Postal Service Claims, Lost Coins, How long to wait?

Goober

Well, I just submitted my first coins, the best of the best, and the postal service has lost them. My beautiful DMPL's are somewhere in limbo. They were supposed to have arrived last Tuesday. They were insured, but unfortunately not for the full value, yeah, I know, STUPID! Well I was just curious to know if anyone has filed a claim with the post office and what type of time frame did you experience from claim submission to actually having funds in hand?

airplanenut

30 days

How did you send them? Sometimes the PO ain't on time... then again, send them Registered from now on--insurance is much less and they're much harder for Joe Schmo to steal.

Jeremy

Goober

I wanted to send them registered BUT according to the clerk, because I had used tape to adhere my address label she wouldn't allow me to send it registered. I thought that was odd. So, I sent it priority insured. Should have arrived in two-three days according to USPS and I gave them an extra day and now it's been almost a week since then. I remember someone on this forum saying, "If it says, INSURED, it says, STEAL ME." Gosh, it just makes me sick to my stomach.

lordmarcovan

<< <i> Postal Service Claims, Lost Coins, How long to wait? >>



When NYC looks like this, your wait will almost be over.

airplanenut

I never use labels for Registered--just fiberglass-reinforced paper tape covering all seams of the box. The postal clerks must know who PCGS is... and Priority Insured to them does mean "Steal Me." If it's valuable, or you can't lose it, Registered it goes.

Jeremy

BigD5

<< <i>I wanted to send them registered BUT according to the clerk, because I had used tape to adhere my address label she wouldn't allow me to send it registered. I thought that was odd. So, I sent it priority insured. Should have arrived in two-three days according to USPS and I gave them an extra day and now it's been almost a week since then. I remember someone on this forum saying, "If it says, INSURED, it says, STEAL ME." Gosh, it just makes me sick to my stomach. >>



When that happens you have to either get the postmaster, or ask how to "fix" the label to have the package go registered. I know it's too late now, but you can't send insured packages to the services, consistently, and not have a few packages become "lost".

Bring your blue insurance tag to the PO, and although you can't formally track the item, they can put the numbers into their computer and they may be able to give you a second point where the item was scanned in. I've done this before, and it's a big help. A "lost" package was sitting at the buyers PO.

Jeremy is correct, 30 days to file the claim, and plan on waiting another 30-40 days for the money.

Good luck.

ccex

The post office won't let you submit a claim until 30 days after the package was sent. I've had to endure 3 or 4 postal insurance claims, and found the average wait time to be 3 or 4 weeks after filing the claim.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>I remember someone on this forum saying, "If it says, INSURED, it says, STEAL ME." Gosh, it just makes me sick to my stomach. >>



I'm pretty sure that was me. I was wondr'in aloud if an INSURED stamp was akin to a STEAL ME sign. Sometimes I think it is.

I've had some nightmares with the USPS, but the last time I had to make an insurance claim, the red tape and the wait wasn't so bad, actually. So cheer up a little. Your situation sounds bleak and probably is, but maybe not totally bleak.

You might surf around the usps.com site to see what sort of info is posted about refunds and whatnot- I don't exactly remember all the little details. Fortunately it's been two or three years since one of my better packages was sucked into a wormhole.

Goober

Thanks for the info guys. I'll definitely take the advice and go into the post office Wednesday to hear if they can give me any good info.

GAT

I know someone that received a priority insured box 3 months after the item was shipped. The PO was about ready to pay the claim when it arrived. Moral of this story, don't give up hope. The package might be enroute via Tel Aviv, Moscow or the North Pole for Santa to deliver next Christmas.

K6AZ

<< <i>30 days >>



That is no longer the case. Indemnity claims procedures were changed effective May 1 2004. The claim can be filed 21 days after mailing. One other big change in the claim filing is that the claim must be filed within 180 days. It used to be one year.

Mrpawn

Just today received payment from the PO for a claim filed about mid May. In full. Item was shipped to a So. Cal. coin dealer (not a forum member - as far as I can tell) who claimed to have never received it but returned it three days after I informed him that a USPS insurance claim had been filed. The strangest part is that I cancelled the claim right away - and then forgot about it until the check arrived today.






Good luck with yours - and dont forget to document values of our coins when you file your claim.

Conder101

<< <i><< I remember someone on this forum saying, "If it says, INSURED, it says, STEAL ME." Gosh, it just makes me sick to my stomach. >> >>


I have also said something along hose lines. It especialy holds true for items insured for under $50 because there is absolutely no tracking for those items. so ther stamps are saying "I'm valuable and no one knows where I am. STEAL ME!". Over $50 is a litle better but not much. It has to be signed for when delivered (although here where I live they don't always bother with that.) I don't know if they are tracked anywhere else along the way. If not then they are also basicly saying "STEAL ME!" as well. If you want security go Registered. It is slower but a lot safer. And once the value gets over $500 to $600 Register/Insured it is also CHEAPER than insured Priority mail.

mrearlygold

<< <i>

<< <i> Postal Service Claims, Lost Coins, How long to wait? >>



When NYC looks like this, your wait will almost be over.

>>








Tom

cladking

If you're shipping to an individual you trust, your best bet is to not insure it at
all. It will make it almost every time. Insurance isn't always collectible, especially
when the recipient rips you off and can takes months to pay.

joeyuk

I was told I should receive a check last week for a claim I filed May 5th. I have to check back with them.