This is why I don't ship to Russia

I'm also on the us only list.

I have had issues with Canada customs. It was frustrating!

I will only ship US now with knives I can't afford to loose. I have shipped a Busse to Canada, but it was to a long standing member, and I was able to purchase insurance for the full amount.

I don't think I would take that risk again, except with specific members.

Frankly, I don't trust USPS insurance, even if I have paid enough to cover the knife. I've heard too many people say they were denied a claim for an item, because they did not have a receipt. Nearly none of my expensive knives have receipts. Even the ones I have bought direct, I have no receipt for.
 
rodblder said:
I shipped a $1200 William Henry knife dec 17 from San Diego to Washington. Tracking shows being in oregon sort facility since Dec 20. Its been about 10 days now since I filed a claim wondering where it is, have received 3 phone calls in response but nothing has been done as they state they've been too busy to call the oregon post office and find out where it is. Being registered with $1200 insurance I'm not too worried but concerned at the lack of response in attempting to find it to date. Has anyone ever heard of a registered package being lost? The guy that bought it is concerned as am I. I've heard bad things about getting a claim paid from the post office but it was hearsay. Hoping for the best.
Click to expand...

You need to speak postoffice when you talk to them. :) I put in a career in postal management. In any bureaucracy, exact terminology rules. Registered mail is signed for whenever it changes hands, whether an individual piece or an entire sack. It can be stolen, but the thief has already identified himself. You would be reimbursed.

When they say "the oregon post office" they aren't talking about some one small building with letter carriers. They are referring to the Postmaster's office or to the specific sorting or transshipment operation in Oregon. We used to handle 10,000,000 pieces of mail a day in NYC. Oregon might be less, but in sacks, trays, rolling stock, maybe in different buildings -- it is physically impossible to call and have someone search for it. Even Registered mail could be in different locations or even in motion by now.

It gets "found" by moving on to the next location. Weather this month has been a mess.
 
creativeguy said:
To add to this, the USPS listing prohibited items does not say anything close to "Weapons of any kind, and parts thereof." It does say "Firearms of all kinds, ammunition, swords, cutlasses, bayonets, lances, and similar arms." which is the line they had used to deny my claim up until this final letter. What a load of crap.

http://pe.usps.com/imm_archive/html/imm_archive_2006/imm/immicl/immiclnr_025.html
Click to expand...

Who did you write to to get that letter? I would suggest a letter to the Postmaster General, L'Enfant Plaza, Washington DC. I should also suggest a letter to the Postal Inspectors -- you can write to them at www.usps.com since besides criminal investigations, they also do internal audits.
 
colubrid said:
My worst shipping experience was when I shipped a $3000. custom knife to Canada. Canadian customs kept it and never returned because it had a little bit of ivory on the grip.

I have other horror stories. But that one was the most costly.

Never ship to Canada! ...
or New York!
Click to expand...

You messed up. Ivory is one of those obvious materials you need to research before shipping to another country.

What's the problem with NY? Upstate is no problem, and even NYC is good as long as you know who you're shipping to. The post office in NYC has no connection with the Manhattan District Attorney who made so much trouble for mail order businesses.

If a stranger in NYC wants to buy, you might be right to suspect it could be a straw purchase by the DA's office to entrap you.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Who did you write to to get that letter? I would suggest a letter to the Postmaster General, L'Enfant Plaza, Washington DC. I should also suggest a letter to the Postal Inspectors -- you can write to them at www.usps.com since besides criminal investigations, they also do internal audits.
Click to expand...

I've probably spent $25 in postage writing letters. :eek: That last one was to the Office of the Consumer Advocate at 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW RM 4012 in DC which is where they told me to send my appeal.

Do you think it would do any good to write to the Postmaster there since the last letter stated "This office is the final level of postal authority concerning claim appeals"?

BTW, thank you for your informative response, sir! Much appreciated.
 
We had a recent PMG named Potter, who I would have trusted -- I used to work for his father. :D

If they shot you down, it may have been between changes to the wording. Give the Postal Inspectors a try.
 
NCCNC said:
I battled Canada for 3 months after following every rule to the "T". Came out $225.00 on the loosing end. I ship to the lower 48 now. That is it.
Click to expand...
You won't ship to Alaska or Hawaii? Why? It's no different than shipping to any other state in the USA.
 
Last edited:
rodblder said:
I shipped a $1200 William Henry knife dec 17 from San Diego to Washington. Tracking shows being in oregon sort facility since Dec 20. Its been about 10 days now since I filed a claim wondering where it is, have received 3 phone calls in response but nothing has been done as they state they've been too busy to call the oregon post office and find out where it is. Being registered with $1200 insurance I'm not too worried but concerned at the lack of response in attempting to find it to date. Has anyone ever heard of a registered package being lost? The guy that bought it is concerned as am I. I've heard bad things about getting a claim paid from the post office but it was hearsay. Hoping for the best.
Click to expand...
Haven't had one lost, but USPS definitely lost track of this one that I sent to a buddy in Europe back in December. This screen grab was done a few minutes ago...

USPS%20Tracking.jpg


...what makes it even odder than the strange routing is that my buddy received the package on Jan 2. So, all is good, but still a major WTF. So I have to ask, are you sure your Wm Henry has not been received?
 
RevDevil said:
So the other 2 states get shafted? 50 US states....
Click to expand...


I have just never sold anything that anyone from Alaska or Hawaii has wanted to buy. I have never crossed that bridge so no one from those locations have been shafted. If someone from either of those states wanted to buy and had positive feedback, I would not be opposed to shipping to them. Please excuse my lack of detail in my first post.
 
I've only had one major big problem with the USPS and that was getting paid on a claim. I finally had a Post Master offer to help because it was messed up what I was going through. She felt badly for me so she wrote the letter for claims appeal and mailed it for me. That's the only way I got paid even though the evidence was on myside. It would appear to me they collect insurance money with no real intention on making good on legitimate insurance claims. Something to keep in mind when shipping valuable items.
 
Striderco said:
I think you should clarify that about New York! New York City yes but the rest of the state is fine! I ship to the 50 nifty only! I have heard too many horror stories about shipping through customs! I have friends in customs and they have trained eyes! If they spot what looks like a nice custom knife in a box they simply open her up stating it looked suspicious and if they like what they see.....well you can figure out the rest! It sucks, they are a holes, but its true!
Click to expand...

Nice friends you have! Someone ought to report them to a LEO
 
NCCNC said:
I have just never sold anything that anyone from Alaska or Hawaii has wanted to buy. I have never crossed that bridge so no one from those locations have been shafted. If someone from either of those states wanted to buy and had positive feedback, I would not be opposed to shipping to them. Please excuse my lack of detail in my first post.
Click to expand...

No worries, just ribbin ya is all. :)
 
Is there anybody here that HAS successfully recovered an insurance claim with USPS? Really does seem like a bad faith practice they're engaging in.

I'm in the crowd that will only ship within US. At least 3 bad deals shipping to Canada and I'm done with international sales. I'd rather sell something for a little less and not deal with the hassle. I'm sorry to my international brethren, but it's not worth the added aggravation to me.
 
rodblder said:
I shipped a $1200 William Henry knife dec 17 from San Diego to Washington. Tracking shows being in oregon sort facility since Dec 20. Its been about 10 days now since I filed a claim wondering where it is, have received 3 phone calls in response but nothing has been done as they state they've been too busy to call the oregon post office and find out where it is. Being registered with $1200 insurance I'm not too worried but concerned at the lack of response in attempting to find it to date. Has anyone ever heard of a registered package being lost? The guy that bought it is concerned as am I. I've heard bad things about getting a claim paid from the post office but it was hearsay. Hoping for the best.
Click to expand...

Registered package won't be lost, the tracking isn't updated many times for Registered (personal experience, not sure why) and it is hell slow. I had a USPS 2-day Priority + Registered knife take 2 weeks to reach me, and the last tracking was always at San Francisco (I am a 50 miles South and a fairly large city). And as Esav noted, it is signed-for, so there is always a trace.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top