Slab damaged shipped in padded mailer

logger7

I got an email from a customer:

"Hi, regrettably, this package came in totally destroyed. You wouldn't believe it.

I need to return this to you as you need to file for a refund from the post office."

"Nothing would have helped this package, Something heavy dropped on it."

Strangely it never showed as delivered, is still showing as in transit.

Vasanti

Slab did its job. Time for a new slab.

alaura22

If it shows still in transit, you can't file a claim............

alaura22

Also, did you get a pic of the box?

JW77

"Something dropped on it" ; more likely something ate It!

TomB

The coin looks nice and the slab did its job above-and-beyond in this case. It appears that the mailer might have gotten caught in machinery since there looks to be dirt or grime on the damaged part of the slab. I believe in all the time I shipped coins that I mailed some in a bubble mailer once and that upon arrival to the customer the bubble mailer had a slit in it and one of the two coins in the mailer was missing. I always ship using at least one box and, if needed, a box-in-a-box.

coinbuf

Sad to see a fattie destroyed by the PO, glad it wasn't a rare version.

PerryHall

That coin should have been packaged in a box. Padded envelopes just don't provide enough protection for slabs considering the rough handling that they are subjected to by the post office.

seanq

@TomB said:
The coin looks nice and the slab did its job above-and-beyond in this case. It appears that the mailer might have gotten caught in machinery since there looks to be dirt or grime on the damaged part of the slab. I believe in all the time I shipped coins that I mailed some in a bubble mailer once and that upon arrival to the customer the bubble mailer had a slit in it and one of the two coins in the mailer was missing. I always ship using at least one box and, if needed, a box-in-a-box.

Agree, once upon a time you could pay an extra $0.25 or so for "non-machinable" thick envelopes or mailers, the clerk at the PO would hand-cancel the postage instead of running it through the automated sorting equipment. That definitely looks like it was just a little too thick for some piece of equipment and got jammed / chewed up. At least the coin itself wasn't damaged, though I understand the old holder held a lot of appeal.

Sean Reynolds

LJenkins11

Looks like that slab was used to win a bar fight.

Jzyskowski1

Crack out gone bad? Just a little thought 😈

jesbroken

My post office would have noted damage to package, I would feel yours did also. Check with them and see.
Jim

logger7

I've never had a package damaged before like this. And boxes are no guarantee of protection, I had box damaged coming back from cac. First class parcels are not handled like first class letters. That's what we pay their ever increasing rates for, now often over $4.

OAKSTAR

I would liked to have seen how the carried delivered it.

OAKSTAR

@Jzyskowski1 said:
Crack out gone bad? Just a little thought 😈

It could still be broken out without a problem.

johnny9434

@Jzyskowski1 said:
Crack out gone bad? Just a little thought 😈

Crack kills 🙄

Klif50

It has been quite a long time but years ago the USPO had an ebay account and they put coins up for auction and there were a lot of them where the package was damaged and they paid the insurance claim or else the package was undeliverable due to address label failure and couldn't be returned to sender. A lot of really nice coins hit ebay and many were sold at very favorable prices (to the buyer anyway).

I wonder if they still do that, not on ebay, but through another venue.

NumisOxide

Wow yeah that's crazy.

fastfreddie

@logger7 said:
I've never had a package damaged before like this. And boxes are no guarantee of protection, I had box damaged coming back from cac. First class parcels are not handled like first class letters. That's what we pay their ever increasing rates for, now often over $4.

I had two slabs in a mailer come to me very similar to that way once.

Jzyskowski1

@OAKSTAR said:

@Jzyskowski1 said:
Crack out gone bad? Just a little thought 😈

It could still be broken out without a problem.

Crackers remorse? 😈
Changed their mind mid crack?😂

JBK

I'm not sure but I think the recipient of a damaged item has to participate in the insurance claim process, and the original packaging would have been helpful or even mandatory.

That damage is extensive enough that the insert could have been slipped out. I assume you recognize the coin as the one you sent.

airplanenut

@PerryHall said:
That coin should have been packaged in a box. Padded envelopes just don't provide enough protection for slabs considering the rough handling that they are subjected to by the post office.

I don't know how many thousands of slabs I've shipped in padded mailers, but I'm struggling to think of the last time one got damaged. I'm sure it's happened a time or two in the last 2 decades, but knock on wood, I've had remarkable success using good padded mailers (and that's also key--some bubble mailers provide much more protection than others, and the time or two I've gotten a bad batch that didn't feel quite right, I put them aside and didn't use them for slabs).

VanHalen

I add a couple Styrofoam peanuts to mine to make them thicker.

jmlanzaf

@alaura22 said:
If it shows still in transit, you can't file a claim............

You can prove it was delivered if you have the package.

lkenefic

Wow! That's something you don't see every day... fortunately!! I'm glad the Washie made it out alive!

Bochiman

@TomB said:
The coin looks nice and the slab did its job above-and-beyond in this case. It appears that the mailer might have gotten caught in machinery since there looks to be dirt or grime on the damaged part of the slab. I believe in all the time I shipped coins that I mailed some in a bubble mailer once and that upon arrival to the customer the bubble mailer had a slit in it and one of the two coins in the mailer was missing. I always ship using at least one box and, if needed, a box-in-a-box.

Yep. That was me
I noticed it when I picked it up and took a couple steps away from the USPS clerk as I was excited to get them.
The missing coin was an 1855 slanted 5 large cent, if I recall.

Since I hadn't even left the doorway, the clerk said she would sign as a witness.

The slit wasn't that large and was obviously done with a sharp knife as it wasn't messed up at all (ie...not from a machine nor dull knife making little 'jaggies'.)

I think about it most every time I go there to get any coin since, and have changed my own way of shipping because of it.
When I use a bubble mailer, I now put some registered mail tape strategically on the back, just to try to deter that from happening.

BAJJERFAN

The bright side is that it's a reholder plus shipping.

BAJJERFAN

@JBK said:
I'm not sure but I think the recipient of a damaged item has to participate in the insurance claim process, and the original packaging would have been helpful or even mandatory.

That damage is extensive enough that the insert could have been slipped out. I assume you recognize the coin as the one you sent.

The coin doesn't appear to have been damaged so it's doubtful if there is much of a claim. Reholder is $13 + $10 handling fee? Plus postage both ways. You might get $13 plus your original postage.

Send the pics to NGC to verify that all that's needed is a reholder assuming no further damage when you send it to them.

Also I know that it's not your coin.

logger7

@BAJJERFAN said:

@JBK said:
I'm not sure but I think the recipient of a damaged item has to participate in the insurance claim process, and the original packaging would have been helpful or even mandatory.

That damage is extensive enough that the insert could have been slipped out. I assume you recognize the coin as the one you sent.

The coin doesn't appear to have been damaged so it's doubtful if there is much of a claim. Reholder is $13 + $10 handling fee? Plus postage both ways. You might get $13 plus your original postage.

Send the pics to NGC to verify that all that's needed is a reholder assuming no further damage when you send it to them.

Also I know that it's not your coin.

Plus a minimum of $25 for an associate membership, so looks to be over $50 just for a reholder.

When I've bought from HA or GC I've gotten the coin in a padded envelope or priority mail. I like to follow the experts on single coin shipping, possibly double bagging with the ebay approved mailers. Or inserting cardboard in the envelope for additional protection.

Dave99B

Dang. That poor thing got creamed.

I’ve probably shipped (or received) 400+ coins mailed in padded mailers. Only one slab was damaged, a VF Barber Quarter (shocking, I know) from Teletrade. The PCGS slab was in two pieces, but the coin wasn’t damaged. I just kept it and had it regraded. The package looked like it had been driven over by a Sherman tank.

Dave

BAJJERFAN

@logger7 said:

@BAJJERFAN said:

@JBK said:
I'm not sure but I think the recipient of a damaged item has to participate in the insurance claim process, and the original packaging would have been helpful or even mandatory.

That damage is extensive enough that the insert could have been slipped out. I assume you recognize the coin as the one you sent.

The coin doesn't appear to have been damaged so it's doubtful if there is much of a claim. Reholder is $13 + $10 handling fee? Plus postage both ways. You might get $13 plus your original postage.

Send the pics to NGC to verify that all that's needed is a reholder assuming no further damage when you send it to them.

Also I know that it's not your coin.

Plus a minimum of $25 for an associate membership, so looks to be over $50 just for a reholder.

When I've bought from HA or GC I've gotten the coin in a padded envelope or priority mail. I like to follow the experts on single coin shipping, possibly double bagging with the ebay approved mailers. Or inserting cardboard in the envelope for additional protection.

I doubt that the usps will cover the order or membership fees. You shouldn't need to be a member in order to have something repaired, but it seems like that's the way it is. Wrap the slab with bubble pack and make that envelope THICK. I've sent stuff to the IRS in bubble pack with peanuts to make the envelope thick enough. Cheaper than priority or certified plus you get free tracking.

bsshog40

I haven't used a padded envelope in a long time but when I did, I always added either cardboard to both sides or I even cut a milk jug and put the plastic on both sides to help from damage.

winesteven

@PerryHall said:
That coin should have been packaged in a box. Padded envelopes just don't provide enough protection for slabs considering the rough handling that they are subjected to by the post office.

As noted above by someone else, a box inside is not a guarantee.

Unfortunately, this just happened to me a little more than two weeks ago. I bought a 1936 Satin Buffalo graded PR68 by PCGS with a CAC from a major well known firm. The coin was packed in bubble wrap inside the typical USPS Priority Mail cardboard box, which was then placed inside a large padded mailer. It was smashed, and the slab looked similar to the OP’s slab. Fortunately the coin appears undamaged.

As expected, the firm is doing the right thing. They emailed me an overnight label, and they shipped it to PCGS. Once they get it back, they’ll ship it to CAC to get the sticker automatically reapplied, since the cert number on the new holder will remain the same. I hope to have it back in my hands roughly about a month from now.

I don’t have photos of the smashed slab, but here are the seller’s photos of the coin. Despite being a Satin Proof, the luster is blinding on both sides - even more in hand than the photos:

Steve

jmlanzaf

@winesteven said:

@PerryHall said:
That coin should have been packaged in a box. Padded envelopes just don't provide enough protection for slabs considering the rough handling that they are subjected to by the post office.

As noted above by someone else, a box inside is not a guarantee.

Unfortunately, this just happened to me a little more than two weeks ago. I bought a 1936 Satin Buffalo graded PR68 by PCGS with a CAC from a major well known firm. The coin was packed in bubble wrap inside the typical USPS Priority Mail cardboard box, which was then placed inside a large padded mailer. It was smashed, and the slab looked similar to the OP’s slab. Fortunately the coin appears undamaged.

As expected, the firm is doing the right thing. They emailed me an overnight label, and they shipped it to PCGS. Once they get it back, they’ll ship it to CAC to get the sticker automatically reapplied, since the cert number on the new holder will remain the same. I hope to have it back in my hands roughly about a month from now.

I don’t have photos of the smashed slab, but here are the seller’s photos of the coin. Despite being a Satin Proof, the luster is blinding on both sides - even more in hand than the photos:

Steve

Great coin.

Love the satin proofs.

ricko

I have shipped coins only in boxes. Sometimes USPS boxes, other times, my own of various sizes. Always a box in a box. I see @winesteven has had a problem that way... No method is 100% it seems. I have not had a problem so far, but it can happen. Cheers, RickO

MWallace

@alaura22 said:
If it shows still in transit, you can't file a claim............

A reason for this is that the Tracking # barcode and Tracking # could've also been damaged to the point that it couldn't be scanned.

291fifth

Get the coin, and if possible, the packaging, back from the buyer, refund his money and move on. This kind of thing is just a cost of doing business online.
File a claim with the USPS for insurance and see what response you get for the damage to the holder.

Connecticoin

I always wrap slabs in bubble wrap and then mail in high quality padded mailer. Never had a cracked slab over 15 years of mailing. If you just plop a slab in a padded mailer that is not enough protection.