USPS ? Is this happening more than it used to?
DocBenjamin
Posts: 1,488 ✭✭✭✭✭
Dropped off 7 first class boxes at the P.O. Tuesday morning. Put them in the inside drop box.
Received a message early this morning from a customer asking if I had shipped as the tracking number did not show that the package was received by the PO.
Checked and he was correct.
Not a panic thing as the dollars are modest, just wondering if this is occurring more frequently,
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I used to have good confidence in the USPS, but they recently lost 4 packages of mine, two of which had irreplaceable items. I won't be using them for package shipments any more.
http://macrocoins.com
I would think that if you want to make sure it gets scanned you should hand it over at the window.
Good advice. Never had a problem before, but seemingly we are dealing with a different dinosaur now.
Just to give what little justice to the USPS that I can, I have the following statement to add: I have used the USPS since 2004 for shipping/receiving coins. My only loss was a letter containing payment from a forum member was lost and never came through. Member made me whole and unless something happening he filed an insurance claim. I have been a small ebay buyer/seller with roughly a thousand pkgs shipped with USPS and never a lost pkg. Have had a couple of scares with shipments to PCGS taking 2-3 weeks during Covid period, but they finally arrived. I have praise for the USPS from my viewpoint, but understand that not being on the losing end has tinted my glasses. Hopefully OP will be made right.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
USPS is not the same USPS that we used 10 - 20 years ago. Kinda sad. Retired postal workers were great public servants back in the day. It is not that way today. Just a small % of employees give USPS a bad rap today.
USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
Successful Transactions with more than 100 Members
If less than a hundred sale,will just drop in box . Higher value items I will hand it over to postal worker and ask for a receipt,which they never have a problem with.
I have found that if I drop a package at my local Post Office Branch at the outside drop box they don't scan it there. It goes to the larger hub where it gets scanned a day or 2 later.
The post office is one of the main reasons I stopped buy and selling coins seriously a couple years ago. They just started losing too many packages
Yes. Found this explanation on Google. The following changes made by the current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy:
"In March 2021, DeJoy issued a 10-year plan called "Delivering for America" to stabilize the finances of the Postal Service by slowing first class mail delivery, optimizing transportation networks, cutting post office hours, and raising prices."
In my experiences, the changes are for the better. Your packages will be scanned at some point but not as often as before
Also, during busy times you may see your packages rerouted to distribution centers that don't seem to make sense at the time but this is done to minimize delays.
Tell your customers tracking will be updated at some point in the process.
Depends on the PO. The two i use never miss an acceptance scan and I use the package drop.
Interesting that you post this today. I went to my PO to find out WTH is with my shipment to Great Collections. Sent it Priority registered as asked. That was on the 8th. It's moved exactly 60 miles as of this afternoon... five days later.
"Brother, can you spare a dime?" (Especially a 1975 no S proof?)
feel good... you're still getting scans🥴
Appreciate comments. And got an update that the package scanned at the next hub.
There is DeJoy in Mudville.
I find USPS to be pretty reliable. I would just drop off my packages, then the drop off cart was eliminated.
So I went to another local PO and dropped off packages in there cart. Found out that all outbound packages went to the first PO to get scanned. A couple got scanned the next morning. Big problem for me because I guarantee shipping within one day of payment. Now I wait in line, get all packages scanned and get a receipt.
My happy days are when I stop my carrier as they drop off my mail in the morning and give them my packages. They scan when I hand them over and no trip to PO for me.
Yes, but the last one was two days ago. Filed an inquiry w/ USPS this morning.
"Brother, can you spare a dime?" (Especially a 1975 no S proof?)
Mine too. I DO bring packages in the lobby and use the inside drop box. There have been numerous stories in my area about scammers fishing letters out of outside blue mailboxes looking for checks to alter fraudulently.
I had 6 letters fished out of an outside collection box last year. One was altered to over $3000. The bank made me whole the next day, but I had to get a new account. I have never dropped off letters in an outside box since then.
Happened to my cousin also. I think the PO or law enforcement issued an advisory.
The PO has also redesigned the mailing slot and installed new mailboxes. The new ones have a non-moveable slot with little teeth so you can't fish in the box. The big problem now is stolen keys that open the blue mailboxes, sometimes taken at gunpoint from USPS employees
I still don't have this one yet. It dropped off tracking for 10 days and all of a sudden reappeared.
All of the outside blue mail drop-off boxes in my area have been removed. You now must go inside of the post office to place in the slots inside the building.
Since covid i've not shipped too many (perhaps 250). But, those I have shipped have all arrived except one Standard EBay mailer for coins under $20. I have had problems with the Standard Ebay mailers coming back to me (returned for scanning problems). Stopped using the Standard mailers.
No problem with bubble wrap envelopes but of course larger and more expensive.
I'm still a fan of regular USPS bubble mail envelopes and of course with Priority.
Prior to covid, I've lost exactly one shipment (payment to Italy) in over 20 years.
In fact I dropped all insurance as deliverablty was so good I began "self insuring" and still do especially on any item un $1,000.
Expensive coins go Priority and double boxed, over $1,000, insured.
bob
PS: ALL shipments to PCGS or GC are always double boxed priority. I worry about "destination theft" on those.
On a side note, I sent a couple packages to ANACS by Ground Advantage and no added insurance and they traveled across the country in four days each time.
If shipping via USPS Ground Advantage or better just schedule an on-line pick up with USPS and sit them outside on your porch and they will pick them up and scan them on the spot, No charge for this service and no need to drive to the Post Office. I use it all the time.
I sent a Registered package today and the clerk explicitly told me, "you realize this is the slowest delivery service," I replied "yes, I know, but it is also the safest."
The one time in the past several years where I had packages go missing, I dropped a couple of padded envelopes into a drop box outside the local office. It came out about a month later that thieves a town over had a skeleton key and were randomly raiding drop boxes across the entire region. Ever since then, I have gone inside and handed my packages to a clerk and watched them scan them in.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
@seanq You are correct, sir. It is the slowest. But it's requested by virtually every TPG and auction house when you submit coins. Slow is slow. But it is now 8 days and an odd number of hours since I handed it to the USPS guy at the counter and Great Collections STILL doesn't have it. That's not slow. That's absurd.
"Brother, can you spare a dime?" (Especially a 1975 no S proof?)
@allnewsanchor said:
Why would they care how you ship it to them?
Registered is notorious for slow service. Parcels sometimes sit for a week in one place, presumably in a highly secured location. That’s the trade-off for mitigating as much theft/loss risk as possible.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
Registered mail is slow but safe. For high value items I do not ship any other way.
Theft of items while within the care of USPS employees was once unthinkable. Such thefts are not yet common but are not rare.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163
Yes happening more frequent. Very disturbing.
Couple days ago at PO / checking my box / I had a slip to sign off for something but when presented it at counter they could not find it. After a long search the guy said he would call me if it turned up. No call as of yet. No idea what it was. I keep track of my purchases none of those affected. What the heck going on? Lost or what? What kinda people working there now…..How can that item be there day or 2 and can’t be found. When get key for locker to unlock lg package the number on key not readable but it’s the same locker so last time got item but what’s going on?
Been considering a currency submission - maybe should back off. Be sure adequately insure your submissions for grading!
I have noticed packages won (auction) been taking longer in transit.
Never lost a registered mail item yet these past 20 years.
Box of 20
8 days is nothing to fret about, maybe after 2 weeks.
My local PO has an acceptance scan tablet in the lobby next to the drop slot.
So I scan my own packages when I drop off and print a receipt.
This week I’m pretty sure I saw someone using the self service postage machine to scan their packages.
My Ebay Store
Actually that is short for registered, can be typically 2 to 3 weeks...........
That's typical. It took 21 days for registered mail to deliver a coin to me from 300 miles away.
The USPS website informed me this morning that it was tired of my complaints.
I’ve had a recurring issue of my local carrier not retrieving packages from the secured USPS box in my building, as well as not scanning the parcels at pickup as required by USPS procedures. For ex., I deposited a parcel in the box last Thursday, it wasn’t picked up until Saturday, and didn’t get the first scan until today when it hit the origin DC.
In case anyone is frustrated enough, here is contact information for USPS in DC:
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
This one took a two week vacation. Says out for delivery today. It's regular ground advantage shipping.
It's unsustainable, friends. I just emailed a TPG where I'll be sending my next few coins and asked if it would be okay to send them FedEx. They said "of course" and asked me to use the street address. BTW... the pkg I referenced earlier in the thread arrived yesterday (Sunday), 9 days after sending.
"Brother, can you spare a dime?" (Especially a 1975 no S proof?)
Do NOT know your 'insurance' situation (e.g., Hugh Wood Inc., etc.). So, I am not sure if it is relevant. But, as I understand it, FedEx has a max declared value limit of $1K on "precious metals" (G.9), and "collector's coins" (G.11).
Reference ("Declared Value and Limits of Liability", page 151).
I believe this is a district based problem, though even in the better parts of the US for the functioning of the usps there can be a lot of issues and delays. The NY area to Florida used to take 2 days for priorities and even in some cases three days, now it is three. I dropped a priority off in MA recently on Saturday and it got to FL on Monday morning. It depends on those in charge and the diligence or lack thereof by postal workers, it is not easy with increases in volume, irregular levels of volume, etc.. I had a Ground Advantage take many weeks recently going 500 miles, stuck, for whatever reason. Then you have the new ebay "Standard" service with sometimes fast and excellent travel and then delays. There is the insurance that goes with GA and Priority that should be claimed on packages not arriving. Some employees know what it is others don't; same going with the Ground Advantage claim forms.
Yes, I read up on it ahead of time. These are more of my moderns and a few crossover attempts, the value of which is well under 4 figures. So no worries.
"Brother, can you spare a dime?" (Especially a 1975 no S proof?)
My latest registered mail package took 12 days to reach its destination. It spent five days in Portland and another four days in Atlanta before reaching it's final destination in Texas. I have NEVER lost a registered mail package since starting in 1976. I know there's a first time. . . . ., but I'm very thankful it wasn't this time.
Interesting that it can't simply be put on plane in Portland and flown directly to Dallas, saving all the runaround (and anxiety).