In 30 yr 1 loss outgoing (branch post office). 2 losses incoming (purchases).
The outgoing loss was a $105 item. The 2 incoming were $200 items each. I was reimbursed for each loss but it took about 8 weeks USPS complete investigation before being reimbursed by seller.
An ebay buyer who realizes the seller did not use tracking can file a not received claim and win every time. It only cost 90 cents at the usps counter and is free with online usps labels. For anything other than a cheap coin stuffed into a first class single postage stamped letter there is little reason not to have tracking on an ebay sale. Mylar safeflips provide good coin protection in first class letter envelopes. Just tape the open safeflip to the packing sheet, making sure the tape covers the Safeflip opening so that the coin remains in its half of the safeflip. Have shipped hundreds of sub $3 coins like this with a single forever postage stamp.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
Lost a 1924 MS 64 Cent when I was moving from Puerto Rico back to the mainland. I assumed it got put in someone else's mail box in our condo - end of story.
The next time was a cent mailed to me from a dealer. Coin finally arrived about 1.5 years later.
WS
Proud recipient of the coveted PCGS Forum "You Suck" Award Thursday July 19, 2007 11:33 PM and December 30th, 2011 at 8:50 PM.
The first time, eBay found the seller had submitted invalid tracking info, so I'm not even sure whether the item was actually sent.
The second time, the package arrived looking like it had been run over - it was also torn open and the coin roll that was supposed to be inside was gone (presumably having fallen out during shipping).
Common sense. Think about it. How do they "lose" a package? Not impossible but occasional. It's not like they transport packages on open flat bed trucks.
Been shipping since 1961 when I first started trading Lincolns from circulation for silver dollars.
I currently sell & ship on three platforms. Had a few bumpy experiences but never lost a package in transit.
Knock on wood. USPS has treated me right & I really appreciate how they have helped me in a couple of tight situations. One time a carrier delivered a misdirected package to an adjacent town with an identical street address & left it on the front porch of a home in foreclosure. I self insure & the package was 2k in value. I'm tracking online & the package shows as delivered. I called the recipient & he says he doesn't have it. My postmaster calls the postmaster on the other coast & they put 2 & 2 together. They went after hours & got the package off the porch & delivered it to the right guy 30 miles away.
Saved me a lot of grief.
I thought I had a package lost on a purchase. Filed claim and settled. Package showed up 4 months later. I took it to the post office since they technically owned it after paying out the insurance claim. They told me to go away.
I continue to hold out hope once a package gets opening with an address inside.
I had one come back in a big body bag after about four months once. Most of it was there.
From what I have heard the "dead letter"/"package" facilities are chock full of lost parcels that don't get back to the owners. And my link showed how usps auctions lost items routinely.
So assuming a package gets damaged or separated from its address label, the contents with to/from invoices should be more than enough to restore the items to their rightful owner but that seldom happens.
I think overall the USPS does a good job.
I have been buying and selling through the mail for more than 45 years.
But over the years I have had probably 30-50 packages "lost."
Overall, that is a low percentage of packages, but it still sucks when one goes AWOL.
Well over 16,000 eBay transactions, and many thousand before that when old-fashioned lists and pamphlets were the norm.
I have never lost a registered package.
I continue to hold out hope once a package gets opening with an address inside.
I once had a package get lost by the USPS back in 1997 that had a really nice looking 1834 CBD in it that I bought from a seller on eBay. The seller refunded me the money and about a year later a package showed up in my mail box that looked like it went through hell, the USPS put it into a plastic bag with an explanation that it got caught in-between some machinery that they used, fortunately the coin was not damaged as it was a very nice CBD that I believe I still have today.
I could not believe that package arrived after all that time and I sent the money back to the seller and told him that the coin finally showed up and he couldn't believe that I received it after all that time (and that I sent the money to him as well for the coin after he refunded me the money.) So I don't really know if I can say that it got lost or was just misplaced by the USPS but it did arrive, a little, wait, a whole lot late with a lot of package damage but no damage to the coin as I said earlier.
So to this day, I really believe in the USPS as I have had or have sent a lot of packages (a few thousand between the two) through them ever since eBay pretty much started back in 1996 and have never had a package get lost (again, just this one I guess you would say misplaced) or stolen in all of those years for me.
logger, in my (limited) experience they do. But I was told that I could only insure up to $3,000. - and I'm required to have photos of the items. I think that filing a claim beyond that amount would require some sort of expert consensus on the numismatic value of the item(s) and sounds like a nightmare.
Over 40 years, I've probably lost 20 or so insured packages. The PO always paid off, so it was OK. I used to sell quite a few wheat cent bags. Very often they went to an APO or FPO address and they would disappear. I would get paid off, ship another bag. Like selling double !
Over the past 40 years, I have sent and received close to a thousand Registered Mail packages and have never had a problem. One package took 17 days to get to its destination but it still arrived safe and sound. So, I don't understand the paranoia.
@PurpleEcho said:
logger, in my (limited) experience they do. But I was told that I could only insure up to $3,000. - and I'm required to have photos of the items. I think that filing a claim beyond that amount would require some sort of expert consensus on the numismatic value of the item(s) and sounds like a nightmare.
I'm curious because a couple people on a gold forum says that usps does not cover insurance claims with bullion, which doesn't make sense to me. Has anyone heard of usps denying a claim because it doesn't fall into accepted categories?
If they cover jewelry and numismatic and certified coins, where would they deny a claim or how would they draw that line? Certified us eagles are technically bullion; also semi-numismatic coins with small premiums would also fall into that category.
My Apollo 11 gold proof was temporarily lost at my local PO. It was two weeks overdue and the tracking showed it had been delivered to my local PO. They had to hunt all over but eventually found it. Phew...
Money (currency / cash): Money that is sent through the mail can be insured up to its value, within the stated limits:
Except for Registered Mail™, the maximum indemnity for negotiable items (defined as instruments that can be converted to cash without resort to forgery – such as money orders), currency, or bullion, is $15.00
For Registered Mail™ items, including money, the maximum insured value is $50,000
An item worth more than this amount must still be declared at full value, but the maximum insurable limit is $50,000. Ask your local Post Office for additional information (including pricing) for items valued above $50,000.
Important: Checks (including cashier's checks) are not considered cash and cannot be insured other than for document reconstruction costs.
Collectibles: Collectibles can be insured based on the sales receipt, invoice, bill of sale, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.
When a claim is filed as cash, the amount of indemnity is only $15.00.
Please refer to section 609.4 of the Domestic Mail Manual or ask your local Post Office if you have additional questions about insuring collectibles.
Comments
I operate online store plus setup at shows.
In 30 yr 1 loss outgoing (branch post office). 2 losses incoming (purchases).
The outgoing loss was a $105 item. The 2 incoming were $200 items each. I was reimbursed for each loss but it took about 8 weeks USPS complete investigation before being reimbursed by seller.
Have not had a loss in 17 yr.
An ebay buyer who realizes the seller did not use tracking can file a not received claim and win every time. It only cost 90 cents at the usps counter and is free with online usps labels. For anything other than a cheap coin stuffed into a first class single postage stamped letter there is little reason not to have tracking on an ebay sale. Mylar safeflips provide good coin protection in first class letter envelopes. Just tape the open safeflip to the packing sheet, making sure the tape covers the Safeflip opening so that the coin remains in its half of the safeflip. Have shipped hundreds of sub $3 coins like this with a single forever postage stamp.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
Twice - sorta
Lost a 1924 MS 64 Cent when I was moving from Puerto Rico back to the mainland. I assumed it got put in someone else's mail box in our condo - end of story.
The next time was a cent mailed to me from a dealer. Coin finally arrived about 1.5 years later.
WS
In 700+ shipments, I’ve had just one. Almost a perfect record.
Dave
Still battling a 1000 with USPS
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
Once or twice.
The first time, eBay found the seller had submitted invalid tracking info, so I'm not even sure whether the item was actually sent.
The second time, the package arrived looking like it had been run over - it was also torn open and the coin roll that was supposed to be inside was gone (presumably having fallen out during shipping).
3 times now in 2 1/2 years.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
Been shipping since 1961 when I first started trading Lincolns from circulation for silver dollars.
I currently sell & ship on three platforms. Had a few bumpy experiences but never lost a package in transit.
Knock on wood. USPS has treated me right & I really appreciate how they have helped me in a couple of tight situations. One time a carrier delivered a misdirected package to an adjacent town with an identical street address & left it on the front porch of a home in foreclosure. I self insure & the package was 2k in value. I'm tracking online & the package shows as delivered. I called the recipient & he says he doesn't have it. My postmaster calls the postmaster on the other coast & they put 2 & 2 together. They went after hours & got the package off the porch & delivered it to the right guy 30 miles away.
Saved me a lot of grief.
Never.
I thought I had a package lost on a purchase. Filed claim and settled. Package showed up 4 months later. I took it to the post office since they technically owned it after paying out the insurance claim. They told me to go away.
From what I have heard the "dead letter"/"package" facilities are chock full of lost parcels that don't get back to the owners. And my link showed how usps auctions lost items routinely.
So assuming a package gets damaged or separated from its address label, the contents with to/from invoices should be more than enough to restore the items to their rightful owner but that seldom happens.
I think overall the USPS does a good job.
I have been buying and selling through the mail for more than 45 years.
But over the years I have had probably 30-50 packages "lost."
Overall, that is a low percentage of packages, but it still sucks when one goes AWOL.
Well over 16,000 eBay transactions, and many thousand before that when old-fashioned lists and pamphlets were the norm.
I have never lost a registered package.
I once had a package get lost by the USPS back in 1997 that had a really nice looking 1834 CBD in it that I bought from a seller on eBay. The seller refunded me the money and about a year later a package showed up in my mail box that looked like it went through hell, the USPS put it into a plastic bag with an explanation that it got caught in-between some machinery that they used, fortunately the coin was not damaged as it was a very nice CBD that I believe I still have today.
I could not believe that package arrived after all that time and I sent the money back to the seller and told him that the coin finally showed up and he couldn't believe that I received it after all that time (and that I sent the money to him as well for the coin after he refunded me the money.) So I don't really know if I can say that it got lost or was just misplaced by the USPS but it did arrive, a little, wait, a whole lot late with a lot of package damage but no damage to the coin as I said earlier.
So to this day, I really believe in the USPS as I have had or have sent a lot of packages (a few thousand between the two) through them ever since eBay pretty much started back in 1996 and have never had a package get lost (again, just this one I guess you would say misplaced) or stolen in all of those years for me.
Does anyone know if usps insurance covers numismatic and certified coins? Apparently they don't cover precious metals. https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/503.htm#ep1063624
logger, in my (limited) experience they do. But I was told that I could only insure up to $3,000. - and I'm required to have photos of the items. I think that filing a claim beyond that amount would require some sort of expert consensus on the numismatic value of the item(s) and sounds like a nightmare.
AKA Pakasmom
twice. Once was a package sent out to a buyer, once was the US Mint shipping an empty box because they forgot to seal it.
Over 40 years, I've probably lost 20 or so insured packages. The PO always paid off, so it was OK. I used to sell quite a few wheat cent bags. Very often they went to an APO or FPO address and they would disappear. I would get paid off, ship another bag. Like selling double !
IMO registered says steal me
Over the past 40 years, I have sent and received close to a thousand Registered Mail packages and have never had a problem. One package took 17 days to get to its destination but it still arrived safe and sound. So, I don't understand the paranoia.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
I'm curious because a couple people on a gold forum says that usps does not cover insurance claims with bullion, which doesn't make sense to me. Has anyone heard of usps denying a claim because it doesn't fall into accepted categories?
If they cover jewelry and numismatic and certified coins, where would they deny a claim or how would they draw that line? Certified us eagles are technically bullion; also semi-numismatic coins with small premiums would also fall into that category.
My Apollo 11 gold proof was temporarily lost at my local PO. It was two weeks overdue and the tracking showed it had been delivered to my local PO. They had to hunt all over but eventually found it. Phew...
How are some products covered by insurance?
Money (currency / cash): Money that is sent through the mail can be insured up to its value, within the stated limits:
Except for Registered Mail™, the maximum indemnity for negotiable items (defined as instruments that can be converted to cash without resort to forgery – such as money orders), currency, or bullion, is $15.00
For Registered Mail™ items, including money, the maximum insured value is $50,000
An item worth more than this amount must still be declared at full value, but the maximum insurable limit is $50,000. Ask your local Post Office for additional information (including pricing) for items valued above $50,000.
Important: Checks (including cashier's checks) are not considered cash and cannot be insured other than for document reconstruction costs.
Collectibles: Collectibles can be insured based on the sales receipt, invoice, bill of sale, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.
When a claim is filed as cash, the amount of indemnity is only $15.00.
Please refer to section 609.4 of the Domestic Mail Manual or ask your local Post Office if you have additional questions about insuring collectibles.
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Domestic-Claims-The-Basics
zero until this week: 2 now (USPS)
Minor Variety Trade dollar's with chop marks set:
More Than It's Chopped Up To Be
I have lost my keys, my phone, clothes and other personal items but never lost, had stolen or misplaced a coin, yet (I think)
I got a different story, from a different postmaster, when I shipped some today...
Mason has the real answer.
AKA Pakasmom