USPS says package delivered... but no package...

[elkins45]

Did you ever find it Will?

 

[mycroftt]

Has anyone here ever file an insurance claim with the postal service ?? According to there rules plus my post master told me this , that proof of value must be shown . A receipt of cost and payment from you as well as from the maker ( if this is a custom made knife ) is not valid proof of value . They need to be appraised and that does not always get excepted from what I've read .

You have to provide evidence of insurance and of value, according to the Domestic Mail Manual, (DMM) 609.3. Pay particular attention to 609.3.2 which lists the acceptable proofs of value.

When filing a claim for a custom knife you have to be very careful that the claim adjudicator doesn't get the impression that he is dealing with an item that is "hobby, craft, or similar handmade items." If that is the case, they will determine the claim to be nonpayable under DMM 609.4.3ag for "Personal time used to make hobby, craft, or similar handmade items," and they will try to pay you only the value of the materials used to create the item. It is advisable for custom knifemakers to maintain catalogs, portfolios, sales records, etc. to controvert any ruling that a damaged or lost knife is simply a hobby item. For example, I do a bit of whittling/carving and I have had people tell me I should sell the stuff instead of giving it away to kids or anyone who says they like it. The reason I don't is because I would have to get hundreds of dollars per piece because of the time I put into them, when they are really just $.50 worth of basswood that I whittled while sitting on the porch. See the distinction? My whittled pieces are hobby items that aren't worth $700 while a custom knife is a high quality professionally made tool that should have a documented catalog value to support the claim.

Edited to add: I almost forgot the most important part. If your claim is denied you have two appeals and you should use them. The process is listed in DMM 609.6.

 

[Gatogordo]

A receipt of cost and payment from you as well as from the maker (if this is a custom made knife) is not valid proof of value .

Yes it is. See the regs linked above and 609.3.2a