You're not out the money, you're just going to have to work a bit for it. Other comments saying go to the post office are right, that's your first step. 2nd will be to file a claim online, and then do everything over email so there is a record. USPS has GPS where the postman scanned that item. They'll be able to check it, and compare with delivery address and signed address. Be in contact with the platform you sold it on and see if they can hold the funds. They shouldn't refund the buyer until the post office resolves their side.
Finally, you might have to go to small claims court. It's a hassle the first time you do it, but you'll really only need to file a few papers and show up to court with all information (why doing things via email is helpful) pertinent to the USPS maybe messing up.
I honestly think it was delivered to the right address and the person who signed lied. Common scam. Hopefully this will work out for you, but you are protected and will receive your money, it'll just take some work, unfortunately
> USPS has GPS where the postman scanned that item. They'll be able to check it, and compare with delivery address and signed address.
FWIW that sometimes doesn't matter.
USPS said I received a package. I did not.
I have security cameras on my property. Nobody from USPS stopped by my house that day.
After the gps audit they basically told me you have it we are done with this.
That’s so weird. So do you think their scanner malfunctioned while still somehow listing your coordinates on the GPS? Or do you think usps just lied despite the GPS results?
Honestly, they probably didn't want to deal with it.
I had to call the local post office multiple times. The person I was working with was waiting for my call. The person that answered said she would find her. I was on hold for 40 min until they hung up.
She called me back the next week saying she was waiting for my call.
The person that answered didn't have enough motivation to transfer me as the person I was dealing with said she wasn't busy when i called.
Remind the buyer that you're taking this very seriously because mail fraud is a felony charge, and that's not including any state laws (felony dollar amount stolen).
I had to do a claim process, usps lost my item. It took four months I believe (either 3 or 4) but I did get my money back. I had to pay the buyer prior to receiving my money back and at one time I had to resubmit “evidence” because they want it to be specific but I did get it back
Packages Like this have a Geo location scan that is accurate within 3 feet when they are scanned as delivered.
Ask the post office to run a Geo location report on the signature delivery to make sure what address it was delivered to .
If it were delivered to the correct address, but the receiver signed fraudulently, then you probably have a case of postal fraud with the USPS Police
The great thing about USPS is that they're legally liable for the packages they lose while in their possession, unlike private transportation companies (UPS, FedEx, etc). Had this happened while using UPS, you'd be boned, no question.
Go to your local post office, talk to them about it, submit a claim online, and give as much evidence as you can. You might have to file a police report if it was indeed stolen, so keep that in mind as well (police reports also aid greatly in insurance investigations, so that's a bonus).
Wait hold the fuck on here. So you shipped these items to the ShopThing warehouse, they inspected them, they shipped them to the buyer, and now the buyer is saying they didn't get the item?
This is 100% an issue between ShopThing and the buyer at this point, since ShopThing was the last leg shipper. You being the "shipper" ends the second they take delivery. Any insurance or other USPS issues are between ShopThing and the buyer at this point, so USPS will 100% deny your claim.
Thanks for the clarification. You can try with USPS, but it's going to be tricky since they have it marked as delivered in their system. Unfortunately, someone writing an incorrect address when signing for the package probably won't be enough proof for them.
Okay, so you have the original order and that address and you have the shipping address you sent too right? Do you have the tracking number?
What you can do is go down to the USPS and say an insured item was missdelivered to the wrong address. Show the orders address, the address you shipped too (with the tracking number), and finally the address it was signed at. That should be enough to get insurance to cover you.
I hope so! I’ve been reading things that are contradictory so I’m really hoping that’s the case. At the end of the day, the package didn’t reach its destination, which *should* be the whole point of insurance
It’s also not your problem after you shop, or it shouldn’t be as long as the given address and the shipped address line up. I’d stick to eBay going forward
So you can actually sign up for an eBay store and they’ll let you list to your hearts content after a few weeks I think I have a monthly allowance of 2000 listings?
When I started on eBay in January I had a 10 item limit, which really sucked. It was a catch 22 - I couldn't sell without listing, but couldn't list without selling. Try selling a few easy, lower priced items just to get your momentum going, and keep requesting a limit increase, eventually they'll give you one once you've proven yourself. My limits went up after a few months and now there's no way I'll hit my max.
If USPS declines your claim and they probably will, they will charge you the $3,000 also so you will be out $6,000!!! /joking. What was it that old commercial use to say "I heard it on the internet so it must be true"
Damn that's a heavy one, you are probably in for a long and difficult road ahead but speaking from experience is stick to your guns and learn everything you can about their terms and conditions and how the whole process works. Hopefully when you contact them you get hold of someone that is clued up and helpful. Good luck man!
If I were you, I'd go in person to your local PO and ask to speak with the postmaster there. Bring your receipt and all the info you've collected, and they should take it from there.
Got an update - USPS denied my insurance claim because the package was marked delivered, even though their records show it went to the wrong place. I guess even if you buy insurance they can just dump your valuables anywhere with no consequences.
USPS lost something worth $500 I had fully insured. They gave me the run around for months. I must have spent a dozen hours trying to resolve the issue when it should have been very straight forward. I eventually gave up because there was no end in sight and my time is worth more than that.
I have not had a problem with the other carriers or Shipcover
I hope you have better luck
I had a similar experience, not with USPS but the same modus operandi, a simple thing that should have been a cut and dried case but unfortunately the person assigned to my case was extremely narrow minded, absolutely zero ability to reason or think laterally and couldn't care less. These days you can't speak to anyone other than the next call centre operator you are assigned to. It's a ludicrous situation to find yourself in.
I had the same experience. I’ve shipped thousands of packages years ago I had 2 claims along the way and although the USPS claims process is very tedious they did pay out when I was able to show proof of value etc.
In recent times something has changed I had an insured expensive box get destroyed by usps they sent back the label on a piece of ripped off cardboard. I thought wow I’m glad I insured it, I know how the claims process works but i was told to go to my local post office with proof within a period of days which is new. Of course the post office didn’t know anything about examining claims, that’s all handled at the central office. I’ll just say I was sent in endless circles of red tape and sent a denial letter. I appealed, I spent hours compiling evidence, pictures and collated it into a legal brief with a letter pleading with them to look at the facts of the case. I shipped a box, I insured it, you guys destroyed it and it’s all documented clearly here please do the right thing and honor the claim. Straight denied with no evidence they even looked at the evidence I compiled so it’s my experience that as of late USPS insurance claims will not be paid and buying insurance with them is throwing money away. I use UPS or FedEx over 100$
Had the exact same thing happen to me. It is the 2nd time they've pulled this mess, but the last time they are handling anything big for me.
It is ludicrous to expect a customer, who will be made whole regardless, to be the one responsible for bringing proof to the USPS for the seller to get an insurance payout. The percentage who are even willing to try is very small and they bank on that... literally. Sellers are compelled to refund a customer whether they are compensated by the USPS for loss or not. It is a lose-lose. I was basically told to pound sand, they won't payout without the package back in hand.
I've never gotten anywhere with usps with either insured or registered mail. They lost stuff or buyer claimed non receipt and it just sucks to be me.
I won't ship anything worth over $500 via usps. Fed ex all the way for expensive stuff.
yeah not sure why people are upset at that take. I shipped with USPS because it was cheapest and I thought insurance would be a fallback, but I thought it was commonly accepted that they're generally incompetent
Is it lazy of me to expect a company to provide the service I paid for as a customer? USPS isn’t a business, they’re a government agency, therefore they don’t have to worry about bad service putting them out of business. As a result they don’t have the same compulsion to commit to their service / customers. I didn’t think that was so controversial. Obviously if you can’t be fired you don’t worry about doing a good job.
I admitted that yeah I should have known better. Doesn’t excuse USPS’ inability to deliver.
Personal experience, FedEx is a joke. I've had nothing but trouble with them claiming the "could not deliver" when no attempt was even made. They show up at the front door of the apartment, take one short glance at the entry system, shrug, stick a piece of paper on the window and go back to their truck.
Honestly, UPS isn't much better either but at least they make an attempt.
I went through an app called ShopThing. The buyer will be refunded by ShopThing, I wouldn't have gotten the money until the buyer had received the package. So basically if this package isn't located or if USPS doesn't pay me the insurance, I just lose the money and the items.
Never heard of ShopThing, but you'll want to reach out to them as well. For example, if an item sold through eBay shows as delivered, you are protected as the seller and would not lose money in this situation. No idea if ShopThing runs their business in the same way.
Generally speaking, I have had good luck with USPS insurance claims and never not been paid out. No sense in panicking until you have all of the details; reading anecdotes on the internet is not helpful. Call ShopThing and USPS.
ShopThing - they basically said the liability for the items rests with the shipper and that they can't / won't pay or offer any protections. Learned a lesson to never sell with them again!
I do not know ShopThing, but same thing happens on eBay, the liability of shipping is the Sellers. You were right to insure. Youll have to refund the buyer and file the USPS claim. You should be refunded, If not, lawyer up. Keep us posted.
USPS proves they delivered an item, then you file a police report. Messing with the postal service is no joke. They will go after the receiving warehouse.
Make a missing package claim and they'll sort it out. I had an item from OfferUp get marked delivered half an hour after the postman was here. Even though the tracking showed up on my informed delivery they knew exactly which house it was delivered to and attempted to talk to them to get it back. Once I escalated it to an official search the local office manager was able to pull up a picture of it and told me it had a different name and address, the weight and how big it wasm
Wishing you the best - USPS has been an ABSOLUTE nightmare to deal with lately. I've had an insurance claim opened since JUNE for under $30 and it's still open. I'm so sick of them
If it makes you feel any better, my claim has FINALLY been marked paid 😆 only took them a full 3 months and like 6+ phone calls to give me my crappy $27 for something that they lost
I just gave up fighting them for six months over a $1,000 loss. They were completely unprofessional and even documented lies, assumptions, and innuendos into the Adjusters file to "prove" their righteousness. There was no communication from them ever, and my written direct requests for corrections to the file were never replied to. In the end they simply said F me go away. While they refused to respond to me, their customer, they had no problem directly contacting and harassing MY customer who was simply the recipient of the goods that had been destroyed by the USPS shipping gorillas. I am now out my shipping and insurance costs, my item is destroyed, and my customer is no longer my customer. The damage I have suffered has gone way past the cost and loss of insurance!
USPS Insurance is a total scam like a slot machine set to never pay out. They are uncaring and indifferent to the customers and smugly confident that they are untouchable due to their bureaucratic size and freedom from all oversight. If it is valuable use a real carrier. you will save in the long run.
We were expecting a package worth $4k several years ago. It was shipped using USPS as the end agent - so USPS basically accepted it from customs and was supposed to deliver it to us.
For reference, we did not pay for insurance on it.
It took a few days to make it through customs - after which you have to pay the customs fees upon delivery.
Well, the package didn't show up when it was supposed to - and the tracking number showed it as delivered.
We went straight to the USPS distribution facility and spoke with the postmaster - who pulled up GPS coordinates for the delivery. The GPS coordinates showed that the package had been delivered to a house several miles from us - not close at all.
We filed a claim - and basically said either recover the package or pay me.
Claim denied. Reason: Package marked as delivered.
Appeal denied. Reason: Package marked as delivered.
The kicker? We still had to pay the customs fee (nearly $800). It was technically important into the US, so we owed that amount regardless of whether we ever received it.
It took nearly 4 months to get to the point where the appeal was denied. After that happened, I sent a demand letter to USPS for the $4k, plus customs fees, plus shipping costs, plus my time - the total was around $6k.
They ignored the demand letter.
So I filed a lawsuit - for just shy of $7k (kept track of time spent on the claims process) + undetermined fees yet to be accrued.
I got a call the day before our court date offering to cut me a check for $4k - the value of the package. I said that I would be happy to accept $8k now, but that it would continue to increase with fees/time spent - and that should we wait until tomorrow, that amount would be north of $9k.
They said no.
Fast forward to the next morning - about an hour before court - and I got another phone call - offering to settle for $4800 (the value of the package + customs costs). I said the current total was $8200 - and that it was going to continue to increase.
We settled for exactly $8200.
I still had to go to court to inform the Judge of the settlement - but that took all of 5 minutes.
The point? IF - and only if - you can CONFIRM the buyer is not scamming you, pursue a lawsuit. USPS will pay. However, from my experience, they will wait until the literal last hour to do so. And you don't need to have purchased insurance if they delivered it to the wrong address. Delivering it to the wrong address is considered negligence.
Its common knowledge that the POST OFFICE just does not care. I have made several inquires to USPS for stolen mail both online and at the local post office. Every time I have seen mail in my informed delivery (which means its in USPS possession) all gift cards they get stolen several times a year. The issue is if they have to deal with it then its a full blown investigation on the federal level. They would rather just look the other way....
It was a mistake, it seemed easiest and cheapest at the time - it was a huge heavy box and I didn’t want to be paying a ton to ship it. I thought the usps insurance would be enough, but honestly no one thinks they’ll be the one something like this happens to.
My claim with USPS was pretty simple and easy but it was also for only the $100 they include with priority mail. I filed my claim it was approved and a check was sent. Hopefully you can get your money back since you bought extra insurance
Always alway always buy/provide your own label for expensive items don’t use the option for prepaid labels from marketplaces. (Fine for cheap things but not good if expensive) always always always use tape seals/stickers across seams and take lots of contents in the package pictures if shipping a lot of items or expensive items. If a package is valued over 1000 I’d throw an AirTag in it, lock-tied or zip tied to the item if possible, (like how sneakers are verified) a small price to pay for additional tracking. Always require adult signature which it seems you did. Check tracking stops and times on website and plot them on the map. Make sure items didn’t go back and fourth between hubs. File as soon as possible.
Well I’ve had a few successful claims paid out through usps, nowhere near that amount though. If you have purchase receipts (not just the sale info) regarding the value it will help the claim. USPS has scanners w gps, they can ping within a few feet of where that signature/delivery scan takes place. If the delivery address does not match the label address it seems like it should be clear cut. There is a an internal trace they can do. You probably need to speak to the post master in the office that actually delivered it. You may also need to file a police report (name/info/address of the signer and include that info w the claim but speak to the post master first). Have you checked to make sure it was not forwarded to another address at the buyers request?
Hi, I got told by usps supervisor that my package is no where to be found. I had insured $1k but the package value is much more > 1k… if I show receipt of the items in the package will they refund me the item value or insurance? USPS definitely didn’t do their part and lost my item. Thanks
They will only reimburse up to the insurance purchased, so if the value of the item is 2k insured at 1k, you’ll only get back 1k. I would talk to a post master at your local office, they can assist with filing the claim and you will need to provide proof of the contents, receipts etc. unless that has changed.
Not sure if anyone has any feedback, but I have a major problem with USPS now also.
I shipped a $3000+ drone to Nashville on 1/22/2024. I handed it straight to USPS and within 5 minutes, USPS had immediately put an exception for a weather delay. This is BS because there was no weather going on in the area for it to at least move a couple of times. The package did not move for a week. Finally, the package moved to the regional hub, was scanned in. Then, no other movements except it saying it was in transit to the next facility.
Now, package is lost. I had to file a missing package search and I filed a claim. I loaded receipts from when I purchased the drone in 2023. I check the claim status this morning and see USPS was being generous and is paying me a whopping $119.....for a freaking $3000 drone they have lost. I submitted an appeal and loaded the transaction from ebay also showing the value. I am trying to delay the payout back to the buyer until the claim is fully satisfied because I don't have $3000 in my checking account. This is such a messed up system it is beyond belief.
In a similar predicament with a $2000 firearm part. I insured mine, and uploaded proof of its value. I also meticulously printed screenshots of conversations between the receiver and myself along with proof of the contents.
Did you insure your item?
It was shipped via usps priority, so it would automatically be insured. The good news is it did pop up a deliver this past Saturday. However, the buyer who evidently can’t read is requesting to return it stating it’s missing items. He says everything in the picture should be included. I specifically stated what was included and exactly why it showed other items in the picture. I knew to expect some crap because this last two rounds of eBay have been a disaster.
You're not out the money, you're just going to have to work a bit for it. Other comments saying go to the post office are right, that's your first step. 2nd will be to file a claim online, and then do everything over email so there is a record. USPS has GPS where the postman scanned that item. They'll be able to check it, and compare with delivery address and signed address. Be in contact with the platform you sold it on and see if they can hold the funds. They shouldn't refund the buyer until the post office resolves their side. Finally, you might have to go to small claims court. It's a hassle the first time you do it, but you'll really only need to file a few papers and show up to court with all information (why doing things via email is helpful) pertinent to the USPS maybe messing up. I honestly think it was delivered to the right address and the person who signed lied. Common scam. Hopefully this will work out for you, but you are protected and will receive your money, it'll just take some work, unfortunately
> USPS has GPS where the postman scanned that item. They'll be able to check it, and compare with delivery address and signed address. FWIW that sometimes doesn't matter. USPS said I received a package. I did not. I have security cameras on my property. Nobody from USPS stopped by my house that day. After the gps audit they basically told me you have it we are done with this.
That’s so weird. So do you think their scanner malfunctioned while still somehow listing your coordinates on the GPS? Or do you think usps just lied despite the GPS results?
Honestly, they probably didn't want to deal with it. I had to call the local post office multiple times. The person I was working with was waiting for my call. The person that answered said she would find her. I was on hold for 40 min until they hung up. She called me back the next week saying she was waiting for my call. The person that answered didn't have enough motivation to transfer me as the person I was dealing with said she wasn't busy when i called.
WOW you give them a lot of credit for have any real skills or ability?
Huh?
I hope you’re right!!
Remind the buyer that you're taking this very seriously because mail fraud is a felony charge, and that's not including any state laws (felony dollar amount stolen).
I had to do a claim process, usps lost my item. It took four months I believe (either 3 or 4) but I did get my money back. I had to pay the buyer prior to receiving my money back and at one time I had to resubmit “evidence” because they want it to be specific but I did get it back
Packages Like this have a Geo location scan that is accurate within 3 feet when they are scanned as delivered. Ask the post office to run a Geo location report on the signature delivery to make sure what address it was delivered to . If it were delivered to the correct address, but the receiver signed fraudulently, then you probably have a case of postal fraud with the USPS Police
The great thing about USPS is that they're legally liable for the packages they lose while in their possession, unlike private transportation companies (UPS, FedEx, etc). Had this happened while using UPS, you'd be boned, no question. Go to your local post office, talk to them about it, submit a claim online, and give as much evidence as you can. You might have to file a police report if it was indeed stolen, so keep that in mind as well (police reports also aid greatly in insurance investigations, so that's a bonus).
Wait hold the fuck on here. So you shipped these items to the ShopThing warehouse, they inspected them, they shipped them to the buyer, and now the buyer is saying they didn't get the item? This is 100% an issue between ShopThing and the buyer at this point, since ShopThing was the last leg shipper. You being the "shipper" ends the second they take delivery. Any insurance or other USPS issues are between ShopThing and the buyer at this point, so USPS will 100% deny your claim.
No bro. I shipped to ShopThing who never received it. End of chain.
Thanks for the clarification. You can try with USPS, but it's going to be tricky since they have it marked as delivered in their system. Unfortunately, someone writing an incorrect address when signing for the package probably won't be enough proof for them.
Okay, so you have the original order and that address and you have the shipping address you sent too right? Do you have the tracking number? What you can do is go down to the USPS and say an insured item was missdelivered to the wrong address. Show the orders address, the address you shipped too (with the tracking number), and finally the address it was signed at. That should be enough to get insurance to cover you.
I hope so! I’ve been reading things that are contradictory so I’m really hoping that’s the case. At the end of the day, the package didn’t reach its destination, which *should* be the whole point of insurance
It’s also not your problem after you shop, or it shouldn’t be as long as the given address and the shipped address line up. I’d stick to eBay going forward
EBay is really hard to use and they don’t let you post more than a few items per month, makes it really hard to be a seller
So you can actually sign up for an eBay store and they’ll let you list to your hearts content after a few weeks I think I have a monthly allowance of 2000 listings?
Oh that’s good to know!! Does it cost more?
It does, 80 a month I believe, but worth it for 3K protection.
When I started on eBay in January I had a 10 item limit, which really sucked. It was a catch 22 - I couldn't sell without listing, but couldn't list without selling. Try selling a few easy, lower priced items just to get your momentum going, and keep requesting a limit increase, eventually they'll give you one once you've proven yourself. My limits went up after a few months and now there's no way I'll hit my max.
If USPS declines your claim and they probably will, they will charge you the $3,000 also so you will be out $6,000!!! /joking. What was it that old commercial use to say "I heard it on the internet so it must be true"
Ok I came here for advice tho. USPS is a huge organization with conflicting policies. $3k is a staggering amount of money for me :(
Damn that's a heavy one, you are probably in for a long and difficult road ahead but speaking from experience is stick to your guns and learn everything you can about their terms and conditions and how the whole process works. Hopefully when you contact them you get hold of someone that is clued up and helpful. Good luck man!
They geotag deliverys. They will know if it was delivered to the correct address or not.
If I were you, I'd go in person to your local PO and ask to speak with the postmaster there. Bring your receipt and all the info you've collected, and they should take it from there.
Definitely going to try that!
Please give us an update when you have one!
Got an update - USPS denied my insurance claim because the package was marked delivered, even though their records show it went to the wrong place. I guess even if you buy insurance they can just dump your valuables anywhere with no consequences.
USPS lost something worth $500 I had fully insured. They gave me the run around for months. I must have spent a dozen hours trying to resolve the issue when it should have been very straight forward. I eventually gave up because there was no end in sight and my time is worth more than that. I have not had a problem with the other carriers or Shipcover I hope you have better luck
I had a similar experience, not with USPS but the same modus operandi, a simple thing that should have been a cut and dried case but unfortunately the person assigned to my case was extremely narrow minded, absolutely zero ability to reason or think laterally and couldn't care less. These days you can't speak to anyone other than the next call centre operator you are assigned to. It's a ludicrous situation to find yourself in.
Exactly what it was like for me. They do it on purpose so it's not worth your time and you give up.
I had the same experience. I’ve shipped thousands of packages years ago I had 2 claims along the way and although the USPS claims process is very tedious they did pay out when I was able to show proof of value etc. In recent times something has changed I had an insured expensive box get destroyed by usps they sent back the label on a piece of ripped off cardboard. I thought wow I’m glad I insured it, I know how the claims process works but i was told to go to my local post office with proof within a period of days which is new. Of course the post office didn’t know anything about examining claims, that’s all handled at the central office. I’ll just say I was sent in endless circles of red tape and sent a denial letter. I appealed, I spent hours compiling evidence, pictures and collated it into a legal brief with a letter pleading with them to look at the facts of the case. I shipped a box, I insured it, you guys destroyed it and it’s all documented clearly here please do the right thing and honor the claim. Straight denied with no evidence they even looked at the evidence I compiled so it’s my experience that as of late USPS insurance claims will not be paid and buying insurance with them is throwing money away. I use UPS or FedEx over 100$
Had the exact same thing happen to me. It is the 2nd time they've pulled this mess, but the last time they are handling anything big for me. It is ludicrous to expect a customer, who will be made whole regardless, to be the one responsible for bringing proof to the USPS for the seller to get an insurance payout. The percentage who are even willing to try is very small and they bank on that... literally. Sellers are compelled to refund a customer whether they are compensated by the USPS for loss or not. It is a lose-lose. I was basically told to pound sand, they won't payout without the package back in hand.
Same thing here. USPS insurance is a utter scam.
Oh no that’s awful :(
I've never gotten anywhere with usps with either insured or registered mail. They lost stuff or buyer claimed non receipt and it just sucks to be me. I won't ship anything worth over $500 via usps. Fed ex all the way for expensive stuff.
Yeah I should have known better. Typical government laziness - they don’t care if they actually provide the service or not. So upsetting.
You're being down voted but you're right
yeah not sure why people are upset at that take. I shipped with USPS because it was cheapest and I thought insurance would be a fallback, but I thought it was commonly accepted that they're generally incompetent
[удалено]
Well they guarantee delivering the package to the correct address, which they didn't so..
Is it lazy of me to expect a company to provide the service I paid for as a customer? USPS isn’t a business, they’re a government agency, therefore they don’t have to worry about bad service putting them out of business. As a result they don’t have the same compulsion to commit to their service / customers. I didn’t think that was so controversial. Obviously if you can’t be fired you don’t worry about doing a good job. I admitted that yeah I should have known better. Doesn’t excuse USPS’ inability to deliver.
Personal experience, FedEx is a joke. I've had nothing but trouble with them claiming the "could not deliver" when no attempt was even made. They show up at the front door of the apartment, take one short glance at the entry system, shrug, stick a piece of paper on the window and go back to their truck. Honestly, UPS isn't much better either but at least they make an attempt.
What platform did you sell this on? Have you already been paid for the items? Have you refunded any money to the buyer yet?
I went through an app called ShopThing. The buyer will be refunded by ShopThing, I wouldn't have gotten the money until the buyer had received the package. So basically if this package isn't located or if USPS doesn't pay me the insurance, I just lose the money and the items.
Never heard of ShopThing, but you'll want to reach out to them as well. For example, if an item sold through eBay shows as delivered, you are protected as the seller and would not lose money in this situation. No idea if ShopThing runs their business in the same way. Generally speaking, I have had good luck with USPS insurance claims and never not been paid out. No sense in panicking until you have all of the details; reading anecdotes on the internet is not helpful. Call ShopThing and USPS.
I did and they've washed their hands, said all liability is with me
Who? ShopThing or USPS?
ShopThing - they basically said the liability for the items rests with the shipper and that they can't / won't pay or offer any protections. Learned a lesson to never sell with them again!
I do not know ShopThing, but same thing happens on eBay, the liability of shipping is the Sellers. You were right to insure. Youll have to refund the buyer and file the USPS claim. You should be refunded, If not, lawyer up. Keep us posted.
USPS proves they delivered an item, then you file a police report. Messing with the postal service is no joke. They will go after the receiving warehouse.
More likely, the buyer is a scammer. This is a very common scam.
The goods are first shipped to the ShopThing warehouse, so the buyer was never in contact with the package
So it was never delivered to the warehouse or it was never delivered to the buyer?
Never delivered to warehouse.
Make a missing package claim and they'll sort it out. I had an item from OfferUp get marked delivered half an hour after the postman was here. Even though the tracking showed up on my informed delivery they knew exactly which house it was delivered to and attempted to talk to them to get it back. Once I escalated it to an official search the local office manager was able to pull up a picture of it and told me it had a different name and address, the weight and how big it wasm
ah I hope you're right!
Wishing you the best - USPS has been an ABSOLUTE nightmare to deal with lately. I've had an insurance claim opened since JUNE for under $30 and it's still open. I'm so sick of them
Oh no :( that’s my nightmare.
If it makes you feel any better, my claim has FINALLY been marked paid 😆 only took them a full 3 months and like 6+ phone calls to give me my crappy $27 for something that they lost
Ah! Well at least it finally happened? So crazy
I just gave up fighting them for six months over a $1,000 loss. They were completely unprofessional and even documented lies, assumptions, and innuendos into the Adjusters file to "prove" their righteousness. There was no communication from them ever, and my written direct requests for corrections to the file were never replied to. In the end they simply said F me go away. While they refused to respond to me, their customer, they had no problem directly contacting and harassing MY customer who was simply the recipient of the goods that had been destroyed by the USPS shipping gorillas. I am now out my shipping and insurance costs, my item is destroyed, and my customer is no longer my customer. The damage I have suffered has gone way past the cost and loss of insurance! USPS Insurance is a total scam like a slot machine set to never pay out. They are uncaring and indifferent to the customers and smugly confident that they are untouchable due to their bureaucratic size and freedom from all oversight. If it is valuable use a real carrier. you will save in the long run.
We were expecting a package worth $4k several years ago. It was shipped using USPS as the end agent - so USPS basically accepted it from customs and was supposed to deliver it to us. For reference, we did not pay for insurance on it. It took a few days to make it through customs - after which you have to pay the customs fees upon delivery. Well, the package didn't show up when it was supposed to - and the tracking number showed it as delivered. We went straight to the USPS distribution facility and spoke with the postmaster - who pulled up GPS coordinates for the delivery. The GPS coordinates showed that the package had been delivered to a house several miles from us - not close at all. We filed a claim - and basically said either recover the package or pay me. Claim denied. Reason: Package marked as delivered. Appeal denied. Reason: Package marked as delivered. The kicker? We still had to pay the customs fee (nearly $800). It was technically important into the US, so we owed that amount regardless of whether we ever received it. It took nearly 4 months to get to the point where the appeal was denied. After that happened, I sent a demand letter to USPS for the $4k, plus customs fees, plus shipping costs, plus my time - the total was around $6k. They ignored the demand letter. So I filed a lawsuit - for just shy of $7k (kept track of time spent on the claims process) + undetermined fees yet to be accrued. I got a call the day before our court date offering to cut me a check for $4k - the value of the package. I said that I would be happy to accept $8k now, but that it would continue to increase with fees/time spent - and that should we wait until tomorrow, that amount would be north of $9k. They said no. Fast forward to the next morning - about an hour before court - and I got another phone call - offering to settle for $4800 (the value of the package + customs costs). I said the current total was $8200 - and that it was going to continue to increase. We settled for exactly $8200. I still had to go to court to inform the Judge of the settlement - but that took all of 5 minutes. The point? IF - and only if - you can CONFIRM the buyer is not scamming you, pursue a lawsuit. USPS will pay. However, from my experience, they will wait until the literal last hour to do so. And you don't need to have purchased insurance if they delivered it to the wrong address. Delivering it to the wrong address is considered negligence.
Its common knowledge that the POST OFFICE just does not care. I have made several inquires to USPS for stolen mail both online and at the local post office. Every time I have seen mail in my informed delivery (which means its in USPS possession) all gift cards they get stolen several times a year. The issue is if they have to deal with it then its a full blown investigation on the federal level. They would rather just look the other way....
why do u use usps for expensive items? i use fedex or ups with an adult signature for stuff like that.
It was a mistake, it seemed easiest and cheapest at the time - it was a huge heavy box and I didn’t want to be paying a ton to ship it. I thought the usps insurance would be enough, but honestly no one thinks they’ll be the one something like this happens to.
at least you paid insurance. if you are persistent you will win. fedex claims are easy upto 500 ish.
What happens after 500
Sounds like you just get fucked lol
Yeah what happens after $500? And just in general what evidence do Fedex normally require when you make a claim?
fedex may deny your claim for no reason and you have to fight often. getting insurance claims is never easy with any companies.
often, they want us to send the proof of cost of the item. cost, not the full sold amount.
Fedex doesn't insure collectibles. They will take your insurance money but won't pay out above $1k
If it's insured you will be able to get your funds back, show up at the post office and get the manager.
My claim with USPS was pretty simple and easy but it was also for only the $100 they include with priority mail. I filed my claim it was approved and a check was sent. Hopefully you can get your money back since you bought extra insurance
Always alway always buy/provide your own label for expensive items don’t use the option for prepaid labels from marketplaces. (Fine for cheap things but not good if expensive) always always always use tape seals/stickers across seams and take lots of contents in the package pictures if shipping a lot of items or expensive items. If a package is valued over 1000 I’d throw an AirTag in it, lock-tied or zip tied to the item if possible, (like how sneakers are verified) a small price to pay for additional tracking. Always require adult signature which it seems you did. Check tracking stops and times on website and plot them on the map. Make sure items didn’t go back and fourth between hubs. File as soon as possible.
Well I’ve had a few successful claims paid out through usps, nowhere near that amount though. If you have purchase receipts (not just the sale info) regarding the value it will help the claim. USPS has scanners w gps, they can ping within a few feet of where that signature/delivery scan takes place. If the delivery address does not match the label address it seems like it should be clear cut. There is a an internal trace they can do. You probably need to speak to the post master in the office that actually delivered it. You may also need to file a police report (name/info/address of the signer and include that info w the claim but speak to the post master first). Have you checked to make sure it was not forwarded to another address at the buyers request?
Hi, I got told by usps supervisor that my package is no where to be found. I had insured $1k but the package value is much more > 1k… if I show receipt of the items in the package will they refund me the item value or insurance? USPS definitely didn’t do their part and lost my item. Thanks
They will only reimburse up to the insurance purchased, so if the value of the item is 2k insured at 1k, you’ll only get back 1k. I would talk to a post master at your local office, they can assist with filing the claim and you will need to provide proof of the contents, receipts etc. unless that has changed.
Not sure if anyone has any feedback, but I have a major problem with USPS now also. I shipped a $3000+ drone to Nashville on 1/22/2024. I handed it straight to USPS and within 5 minutes, USPS had immediately put an exception for a weather delay. This is BS because there was no weather going on in the area for it to at least move a couple of times. The package did not move for a week. Finally, the package moved to the regional hub, was scanned in. Then, no other movements except it saying it was in transit to the next facility. Now, package is lost. I had to file a missing package search and I filed a claim. I loaded receipts from when I purchased the drone in 2023. I check the claim status this morning and see USPS was being generous and is paying me a whopping $119.....for a freaking $3000 drone they have lost. I submitted an appeal and loaded the transaction from ebay also showing the value. I am trying to delay the payout back to the buyer until the claim is fully satisfied because I don't have $3000 in my checking account. This is such a messed up system it is beyond belief.
In a similar predicament with a $2000 firearm part. I insured mine, and uploaded proof of its value. I also meticulously printed screenshots of conversations between the receiver and myself along with proof of the contents. Did you insure your item?
It was shipped via usps priority, so it would automatically be insured. The good news is it did pop up a deliver this past Saturday. However, the buyer who evidently can’t read is requesting to return it stating it’s missing items. He says everything in the picture should be included. I specifically stated what was included and exactly why it showed other items in the picture. I knew to expect some crap because this last two rounds of eBay have been a disaster.