Well the coins are now in Ca, hopefully at GC by Monday. Ian will also reach out to his local PO connections. Ian has been quite helpful and supportive through this ordeal.
Sorry for your loss/delay and hopefully it will still show up at GC early next week complete. Coming up with current values would have me scratching my head for coins I had owned a few years. If the box shows up, will the insurance claim be automatically dismissed if package is complete and not pilfered?
@RLSnapper said:
Sometimes I think it is better to ship these packages incognito. When you declare 15K value it is very tempting for every person in the chain of custody. Private insurance may be the way to go. Anything under 1K I just ship Fedex and don't say a word about value.
I hope this all works out for the OP.
Yeah, I shipped two different 4 piece American Eagle gold proof sets, 1988 and 1989 using ground advantage and crossed my fingers. They both got there earlier than estimated from rural East Texas to Seattle and Olympia, WA. Glad that I didn't just get the $100 base insurance if they'd disappeared but I figured that incognito crappy looking package might just be safer.
@drfish said:
Well the coins are now in Ca, hopefully at GC by Monday. Ian will also reach out to hi local PO connections. Ian has been quite helpful and supportive through this ordeal.
Great news, as some of us expected it did show up again. Happy ending other than you lost sleep for couple nights.
@MonsterCoinz said:
I stopped using Registered with USPS insurance and went with private insurance and just overnight the coins. Much, much faster. My theory is that the less time in someone else's hands, the better.
My private insurance covers registered mail only…..
@MonsterCoinz said:
I stopped using Registered with USPS insurance and went with private insurance and just overnight the coins. Much, much faster. My theory is that the less time in someone else's hands, the better.
My private insurance covers registered mail only…..
Different policies have different requirements. Mine dictates which service can be used based on declared value—the highest tier can ship either Registered or Express. I like having the option.
The “modernization” of distribution hubs is a fiasco beyond all comprehension. See savethepostoffice.com.
As for insurance, all claims are usually rejected without a certified appraisal. There are very few appraisers who are certified. For instance only two in metro Chicago area. Generally it is pretty pointless to file a claim.
But in defense of postal workers, it is extremely rare to find crooked employees, and they are found out quickly and taken care of. What has changed, however, is the number of porch pirates and armed robbers that no longer are deterred by the stiff penalties that can be applied to stealing from the mail.
Also, transportation between hubs is not under the purview of USPS…it is contracted out. Priority mail was FedEx for many years, but will be shifting to UPS in September. many mail and package centers are privatized now in strip malls and trailers. So you are no longer dealing with career employees in a lot of cases.
@RLSnapper said:
Sometimes I think it is better to ship these packages incognito. When you declare 15K value it is very tempting for every person in the chain of custody. Private insurance may be the way to go. Anything under 1K I just ship Fedex and don't say a word about value.
I hope this all works out for the OP.
The thing about registered is that the entire chain of custody is supposed to be recorded so that should eliminate temptation.
My dad's entire Morgan collection was graded by PCGS and returned and got lost in Fedex hub for almost 2 months before it magically reappeared and got delivered. I've also had registered mail go from being scanned in when I dropped it off in Phoenix with no updates only to show up at CAC about 2-3 weeks later.
One more thing... I feel your pain and now I've learned a lesson. I can't remember the details but a year or two ago I shipped something and there was an error with the level of service or something and they couldn't just undo the transaction and redo it. It was like a 20 minute ordeal to get it corrected/amended. I can't imagine what you've gone through. I think it will show up though, give it more time. In fact, I'm surprised they let you file a claim this "early." In my dad's case, Fedex wouldn't declare it lost for a really long time, and luckily we never had to.
The Ca USPS Consumer Protection CSR that called me recommended filing as she thought the large claim would best motivate finding the package - also there is a sixty day deadline to file. My understanding is that if you don’t file by day 60 you can’t make an insurance claim.
We just got a return to sender for an xmas card my wife sent to her sister, at the same house they've been living in for 20 years that she's been sending things to. 3rd xmas card we got back, just way later than the other 2 - end of Jan.
I have an inbound registered package of fairly high value that was shipped February 20 and went dark March 1. Sender has started missing package search and will be escalating the case to his congressman if necessary. Lack of accountability in the USPS is a big problem. Yeah, this is unrelated to the OP's package, but when someone in the future searches the forum for "Registered" and "disappeared" or "missing", the more experiences the better.
I'd actually like to see the title of this thread changed to reflect the outcome.
As a rule, Registered Mail is notoriously slow but also notoriously safe. There are of course occassional exceptions to both of those rules.
I recently used USPS Ground Advantage to mail some DCarr coins to ANACS. Tracking and $100 insurance were automatically included (I also added a little more) and it traveled across the country to be delivered in four days. Something to think about for certain shipments where the coins are not necessarily irreplaceable.
Glad it eventually made it's way out that was my hunch when reading thread as I've had similar issues with registered packages not updating for multiple weeks before eventually moving again.
A lot of insurance companies require overnight express delivery for packages over a certain amount that seems to be a super efficient and safe way to get stuff to where it needs to go but of course it comes at a higher cost.
When sending a large value parcel we always have great results going either priority mail (up to $5K) or registered priority mail (over $5k). Some people think doing priority registered is a waste of money but believe it or not it does move faster that way, or it least it has for us. Plus, it's an easy pack using their PM boxes etc. The only thing I need to do differently is fill out a registered slip (of course) and use paper tape on all the seams/edges. jmho
As noted in my earlier post, Richmond, Virginia was the first hub to get “modernized” last summer, and Virginia now has the slowest mail delivery in the US. Atlanta is underway now. Houston is reportedly next. It will spread eventually to the entire country. Service standards are being padded by adding two extra days to make sure things still appear to be on track and the statistics presented will look reasonably good. There is absolutely no oversight on this mess.
And there is a story in the news that the USPS is asking for another rate increase beginning this summer. The service gets crappier and the price increases.
In memory of my kitty Seryozha 14.2.1996 ~ 13.9.2016 and Shadow 3.4.2015 - 16.4.21
Comments
Well the coins are now in Ca, hopefully at GC by Monday. Ian will also reach out to his local PO connections. Ian has been quite helpful and supportive through this ordeal.
Sorry for your loss/delay and hopefully it will still show up at GC early next week complete. Coming up with current values would have me scratching my head for coins I had owned a few years. If the box shows up, will the insurance claim be automatically dismissed if package is complete and not pilfered?
Yeah, I shipped two different 4 piece American Eagle gold proof sets, 1988 and 1989 using ground advantage and crossed my fingers. They both got there earlier than estimated from rural East Texas to Seattle and Olympia, WA. Glad that I didn't just get the $100 base insurance if they'd disappeared but I figured that incognito crappy looking package might just be safer.
Great news, as some of us expected it did show up again. Happy ending other than you lost sleep for couple nights.
My private insurance covers registered mail only…..
Glad it worked out. They usually find their way. Another recent "lost" package thread had the same result.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Different policies have different requirements. Mine dictates which service can be used based on declared value—the highest tier can ship either Registered or Express. I like having the option.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
The “modernization” of distribution hubs is a fiasco beyond all comprehension. See savethepostoffice.com.
As for insurance, all claims are usually rejected without a certified appraisal. There are very few appraisers who are certified. For instance only two in metro Chicago area. Generally it is pretty pointless to file a claim.
But in defense of postal workers, it is extremely rare to find crooked employees, and they are found out quickly and taken care of. What has changed, however, is the number of porch pirates and armed robbers that no longer are deterred by the stiff penalties that can be applied to stealing from the mail.
Also, transportation between hubs is not under the purview of USPS…it is contracted out. Priority mail was FedEx for many years, but will be shifting to UPS in September. many mail and package centers are privatized now in strip malls and trailers. So you are no longer dealing with career employees in a lot of cases.
Delivered in good shape. Thanks all for your advice and encouragement. What a relief!
The thing about registered is that the entire chain of custody is supposed to be recorded so that should eliminate temptation.
My dad's entire Morgan collection was graded by PCGS and returned and got lost in Fedex hub for almost 2 months before it magically reappeared and got delivered. I've also had registered mail go from being scanned in when I dropped it off in Phoenix with no updates only to show up at CAC about 2-3 weeks later.
One more thing... I feel your pain and now I've learned a lesson. I can't remember the details but a year or two ago I shipped something and there was an error with the level of service or something and they couldn't just undo the transaction and redo it. It was like a 20 minute ordeal to get it corrected/amended. I can't imagine what you've gone through. I think it will show up though, give it more time. In fact, I'm surprised they let you file a claim this "early." In my dad's case, Fedex wouldn't declare it lost for a really long time, and luckily we never had to.
The Ca USPS Consumer Protection CSR that called me recommended filing as she thought the large claim would best motivate finding the package - also there is a sixty day deadline to file. My understanding is that if you don’t file by day 60 you can’t make an insurance claim.
Glad it worked out.
We just got a return to sender for an xmas card my wife sent to her sister, at the same house they've been living in for 20 years that she's been sending things to. 3rd xmas card we got back, just way later than the other 2 - end of Jan.
I have an inbound registered package of fairly high value that was shipped February 20 and went dark March 1. Sender has started missing package search and will be escalating the case to his congressman if necessary. Lack of accountability in the USPS is a big problem. Yeah, this is unrelated to the OP's package, but when someone in the future searches the forum for "Registered" and "disappeared" or "missing", the more experiences the better.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
I'd actually like to see the title of this thread changed to reflect the outcome.
As a rule, Registered Mail is notoriously slow but also notoriously safe. There are of course occassional exceptions to both of those rules.
I recently used USPS Ground Advantage to mail some DCarr coins to ANACS. Tracking and $100 insurance were automatically included (I also added a little more) and it traveled across the country to be delivered in four days. Something to think about for certain shipments where the coins are not necessarily irreplaceable.
Glad it eventually made it's way out that was my hunch when reading thread as I've had similar issues with registered packages not updating for multiple weeks before eventually moving again.
A lot of insurance companies require overnight express delivery for packages over a certain amount that seems to be a super efficient and safe way to get stuff to where it needs to go but of course it comes at a higher cost.
When sending a large value parcel we always have great results going either priority mail (up to $5K) or registered priority mail (over $5k). Some people think doing priority registered is a waste of money but believe it or not it does move faster that way, or it least it has for us. Plus, it's an easy pack using their PM boxes etc. The only thing I need to do differently is fill out a registered slip (of course) and use paper tape on all the seams/edges. jmho
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Start at the bottom, Feb 20 to April 5........46 days for registered......
.
I heard there have major issues in the Atlanta PO. That's probably the culprit.
As noted in my earlier post, Richmond, Virginia was the first hub to get “modernized” last summer, and Virginia now has the slowest mail delivery in the US. Atlanta is underway now. Houston is reportedly next. It will spread eventually to the entire country. Service standards are being padded by adding two extra days to make sure things still appear to be on track and the statistics presented will look reasonably good. There is absolutely no oversight on this mess.
I just had a Ground Advantage package take four days to go across the country. No complaints there.
And there is a story in the news that the USPS is asking for another rate increase beginning this summer. The service gets crappier and the price increases.
@Bullsitter 2/22 to 4/9 so 48days for my coins.
Maybe DeJoy should bring back actual Ponies rather than his so far disastrous “modernization” plan .