So it was my sister's birthday and I go to the USPS to send her an iPod nano + a $50 iTunes gift card. I pack it in a Priority Mail package and make sure it's not going to burst open or anything. Shipping comes out to about $6. At this point, I'm thinking, hmm, maybe I should get insurance. But insurance is another $6 and I'm thinking man, that's as much as it costs to ship this damn thing. And hell, what am I paying you the original $6 for? To ship it! So why do I have to pay another $6 on top of the shipping fee?!? I pass on the insurance. I'm an idiot - big mistake.

A week later, my sister still hasn't received it, but *I* get my own Priority Mail package back. The opening is still nice and sealed, but there's a huge hole in the rest of the package, and of course, the iPod and gift card are gone.

The USPS helpfully stamped "Received Without Contents" stamp on it. Nice, as if I went to the post office and tried to mail off an empty package with a big hole in it in the first place. And the delivery confirmation tracking number also delightfully confirms that the package was delivered - back to my address!

As you can imagine, the post office wasn't very helpful when I went back to ask about this. I'm sure there's some dude in the back rocking out to his new iPod while opening up more people's stuff.

Sorry just had to rant. I'm sure other people have gotten burned by the post office for more than this.

 

Oooh...I'd be PISSED. Thanks for the heads-up. Insurance it is.


EDIT: But sorry for your misfortune.

 

Dude, ALWAYS get the Insurance. Alway's.


Sorry about the loss though.

 

The post office is very good about replacing lost and damaged goods. File a claim.

 

hmmm.. I have had positive experiences with the PO. but I may speaking too soon.

 

I needed to make a credit card payment, and I had a day or two to do it. I sent the check First Class Express Super whatever (the fastest available). I was assured that the letter would get there by the deadline. To my dismay, the letter NEVER got there...anywhere. The post office just messed up. I just randomly made a call to the bank to ask about a loan or something and got an ugly response..."Seeing as how you're not paying your bill".

I pay IN FULL, EARLY, EVERY month. This one time I waited and got screwed...Lucky for me, I had the receipt from the post office along with the check # to back up my statement.

Now I do all that crap online.

 

total bullsh*t, I agree, I shipped two Technics 1200 turntables and Ortofon cartridges to a club owner in New York... heavy ass box, so I shipped it via USPS... cause it was cheaper. I did buy insurance. The guy got it; there was a huge hole in the side of the box. The turntables were there; the cartridges were not. I told him I had insurance so he could file a claim, and I would help him but he didn't want the hassle.

USPS is the only shipper I have EVER had damaged packages with. f**Kers.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I recently shipped a package Priority Mail and it never arrived. No insurance this time ($15 item). Again, never had this problem with any other shipper.

 

I never work with the post office. If I'm selling stuff on ebay, I just do UPS. It's quick and I charge the UPS shipping price anyway, so it's not like I'm losing out. I had to ship a computer monitor once and the good folks at the UPS store even helped me buble wrap and foam up the whole box, adding $5 to the total. I got a positive feedback comment of "Very impressive and professionally packed merchandise! Recommended!"

 

Don't ship anything valuable without insurance specially for an item anyone can use, USPS or not. I do agree that it will more than likely you'll lose something through USPS than a courier. Anyway, file a claim even w/o insurance, it's worth a try.

 

Oh yeah, i work for USPS. I hate it too, a lot of very spoiled "Working the system" lazy union employees.