I thought I would share a lost package experience in hopes it COULD help if you get a client claiming an item didn't show.
A well established customer reported he didn't recewive a master set of the last Trek product.
I 100% believe him without question. He also was not asking for a replacement. It was a clear understanding that these sets were sent at his risk uninsured and he honored that deal. In our many years of dealing we'd never had an issue and it was sad to have one now. I tracked it as far as I could on my end (which was basically not at all since the PO wouldnt do anything since it was sent first class). According to his end, the package never entered the country.
Last week, the package arrived back home to me. I scanned the labels stuck all over it and this is what we discovered. It came owing taxes. They did NOT put a notice in his mailbox (he wasn't home) and it sat at the local PO 200 yards from his home for 30 days after which it was returned to me for his *refusal* to pay taxes.
Check the local post office!!! See if it is sitting somehwere waiting for you!

A similar thing happened to me a few years back. I was waiting for a package that was taking a loooong time to show up. Finally, I got a notice in the mailbox that said "3rd Notice!" on it and told me that I had 24 hours to pick it up from the post office before they sent it back to the sender. No first notice, no second notice, just a pick-it-up-right-now! card. Sometimes you gotta wonder about the postal service.

A master set sent first class?!?

I recently had a fairly similar issue. . . A bunch of cards were sent to my PO box, but the sender put the wrong name on the package. The tracking said the package was 'returned to sender,' so we waited for weeks for it to be redelivered. Finally 3 weeks later the tracking was updated again saying the package had been returned to sender.

I went to ask my PO what was happening, and they said they were 'too busy' to return the package to the sender, so it sat at the PO for three weeks. . . had I asked sooner I may have been able to talk them into giving me the package despite the wrong name. . .

Jon

quote:

Originally posted by X:
A master set sent first class?!?

Yes, that's what the buyer requests and has been using for many years. First Class International as of now doesn't have tracking. SOme will now with the new changtes (someday) though that's jsut deliver confimation I think? And wouldnt have helped in this case.

I would still want to send something like a master set with Registered mail (as of yesterday, anyway.) The risk is just too great. I'd kick in the $12 for the Registered mail tracking number myself if I had to.

Things are changing as of today at U.S. post offices. I sent a couple of domestic 1st class packages, the kind used to send a couple of single cards or a lightweight card set. Delivery confirmation no longer requires those green slips. Instead you are issued the tracking number right there and then on your receipt when you pay, so Ebay sellers who don't print their shipping labels directly won't have them until they've actually mailed the package.

For Priority mail, tracking is now included in the price. As with first class, the tracking number is issued there and then. Delivery Confirmation is 90 cents for 1st class packages, still not too shabby for the service.

Again, while tracking has been free when you buy the postage online, I've never gone over to doing that, since I have to pick up so many packages in the office anyway, since home delivery is just too iffy for a lot of the stuff I get.

I understand international tracking will have some changes, too. The postage cost will be higher but apparently, there'll be a cheaper method of tracking than the $12 we've had to pay for this last year or so. Hopefully, it'll allow us to send internationally like we used to.

Some months ago, I have a problem with a lost package by 1rst Class Mail. The buyer understand the situation. I was clear to refund the item cost or credit for other stuff. He took the credit.

His postal office suggested him use Priority Mail, use postal office address, and add telephone number (so they will call him) to avoid problems. The 2nd package was okay because he look the Delivery Confirmation updates.

Some weeks after he receive the 2nd package. I receive by the mail the 1rst package. It have a return stamp for "no pick up". Obviously postal workers don't care attitude because he visited his postal office for than a month 2 days by week.

The 3rd package by Priority Mail. It was near to get return because the postal workers in his country don't care to scan it and threw the responsibility to the USPS.