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The Stolen 1892 CC, The Seller and the Post Office

Well here's a story for ya.
Back in the begining of February I purchased a 1892 CC on a Bin for $300. Great deal I thought.....(see 1892 pic below)
Paid promtply with Paypal and waited for the coin to arrive..... Recieved a package(see packagefronta pic below) in the mail about 5 days later and signed for it. Not knowing what it was because I did have a few purchases coming in, I opened it and it was empty. My heart sank because i wondered if it was supposed to be the coin in question. Well after checking from where it was sent and matching up the sellers email adress to the return label, my heart landed at my feet.
I took another look at the envelope and low and behold there was a slit on the backside on the bottom(see backofpackage pic below). The pic below shows a piece of cardboard showing which I pulled out for display purposes. nothing was showing when the coin arrived.
The first thing across my mind was i was taken, but looking back at the sellers feedbacks there was no reason to go that route.
I emailed the seller with my phone number, ask her to call me and explained the situation. I could of ranted and accused her of many things but, I knew for right now to keep a calm head.
She explained that she was contacted by another buyer that their items(video tapes) were missing to. It seems like a Postal Employee was shopping at others expense.
The seller went to the Post Office, filled out all the forms I needed and sent them including all postal reciepts for this transaction. I ended up going to my Post Office with all the forms, the slit opened envelope, all the Ebay paperwork showing the value of the coin that I paid and the Paypal transaction pages showing the money was transfered to the seller. The "claims" person was very helpfull and apoligized that this happened. Stating that this(stolen items) does happen time to time and mentioned that a 1 ounce envelope costing 5 bucks to ship is a givaway that something small and expensive is inside which could be easily pocketed.(Geez really?)
The postal employee put the paper work in and said about 4 weeks we should hear something.

This week a check arrived at my door for $300.49.

I emailed the seller thanking her for helping me with the paper work and left her a positive feedback. Without her help and excellent communication, filling out the appropiate forms and mailing them and the postal reciepts to me, I believe it would have been much harder to get the claims ball rolling.

My moral of the story?
Always take insurance.
Keep all the paperwork until the transaction is completed.
Keep a cool head, the seller might be your biggest help.
When filing a claim have every piece of paperwork handy to give to the claims dept.


Finally over and relieved.
Tom

Comments

  • bearcavebearcave Posts: 3,996 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image

    image
    Ken
  • KollectorKingKollectorKing Posts: 4,820 ✭✭✭✭✭
    X'cellent advice. Thanks for sharing.
  • GATGAT Posts: 3,146
    This is a prime example why some sellers have stopped using padded envelopes and gone to boxes.
    USAF vet 1951-59
  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,274 ✭✭✭
    "My moral of the story?
    Always take insurance."

    Actually, had the package not been insured, it probably would have arrived intact.
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • nankrautnankraut Posts: 4,565 ✭✭✭
    I'm happy for you. Resolution was very prompt also, which is not the norm, seems like.image
    I'm the Proud recipient of a genuine "you suck" award dated 1/24/05. I was accepted into the "Circle of Trust" on 3/9/09.
  • 1jester1jester Posts: 8,637 ✭✭✭
    I'm really glad it worked out for you Trooper!

    I'm with Steve's opinion that the insurance label was probably the giveaway that it contained a valuable item.

    imageimageimage
    .....GOD
    image

    "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -Luke 11:9

    "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." -Deut. 6:4-5

    "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us." -Isaiah 33:22
  • I'm glad it worked out for you - I'm sure that you would have rather had the coin and it's too bad that someone took it. I know my dad lost a family heirloom ring the same way, and I'm sure he would have received it ok had it not been marked "insured". You never know though, and it's better that it was insured and you got your money back. When a post office finds that this is happening, they should plant some insured envelopes with fake coins with a security strip in them - or some other method. It would be great if they could get something that would shout "I'M A THIEF!" over and over again once the fake coin slab is pulled out. Kind of like those greeting cards that talk when you open the card. image
    SNIKT!
    You are doing well, subject 15837. You are a good person.
  • 66Tbird66Tbird Posts: 2,858 ✭✭✭
    Glad it worked out, wonder if they ever caught the thief?

    One more thing is to always tape every edge of those envelopes. The bottom, farthest away from the flap, is the easiest place to cut into the package. Two layers there and its a little harder.
    Need something designed and 3D printed?

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