A USPS Lost Package Story... With a Happy Ending

[HerbK]

A neat little story that I thought I'd share... Several months ago, I bid on a card on eBay (1915 Cracker Jack - Blair PSA 8). Unbeknownst to me, the seller was a Net54 board member, who I've dealt with before on the board (I wasn't aware of his eBay username). The seller was Andres "Andy" Montero - a super guy who is as reliable as they come.

Andy shipped the card USPS Priority but after checking the tracking, the package seemed to have stalled at the PO just after it's acceptance. Needless to say after waiting several weeks, the card never arrived. Andy was fantastic - he called or emailed almost daily advising his progress with the PO (or lack thereof), but keeping in contact as a responsible seller. He refunded my purchase price and subsequently received reimbursement from the USPS through his insurance claim. And as a diehard collector, I was upset that a 100 year old card that survived a century could be lost...

Case closed ... or so I thought.

A few days ago, I get an email from Andy who said he was contacted via eBay message, by an auction participant from Atlanta GA who frequently buys lots from the USPS Lost Mail Recovery Center (in Atlanta). This gentleman, had the savvy business sense to search eBay in an attempt to locate the seller and to no doubt to check on the card's value. Andy, put me in contact with the new owner of the card and we were able to strike up a deal for the card. I'm happy to report that after a couple of months of traveling around the country, Mr. Blair finally made it to my collection...

I'm astonished that the USPS wouldn’t have someone within their staff to seek out and investigate valuable items rather than accept pennies on the dollar. Recovered items are auctioned off by the skid...

In any event, if you’ve ever lost a package in the mail..... there is hope.

Herb.

[Stonepony]

Great you finally got the card!! Any idea why it wasn't delivered in the first place? Or at least returned to the shipper?

[sbfinley]

Originally Posted by HerbK

I'm astonished that the USPS wouldn’t have someone within their staff to seek out and investigate valuable items rather than accept pennies on the dollar. Recovered items are auctioned off by the skid...

Better yet... Why not get it to its intended destination?

[pawpawdiv9]

i guess thats where my package ended up about 3-4 yrs ago it seems. Mine was a submission to Beckett. Even if someone opened it, it had a invoice and check inside. I havent heard anything since i made my claim report.

[Rollingstone206]

...

[MuddyMules]

Originally Posted by Rollingstone206

USPS auctioning off people's lost mail!

+1

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Rollingstone206

USPS auctioning off people's lost mail!

+1 just imagine all the personal info like checking account/credit card #s scammers could get.

[the 'stache]

Herb,

That's outstanding. I'm so glad you got your card.

But what the hell, USPS?

[bobbyw8469]

unfreakingbelivable!

[HerbK]

I don't believe Andy ever received a definitive response as to why the package was never delivered. I think the general consensus was the possibility of the package getting stuck or ripped open somewhere along the line of various sorting machines -- but who knows??

But if a guy with no investigative background can search out the owner of an item by simply performing an ebay search, imagine what someone from the postal inspectors office would be able to do !! And yet they simply paid out the claim (rightfully so) while the card was tossed in a skid to basically be sold as bulk. I still can't believe it lol.

Herb.

[ZachS]

What an awesome business model. Not only can we not guarantee that your package will safely arrive at it's destination... but if it doesn't we will sell it off to the highest bidder.

Ship with confidence!