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Get ready for a US Post Office Rant.
planonit
Posts: 525 ✭✭
I sold 2 Dahlonega coins on this forum (I won't disclose the member's name because maybe he does not want people to know).
Shipped Friday. Fine. Sunday night/Monday morning around midnight it leaves Las Vegas to its destination (California). Expected delivery: Monday the 26th.
Nope.
Gone.
Had 3 different people give me 3 different answers.
Lady #1: That is not good. Let me open up an investigation claim for you. They will call you tomorrow almost certainly or maybe Thursday to find out what happened (As you can imagine it is Wednesday and no call). She says it is not good but not too panic as it might of just been not scanned at its destination and be there tomorrow and the new schedule delivery from her computer screen is Wednesday (Nope. No idea where she got that. Nobody else had this information).
Lady #2: She went and found a picture of it where it was scanned in the Las Vegas facility. Looks good. No problems so not rerouted or anything. She says probably just very slow transit issues because apparently it takes 3 days to get from Vegas to California.
Man #3: Nope there is a problem. The USPS barcode had an issue and that is what happened. It was shuffled away and that is cause for delay.
Bonus #4 Lady after Man #3 told me it was a common barcode issue: I don't see that anywhere and while that MIGHT be the problem it is probably not so not sure why Man #3 said that.
I will never use USPS again. These guys are just terrible.
Shipped Friday. Fine. Sunday night/Monday morning around midnight it leaves Las Vegas to its destination (California). Expected delivery: Monday the 26th.
Nope.
Gone.
Had 3 different people give me 3 different answers.
Lady #1: That is not good. Let me open up an investigation claim for you. They will call you tomorrow almost certainly or maybe Thursday to find out what happened (As you can imagine it is Wednesday and no call). She says it is not good but not too panic as it might of just been not scanned at its destination and be there tomorrow and the new schedule delivery from her computer screen is Wednesday (Nope. No idea where she got that. Nobody else had this information).
Lady #2: She went and found a picture of it where it was scanned in the Las Vegas facility. Looks good. No problems so not rerouted or anything. She says probably just very slow transit issues because apparently it takes 3 days to get from Vegas to California.
Man #3: Nope there is a problem. The USPS barcode had an issue and that is what happened. It was shuffled away and that is cause for delay.
Bonus #4 Lady after Man #3 told me it was a common barcode issue: I don't see that anywhere and while that MIGHT be the problem it is probably not so not sure why Man #3 said that.
I will never use USPS again. These guys are just terrible.
I have plans....sometimes
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I had 2 gold toners go missing on me. Seems they have been really bad lately.
I cannot put in words how awful they have been. Giving me totally different and very specific information.
It is really damn simple. It left Las Vegas according to your scan: where did it go?
Their answer: We don't know.
How do you not know? I mean it went on a truck right? Where did that truck go?
I feel like this is going to be a rough Hump Day.
Never ship high-value coins on a Friday. My insurance actually lowers my coverage if I ship on a Friday before 3 day weekend. You did not say how you shipped the coins, but I have never had this problem with Registered Mail. I have had Signature Confirmation SNAFUs but only on FC, or Priority. I am always uneasy when using those services and limit their use to coins under a certain value. All modes of shipping are open to these problems. Your story can be repeated for any carrier. Maybe a little-more, or a little-less, but they all have the same stories. The cure is insurance. That is what it is for.
I will never use USPS again. These guys are just terrible.
I'll bet you a thousand buck right now you will use them again!
Still, it is unacceptable for them not to be able to provide you a direct, consistent answer.
Priority, first class, or registered mail?
Have had it personally affect a few of my shipments, where the bar code had to be scanned manually by Postal workers with a hand-held before the package would progress through the chain of movement.
Even a small crease in the label over the bar code during application to the package can affect the data obtained from a scan.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
Since this, I have gone inside and personally handed every package to the post mistress and watched her scan them...to think I used to drop $20 Double Eagles in that outside box...
After this, I DID contemplate using UPS or FedEx...but do you realize how much their basic package is? It's $7.99 base...at this time a first class package was still $1.99 if you used Paypal shipping labels...needless to say I swayed back to USPS with extra precautions.
You have to also understand that in the sorting facilities, human eyes often never see the packages. It's mostly machines...at least that's how it is in New Orleans at the sorting facility here...packages always getting misdirected and there is never a manager on site if you bring your issues directly to them... it's a MESS.
However it be, USPS has the competition beat... sorry to say it, but it's true.
You do have something to look forward to. In a couple days there will be a thread about you being a scammer!
HaHa!!
That is hilarious.
Then after a minute, I realized I shouldn't be laughing.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
I like the post orifice despite what a lot of people say.
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
A) It was shipped Priority.
C) Label was made and put on at USPS counter not by me.
D) I don't blame the employees at all. Actually all of them were really, really nice but it is just not acceptable that each one would give me very specific but totally different information. Like the first lady (Who you would of thought it was HER mail that was lost because she pulled up the info and freaked) said without me saying anything it was not good because there was no problem with the package so it must of been lost in transit. Followed by another guy telling me it was sent to this facility EXPLICITLY because there was a bar-code problem and he (Nice guy and I hope the one guy who actually knows what he is talking about) told me point blank she and I quote "Is full of s--t and talking out her neck."
If you shipped a Priority package with a Priority Mail address label affixed by you, the clerk would have to have applied a separate bar code label to the package (which should have been scanned upon acceptance) with a corresponding tracking number on it and on your tape receipt.
Hopefully you had enough sense to insure the contents for full value.
If you want to obtain accurate information on the whereabouts/status of your package, you need to contact the Consumer Affairs Division for your region of original mailing.
That is a separate entity from the nitwits at the call center at the 800 number, and is staffed by specialists internal to the USPS.
File a complaint of lost or stolen mail on the USPS.com website to insure a response from Consumer Affairs.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
Please elaborate on how someone else applied a shipping label to your Priority Mail article. USPS clerks are not responsible for that task.
If you shipped a Priority package with a Priority Mail address label, the clerk would have to have applied a separate bar code label to the package with a corresponding tracking number on it and on your tape receipt.
I wrote it on the thing and she looked it over (I even made sure she could read my handwriting because I am super self-conscious of my handwriting) and she typed it all out and I swear she printed out a label. Honestly I usually use UPS and so not super familiar with their procedures. Do the Priority Mail packages have a put in barcode then?
When I called once I even asked if it was maybe a hand-writing issue OR maybe I wrote the wrong PO Box Number but lady #2 put me on hold and said she could pull up an actual picture of the package when it arrived in Las Vegas and said it looked fine. She read me the info straight from the pictures.
Again all these people HAVE been very nice. No complaints there.
The local clerks may all be very nice, but they aren't trained in the specialty of locating or troubleshooting package status, especially numbered articles.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
Review my last post again and get your hands on the phone number for the Customer Relations Division. The local clerks may all be very nice, but they aren't trained in the specialty of locating or troubleshooting package status, especially numbered articles.
Just saw that and going to do so.
Edit:
You know how?
I went to try and get the phone number and it gave me this:
The Consumer Affairs office that serves 46060 can be contacted at:
CONSUMER AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 9996
INDIANAPOLIS IN 46298-9996
Phone : 1-800-ASK-USPS
Fax : 317-870-8684
That is just the same 1-800 number.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
There is a link from the USPS home page for a complaint form (lost/stolen mail). Complete the form thoroughly, and I guarantee that a Consumer Affairs rep. will follow up with a phone call or email to you. And thanks for correcting me on the name - it is Consumer Affairs, not Customer Relations. They've done a thorough job of investigating for me on several occasions to my satisfaction.
At the end of the day I would of loved to just walked up to the Post Office and not had to worry about the name of any of their internal divisions because my stuff got where it needed to be easy as pie
A boy can dream!
Check out my iPhone app SlabReader!
I had 2 gold toners go missing on me. Seems they have been really bad lately.
I'm still sick over that one J. No word yet huh. I stopped checking the tracking weeks ago.
I just sent LVA a package with a couple of expensive coins. About $2k worth all together so I went registered and another $7k worth to CAC same day. They both got to the Los Angeles hub and the CAC package got through and to NJ within 5 days. The LVA package got stuck there for over a week for some reason but finally updated as if it again arrived at the LA hub again. A few days later it was delivered. I know registered tracking can be wonky but that one was strange. Always go registered for 4-figures or more as its someone's job of it goes missing
If you placed clear packaging tape over the bar code of a web or APC generated shipping label, you're asking for trouble. The laser scanners used by the USPS are not always calibrated uniformly, and often the reflective nature of clear packaging tape defeats the function of scanning the bar code with laser.
Have had it personally affect a few of my shipments, where the bar code had to be scanned manually by Postal workers with a hand-held before the package would progress through the chain of movement.
Even a small crease in the label over the bar code during application to the package can affect the data obtained from a scan.
I've clear taped hundreds of bar coded labels and never had one not get scanned or go lost or not get delivered.
MY COINS FOR SALE AT https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/other/bajjerfans-coins-sale/3876
The screening of postal workers with thorough background checks is pretty rigorous; they've weeded out most all those with sticky fingers. I'm more concerned about the increasing automation, potential incompetence, or clerical errors. Express always gets there and if it's late you get a freebie. I was getting over 10% late deliveries resulting in refunds.
Well this just happened last month logger. And this is just So Cal...
https://www.google.com/amp/......story%252Camp.html
Please elaborate on how someone else applied a shipping label to your Priority Mail article. USPS clerks are not responsible for that task.
If you shipped a Priority package with a Priority Mail address label, the clerk would have to have applied a separate bar code label to the package with a corresponding tracking number on it and on your tape receipt.
I wrote it on the thing and she looked it over (I even made sure she could read my handwriting because I am super self-conscious of my handwriting) and she typed it all out and I swear she printed out a label. Honestly I usually use UPS and so not super familiar with their procedures. Do the Priority Mail packages have a put in barcode then?
When I called once I even asked if it was maybe a hand-writing issue OR maybe I wrote the wrong PO Box Number but lady #2 put me on hold and said she could pull up an actual picture of the package when it arrived in Las Vegas and said it looked fine. She read me the info straight from the pictures.
Again all these people HAVE been very nice. No complaints there.
If you have a receipt there should be a tracking number on it. If the package was sent to a location that deals with problem labels, ask for their phone number and call them. Also, if I was a betting man, I'd bet that the tracking number has delivery info coded into it so the PO should know where it's supposed to be going and be able to tell where it should be.
MY COINS FOR SALE AT https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/other/bajjerfans-coins-sale/3876
If you placed clear packaging tape over the bar code of a web or APC generated shipping label, you're asking for trouble. The laser scanners used by the USPS are not always calibrated uniformly, and often the reflective nature of clear packaging tape defeats the function of scanning the bar code with laser.
Have had it personally affect a few of my shipments, where the bar code had to be scanned manually by Postal workers with a hand-held before the package would progress through the chain of movement.
Even a small crease in the label over the bar code during application to the package can affect the data obtained from a scan.
I've clear taped hundreds of bar coded labels and never had one not get scanned or go lost or not get delivered.
Me too. I always tape over the entire label with clear shipping tape. Not a single problem and I've shipped an average of 50 ackages a month the last 2yrs
If you placed clear packaging tape over the bar code of a web or APC generated shipping label, you're asking for trouble. The laser scanners used by the USPS are not always calibrated uniformly, and often the reflective nature of clear packaging tape defeats the function of scanning the bar code with laser.
Have had it personally affect a few of my shipments, where the bar code had to be scanned manually by Postal workers with a hand-held before the package would progress through the chain of movement.
Even a small crease in the label over the bar code during application to the package can affect the data obtained from a scan.
I've clear taped hundreds of bar coded labels and never had one not get scanned or go lost or not get delivered.
If fact, you are crazy not to tape that code and label so that it does not get smudged or ripped off. I have never NOT taped my labels. Thousands. Never once had a problem.
Keep an open mind, or get financially repressed -Zoltan Pozsar
I've shipped or received thousands of packages via the USPS and had one slit open with a coin removed while two others have each had a single slab crack when something fell on the package in transit. I always use USPS.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
I've had a single package (a beautifully blueberry toned MS64 Morgan by PCGS), that I sold for $70 on eBay stolen by the USPS at my local post office. I used to consistently use the outside blue drop box at the same time every day. On that day, I had dropped 3 MS64 toned Morgans in separate packages in the blue drop box, all first class with tracking/ labels printed from eBay. The other two Morgans were accepted promptly at 3:30 that afternoon (pick up time), but the third one (blueberry) somehow missed the acceptance scan and never was scanned at all. I waited well over a week to see any action on that tracking number and sadly nothing happened. I was out $70 to the eBay buyer.
Since this, I have gone inside and personally handed every package to the post mistress and watched her scan them...to think I used to drop $20 Double Eagles in that outside box...
After this, I DID contemplate using UPS or FedEx...but do you realize how much their basic package is? It's $7.99 base...at this time a first class package was still $1.99 if you used Paypal shipping labels...needless to say I swayed back to USPS with extra precautions.
You have to also understand that in the sorting facilities, human eyes often never see the packages. It's mostly machines...at least that's how it is in New Orleans at the sorting facility here...packages always getting misdirected and there is never a manager on site if you bring your issues directly to them... it's a MESS.
However it be, USPS has the competition beat... sorry to say it, but it's true.
I would never put anything valuable in those boxes. There can be a lip that the mail catches on when you put it in, and it is very likely that happened. I have dropped off some letters before in those boxes, and have noticed other people letters/envelopes still up on the lip, where I could have easily grabbed it and took it with me.
Tuesday - same story - can't find it anywhere.
Wednesday - same story - "file a claim next week."
Thursday - slip in PO Box - "We don't know where it was but it's here now".
Wasted over an hour between driving and waiting in line.
You do have something to look forward to. In a couple days there will be a thread about you being a scammer!
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
And of course now that I said it on the forum it'll happen.
My Ebay Store
So want to do quick reply:
A) It was shipped Priority.
There should absolutely have been signature confirmation on the package. Of course PO boxes are eligible for that. Who on earth told you different that that? If you insured it for $250 or some amount (not sure the dollar limit anymore as I don't insure that way)it would need a signature. Surely when shipping gold you insured it!!!
If you shipped Friday, while it can be frustrating it is hardly rant time.
Hopefully yes.
If not....you shipped gold without insurance?
Also, not sure here but are coins covered by USPS insurance anyway?
Good luck...hope they show up.
Did you insure it?
Hopefully yes.
If not....you shipped gold without insurance?
Also, not sure here but are coins covered by USPS insurance anyway?
Good luck...hope they show up.
Coins are absolutely insured by USPS insurance.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
San Diego, CA
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I was also told by my local post office NOT to tape over the bar code on the label as it may cause problems with scanning.
Says it when you print your labels on eBay as well. I usually run a piece of tape over my return address and delivery address and leave barcode uncovered. That way if it gets torn at least the package will end up in one of those two places. Hopefully
My Ebay Store
I was also told by my local post office NOT to tape over the bar code on the label as it may cause problems with scanning.
Says it when you print your labels on eBay as well. I usually run a piece of tape over my return address and delivery address and leave barcode uncovered. That way if it gets torn at least the package will end up in one of those two places. Hopefully
That is exactly what I do, as well. I also put a return address sticker on the inside of the package, too.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.