USPS Strikes Again!

[jbmonkey]

Recently I ordered 2 custom knife grinding jigs. The maker told me when they shipped. By USPS Priority. No signature. When it did not arrive, I checked with him. He sent the tracking number showing it delivered Aug 2nd. It said "delivered to individual at 2:59". I went to the post office on Aug 9th.

I told the postmaster that I have video cameras, and I can prove that the carrier did not deliver it to our shop, and that no trucks were thee at all within hours of this time.

The postmaster then said she could use the GPS pin attached to the electronic signature to find where it was delivered.She then pulled it up, and found exactly where it was delivered incorrectly. She then called the carrier, and he was able to retrieve the package at another business that same afternoon. I picked it up today. What a relief. Over 700.00 worth of tools.

My point is this, apparently Priority mail in our area has a GPS pin attached at the time of transfer to the recipient address. Through this, they can see exactly where it was dropped.

Has anyone actually asked that this tool is used?

yes. that only works if the delivery person scans the package where they actually deliver it. I've had usps nightmares for years..

delivery person would scan my packages by my driveway and not deliver it. manager said i must have put it in my own bushes and i should look through my bushes. you cant make this kinda ridiculousness and incompetence up. complete joke. had to put cameras up to catch them and try to prove to that clown of a branch manager they were stealing my packages. he refused to watch the videos, showing no packages delivered where scanned. he still thinks it was all honest mistakes. maybe so who knows. who knows where my packages went. same delivery person still is my mail carrier.....that's how bad the usps is where I am.

im sure there are great usps employees and managers and then there is the clowns and thieves where I am. I have zero faith in my local post office. they are the worst.

sorry op, I know how ya feel.

 

[Lapedog]

Maybe there’s some way of starting a 3rd party knife insurance. That way it doesn’t say your tiny box has 800$ insurance on it to postal workers?

 

[Thomas Linton]

My carrier was scanning all the packages as he loaded them on the truck at the PO. Management knew that - changing nothing.

 

[annr]

yes. that only works if the delivery person scans the package where they actually deliver it. I've had usps nightmares for years..

delivery person would scan my packages by my driveway and not deliver it. manager said i must have put it in my own bushes and i should look through my bushes. you cant make this kinda ridiculousness and incompetence up. complete joke. had to put cameras up to catch them and try to prove to that clown of a branch manager they were stealing my packages. he refused to watch the videos, showing no packages delivered where scanned. he still thinks it was all honest mistakes. maybe so who knows. who knows where my packages went. same delivery person still is my mail carrier.....that's how bad the usps is where I am.

im sure there are great usps employees and managers and then there is the clowns and thieves where I am. I have zero faith in my local post office. they are the worst.

sorry op, I know how ya feel.

Same here—but he scanned on his vehicle parked down the street. When I asked him where my package was after receiving “delivered” notification: “still on the truck.”

I explained that when I receive email notification that item is delivered and I open my door to find nothing delivered, it poses a problem. Then he pretended that he didn’t understand how the scanning process works. (His behavior did change.)

 

[Monofletch]

I get what you are saying....
if a package shows it wasnt scanned or wasn’t scanned at the address of deliver that is a missed delivery and you can’t dispute that. File a complaint and a claim. GEO location will prove it wasn’t at the proper address- or not scanned at all then it’s LOST.
Down the street or scanned while loading isn’t an excuse.

I have been at the postal game for over 22 years. I was a supervisor for some of that.

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

I am in this dilemma right now. I'm trying to figure out who to use to ship some very high end, hand made customs to a sheath maker to the tune of $4K plus. I normally use USPS and have not had problems (knock on wood) but I know their insurance will not cover handmade items that there is no receipt from the maker for. The girl at Fed EX told me they would only cover up to $500 on stuff like that. The third party insurers I checked into would only cover $1K. Looks like I might be driving them from FL to NC. Anybody have any other options?

Use UPS and pay for $5000+ in insurance. Anything 5k and over gets signed for and scanned and locked in a secure area, no person touches it without signing for it. Every leg of the trip, each designated high value employee signs for it and hand carries it to the next stage, it is never left alone and no unauthorized employee touches or even has access to it. It's the highest level of security and personal attention a package can get from UPS.

You do need to do your part. Make sure it's packaged in a NEW double walled box ( go buy one if you don't have one) and pack it more careful than you would your grandmas fine China. Put your good phone number and address on the items inside just in case of a mishap, (fire, spilled 5 gallon bucket of paint or hydorlic oil etc..) put your recivers good contact phone number over his name and address, so as not to confuse with a zip code. Be as neat as possible with your address label, if you make a mistake, do another one. Use good tape, not cheap dollar store stuff. Even use thread enclosed strapping tape under clear tape. Tape all 6 sides closed, treat it like it's worth 5k or more.

You will have real time scans of your package from pickup to delivery every step of the way, nothing to fear and you can rest at ease.

 

[Bottom Line]

Use UPS and pay for $5000+ in insurance. Anything 5k and over gets signed for and scanned and locked in a secure area, no person touches it without signing for it. Every leg of the trip, each designated high value employee signs for it and hand carries it to the next stage, it is never left alone and no unauthorized employee touches or even has access to it. It's the highest level of security and personal attention a package can get from UPS.

You do need to do your part. Make sure it's packaged in a NEW double walled box ( go buy one if you don't have one) and pack it more careful than you would your grandmas fine China. Put your good phone number and address on the items inside just in case of a mishap, (fire, spilled 5 gallon bucket of paint or hydorlic oil etc..) put your recivers good contact phone number over his name and address, so as not to confuse with a zip code. Be as neat as possible with your address label, if you make a mistake, do another one. Use good tape, not cheap dollar store stuff. Even use thread enclosed strapping tape under clear tape. Tape all 6 sides closed, treat it like it's worth 5k or more.

You will have real time scans of your package from pickup to delivery every step of the way, nothing to fear and you can rest at ease.

Thanks for the info

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

Thanks for the info

Your very welcome. I'm giving honest and first hand experience from all my years of service with them. I'm brutally honest and if it wasn't something I have actually witnessed or experienced first hand multiple times over multiple years I would never attempt to guess at something as important as this package is to you.

 

[tjweeks]

That is not true, but it has been awhile. When a package was insured, the delivery person would leave a notice and I had to go to the post office and sign for the package. No more.

As has been said, there is nothing to prevent the person delivering the mail from signing for it.

The problem as I see it is that our mail is delivered by contractors. They are not USPS employees, for what that is worth.

I sent a Benchmade CLA back to benchmade for a sharpening. I insured it for $300- I had bought it 18 months back for $230 so for a couple of bucks more why not. It never showed up at Benchmade. I started going at it with the post office and they agreed to send the insurance which they decided the knife to be worth $87 after they figured in depreciation. I sent them am 18 month old sales receipt for $230--made no difference. I appealed this all the way to the post office King-who also denied me. Man they really piss me off.

 

[UffDa]

Use UPS and pay for $5000+ in insurance. Anything 5k and over gets signed for and scanned and locked in a secure area, no person touches it without signing for it. Every leg of the trip, each designated high value employee signs for it and hand carries it to the next stage, it is never left alone and no unauthorized employee touches or even has access to it. It's the highest level of security and personal attention a package can get from UPS.

You do need to do your part. Make sure it's packaged in a NEW double walled box ( go buy one if you don't have one) and pack it more careful than you would your grandmas fine China. Put your good phone number and address on the items inside just in case of a mishap, (fire, spilled 5 gallon bucket of paint or hydorlic oil etc..) put your recivers good contact phone number over his name and address, so as not to confuse with a zip code. Be as neat as possible with your address label, if you make a mistake, do another one. Use good tape, not cheap dollar store stuff. Even use thread enclosed strapping tape under clear tape. Tape all 6 sides closed, treat it like it's worth 5k or more.

You will have real time scans of your package from pickup to delivery every step of the way, nothing to fear and you can rest at ease.

When I worked as a gunsmith in the PRK I used to take packages to UPS which was very close. I was often amazed at how people would seal their boxes. How about on strip of Scotch tape across a 25 pound box? They really seem to expect it to drive safely. The UPS employee would seal in with real tape. I see that same thing at the local post office, but the clerk would point them to the rack selling tape and boxes.

When we moved to AZ, we had UPS daily pickup. The UPS driver told me about a warehouse that UPS had for lost items. He said that it was full of stuff that people ship without properly sealing the packages. We lost two shotguns that were shipped to a bailiff in TX. The end of the box was ripped off. Fortunately, the paperwork was attached to the guns and we got them back. Our UPS driver told us to seal any place on the boxes where a duffas at the hubs could get their fingers.

As I said before, a few cents with of tape can save a $$$$ item. (But people never learn)

 

[knerd]

Glad to hear my PO isn't the only one with issues. A lot of laziness and pencil whipping. I've had tracking updates of "notice left in box" and "undeliverable at address" multiple times before they even start their routes.

I once had an insured signature required package containing a $1k custom knife just dropped in my cluster box and updated as being signed for. To top it off, it had it printed clear as day on the shipping label.

Another time I got in an argument with an employee over a package containing a $1.7k custom knife because I didn't have the proper "notice" slip. I told her I checked my box when the tracking said notice left and there was nothing there. I even pulled up all the info on my phone. After "searching" for my package for roughly 5 minutes she came back to the desk and proceeded to hold it hostage and explain to me their process of pencil whipping. After her rant she handed me the box. She has since retired.

It's a love hate relationship, luckily I've never had anything lost or stolen (yet). The lack of pride and integrity and overall laziness is annoying. But, you get what you pay for.