12OunceEpilogue
02-07-2009, 06:54 PM
Having seen lots of complications on transactions over in the feedback threads, I figured we might need a shipping tips thread. So, here it is:
Part I
1. Insurance - These days it is VERY hard to get the USPS to pay out on any insurance claim over $50. Under $50 and they can make an in-office decision. If it is over, then the decision is out of the local PO's hands. In addition to this they almost never pay out on collectibles. They officially do NOT accept eBay printouts as proof of payment or value.
So my suggestion is if you buy something expensive and get it insured, ask for a receipt from the seller to be included with the item that says the price paid, date, etc. Also if the package comes smashed, keep it. They will want to see the package when you try to make an insurance claim.
Another note about insurance is DO NOT round the number off. Give the actual value. On the days I work the window I get tons of people when I ask if they want insurance go with $50 because that is the first price point before insurance goes up. Well guess what, if it gets damaged and they put in a claim and it was really worth say $35 they are not getting their money back. If it is worth $35 make sure you tell the clerk so.
2. Delivery Confirmation - It is a confirmation of delivery, but that is it. It is not proof of anything really and is not signed for. Anybody can accept that package. I put delivery confirmation on things I sell or trade just to make the buyer feel better, but after learning the rules about it, if it doesn't get there you really have no recourse.
3. Parcel Post - Parcel Post is the bane of anything fragile. You are much better off paying a little more and shipping something priority mail than parcel post. PP mail is treated like total crap. It is stuff in bags. The bags are thrown around. THey don't care whether the heavy stuff is on top or bottom. 95% of all smashed open packages I see are either Parcel Post or Media Mail (which is treated the same way and I will get to next).
4. Media Mail - They are cracking down on people sending stuff Media Mail that isn't really. We can now ask you to open a package if we think you may be mailing something Media Mail that isn't. If you refuse, we can refuse to mail the package. It is also treated as badly as Parcel Post. Actually usually worse, since Media Mail is often heavy books, they tear through boxes when thrown around.
5. Fragile stuff - If you have something that is fragile, please ask the clerk to stamp it as such. It DOES make a difference. Packages are literally thrown around when sorted. In fact they postal lingo for sorting packages is throwing or tossing parcels. The clerk will often stand near the container with the parcels in it throwing them into buggies that are assigned to each route. These buggies in my office can be anywhere from 2 to 15 or so feet from the clerk tossing the parcels. Fragile stuff (at least in my office) is taken out of the regular mail and carried by hand to the desk of the carrier who is to deliver it so it doesn't get smashed when tossed. Of course some carriers don't like this and go toss it themselves but there is nothing I can do about that.
6. Registered mail - This really only applies if you are mailing something super valuable (in the thousands of dollars) because it is expensive to use but registered mail is the most safe and secure mail we have. It is signed for at every stop, kept separate in its own bags, which are locked and sealed, and people are actually held accountable if something happens to it (trust me this is rare in the post office!). It also has built in insurance.
7. Dropping mail in boxes - First off, if you are mailing a package, do NOT just stick stamps on it and stick it in a mailbox. It WILL be mailed back to you due to new security measures. If you did it via meter mail that is fine, but actual stamps on packages must be handstamped by a clerk in the office. Packages over (I think) 14 ounces that have uncancelled stamps on them will be mailed back to the sender this is bad for another reason I will get to next. Also dropping big stuff in a mailbox is bad for 2 other reasons. The first one is if it is say priority mail and you stuck it in a mailbox, well mailboxes are for first class mail. If the clerk doesn't see it or doesn't bother to take it out, it gets sent to the first class sorting plant first and priority mail is done separate. This can cause delays in your mail. The second reason is it will just annoy the guy who empties the boxes. Hehe.
8. Return to sender. Try to make sure you have enough postage on everything. If you get something sent back to you for lack of postage it can take a long long time. Remember that oddly shaped, oversized, and square envelopes require $.49 not $.37. The reason you don't want to get packages sent back to you return to sender is a lot of clerks are either too lazy or just don't know proper procedures for sending stuff back. This results in mail that is supposed to go back to the sender bouncing from post office to post office. Sometimes it will have actually been in the post office of where you originally sent it to multiple times (along with several others) before it gets sent back to you. I recently had a package at work that was return to sender. This was the end of the September. The parcel was originally mailed April 28.
9. Don't send cash or anything else valuable in an envelope where they can easily tell what it is! There are a lot of thieves working for the USPS, despite the large penalties for stealing from mail. This is especially a problem at the large plants where mail is sorted. I have seen many torn open empty jewelry boxes and empty check envelopes in the mail. Also you cannot insure cash sent in the mail. Some people actually don't know this so I figured I would mention it.
Part I
1. Insurance - These days it is VERY hard to get the USPS to pay out on any insurance claim over $50. Under $50 and they can make an in-office decision. If it is over, then the decision is out of the local PO's hands. In addition to this they almost never pay out on collectibles. They officially do NOT accept eBay printouts as proof of payment or value.
So my suggestion is if you buy something expensive and get it insured, ask for a receipt from the seller to be included with the item that says the price paid, date, etc. Also if the package comes smashed, keep it. They will want to see the package when you try to make an insurance claim.
Another note about insurance is DO NOT round the number off. Give the actual value. On the days I work the window I get tons of people when I ask if they want insurance go with $50 because that is the first price point before insurance goes up. Well guess what, if it gets damaged and they put in a claim and it was really worth say $35 they are not getting their money back. If it is worth $35 make sure you tell the clerk so.
2. Delivery Confirmation - It is a confirmation of delivery, but that is it. It is not proof of anything really and is not signed for. Anybody can accept that package. I put delivery confirmation on things I sell or trade just to make the buyer feel better, but after learning the rules about it, if it doesn't get there you really have no recourse.
3. Parcel Post - Parcel Post is the bane of anything fragile. You are much better off paying a little more and shipping something priority mail than parcel post. PP mail is treated like total crap. It is stuff in bags. The bags are thrown around. THey don't care whether the heavy stuff is on top or bottom. 95% of all smashed open packages I see are either Parcel Post or Media Mail (which is treated the same way and I will get to next).
4. Media Mail - They are cracking down on people sending stuff Media Mail that isn't really. We can now ask you to open a package if we think you may be mailing something Media Mail that isn't. If you refuse, we can refuse to mail the package. It is also treated as badly as Parcel Post. Actually usually worse, since Media Mail is often heavy books, they tear through boxes when thrown around.
5. Fragile stuff - If you have something that is fragile, please ask the clerk to stamp it as such. It DOES make a difference. Packages are literally thrown around when sorted. In fact they postal lingo for sorting packages is throwing or tossing parcels. The clerk will often stand near the container with the parcels in it throwing them into buggies that are assigned to each route. These buggies in my office can be anywhere from 2 to 15 or so feet from the clerk tossing the parcels. Fragile stuff (at least in my office) is taken out of the regular mail and carried by hand to the desk of the carrier who is to deliver it so it doesn't get smashed when tossed. Of course some carriers don't like this and go toss it themselves but there is nothing I can do about that.
6. Registered mail - This really only applies if you are mailing something super valuable (in the thousands of dollars) because it is expensive to use but registered mail is the most safe and secure mail we have. It is signed for at every stop, kept separate in its own bags, which are locked and sealed, and people are actually held accountable if something happens to it (trust me this is rare in the post office!). It also has built in insurance.
7. Dropping mail in boxes - First off, if you are mailing a package, do NOT just stick stamps on it and stick it in a mailbox. It WILL be mailed back to you due to new security measures. If you did it via meter mail that is fine, but actual stamps on packages must be handstamped by a clerk in the office. Packages over (I think) 14 ounces that have uncancelled stamps on them will be mailed back to the sender this is bad for another reason I will get to next. Also dropping big stuff in a mailbox is bad for 2 other reasons. The first one is if it is say priority mail and you stuck it in a mailbox, well mailboxes are for first class mail. If the clerk doesn't see it or doesn't bother to take it out, it gets sent to the first class sorting plant first and priority mail is done separate. This can cause delays in your mail. The second reason is it will just annoy the guy who empties the boxes. Hehe.
8. Return to sender. Try to make sure you have enough postage on everything. If you get something sent back to you for lack of postage it can take a long long time. Remember that oddly shaped, oversized, and square envelopes require $.49 not $.37. The reason you don't want to get packages sent back to you return to sender is a lot of clerks are either too lazy or just don't know proper procedures for sending stuff back. This results in mail that is supposed to go back to the sender bouncing from post office to post office. Sometimes it will have actually been in the post office of where you originally sent it to multiple times (along with several others) before it gets sent back to you. I recently had a package at work that was return to sender. This was the end of the September. The parcel was originally mailed April 28.
9. Don't send cash or anything else valuable in an envelope where they can easily tell what it is! There are a lot of thieves working for the USPS, despite the large penalties for stealing from mail. This is especially a problem at the large plants where mail is sorted. I have seen many torn open empty jewelry boxes and empty check envelopes in the mail. Also you cannot insure cash sent in the mail. Some people actually don't know this so I figured I would mention it.