Rather scary Postal Inspector incident
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UtahCoin
Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭✭✭
A week or so ago I sold some brown registered mail type tape to several members here. I just got this message from one of the buyers.
"Wes,
You'll love this, two Postal Inspectors came to my house today with a copy of
your Click & Ship mailing label. First they said my mailman said that this was an
abandoned address. I assured them that I have retired and have lived in this
home since 1994 and at no time has this house ever been abandoned. I mentioned
that my mailman had made a Registered Mail delivery today and I was at home to sign
for it - and I said - my regular mail man and all his coworkers who cover his route know me.
They asked if I was expecting anything that could be danerous or harmful.
I said I wasn't ... that all I buy are rare coins and occasionally some clothes
on line from eBay. I said I'd look it up on my Ebay account what was still
due me - and couldn't find you - then when they asked if I knew you - your name rang a
bell, and said I was expecting a package from you - but couldn't remember what off the
top of my head.
It then dawned on me it was the rolls of packing tape - and told them exactly what it was.
He said I was personnally responsible for the package's contents - and I started to get
defensive... I am expecting two rolls of packing tape to be used for Registered Mail for
the USPS. That's all.
I gave them permission to open the box for inspection.
In all my years of receiving mail, I have never had a postal inspector question me.
Jeez - it was something I could have used twenty - thirty years ago, I'd be a nervous
jack rabbit !
Just thought you'd get a kick out of this...
(name deleted)"
"Wes,
You'll love this, two Postal Inspectors came to my house today with a copy of
your Click & Ship mailing label. First they said my mailman said that this was an
abandoned address. I assured them that I have retired and have lived in this
home since 1994 and at no time has this house ever been abandoned. I mentioned
that my mailman had made a Registered Mail delivery today and I was at home to sign
for it - and I said - my regular mail man and all his coworkers who cover his route know me.
They asked if I was expecting anything that could be danerous or harmful.
I said I wasn't ... that all I buy are rare coins and occasionally some clothes
on line from eBay. I said I'd look it up on my Ebay account what was still
due me - and couldn't find you - then when they asked if I knew you - your name rang a
bell, and said I was expecting a package from you - but couldn't remember what off the
top of my head.
It then dawned on me it was the rolls of packing tape - and told them exactly what it was.
He said I was personnally responsible for the package's contents - and I started to get
defensive... I am expecting two rolls of packing tape to be used for Registered Mail for
the USPS. That's all.
I gave them permission to open the box for inspection.
In all my years of receiving mail, I have never had a postal inspector question me.
Jeez - it was something I could have used twenty - thirty years ago, I'd be a nervous
jack rabbit !
Just thought you'd get a kick out of this...
(name deleted)"
I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
0
Comments
But just not watching the RIGHT things!
Machetes at the airport? No problem, step right on through!
<< <i>What a hoot. I used to be a Postal Inspector. Just think, these guys are driving around with a package and they are going to ask the addressee if it is dangerous or harmful. And then they open it !!!! Go figure. >>
and I'm trying to figure out what they might confuse it with???
do they have an explosives sniffer and does UtahCoin reload your own??? (trace gunpowder??)
It's a mystery why this box was flagged.
<< <i><<Big brother is watching. >>
But just not watching the RIGHT things!
Machetes at the airport? No problem, step right on through! >>
All I can think of is the movie "Airplane II"
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
jack rabbit !>>
AHEM, a mighty important clue right there. TEXAS, where are you and what were you using 20-30 years ago? They're reading your chat room posts, eh?
Better hide it NOW.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
I haven't opened my package of mailing tape yet. I'm waiting for the FBI to make a house call about it. I'll let you know how it turns out
Please visit my website Millcitynumismatics.com
<< <i>They can have my reinforced brown mailing tape when they pry it from my cold, dead hands. >>
<< <i>They can have my reinforced brown mailing tape when they pry it from my cold, dead hands. >>
Seriously, I wouldn't have told them "rare coins" and I would have told them I am questioning their office now and which postman said it was abandoned and asked them, if so, why did "name the postman who is the normal delivery person and brought the registered package" continue delivering mail with no issues for so long?
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
I didn't deal with the Postal Inspectors, the BUYER dealt with them...
Now, you other 5 buyers of my very volatile tape should start to sweat.
Seriously, I wonder what the red flag was.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
<< <i>You guys need to pay attention
I didn't deal with the Postal Inspectors, the BUYER dealt with them...
Now, you other 5 buyers of my very volatile tape should start to sweat.
Seriously, I wonder what the red flag was. >>
A dog likely made a "hit" on it...
that is why after twisting a fattie I always wash my hands before packing items to mail..
<< <i>Are you 100% positive they were postal inspectors? If not, you just gave them a tremendous amount of information. I ask this because of another incident that I'm aware of that a person claiming to be a postal employee was able to get info from another person. >>
Good point. Always ask for I.D.
How much money was waisted on this scerw up?
...or maybe it was because of the ICBM silo you have in the back yard?
In China they don't waste anything that can be foisted off on the USA.
I suspect the recipient. They wanted him to open the package in person.
jmho.
Now, I should say I knew the guy, but anyways I walked up front to see what he wanted.
He asked me if I had ordered anything recently. I replied that I order all kinds of stuff, what's the problem. He then asked if I had recently ordered anything from Massachusetts. I'd said, Maybe, I don't specifically remember where exactly all the stuff I order is coming from. He then said, OK, just tell me what's in the Box. I replied: Well, ya got me and since you have it it's impossible for me to know......He then said, It would be in a great big box.
Finally, I just told the guy I had no idea what he was talking about and again asked what's the problem. He said that there was a big priority mail box at the post office with my name on it and that it was leaking all over the other packages, and that it kinda smells like liquor.
At that point, I'd figured it out. I then had to try to explain that I hadn't ordered it, and that it was just sent free of charge which drew questionable looks from the mail guy...It had come from one of my best buyers, aka Boston Michael. During one of our many conversations with Boston Mike he'd asked me if I liked wine. Apparently, he was in the start up phase of opening a winery. After that conversation, and approximately every few months, he'd send me an assortment of 6-8 bottles free of charge, via priority mail in a big ole box. It was great while it lasted but the shipments ended after the leak
<< <i>Strange. They had the authority to open it without contacting you. They were there for another, unknown reason. Is your electric bill extremely high these days.
If it was sent first class, they cannot open it without a subpoena
I will tell a story of my own stupidity...I had leftover toys that I gave out at trade shows...they were weeble-wobble pencil holders with lead weights in the base to make them "weeble-wobble". At the end of the show, I had two dozen left so I simply lined them up in the bottom of my carry-on. Do you know what two-dozen lead weighted objects lined up 4x6 in the bottom of a suitcase look like? Do you want to see TSA agents run through the airport? SIR...WHAT IS THAT??? err..umm..it's weeble-wobbles sir. WHAT??? you get it.
<< <i>
<< <i>Strange. They had the authority to open it without contacting you. They were there for another, unknown reason. Is your electric bill extremely high these days.
If it was sent first class, they cannot open it without a subpoena >>
Verbal permission was given to open the package.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
<< <i>Are you 100% positive they were postal inspectors? If not, you just gave them a tremendous amount of information. I ask this because of another incident that I'm aware of that a person claiming to be a postal employee was able to get info from another person. >>
Yes, the Postal Inspectors showed their government ID, twice.
At first they just opened it up and flashed it, I asked to examine
it again. They were the real deal.
I buy a lot of things on line thru eBay, I never remember the name of
the seller, but when they butchered Wes's last name a few times, I asked
to see the paperwork for the spelling, that's when I recognized the name,
from PCGS Forums - and I had just ordered the tape.
I was wondering what the delay was on a Priority Mail carton. I bet the
dogs they must employ for sniffing out dangerous substances were alerted
to the possibility of a suspect substance. Or, could the USPS have purchased
another version of the Sniffer that PCGS uses for chemicals applied to
surfaces of coins ?
The lead Inspector mentioned that the USPS has become much more vigilant
since the Anthrax scares of late.
The Inspector said they would open the box ( after I had given permission )
from the bottom. I had to laugh, (to myself ) what difference would that make ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I would *never* tell a soul that information unless I was forced to do so by law or under an extreme circumstance. It seems I read about a home invasion, robbery, or worse nearly every other month. Maybe I just read about coin/metal robberies more often than most since I browse other forums and surf a number of coin and stacking sites, but I would advise anyone reading this to never disclose that information. Metal/coin thefts are *much* more common than you guys realize...and typically it's a cousin, neighbor, prior repairman etc. that does the deed so the expression "loose lips sink ships" has never rung more true.
<< <i>You should have violently shook the package, threw it to the ground, and said, "BOOM!!!" >>
<< <i>
<< <i>You should have violently shook the package, threw it to the ground, and said, "BOOM!!!" >>
or just pull out your cell phone, and say just a sec.
All I got was 100 hours of community service........
<< <i>Must have happened because the package was shipped from Utah... you know... can't be too careful with all the gun-toting, polygamist, cultist, end-of-the-world survivalists who live there. Who knows WHAT they're mailing these days! LOL! >>
Hey, leave my wives out of this...
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
<< <i>Hey, leave my wives out of this...
You're a tougher man than I, as I can barely handle the nagging from one wife let alone a half dozen
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Strange. They had the authority to open it without contacting you. They were there for another, unknown reason. Is your electric bill extremely high these days.
If it was sent first class, they cannot open it without a subpoena >>
Verbal permission was given to open the package. >>
Right, thats the only way they could open it.
<< <i>
<< <i>Hey, leave my wives out of this...
You're a tougher man than I, as I can barely handle the nagging from one wife let alone a half dozen
<< <i>Must have happened because the package was shipped from Utah... you know... can't be too careful with all the gun-toting, polygamist, cultist, end-of-the-world survivalists who live there. Who knows WHAT they're mailing these days! LOL! >>
Actually, the package was shipped from Texas.
That seemed to be a concern of the Postal Inspector.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
What percentage of the population even knows about tape requirements for registered packages?
Stand in any line at the post office, many people don't even know how to address an envelope!
--Edward
He who knows he has enough is rich.