Strangest USPO Claim I've ever dealt with - ever had.......?

Colorfulcoins

I bought an item on ebay and paid for $1.30 USPO insurance. Package shows up and its opened and the contents are missing, there's a USPO stamp that says "Item received with contents missing in CITY NAME" in several places. Postage affixed to the envelope says $.49. Looks as if the envelope might have been steamed open. So I think, the seller forgot to pay for the $1.30 insurance and I contact the seller. He replies that he DID pay for USPO insurance and emails scans of the green USPO form that shows sending and insuring an item to my city/state/zipcode for the correct amount and it has the red USPO stamp - looks right/offical. ALso says he uses self-applied stamps for postage and doesn't use USPO metered postage. This is no evidence of the typical "Insured" red stamp on the envelope.

So what he's saying is that:

1. Someone steamed (?) opened the envelope to pull out 2 old $14 dimes, removed all the stamps he placed that added to $1.90, and affixed a $.49 postage. Maybe its me but that seems like ALOT of work for what they got......

2. Someone took my stuff (In route) got another opened envelope, put $.49 in metered postage and sent it along on its way to me.

Needless to say, even with the proof of insurance (the green slip) I have a feeling that convincing the USPO that the slip goes with the envelope is going to be an uphill struggle since they don't seem to match at all..........and I'm already beginning to feel like the victim.

Have you ever seen anything so mismatched and convoluted? No doubt there are better stories outt here........

anoldgoat

Thas wierd. I'd like to know how this ends.

sinin1

I have a small 1 person post office in my town - the relief person is an older lady - I could see her doing something like what you described

Me walk in on Saturday morning with 8 packages - some insured, some not - all different weights - she weighs them all and writes down prices, sometimes forgets stamps or stamps red insuranse stamp very lightly - especially when I tell her they sre full of glass and don't break them.


Start and go through the insurance process - if it is less than $50, quicker and the sending post office can pay out of petty cash


save your envelope - get the claim form from your post office - mail envelope and your claim form back to seller - they take their green slip to envelope to post office

AACoinCo

What city did the meter strip orginate from? Was it done in the same city as the ship address?

tlhoy

A GREEN USPS slip is a delivery confirmation form, NOT an insured form.
If he INSURED it he should have a BLUE USPS insured mail slip. Your package should also have a BLUE sticker on it that says insured.
Glenn

ms70

The green insurance form is used for items $50 & under only. They then stamp "INSURED" on the package in red ink. No stickers. The
service costs $1.30.

Barry

The $50 and under (for $1.30) insurance form is green.

tlhoy

I guess I should read better! I overlooked that it was under $50.
Glenn

BigD5

Very strange. I would go to my local post office with the envelope etc., and talk with the Postmaster, and see what they have to say about it.

AA Coin Co. has a great point with where the meter strip originated from. That would probably eliminate #2. I would also ask what time/date the seller shipped the item, and see if it matched the metered strip.

I would also let the seller know that you will be filing a claim with the PO, and that they will most likely be needing further information from them.

If the seller does indeed "stamp" all of his outgoing packages, then there does seem to be some hanky panky going on at the PO.
Of course, the seller could be full of **it, and is faking an insurance slip in the scan with a little Photedeluxe, etc.....
Keep us posted!

AmericanSilverEagleCoins

If he did insure it, have him go ahead a file the claim. That's why he paid for the insurance. You got the envelope with all the marking, contents missing or whatever so the USPO has confirmed on your end the package was incomplete.

sinin1

how is the claim progressing?

if the seller has green slip - I think it will go , the postal clerk at shipping post office screwed up