was the whole problem. Once you attempted to interfere with the normal forwarding of your mail things became very suspicious.
Yes you are right.
The folks at the local post office are fantastic friendly people.
Yeah, they may mess up now and then but any of us who work do the same.
The only people who don't make mistakes are people who don't do anything.
I had a small rural (outside) mailbox into which the tiny coal town Rural delivery folks used to cram magazines and documents. No problem. However, when my grad school diploma arrived in a "Do Not Bend" envelope, they just crammed it into the box like any other large printed document so that now it has a crease down the middle. It also rained before I could retrieve it so it's slightly stained and wavy as well. I laughed then at how such an important document of achievement in one's life could end up so folded and damaged in delivery by the post office as if to say "You got an important? document...BIG DEAL!"
I really have had no major issues with the USPS... Occasionally a day or two delay in delivery....My wife, however, had a package (a purchase) cross the U.S. twice before delivery....and only seven days late....That was a real strange one. The address was correct, with no anomalies... I asked the Supervisor at our P.O. about it... He said he could not explain that one (I showed him the tracking history)....So..It's a mystery... but a funny story anyway.
Cheers, RickO
Use BIG clear letters and numbers on address. I never had a problem.
100% Positive BST transactions
I have worked at po as a carrier for a few years. Its very difficult to get a package redirected once its in transit. As far as to why it was not forwarded hard to figure. Could have been new carrier who did not know this guys mail was to be forwarded or maybe forward expired( even though op said forward was good first class is only forwarded for one year) Most of usps workers are hard working dedicated people but occasionaly you will have a carrier in such a hurry that they will bend a diploma to make it fit but its rare. Maybe empty your box daily and there will be no need to stuff mail in a box. A empty box will allow a carrier to flex the diploma into the box without creasing it. Chow
My suggestion:
Get a po box for all your coin shipments.
I did have a package get "lost" in my local post office for 7 months. It showed time of delivery to my post office but never to my box.
Then mysteriously it just showed up.
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I haven't had an issue in a long time (I got a really big mailbox), but I'm a numismatic literature collector and I've had the PO fold BOOKS. How the heck they did it, I have no idea. I used to pay extra to make sure all books, catalogs, etc. were shipped in boxes. Some ebayers will ship books in unsupported envelopes. People would tell me they'd never had a problem and I'd send them a pic of a folded hardbound book.
I use POB for coin business - no problems with usps.
Outgoing shipments just print out the eBay shipping label and track. Otherwise use large legible letters.
Incoming I monitor tracking so when go pickup.