Missing packages... has this happened to you?
11-26-2010, 09:24 AM
#51
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Newberg, OR
Posts: 1,911
The only time this has happened (twice), it turned up at our neighbor's house. Our house number is 20890. Theirs is 20980. We sometimes get theirs too. Fortunately, we are both honest and deliver them to the right address. So when they tell you that it was "properly delivered and signed for . . . " Not so fast. Did it go to the right address?
11-26-2010, 11:26 AM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: In hiding
Posts: 454
When I was new to selling on eBay I sold a cotton quilt batting and the lady never received it. I had mailed it through post office. I described the package to her including the design on the mailing label and what kind of a box it had shipped in. She realized that she had seen that package sitting open next to the post mistresses desk(It was a small town). When she emailed this to me I sent a full description of the package contents with a full description of the box, label etc. I told her to print out the infor and take it to the postmaster general in the larger city 30 miles away that supervised her city. She did this and the postmaster general took her email and went to the post office and found the open package by the post mistresses desk. She claimed the package as her own and he said he had proof that it wasn't. The post mistress was fired and arrested and was prosecuted for interference with the US Mail. It took several months because the package was evidence but she finally got her batting. I learned to never send anything that is merchandise without delivery confirmation or a way to track it. It was lucky that the boxes I sent my battings in were video tape cases that were addressed to my husband at his work and it was easy to identify the box as being the one I had shipped.
11-26-2010, 12:03 PM
#53
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Westerville, Ohio
Posts: 711
I work at a company that ships all over the world and I can tell you that all 3: UPS, FedEx and USPS can get you the signature that signed for the package---they can also figure out and talk to the driver for a description---Unfortunately, unless you have a specific set up for pkgs to be signed for, they will leave them on porches, doorsteps, etc. Stand your ground and make them investigate. Someone signed for the pkg and you have every right to find out who it was. We had 2 pkgs that were shipped out to a customer, the customer got 1 but the other one did not arrive--they swore that it never left our business. Made them do a trace and lo and behold that pkg that never left our building was delivered within 2 hours to the customer. We are in Ohio and they are in California. No possible way we could have gotten it there in 2 hours. Also, please make sure that anyone who is receiveing pkgs count the boxes before signing.
11-26-2010, 02:29 PM
#56
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central Ca
Posts: 2,598
Check your address on one of the map sites, mine shows as down the street :) If Co's using this method maybe one of the problems!!
Have rec'd a notice once that pkg, was at a pickup center, not my name, walked to the neighbors I didn't know and sure enough the notice was for them, they called the delivery co and was then delivered to the correct place.
Our PO is good but has limited hrs. Know people that will drive extra 5 miles to mail from it due to shorter lines:)
Have rec'd a notice once that pkg, was at a pickup center, not my name, walked to the neighbors I didn't know and sure enough the notice was for them, they called the delivery co and was then delivered to the correct place.
Our PO is good but has limited hrs. Know people that will drive extra 5 miles to mail from it due to shorter lines:)
11-26-2010, 07:12 PM
#57
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Orchard Park, NY (near Buffalo, which is near Niagara Falls)
Posts: 3,884
Originally Posted by sarag
Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
Well, gee. The signature was (as many signatures are) basically illegible. The carrier doesn't care and won't assume responsibility, because they got a signature for the package, by someone over 18, and it was at the right address.
So... having insured it does no good. The carrier (FedEx) says it's been delivered, so we cannot put in an insurance claim.
Apparently the only thing we could have done to prevent this would have been to either send it through the Post Office, using Restricted Delivery, which would require photo id from the customer, in order to release the package. Or, send it FedEx but have the package held at the local FedEx center, and the customer would have to go there to pick it up, in which case photo id would be required.
At this point you need to get the police involved. File a theft report and tell your buyer what you are doing (I'm sure you can figure out why). Whether they cooperate or not, will tell you a lot.
Also go back to FedEx and make another claim. It is automatic for claims to be rejected the first time. If you have a rep, get on the phone with the rep.
Also there is the thought of the driver may have signed the slip. They often do.
In other words... the package could be addressed to Mary Smith, but even with Adult Signature requested, if Jane Doe is hanging around, she could sign for it (with photo ID) and make off with it.
I can't very well ask the police in the next state over to get involved... and I'm pretty sure that our local PD also would not be interested. Being interstate commerce, they probably would not have jurisdiction anyhow.
I did finally get ahold of a claims person (with authority) at FedEx, and she offered to make a "one time only" exception and re-open and pay the claim. She said it was because we had been a good customer for years and "did not abuse our account" by filing a lot of claims. For this, I am most grateful.
But it still bothers me that I cannot think of a way to keep this situation from happening again in the future.
Every year we have probably 6-12 packages we send through the Post Office that are supposedly delivered, but that the customer reports not having received. So we've determined that all packages valued at over $150 must be signed for (I guess $150 is the threshold for "major ouch"). If it is going to an apartment, or if it's going to the New York City / Long Island area, we lower that threshold to $100. I would say that of all the "missing but delivered" packages, the vast majority (by far) are those going to the NYC area.
11-27-2010, 08:01 AM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Valdosta GA
Posts: 1,876
I learned the hard way to not return jewelry by USPS to QVC, HSN or places like that. Every piece I have returned never got back and I had to collect the insurance which seems to take forever.
BTW--UPS automatically insures packages for $100.
BTW--UPS automatically insures packages for $100.
11-28-2010, 11:10 AM
#60
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: England
Posts: 2,365
have had experience of this 3 times, but all our mail problem----
1] parcel worth £299 -curtains/bedspread delivered to empty house nearby, left in front of garage o/night rained AND the receipt signature looked like a spider crawled in ink and ran across paper!
2]from US, cardbox parcel left inside garage amongst empty cardboard boxes ,which is hardly ever up, 9mths later husb was burning rubbish and empty boxes when he came across it!! there is a specially painted metal bin for parcels!!
3] from US,was rang from 30 miles away, asked if expecting parcel, my goods AND a broken camera had been opened -presumably in sorting office, and as of no real value were put into a large parcel to get rid of them.
deliverers here are dire and I always make sure that I keep a tab on them.
1] parcel worth £299 -curtains/bedspread delivered to empty house nearby, left in front of garage o/night rained AND the receipt signature looked like a spider crawled in ink and ran across paper!
2]from US, cardbox parcel left inside garage amongst empty cardboard boxes ,which is hardly ever up, 9mths later husb was burning rubbish and empty boxes when he came across it!! there is a specially painted metal bin for parcels!!
3] from US,was rang from 30 miles away, asked if expecting parcel, my goods AND a broken camera had been opened -presumably in sorting office, and as of no real value were put into a large parcel to get rid of them.
deliverers here are dire and I always make sure that I keep a tab on them.
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