Flat rate boxes?

[Tatume]

Has anyone else noticed that Priority Mail has become very unreliable? Several packages in a row have become hung up in one sorting facility or another, and just sit there. One that I ordered from someone here came to Virginia (where I am), and then was shipped to Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, where it sat for a couple of weeks. I called the USPS and started an investigation, and two days later it was delivered. Another (again from someone here) was shipped some time ago, but the first reference in the tracking utility is November 22. There are two entries, received at 11:39 am and dispatched to sorting facility 5:48 pm. It says “expected delivery by November 25.” I’ll call them on Monday to inquire. These are just the two most recent packages; there have been others.

These packages are heavy, being medium flat rate boxes filled with lead ingots. However, my wife has been having similar experiences with Priority Mail, and her packages are light (a few ounces).

Anyway, are you having similar problems?

Take care, Tom

[Jim]

Regardless of contents and/or value, I ALWAYS send packages "Delivery Confirmation". If the contents are valuable and/or irreplaceable, I insure it for about twice the cost.

[fishhawk]

Well I just shipped 110 lbs to WA. from central wis. 2 weeks ago and no problem, couple summers ago i shipped about 4000 to board members and no hang ups. steve k

[m.chalmers]

Holiday + USPS shutting down 1,200 shorting facilities. Next is the 100,000 carrier layoffs

[dragonrider]

I recently shipped four flat rate boxes to various parts of the country on a Saturday morning, 3 were received on Monday, apparently one recipient lives in a remote location so it took a couple more days to reach him. I can't complain but I know that stuff happens and with the situation the USPS in in these days I am surprised when pakages reach their destinations at all.

[happy7]

Regardless of contents and/or value, I ALWAYS send packages "Delivery Confirmation". If the contents are valuable and/or irreplaceable, I insure it for about twice the cost.

USPS will not pay the value of insurance that you bought if the contents were not worth that much. No matter how much insurance you purchase the maximum they will pay is what they percieve the contents to be worth. At least that is what my local post office tells me.

[Walt]

Out of several dozen packages, either shipped or received by myself using FRBs, only one was really slow. Many of these were heavy and on my end only one arrived with the contents mixed together (still all there). I probably shoudn't complain.

[Finnmike]

The thing with insurance is that replacement cost applies to both seller and purchaser. If an item is lost, you owe the purchaser reimbursement, and you yourself are out the value of the item. Hence double insurance.

[shotman]

your going to see a slow down till after the first of year.
One thing I do know that if the box is heavy. Some workers will leave it sit. Let someone else pick it up . That is why I went to the small flat rate for lead shipments. but they do get separated

[gandydancer]

Insurance with the U.S. post office is a joke.I sold two cowbot hats on another web site last year $200.00 bucks each with insuance no tracking(that was where I went wrong) the box showed up no hats. put in a claim. I was told I needed to show a copy of my origenal receipt off where and when and how much the hats cost the hats where 10 years old I had no receipt for the claim to be paid. end of story. Refund for hats and shipping fees and I get to bite the bullet. NO RECEIPT no insurence pay out

[DCP]

You need to think out this a bit more

Lets take $100.00 of brass

Buyer sends seller $100.00

Seller insures it for $100.00 and ships

Now its lost in the mail

Seller files claim, if everything goes well USPS sends SELLER $100.00

Seller should have already sent his buyer their $100.00 back

Seller now has $100.00 from USPS and the brass is lost

Double insurance is a waste of your money

The thing with insurance is that replacement cost applies to both seller and purchaser. If an item is lost, you owe the purchaser reimbursement, and you yourself are out the value of the item. Hence double insurance.

[imashooter2]

I have had zero problems with the USPS.

[buck1]

I have had trouble with usps insurance. I had bought a pocket watch from gun broker. seller had great feed back. It was insured for the purchace amt. I could tell it was running when he took the pics, as the time was several seconds different between pics. I took it to the usps and they have to send it in for their OWN investigation. It was packaged very well but the box looked like it had been played football with.
They stalled for 6 months then denied my claim and KEPT THE WATCH! The way I now see it is the insurance may work for loss but not dammage. Talk about mail fraud! ....Buck

[Jim]

They didn't keep the watch, they LOST it.

[UNIQUEDOT]

It's the holiday's that is slowing them down. Nothing i received this month made the expected delivery date, but it's like this every year starting around late October early November. It's not just usps either as ups has left a package just sitting at the first arrival location for over a week now with an estimated delivery of the 29th, but any other time of year it would have already been delivered yet it probably won't even make the ETA as long as it's sat motionless. Don't worry though as it's normal for this time of year

[phaessler]

Tatume:
I have gone down to the Roanoke Dist center , several times after seeing packages sit idle there for days, raised a stink, and left with them, I continually flood the postmaster there with complaints now.
Its about a 45 minute ride for me, and my local PO is about 15mins. Even the local postmaster cant figure it out.

[frkelly74]

I bought an autoharp once on e-bay and it came broken. I was paid the purchase price but not reimbursed for postage. They kept the pieces which I would have liked to have.

[snowwolfe]

Regardless of contents and/or value, I ALWAYS send packages "Delivery Confirmation". If the contents are valuable and/or irreplaceable, I insure it for about twice the cost.

Wasting your money on the over insurance. USPS will only pay up to the value you can prove the package was worth. When you file a claim it asks you list who gets paid for the claim. I use USPS in my business and have to file maybe 2-3 claims a year for broken items. USPS has never failed to pay me the entire amount the package was insured for. Never over insure unless you like tossing money down the drain. I tell my clients, if the item is damaged, take it to the post office and file a claim listing me as who gets paid. Once they send me proof of the claim I mail them a new replacement. Generally USPS pays me within 3 weeks.

USPS insurance people are not stupid. If you package an expensive, fragile item in a cheap and flimsy way they will deny your claim based upon how the item was packaged. The package has to be taken to the post office to start the claim in most situations. If you try to send 60 pounds of lead in a flat rate box without extra reinforcement and lots of tape and the box busts open, you just screwed yourself.

Would like to add that USPS insurance seems to be on the list of dirtballs that try to scam people. Two guys will get together and send an item between them, then claimed it was broken, etc. They seen it all. Be honest, be able to prove the value, and prove it was packaged correctly.

[Mr. Cha Ching]

We sell/ship an average of 25 to 40 packages a week, all thro the USPS and most using flat rate and have NEVER had one issue.............just lucky I guess.

[Jim]

Wasting your money on the over insurance. USPS will only pay up to the value you can prove the package was worth.

Begging your pardon, Sir, but that's not absolute. If the item is custom made, an antique, irreplaceable or not available on the open market, the shipper may set the value.