USPS Lost my knife

TC4Taay

TC4Taay

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So I bought a knife from a private seller here last week and according to USPS tracking it was due to arrive on Thursday the 26th. Well, it never did. I checked the tracking everyday since it shipped and it only updated once after the package left the sorting facility on the 24th and it stayed on that update until today. My girlfriend got the package from the mailbox and it was the opened, empty flat rate box inside a clear USPS bag with an "Apology" letter saying "sorry we lost your stuff, better luck next time.
I filled a claim but it's the first time the USPS has done this to me. I've dealt with FedEx/Amazon before in a similar situation and Amazon(not FedEx) dealt with it really well. Honestly though, my hopes aren't too high in this situation. Has anyone ever had a similar case?
 

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That sucks. At least they owned up to it. Hopefully it will make the resolution process a bit easier. Good luck with getting things straightened out. Let us know how it goes.
 
That's why I pack mine up with lots and lots of tape. I even tape my package to the inside of the box. Sorry to see that man. I hope you'll at least get your money back.
 
Never got an apology letter or admission of guilt, but USPS has lost more than one package meant for me. The last one was signature confirmation that just sort of disappeared from the system.
 
TC4Taay said:
MODS: MOVE IF IN WRONG FORUM

So I bought a knife from a private seller here last week and according to USPS tracking it was due to arrive on Thursday the 26th. Well, it never did. I checked the tracking everyday since it shipped and it only updated once after the package left the sorting facility on the 24th and it stayed on that update until today. My girlfriend got the package from the mailbox and it was the opened, empty flat rate box inside a clear USPS bag with an "Apology" letter saying "sorry we lost your stuff, better luck next time.
I filled a claim but it's the first time the USPS has done this to me. I've dealt with FedEx/Amazon before in a similar situation and Amazon(not FedEx) dealt with it really well. Honestly though, my hopes aren't too high in this situation. Has anyone ever had a similar case?
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I don't see how you filed a claim. You never shipped the knife, it's up to the shipper to purchase insurance and to file claims, not you. If there's no insurance then there's no claim to be filed, although the seller is still responsible for safe delivery. (If it's the ZT 0801 you bought that was lost, the seller states full insurance so let him file the claim)
 
Austinaftermath said:
That's why I only mail things in the boxes; I've had 2 knives break free from envelopes like that.
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It is a box. It's a small flat rate box, USPS at some point put the empty box in that clear "apology" bag and sent it to me.

jill jackson said:
I don't see how you filed a claim. You never shipped the knife, it's up to the shipper to purchase insurance and to file claims, not you. If there's no insurance then there's no claim to be filed, although the seller is still responsible for safe delivery.
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I thought so to, but I went on the website and the addressee, me, can file the claim also. The forum member who shipped it to me did insure it and has stayed in contact the whole time since I pm'd him about buying the knife. He offered any help I may need, I just took it upon myself to file the claim but if he needs to file one too, i'm sure he'll do it no problem.
An interesting note though, the seller assured me the box was tapped up heavily when he dropped it off at the post office but this box has no tape on it or any sign that it was tapped at any point in time. I have no reason to really doubt him as he has a very good seller feedback and the box seriously looks in too good a condition. I'm not saying it should be beat up but I rarely get something in the mail with out some scuffing or scrapes.
 
Never, ever trust those boxes. I have had more than a few have the glue fail or the end of the box burst open. Fortunately, I never lost anything.

It always amazes me how cheap people are with tape. Really, they are willing to trust a $500 knife to a folded piece of cardboard and some glue. :roll eyes:

I buy the thickest packing tape I can find and seal all the edges. I get two rolls for $7.00, so the tape used for one of those small boxes costs
maybe 20¢ at the most.
 
I've never gotten an empty box but I did have the USPS mess up a delivery pretty badly a couple months ago. Bought a brand new Small Sebenza 21 from BHQ and was anxiously awaiting its arrival, checking the shipping info multiple times an hour. It was out for delivery and then suddenly, "undeliverable as addressed," which was bull because I had purchased things from BHQ before and used the exact same information I had on file with them already. So naturally I called the local post office and... no answer. I tried a couple more times over a span of about 20 minutes, got fed up, and drove straight to the post office. By the time I arrived and got to the front of the line, the knife was already on its way back to Utah and there was nothing I could do. And the guy at the counter was "lovely" enough to inform me that had I arrived 60 seconds sooner (or the line had been 60 seconds shorter), he would have been able to pull the package off the truck before it left.

Luckily BHQ got it sorted out and re-sent it to me once they got it back (they were sold out and thus couldn't just send me another one), but the whole process ended up taking 2 weeks longer than expected. Needless to say I was... irked.
 
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Most likely your knife was not lost but stolen, looks like somebody who worked there stole your knife

Back when I worked at Fed Ex in 2006 the manager was stealing labtop computers from the packages, he eventually was caught and got fired.
 
Woodcamo Nut said:
Most likely your knife was not lost but stolen, looks like somebody who worked there stole your knife

Back when I worked at Fed Ex in 2006 the manager was stealing labtop computers from the packages, he eventually was caught and got fired.
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This is what I think happened.

I wonder if the can reprint postage and tracking numbers down the line. What I was getting at with the box looking new was that someone stole it, tore the box and replaced it with this empty one. Maybe i'm being paranoid haha..
 
TC4Taay said:
This is what I think happened.

I wonder if the can reprint postage and tracking numbers down the line. What I was getting at with the box looking new was that someone stole it, tore the box and replaced it with this empty one. Maybe i'm being paranoid haha..
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I think someone that works in the sorting facility was probably opening boxes looking for stuff to keep and they found the knife and then just sent the opened box to be shipped after they found what they were looking for.
 
TC4Taay said:
It is a box. It's a small flat rate box, USPS at some point put the empty box in that clear "apology" bag and sent it to me.



I thought so to, but I went on the website and the addressee, me, can file the claim also. The forum member who shipped it to me did insure it and has stayed in contact the whole time since I pm'd him about buying the knife. He offered any help I may need, I just took it upon myself to file the claim but if he needs to file one too, i'm sure he'll do it no problem.
An interesting note though, the seller assured me the box was tapped up heavily when he dropped it off at the post office but this box has no tape on it or any sign that it was tapped at any point in time. I have no reason to really doubt him as he has a very good seller feedback and the box seriously looks in too good a condition. I'm not saying it should be beat up but I rarely get something in the mail with out some scuffing or scrapes.
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According to that Tracking Number its only got $50 worth of insurance on it which is the standard amount of insurance all priority mail items come with..if you bought a knife that's more than $50 then you're screwed..

I'm not seeing any signs that box has been "taped up heavily" in that first pic..someone else mentioned a ZT0801.. IF thats what you bought then anyone that would ship a relatively heavy, expensive knife like that and only rely on that thin strip of lousy glue the USPS puts on the front of those boxes is a lousy seller IMO..I've had that crappy thin strip of glue break apart from the pressure of just a few pieces of paper and nothing else in the box..
 
Proper packaging is key here. I give out instructions on how to pack my stuff when buying used:

In a box, never in an envelope! Inside the box shall be another box that fits inside the outer box without moving. If it is too small, stuffing (crumpled paper or small bubble wrap) shall be used to ensure a tight fit. The knife shall be in its original box, with additional paper crumpled inside to ensure the knife DOES NOT MOVE inside its box during shipping. This box is placed inside the secondary box and more crumpled paper is to be added to that the OEM box does not move inside this box. The inside and outside boxes are to be taped shut separately. Tape around all edges, then tape twice around the sides, and then twice across the tops. I will gladly send you an additional 5 dollars if the package meets my expectations.

The shipping address shall be on both outside boxes.

The goal is to have a tight package where nothing can move inside, not even 1/4th inch. A "uniform brick". Please take the utmost care to ensure this packaging, as I have had many bad experiences with our beloved USPS and other shippers.
 
Your knife was stolen from the box. A lot of shippers use anonymous sounding return addresses to protect the contents but the conveyors have figured them out. Someone popped that knife from the box.

The shipper should see that you are fully remunerated one way or the other. Failure to fully insure is on him. It saves him a lot of money annually to do it that way. Far more than what it will cost him to satisfy you. Those are the odds he plays by.
 
That same scenario happened to me with a car part shipped in a large flat rate box. I was the shipper and taped the hell out of it but they still managed to bust it open and lose a $300 custom machined part. My buyer just got the part of the box with his address on it with that apology letter.

Luckily I had partially insured it but I had to come up with the balance to refund the buyer. It was a lesson learned. Fully insure all packages for the purchase price.

My advice would be to request a refund from the seller and let him deal with getting his $50 from the USPS.

It may be USPS' s fault but he is still responsible.

I now also always send a packing list and either put it in a baggie with the knife or wrap the knife box with it and tape it on with the to address clearly highlighed.
 
TC4Taay said:
It is a box. It's a small flat rate box, USPS at some point put the empty box in that clear "apology" bag and sent it to me.

I thought so to, but I went on the website and the addressee, me, can file the claim also. The forum member who shipped it to me did insure it and has stayed in contact the whole time since I pm'd him about buying the knife. He offered any help I may need, I just took it upon myself to file the claim but if he needs to file one too, i'm sure he'll do it no problem.
An interesting note though, the seller assured me the box was tapped up heavily when he dropped it off at the post office but this box has no tape on it or any sign that it was tapped at any point in time. I have no reason to really doubt him as he has a very good seller feedback and the box seriously looks in too good a condition. I'm not saying it should be beat up but I rarely get something in the mail with out some scuffing or scrapes.
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The seller MUST refund you in full immediately, and deal with USPS. That's the only and valid course of action here. I have had a seller with stellar feedback just "be in touch", and do nothing about it - until we had a few heated exchanges, and I made it clear that insurance was his headache and not mine. Not saying your case is similar, but I don't like the sound of merely being in touch.
 
I had USPS leave a package with 2 custom knives in the mail box even though it had signature confirmation on it. When I called the post office the lady said that basically paying for signature required was a waste of money and that it meant nothing. The USPS seems to make up the rules as they go along.

My mail"woman" has left notices that she was not able to deliver in the mailbox and never tried to deliver. She has also driven up to the house to only turn around and leave without leaving a package and then leave the "No one home" note.
 
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