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USPS----MAYBE NOT THE BEST CHOICE

My wife gets a lot of packages from Japan for her hobby that are all shipped USPS. All require signatures.

Now, we haven't actually had any go missing, but I had a couple in a row that didn't show up on time. When checking at the end of the day we found the "missed you" slip on the door. Confusing since we were home all day...right?

When the next one was due to arrive, I literally sat on my couch and watched one particular USPS delivery person (that I call Lazy Mayzie) walk up to the door, write a "we missed you" slip, stick it to the door, then pack the heavy package on down the street. She did not knock or ring the bell.

Now, while it's kinda funny to watch a lazy, incompetent, and simple-minded Gov't employees work harder than they have to (which is a Gov't employee's greatest fear), it is not fun to pack my lazy behind down to the PO, wait in line, and watch them dig around in different cabinets for 5 or 10 minutes with a disgusted look on their face. Maybe they are grumpy because I have a "You are a dipshit" look on my face. But then again, I refuse to believe they haven't seen that face before on other customers.

Another time after waiting in line at the PO, I realized that I had forgotten to tape the lid closed. When I was next, I politely asked if counter-dude could throw a strip of tape on it and was told, "No, we don't do that. There are rolls of tape to buy behind you. Grab one, go through the line again, pay for it, then tape the lid.". I think the roll was more than $5. Turned around and took the package to UPS (who had tape to spare).

I avoid USPS whenever possible. Saving $10 isn't worth the hassle to me. The only thing that USPS is good for is junk mail and bills along with any other packages that don't really matter.

Just my opinion.
 
My wife gets a lot of packages from Japan for her hobby that are all shipped USPS. All require signatures.

Now, we haven't actually had any go missing, but I had a couple in a row that didn't show up on time. When checking at the end of the day we found the "missed you" slip on the door. Confusing since we were home all day...right?

When the next one was due to arrive, I literally sat on my couch and watched one particular USPS delivery person (that I call Lazy Mayzie) walk up to the door, write a "we missed you" slip, stick it to the door, then pack the heavy package on down the street. She did not knock or ring the bell.

Now, while it's kinda funny to watch a lazy, incompetent, and simple-minded Gov't employees work harder than they have to (which is a Gov't employee's greatest fear), it is not fun to pack my lazy behind down to the PO, wait in line, and watch them dig around in different cabinets for 5 or 10 minutes with a disgusted look on their face. Maybe they are grumpy because I have a "You are a dipshit" look on my face. But then again, I refuse to believe they haven't seen that face before on other customers.

Another time after waiting in line at the PO, I realized that I had forgotten to tape the lid closed. When I was next, I politely asked if counter-dude could throw a strip of tape on it and was told, "No, we don't do that. There are rolls of tape to buy behind you. Grab one, go through the line again, pay for it, then tape the lid.". I think the roll was more than $5. Turned around and took the package to UPS (who had tape to spare).

I avoid USPS whenever possible. Saving $10 isn't worth the hassle to me. The only thing that USPS is good for is junk mail and bills along with any other packages that don't really matter.

Just my opinion.

Why the hate. If you have a problem with your post office tell them so they can fix it. I would have talked to the carrier long before I missed my second package!
Almost all my customers know me by my first name. That little connection might help your situation.
USPS is a huge organization, moving billions of items around the country, but most people's opinion of them will come down to how their local neighborhood post office is run.
I'm pretty lucky. My local office can be a little inefficient sometimes, but if I smile and make a little small talk with the clerk, he or she seems to be more helpful.
 
Why the hate. If you have a problem with your post office tell them so they can fix it. I would have talked to the carrier long before I missed my second package!
Almost all my customers know me by my first name. That little connection might help your situation.

No hate here. The situation is handled in the same manner as when dealing with any other organization that is meant to provide me a service. If they are inept or difficult, I simply move on to another provider for that service....if I can. I don't want to get involved with someone's management team, or having new problems due to being a "tattle-tail". Moving on is easier and less irritating.

We seem to have between 3 and 5 mail persons that revolve on our delivery route. That's a whole lot of name learning and schmoozing in an effort to receive the level of service that I should receive from the beginning. No thanks. I'm busy with other things.

USPS is inexpensive and fast. There is a need for that. However, other shipping options have been more accommodating in my experience.
 
My post offices- at home and the one I choose to work at - are spot on. I couldn’t ask for better service. But maybe I have a little more pride in my job and a care for my customers. In return my customers like me and value my service......or so it seems. Some days it’s hard to keep moving because everyone wants to chit chat. I walk my route so that might make it little more personal.
It is not an easy job.
 
I talked to my guy twice and it helped. I asked him: to ring the door bell instead of assuming I wasn’t home and leaving WITH my package, and I asked him to scan “item delivered” when it was delivered. (I think he’s a little off in the head because those two things seem so obvious.) But some people don’t have time to catch their delivery man, etc.

He works very hard and quickly it appears. Maybe this is part of his efficiency drive: don’t ring bell and wait and scan in bulk on the truck?
 
For someone hanging out in a knife forum I would think you would be a little more empathic. Many knife collectors consider their knives a personal treasure. There are many knives that are immediately put in a safe (safequeen) to help them maintain their value. Although mine was not a safequeen, I had a receipt showing two years earlier I had paid $237 for that knife and some turkey sitting in a office randomly decides that it is only worth $91.
Maybe you need to reread what I said: I’m sorry you got screwed. I am empathetic. That sucks.

I tried to explain the way insurance works. If you need replacement cost insurance, you have to pay for it. Evidently, USPS insurance does not cover replacement cost. I suggested you check with the other shippers on what their policy and level of proof are.

Sometimes homeowners insurance covers this though it would likely be less than your deductible to replace it yourself.

In my case, I purchase a separate policy that covers full replacement except in the case of natural disaster or war. This requires me to get a replacement cost appraisal from the the maker or seller and have proof of ownership on file.

Every insurance situation is different. Sometimes it’s ok to take a gamble other times it isn’t, and I pay a lot more for 100% peace of mind that I will be made whole when my valuables go missing or are damaged/destroyed.

So instead of being mad at me, just a friendly suggestion: research how insurance works so you don’t come out in the short end of the stick. You were expecting something USPS apparently doesn’t sell.
(I would be mad too, but I don’t rely on USPS because they are not reliable enough for my needs.)

USPS is not “empathetic,” and they aren’t going to pay more than depreciated value according to your story. Sorry.
 
Maybe you need to reread what I said: I’m sorry you got screwed. I am empathetic. That sucks.

I tried to explain the way insurance works. If you need replacement cost insurance, you have to pay for it. Evidently, USPS insurance does not cover replacement cost. I suggested you check with the other shippers on what their policy and level of proof are.

Sometimes homeowners insurance covers this though it would likely be less than your deductible to replace it yourself.

In my case, I purchase a separate policy that covers full replacement except in the case of natural disaster or war. This requires me to get a replacement cost appraisal from the the maker or seller and have proof of ownership on file.

Every insurance situation is different. Sometimes it’s ok to take a gamble other times it isn’t, and I pay a lot more for 100% peace of mind that I will be made whole when my valuables go missing or are damaged/destroyed.

So instead of being mad at me, just a friendly suggestion: research how insurance works so you don’t come out in the short end of the stick. You were expecting something USPS apparently doesn’t sell.
(I would be mad too, but I don’t rely on USPS because they are not reliable enough for my needs.)

USPS is not “empathetic,” and they aren’t going to pay more than depreciated value according to your story. Sorry.
A lawyer would argue differently and would win. If I buy a bale of hay for $50.00 and insure it for $50.00, and the wind blows it away, or someone steals it, the insurance company owes me $50.00 for the bale of hay.
Secondly, how does USPS determine the "depreciated value" of anything? They are not, in this case, in the knife market, or any "market" for that matter.
 
Naturally a lawyer would argue differently. That's how they make their money.

With the various shipping carriers they all have very specific terms for loss and damage and insuring the shipment. The rules were all written back in the day of clipper ships crossing the ocean and the first railroads crossing the continent. They are as a result biased towards the carrier.

I can insure something for $5000 because of it's high sentimental value but when the trucking company looses it they'll give me 10 cents a pound based on their terms. I'm in Canada so I don't use USPS to ship but the shape of of these policies across the continent is the same.

It would be worthwhile for someone to chime in with the exact wording of the USPS insurance. See where there is a difference between the declared value and the real world value and any other specific terms or limits on the payout.
 
Naturally a lawyer would argue differently. That's how they make their money.

With the various shipping carriers they all have very specific terms for loss and damage and insuring the shipment. The rules were all written back in the day of clipper ships crossing the ocean and the first railroads crossing the continent. They are as a result biased towards the carrier.

I can insure something for $5000 because of it's high sentimental value but when the trucking company looses it they'll give me 10 cents a pound based on their terms. I'm in Canada so I don't use USPS to ship but the shape of of these policies across the continent is the same.

It would be worthwhile for someone to chime in with the exact wording of the USPS insurance. See where there is a difference between the declared value and the real world value and any other specific terms or limits on the payout.
You are correct. And there wouldn't be different levels of insurance, insurance schemes, and pricing if everything were automatically covered and reimbursed at declared value. Even my super-duper air tight policy won't help me in the case of a natural disaster or war.
 
You are correct. And there wouldn't be different levels of insurance, insurance schemes, and pricing if everything were automatically covered and reimbursed at declared value. Even my super-duper air tight policy won't help me in the case of a natural disaster or war.
Force majeure
 
Why the hate. If you have a problem with your post office tell them so they can fix it. I would have talked to the carrier long before I missed my second package!
Almost all my customers know me by my first name. That little connection might help your situation.

As a practical matter, USPS Carriers cannot be fired. (Well, I suppose if they shot their Supervisor ....) Complaining tends to make service worse. I tried cookies - really good cookies.

To gauge the culture, consider that our local PO was permanently closed because it was "too busy." We now have to drive 28 miles round trip to redeem the fraudulent "We missed you" pink slips. In fairness, the latest Carrier is much better - no more mail thrown on the road or in the ditch.
 
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I had a starbenza that never showed up earlier this Sumer/never found, yep usps lost it! I understand this sometimes happens, it took me three months to recoup my founds about $550.:mad: by the way this is the 1st time this has ever happened to me....
 
A lawyer would argue differently and would win. If I buy a bale of hay for $50.00 and insure it for $50.00, and the wind blows it away, or someone steals it, the insurance company owes me $50.00 for the bale of hay.
Secondly, how does USPS determine the "depreciated value" of anything? They are not, in this case, in the knife market, or any "market" for that matter.
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Granted USPS does not understand the knife collecting market, but most knives would be worth less after 2 years of ownership. Some would be worth more. I don't know what the true market value of the OP's is but likely not the original cost 2 years ago. How USPS came up with their figure is anyone's guess and was likely theirs. None of the carriers that I know of will just pay what you insure for. They pay what they believe is it's true value and this takes proof. You can't insure a rock for $5000 unless it is a $5000 rock.
I don't know what the OP provided other than the original receipt , but he needed to show comparison of what the knife sells for today on the secondary market. USPS is a government entity and that can be tough sledding even if you do everything right.
 
Hey, Drive a new car off the dealership lot if you want to witness depreciation. And the car is only 1 second older--with <0.1 mile more than it had a second ago. Insure a new car and pay through the nose. (That's why used cars are popular--someone else took the hit.)
 
I am guessing since you gave them a dated receipt they assumed it was a used 2 year old knife.
When I did claims for my p.o. the person needed 3 things. Proof of mailing, proof of insurance, and proof of value
 
I'm in a field where our tools of the trade appreciate with time, the more they are used, yet may be depreciated for tax purposes.

I update my replacement appraisal annually to reflect that fact. That why IMO, you have to drill down to the details. Everyone is trying to keep their money and take yours. Fact of insurance.
 
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I am done using USPS for anything valued over $150. Recently I sold a knife made by a BF maker and insured it for $500.01. It went from my town to the Phoenix hub where it died for a few weeks. My customer eventually received the top of the box where his address was. I refunded his money and placed a claim for the missing knife. I included a copy of my invoice from the maker showing that I paid over $600 for the knife, and as they still showed my old address on their website, I changed it there and included the new address on my claim form.
I just found out that their "expert" devalued my knife to $291 and apparently nobody took the time to read the claim as they sent the check to my old address. I just reopened the claim, will see what happens.
 
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