USPS lost my pen!!!

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wiset1

wiset1

Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
2,222
Location
Florida
Okay, so my front page winning banded ivory and mirrored bands pen sold a couple weeks ago to a gentleman in Baton Rouge. Pen was sent out on the 2nd of Feb and arrived in Baton Rouge on the 5th. From there they have no idea!!!! Now I have to file the Insurance claim and make another pen for the customer.

This is why I don't sell my pens and they end up sitting at the bottom of my closet collecting dust. USPS....aaarrrgggg!!!!
 
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just another reason(even though it is a hastle) for insure the package! hopefully it will surface quickly and you wont have to make another, that would be a bummer
 
seamus7227 said:
just another reason(even though it is a hastle) for insure the package! hopefully it will surface quickly and you wont have to make another, that would be a bummer
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Seamus, apparently you've never had an insured pen lost by USPS. I'm still holding my breath on getting payment for one that was lost a year ago. I takes longer to get a USPS insurance payment than it takes to get a Trademark. The last Trademark only took 10 months!

Sad but true.
 
To top things off I'm out in California for work and won't be home till the end of the month so I can't start making a new one for the customer. UPS next time!!!
 
Well USPS just lost my package so I'm going to try UPS. Just upset that this was even lost in the first place. From now on I'm going to add an extra zero to the value when paying for the insurance. Just mad
 
That's why a lot of artists insist on USPS Certified Mail, as it has to be signed for at each stop. There was an article in the AAW Journal a while back and I was surprised, to say the least. Anyway, this guy has shipped pieces valued in the thousands of dollars and never had one damaged or lost.
 
wiset1 said:
Well USPS just lost my package so I'm going to try UPS. Just upset that this was even lost in the first place. From now on I'm going to add an extra zero to the value when paying for the insurance. Just mad
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Tim, adding the extra 0 won't help, you'll have to prove the value of the insured object, Then all the crap about how well it was packaged and endless BS.
getting an insurance settlement from UPS isn't an=y easier DAMHIKT!!!!
 
Several months ago I made an online purchase and it was shipped UPS. A few days later it arrived in my city and scheduled for delivery next day. THEN UPS handed it over to USPS for final delivery (why I don't know). It took USPS 5 days to get it from the local sorting depot to me. That's longer than it took UPS to get it from California to Wisconsin.
 
Xander said:
Several months ago I made an online purchase and it was shipped UPS. A few days later it arrived in my city and scheduled for delivery next day. THEN UPS handed it over to USPS for final delivery (why I don't know). It took USPS 5 days to get it from the local sorting depot to me. That's longer than it took UPS to get it from California to Wisconsin.
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at least that's what UPS claimed...
 
Been there. Done that. I have never received an insurance payment from USPS because of all the red tape. I don't even buy insurance anymore from them. And they wonder why they are losing money. This might be one reason. Sorry about your pen. I lost a PITH pen one year. All the person got was a baggie with an "I'm sorry" message from USPS.
 
FWIW, FedEx is my preferred shipper for larger packages. I've only really had one damaged package through FedEx in the last 6 years (just a few blanks in a box of 50 or so). Submitted the claim online, received a refund check in the mail within 2 weeks and the cost of the shipment was credited back to my account. USPS, is another story.
 
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I have had a few packages take some unexpected "side trips" before finally arriving at their destination. There is still a chance yours could show up although 10 days is a long time.
 
I just had the same issue with a blank but I was the receiving end.

The tracking number said it was delivered at 11:15 on the 8th. I got home about 1 that day and no package. The mail driver actually showed up at the house at 3:00 still no package. I waited another day and then called to put a trace on it. The woman that called me about it asked if I was sure if I didn't receive it. So I told her how the tracking number showed it was scanned as delivered at 11:15 but the driver did not arrive until 3:00 and I was supposed to receive 2 packages that day that both had the same scan time and only one arrived at 3:00 PM. What bothered me the most was her attitude. Like it was my fault for not properly checking the mail box and that it seemed like it was more trouble then it was worth to fix their screw up
 
Been there -- huge, broken guitar ... lost items ... boxes being received with huge holes in the side by, what looks like, some kick or footprint.

USPS = I dislike
Fedex = I like more, but the Youtube videos of their package abuses scare me.
 
I use UPS at the office. They deliver more items on time and with less damage. My driver here at the office told me that they are personally responsible for the packages. If they are lost it comes out of their pay.
 
I've seen bad things from every delivery company. The most expensive item I got damaged was a $3,800 Apple MacBook Pro that was double-boxed and still got hit with something hard enough to put a baseball sized dent in the aluminum lid.

On a related note....the UPS website appears to have the Tracking page deleted or moved today.
 
Yeah, I had an express shipment for Valentines day. "Guaranteed" delivery by Feb 13, got delivered today (Feb 15).

Fortunately, the customer was following the tracking and knew it was a USPS issue and was forgiving, but, needless to say, I refunded his expedited shipping fee. Now I just need to see how hard it is to get it back from the postal service.

I hope yours turns up quickly.

-Barry
 
Something my Father-in-law taught me was to put a piece of clear tape over the address so that if the package got dirty or wet the address would still be readable. Not sure if that would have helped in your case. What happened is sad. I have always had good luck with USPS however I'm always a little worried until I get confirmation of arrival from whomever I send a package to.
 
Found out a long time ago, the insurance is a scam...never pays off, they always come up with an excuse not to pay...always. Waited for over a year, with constant calling to the PostMaster and proving the value, and on and on and on....was denied my claim on packaging. Informed them it was their package and the process started all over again.... Stayed on them almost 9 months before I was given some other BS excuse! They expect you to just 'go away', but I haven't yet....hehehehe. Been 7 months since the last excuse, wonder what they will come up with this next time.
Good news, they haven't lost any of my stuff since:biggrin:


Hopefully you can get another made and sent out to keep your customer happy.



Scott
 
edman2 said:
Been there. Done that. I have never received an insurance payment from USPS because of all the red tape. I don't even buy insurance anymore from them. And they wonder why they are losing money. This might be one reason. Sorry about your pen. I lost a PITH pen one year. All the person got was a baggie with an "I'm sorry" message from USPS.
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I got one of those recently.. they cut the label off of the package I sent
to Fearless Leader right here on IAP :eek: And since it was sent parcel post
because of the odd shape, there isn't much I can do. Tried filling out the
online form, but it isn't for parcel post. THey're pretty much telling me
"sorry, but too bad."
Somewhere in Ohio is a postal worker making a couple of nice sets
of Tasmanian Fiddleback Blackwood salt and pepper grinders..
 
That is why the USPS is in so much financial trouble. Once they lost nine 8" round by 4" thick Black Walnut bowl blanks. It has been a year now and I am still sadly waiting for them by my front door. Tell me, how can you not find such items within your storage facility? Another government office failure!!!!
 
I had several packages come up missing. Never got any insurance payment. I have always believed my postal carrier was stealing them because she knew I made pens. I never heard from USPS on any feedback or anything. Then one day she was gone. I had started taking the packages to the post office and never had any problems. One day I asked about her and was told she was transferred and got a promotion. Not had any more problems really after that issue.

There is a lot of red tape and time involved on any claim from USPS. I don't bother with insurance now and just use the delivery confirmation.
 
From some of the comments I can guess that the problem is the shipper. Packed in less than a quality package is asking for disaster.

This goes for USPS, UPS and Fed Ex. Packages are not handled one at a time, they are run through conveyor systems into hampers that are then trucked to another hub to be sorted again. The machines that read the bar codes, don't read "fragile" they don't read "this side up" or anything else. Packages need to be strong, crush proof and well labeled. Yours might be the first into the hamper, the next might be a box of lead weighing 50 pounds, that cardboard box might be crushed, contents spilled, and it might be a 1000 miles down the road when it is dumped and the packaging and merchandise is found in 2 places. You are paying for shipping, pack it right.

The address, if it gets wet, some will smear beyond recognition, with the post office they get sent to the dead letter office and sold at auction. Fed Ex and UPS has their own auctions. It is best to also place the address of the sender and recipient inside of the package.

We ship USPS, I use padded Mylar envelopes, the non tear kind. Inside is a smaller Mylar padded envelope with complete addresses of sender and recipient. Both are written in non smear markers. If it is a package, it cardboard inside of cardboard and the inside is wrapped on packing tape. In the last few years the only problems has been one lost package and wrong zip codes, that caused delays. One out of several hundred, I cam live with that.
 
Has anyone ever noticed the number of nice custom-made pens that the USPS clerks use at the counter? Nothing like the BICs with the tape and string tethers tied to the desk for our use. Since I started making pens, I take more notice to what folks pull out of their pocket to write with. OK, I was trying to lighten the issue a little with the USPS clerks shot, but you never really know...............
 
I know it's little consolation but you are not alone. Inlayed pilots wing pen, birthday present, elegant Sierra beauty, ca finish, black titanium. USPS lost it. Tracking number, insured, delivery receipt. This was 9 months ago. Filed claim. Still waiting.
 
wiset1 said:
Well USPS just lost my package so I'm going to try UPS. Just upset that this was even lost in the first place. From now on I'm going to add an extra zero to the value when paying for the insurance. Just mad
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Or FedEx, they're more convenient for me since my employer does daily business with them and I can just drop stuff off at the company mailroom and let them know the value. Up to $100 is insured automatically and any above that cost just a small amount. Well worth it. Also the tracking is much more up to date than USPS.

Of all the deliveries I've ever gotten from USPS, the package was always in my hands for over a day before their tracking showed it anywhere near me. I only use them for International shiptments, because they are considerably cheaper for those types of deliveries.

Good luck on tracking down your pen. Hopefully it will show up before you get too involved in filing the insurance stuff. Also, don't let this disappointment you from selling your beautiful pieces of art (they really are!). Just learn from the experience and choose a better method of transit next time.

Feeling your pain, God Bless
 
butchf18a said:
I know it's little consolation but you are not alone. Inlayed pilots wing pen, birthday present, elegant Sierra beauty, ca finish, black titanium. USPS lost it. Tracking number, insured, delivery receipt. This was 9 months ago. Filed claim. Still waiting.
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Well, still no joy and claim is stalled in pending status. I hope it's not 9 months like yours:mad:

UPS delivered the other pen I made to replace the one USPS lost. Customer is happy, but I'm still waiting for USPS to pull their finger out of the back end.
 
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Invoice

bitshird said:
wiset1 said:
Well USPS just lost my package so I'm going to try UPS. Just upset that this was even lost in the first place. From now on I'm going to add an extra zero to the value when paying for the insurance. Just mad
Click to expand...

Tim, adding the extra 0 won't help, you'll have to prove the value of the insured object, Then all the crap about how well it was packaged and endless BS.
getting an insurance settlement from UPS isn't an=y easier DAMHIKT!!!!
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Your invoice is proof...If you ship a lot of packages U-PIC is a good place to insure - lower price than the post office and really fast and efficient claims service.
 
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