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PSA Submission Possibly Stolen From Post Office
daltex
Posts: 3,486 ✭✭✭✭✭
I sent several hundred cards in under the February special. Obviously nothing too exciting, the best being four Santo rookies, a Herzog rookie, and a Sparky Anderson rookie, but mostly 2016 cards. About two weeks after I sent it I got my label back from USPS looking like it had been cut off the box, and saying it had been found on the floor of a Los Angeles post office. I filed a claim, and USPS says they're working on it. I'm not too hopeful at this point. Didn't bother to insure since I didn't have many receipts.
It was suggested I post about it so you guys could keep a lookout. Complete list available on request.
Alex
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Not sure what receipts have to do with insuring, I've sent 6-10 different submissions to PSA maybe 250 cards in all, I always estimate the cards worth and insure for that amount.
Sorry to hear about your loss, hope the cards turn up .
Sorry to hear about your loss.
I prefer not to put insurance on my shipments for fear of it being a flashing neon sign that says "steal me" and instead have insurance coverage that includes outgoing shipments through collectinsure. I have not had to make a claim, but it provides a much more comfortable feeling.
USPS will not cover loss unless you can furnish receipts providing what you paid for the items in question. Your estimate on a submission form has no meaning to them without purchase receipts.
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.
That's not true. You need to show proof of value. A receipt is one way to do that, but not the only way.
Any claim I've ever heard about required a receipt as proof of value.
Even if you were able to demonstrate value in some other fashion, though, a raw card, unholdered and unauthenticated, has much lower value than what most people hope it will be valued at after grading
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.
So, let me get this right, if you bought a Mantle card for $300 around 25 years ago and it's worth $10,000 now, you can only insure it for $300 because that's what your receipt shows. That doesn't make any sense at all.
I've read many, many explanations in the last two years of why buying USPS insurance is a waste of money, it's nearly impossible to get them to pay a claim and it does single the package out as valuable.
Exactly.
It doesn't matter what you think it's worth. It's what you can prove via purchase receipt.
Private insurance is a much better option though claims typically have a deductible. But for higher priced items, it's the way to go.
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.
Again, not true. Of course ungraded cards are not worth what graded are, but if you can prove value, they'll pay. You absolutely do not need a purchase receipt. I have 3 claims with USPS and had no problems collecting. 2 were for graded cards, and 1 was an unopened product. It's been awhile since I had a claim, so it's possible things have changed, but I doubt it.
Now, having said that, if you're doing multiple shipments that exceed the value that priority mail covers, then private insurance is the way to go, but don't keep saying you need a receipt for USPS to pay., because you don't.
Very interesting. How did you demonstrate value to them beyond your declaration? Because every case I've ever heard about required a purchase receipt to pay the claim. Can you provide additional details?
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.
In all 3 cases it was by showing eBay sales history as well as providing pictures of what I had mailed along with the mailing label. I'm paranoid, so I always do that prior to sending just to prove at a minimum I had the item at the time I sent. Granted, all 3 were less than $100 and had a decent number of comparables if I remember correctly.
Maybe the relatively low amount made a difference, who knows. Sorry to sound so confrontational, but I wanted to make it clear not to give up if you don't have a receipt, and also do what you can beforehand to protect yourself.
Also, I'm betting the op didn't send registered. Send EVERYTHING going to psa registered. For high dollar items I also take a video of myself packing the item.
Yes, I didn't. Won't make that mistake again.
I learned my lesson................................REGISTERED FROM NOW ON.....Here is how my last package showed up at PSA
I have to much S**t; so if you working on sets or are a player/team collector, send me your want list, with conditions desired. Keep in mind I have a another job so please allow me a few days to respond.
Daltex ?
Be careful to read the terms for this of collectinsure. My policy specifically says you have to ship with certain companies (FedEx) if you don't want to add insurance at the time of post or you have to ship registered through usps or Express. Priority only covers up to like $200 Total so it is not the way to go.
Some years ago I purchased an item at a coin show that years later appreciated in value to the tune of $130.00. I responded to a buy ad in a trade paper and sold it for the $130.00. Sent it insured mail for the $130.00 value. Item never arrived to the buyer. Filed a claim with the P.O. for the $130.00 value. Only proof I needed was to show the buyers buy price offer, not a receipt for what I paid for it,which I no longer had. They paid without question, I needing only the buyers confirmation statement with the buy price offer. They paid within a month as well. Things may be different now.
Good to know. I usually don't bother insuring anything under than $200, as the cost of insurance in the long run will be greater than any potential lost package, but I imagine USPS will pay out any claim less than $100 fairly quickly, as USPS priority mail includes $50 or $100 in insurance coverage even if you don't purchase it. It's the high dollar claims that would make me nervous about USPS paying out, anything 1K or greater.
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 stopped using the USPS for PSA submissions or valuable items. I go with FedEx, the free packaging they provide is very sturdy plus I think the FedEx employees care about their jobs unlike the clowns at the USPS.
That's debatable.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/delivery/fedex-shipping.html
I worked in that field for 9 years and believe me nobody cares about anything.. I don't worry about the local PO or FedEx here I worry about the one or two terminals before Newport Beach. The local person has no clue who or what PSA is or does. It's the sort centers that get a 100 packages to PSA everyday that are insured that worry me. If one happens to fall off the belt or truck it's nothing but a measly claim to them.
ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
It really depends on the area. When I was in Richmond, VA. claims were easier than where I live now (Harrisonburg, VA.) The local post offices here require a sales receipt and will fight you every step of the way. This is why I now use self-insurance 99% of the time and only insure very high dollar items ($5k+). I make sure to have all of my documentation ready-to-go if I need to file a claim.
But if you bought something for $10K 25 years ago that went down in value then you can you still collect $10K.
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspot.com/
I'm no lawyer, but I would doubt that. If you bought something for $10K but it's only worth $500 now, you can replace it for $500 now. So, why would you get $10K? That's what Judge Judy says, anyway!
And, on Antiques Roadshow, the appraiser will say "you should insure this for $50,000" even when the owner bought it for $100. I know they're not talking about postal insurance, but isn't it the same concept?
The USPS in my region went to temp workers after a bunch of employees retired or got bought out (or both). If you ship a high dollar item in the LA market with USPS, you are taking a risk your package will either be mis-delivered, stolen, or crushed.
From my understanding FedEx also uses more automation in the sorting process than USPS. That is why you need to use the sturdier packaging because they do get bounced around a little more in the system.
it actually depends on what type of policy you pay for. You could get a policy that will pay investment cost (to protect your initial investment) but the cost would be prohibitively expensive. Usually we get replacement cost policies that will pay the replacement cost of the item. Much cheaper premium but if the item went from $10k to $599. You'll get the $599
Generally we insure for FMV cost at the time if the insurance. So I get the $10K coverage hoping it'll keep its value. CollectInsure policies automatically increase their coverage by 10% per year to account for an increase in value
Several years ago, I sent three orders in one box via FedEx overnight to PSA. Upon arriving at PSA the box contained two of my three orders. I used FedEx packaging with clear packing tape. Somewhere along the way, someone opened my package, removed one of my orders, taped the box back up and sent it on it's way to PSA. Of course, the order they took was the best of the three. I still have not fully recovered from that loss. I send everything USPS registered now and have not had any issues since then.
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What he said...
Bonds rookie collectors might be prone to fraud if this were true