Question for the mail veterans...

Graphix · May 14, 2007 5:14AM

I recently started selling through eBay and have been purchasing my postage through paypal. My packages are prelabeled and when I go to the PO I just drop them off. I am wondering what proof I have to show I mailed the package. If I have a card I insure for $400 and prelabel the package and it does not get delivered will I have to show some proof I mailed it or is just purchasing the label online enough. There has been a few times there was noone in line at the PO and I have handed it to the clerk but they have never giving me anything to show I mailed it. I am just wondering if I should be doing something different in case the situation comes up. I would rather ask a dumb question now then be out $$ later.

Edited to add: Question is pertaining to filing an insurance claim with the PO. Will I have to prove to them I mailed the package to file the claim?

nam812 · May 14, 2007 6:08AM

In your scenario who did you insure the package for $400 with?

grote15 · May 14, 2007 6:10AM

If you insure on line via Stamps.com, you'd file a claim for a lost package on line, not at the PO. Also, packages that are insured via Stamps.com do not show insured on the package.

Graphix · May 14, 2007 6:18AM

OK heres the scenario...

eBay buyer wins an auction for $400 and pays through paypal (which is all I accept). I then go through ebay and purchase a USPS shipping label in Paypal. I have the option of insuring the item for the standard USPS fees. I pay for the postage and insurance fees and print out my label. I put the label on the package and drop it at the PO.

Heres where my question comes in...When I purchase the USPS postage label through paypal I have nothing to show I actually mailed the package (again, I just hand it to the teller at the PO and they throw it into the bin or put it on the shelf behind them). They have never given me any type of receipt (seeing as I paid for the postage online). So if I need to file an insurance claim for the undelivered package would I need something other then the proof I bought a label online with insurance?

nam812 · May 14, 2007 6:23AM

I dont use paypal, but when I purchase the insurance through stamps.com it is stamps.com that is responsible for honoring any claim I may have. That is why they have manditory delivery conf. on their shipping, so they know if it was received.

storm888 · May 14, 2007 6:29AM

PayPal shipments over $250.00 require
Signature-Confirmation service to qualify
for the Seller-Protection Plan.

You will lose a PP dispute/claim if you do
not have SigCon.

Initial insurance claims are filed with the vendor
of the coverage.

Graphix · May 14, 2007 6:29AM

I am assuming by delivery confirmation you mean they are sure the end user receives the package. I have no problem with that as it shows the package was delivered. If you purchase a label at stamps.com is it shipped through the USPS? If so does the Post Office give you any type of receipt showing you dropped the package off to them? What happens if the package is never delivered? Does stamps.com make you show some kind of proof that you actually mailed the package or will they just say OK, you bought and printed out a label and insured it for $400 and the package never made it so here is your $400.

Graphix · May 14, 2007 6:32AM

I guess I am not understanding. I know about the paypal rules. I just was wondering if I can put in an insurance claim to the PO for an undelivered package if I purchased a shipping label online rather then going to the PO and paying for it there (where it would atleast show I mailed something).

cardbender · May 14, 2007 6:38AM

When you purchase postage/insurance online thru paypal, you get the label on one half of the printed out sheet, the other half is your receipt. That other half sheet has all the details of your postage on it. That should be enough proof. Just save them in case there's a problem down the road with your package not showing up.

As Storm pointed out, for oer $250, you need signature conf. to be fully coverage with any paypal dispute.

grote15 · May 14, 2007 6:40AM

You can also purchase sig confirmation on line, too.

When you use stamps.com, a receipt is generated every time you print out a postage label. If you wanted to, you can bring it to the window for the clerk to scan it, but the whole purpose of using stamps.com is so that you don't have to wait on line to begin with. Still, with big ticket items, I print the label on stamp.com and purchase insurance at the window. Buyers like to see those blue slips on packages like those, lol.

RipublicaninMass · May 14, 2007 6:40AM

This is a good question, I recently had a customer track his package on line and it said it was never mailed, it did show up a few days later. What happens if someone takes it out of the drop bin at the post office? The clerk does NOT check/scan the package in if it has postage already.

Graphix · May 14, 2007 6:42AM

OK just thought I would ask. Just seemed like something was missing from the process. Whats to keep someone from printing out a shipping label insured for $500 online, throwing away the label part and 30 days later going to the PO and saying hey my package never made it. I would think the PO would want something to say you actually dropped the package off.

grote15 · May 14, 2007 6:43AM

The clerk does NOT check/scan the package in if it has postage already.

Most packages are scanned only upon delivery, occasionally en route, but I found that this is the case with any form of del conf. you use, whether it be on line or at the PO. I've even received insured packages with the blue slip (sig required) that were never scanned or signed for. It all depends on the carrier.

grote15 · May 14, 2007 6:45AM

OK just thought I would ask. Just seemed like something was missing from the process. Whats to keep someone from printing out a shipping label insured for $500 online, throwing away the label part and 30 days later going to the PO and saying hey my package never made it. I would think the PO would want something to say you actually dropped the package off.

Hypothetically, that could happen, but in the case of Stamps.com, it would be with them that you'd have to file a claim, not the PO. Not sure how those paypal labels work. Can the seller purchase insurance and just drop it off with those labels, too?

Ladder7 · May 14, 2007 6:51AM

"Take your two hour break now Violet. I'll handle this."

jimq112 · May 14, 2007 6:51AM

I work at usps and I ship everything over $250 registered. It takes longer but gets treated like an important person's baby. They never get lost broken stolen damaged etc. Usually with insurance it isn't that much more if any to send it registered.

If you are worried about it not showing up, and worried about the fight you have with usps if it gets lost and you can't prove it was received by usps, take it to the counter and ask the window clerk to scan it as arrived, or have your carrier take it and ask them to scan it as picked up. We don't mind doing it for our customers, usually the customers who ask us for extras remember us around the holidays or just say nice things to us and we appreciate that.

I have no problem scanning a picked up package. As soon as I scan it as picked up, it's in the system and it's on our watch. If it never gets scanned there's no proof it ever hit the mail stream. USPS is working on that now but I wouldn't want to go to them and have no proof I shipped a package.

Over $250 = registered and sig confirmation. Shipping is cheap compared to the potential loss.

I can usually track packages on the intranet at work but right now with the new changes it's impossible for me to get near a computer for the next week or 2. They gave us no advance training on the new pricing schemes and we're learning by OJT today

Graphix · May 14, 2007 6:52AM

with paypal you can insure up to $500 online anything more you have to go to the PO. The other thing is you can not add insurance to the item once you have used the preprinted label (or atleast that is what I was told by the clerk at the PO).

Graphix · May 14, 2007 7:28AM

Guess I am going to start asking the clerks at the counter to scan my insured packages into the system from now on.

WinPitcher · May 14, 2007 7:52AM

Whats to keep someone from printing out a shipping label insured for $500 online, throwing away the label part and 30 days later going to the PO and saying hey my package never made it.

How about mail fraud charges and 3 years in jail? that is what would stop some from doing what you say.

Steve

Graphix · May 14, 2007 8:00AM

<< <i>How about mail fraud charges and 3 years in jail? that is what would stop some from doing what you say.

Steve >>

OK, except how would the PO prove that the person didn't mail the package. Again, their own processes fail them. Prepaid packages are not scanned in at the counter. Besides, the statement was made to point out I cannot believe they would let you file an insurance claim without proof of mailing. The threat of jail has to be serious and I doubt that it would even get that far. My guess is, if you cannot show the PO received the package you will not be able to file the claim. Which, is why I said I am going to start to have the clerks scan my insured packages into the system.

SDavid · May 14, 2007 8:12AM

At my post office, the clerks refuse to scan packages as accepted when online labels are used. From doing a search on ebay's SC board, it looks like that's a pretty common policy/attitude.

I'm in the situation you're described right now and I'll let you know how it turns out. I've spoken to my branch's supervisor, a clerk, and a 1-800 rep; they all said the post office would honor the insurance claim. However, claims over $50 are decided at their office in St. Louis, so an individual branch's policies are irrelevant.

But even if they decide in my favor, I'll still start using retail insurance/confirmation for valuable packages just to avoid the issue. Also, I think the package handlers are more likely to steal an insured package if they know it most likely hasn't been scanned into the system.

Graphix · May 14, 2007 8:21AM

I will be interested to hear how it unfolds. I hope you get reimbursed. I have to mail an insured package tomorrow and am going to ask them to scan it in. I will find out if they give me a hard time about it tomorrow and will post the outcome. The clerks at our PO are pretty cool so I don't think I will have a problem (especially if I tell them why) or atleast I am hoping I won't.

Graphix · May 15, 2007 4:48AM

Just got back from the PO and asked the clerk to scan the insured item I had. He tried (without any cross looks or attitude) and said he could not scan it because it was an internet label. So if this is true then there is absolutely no way I can prove I physically mailed a package when I use online postage. Seems redicules.

WinPitcher · May 15, 2007 5:36AM

Interesting, perhaps they could have given you a barcode only?

One that is priced at 0.00?

just so you are in the system?

Steve

Graphix · May 22, 2007 5:56AM

Wondering if there was any update from SDavid concernig his claim?

jimq112 · May 22, 2007 6:45AM

<< <i>Just got back from the PO and asked the clerk to scan the insured item I had. He tried (without any cross looks or attitude) and said he could not scan it because it was an internet label. So if this is true then there is absolutely no way I can prove I physically mailed a package when I use online postage. Seems redicules. >>

I tried also, I can't scan "stamps.com" postage but when I get carrier pickup with priority postage and delivery confirmation I have no problem at all scanning them into the system. These were paypal postage ebay sales, went easy with no trouble.

Maybe next time try carrier pickup with usps and see if the carrier can scan them for you? It doesn't cost anything for us to pick them up unless you request a special trip.

Graphix · May 22, 2007 6:49AM

Thanks for the tip Jimq. I started thinking about it after I dropped that package off and noticed a few things. I dropped it off about 5 minutes after I printed the label. I think I may not have allowed enough time for the label to go into whatever system is used. I may try again next time but wait a few hours and see what happens.

SDavid · July 11, 2007 1:01PM

Graphix - it took some time but my claim was approved today. My first claim was "lost" because my post office gave me an outdated claim form. The folks at the main office said they couldn't trace it since it had an "old number." Then I filed online and mailed my proof of value (the paypal receipt). I called a few weeks later, and they said they couldn't find it - it must have gotten lost in the mail! (I swear, I couldn't make this stuff up). Then I spoke to a rep, faxed him the pov from work, and it finally got resolved.

Honestly, after all that, I wouldn't have cared if they denied my claim - I just wanted them to tell me something!

Question for the mail veterans...

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