Non-delivery/severe delay on a BST transaction

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Just so we are clear on this matter. I am the sender of the package in question. I have contacted both the Pittsburgh consumer affairs department and the Long Island consumer affairs departments of the USPS. I am waiting to hear back from the latter. I have also previously opened not one, but two cases in the matter which were closed out on New York's end without notice or any information of any kind. As anyone who deals with me knows, I send out packages certified mail for tracking purposes.

Hi Brian, go online and file a complaint with one of your Congressman/woman. The complaint will go right to the District Manager, who will bring a shit storm on the Consumer Affairs office to resolve this. It doesn't always work, because sometimes things just disappear, but many times they will resolve it quickly.

[36GoudeyMan]

Just to add my 2 cents, I just did a deal with Brian and everything went perfectly fine. I would only add that this doesn't seem to all be a seller issue, but more of a transportation one.

[Eddiez]

I have had the same thing happen to me selling a card. After about 2 weeks of it showing in transit I refunded the money, it wasn't much over a hundred dollars. About 3 weeks later the buyer contacted me that it had showed up and paid me again. It took about 5 weeks to show up. As a seller I feel that after 2 weeks or so I should send a refund, but that's just me.

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by 36GoudeyMan

Just to add my 2 cents, I just did a deal with Brian and everything went perfectly fine. I would only add that this doesn't seem to all be a seller issue, but more of a transportation one.

+1 on Brian. Always very diligent in his shipping and tracking. I am confident he'll do the right thing regardless of whether the package (and contents) are ever found again.

[1880nonsports]

over a month each. A third was sent out from FLA PO to Florida address - sent to other side of the country and now is back in originating PO to be sent out again from here to Florida address.....

edited to add a response for the OP that 30-45 days seems reasonable to me but we're a person to person type group here and a bit more flexibility especially with a known seller might be in order. Seller also has shown he is WORKING ON IT.

no guarantees whether written or implied

[RL]

Whenever I have a package where the tracking is not showing no movement, and its been 2 weeks or more, I file a stolen mail complaint saying I suspect a USPS employee stole the package.

Package gets "found" real fast.

[Eddiez]

I want to add I have bought from Brian before too. Package arrived in a timely manner and well packaged. Very smooth transition.

[tsalem]

This issue has happened to us 3 times over the last few months and we ship out many packages, daily. 1 of the problem packages was 37 days for a Priority! Follow up and get your local USPS to help start the research process. My guess is the package shows up shortly after the USPS starts the process.
Yes, shipper is still responsible but hope recipent is understanding and patient while the process plays out

[Phil68]

Originally Posted by RL

Whenever I have a package where the tracking is not showing no movement, and its been 2 weeks or more, I file a stolen mail complaint saying I suspect a USPS employee stole the package.

Package gets "found" real fast.

I'm still waiting on a package "out for delivery" from January 3. I'm going to try this. Thank you.

[Fballguy]

I've had to file 3 missing mail cases in the past year. One was in transit for over 30 days and I refunded only to have the item show up a couple days later.

The other two packages were both mailed on the same day, both accepted by the Houston PO on 4/20 both still in transit on 4/24 and both never heard from again. They were heading to different destinations...One about four hours away in Dallas, the other to New York. That to me seems like an obvious stolen mail situation.

Having to deal with the USPS for customer service issues is an absolute worst case scenario. Their customer service, if you can actually reach a human is an abomination, their website is a nightmare and quite frankly you never get the sense anyone gives a S#!t.

I didn't file a stolen mail case, I filed a missing mail case. In both cases, I received calls from the destination post office which was pointless, because I knew the packages never made it there. The problem was in Houston. Nothing was ever found and to this day, once a month I'll get an email from the USPS saying they've still found nothing and sorry for the inconvenience.

Next time I will file a stolen mail case and also try the Congressman.

It sounds like the participants here are both straight up guys. At this point, I'd just refund the money and if the cards show, pay again.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by buymycards

Hi Brian, go online and file a complaint with one of your Congressman/woman. The complaint will go right to the District Manager, who will bring a shit storm on the Consumer Affairs office to resolve this. It doesn't always work, because sometimes things just disappear, but many times they will resolve it quickly.

As discussed many times, certified mail, while reportedly the safest way to go, it slow as shit. I've had a month go by with total confusion before seeing any movement. I always imagine some poor bastard has gone off to the hospital for weeks and the package is waiting on his desk because for some reason he has to sign it next and only him. I've never had a problem with dozens of BST transactions just going with a priority box and tracking.

I'm always on the fence about asking for higher levels of insurance. In a way I feel like that does nothing but flag it as something worth stealing if one is so inclined. On the other hand, with cameras, computers, etc., I suspect it would be awfully hard to a USPS employee to pilfer a package.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I just sent a $3500 BST purchase Certified from PA to TX and it only took a week. It's just unpredictable.

[edjs]

I’m sure you have probably done this, but just in case. Go to the tracking site and sign up for email notification of all movements. I have had packages take for ever in shipping, did this, and it miraculously showed up a few days later. Can’t hurt.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

As discussed many times, certified mail, while reportedly the safest way to go, it slow as shit. I've had a month go by with total confusion before seeing any movement. I always imagine some poor bastard has gone off to the hospital for weeks and the package is waiting on his desk because for some reason he has to sign it next and only him. I've never had a problem with dozens of BST transactions just going with a priority box and tracking.

I'm always on the fence about asking for higher levels of insurance. In a way I feel like that does nothing but flag it as something worth stealing if one is so inclined. On the other hand, with cameras, computers, etc., I suspect it would be awfully hard to a USPS employee to pilfer a package.

I doubt it would be hard at all for the delivery person. They are getting busted with their house/garage filled with undelivered mail on a fairly regular basis. My brother got an several year old piece of mail returned. They busted a delivery person with his garage and house full of undelivered mail. The USPS did their best to return all the mail they could.

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

As discussed many times, certified mail, while reportedly the safest way to go, it slow as shit. I've had a month go by with total confusion before seeing any movement. I always imagine some poor bastard has gone off to the hospital for weeks and the package is waiting on his desk because for some reason he has to sign it next and only him. I've never had a problem with dozens of BST transactions just going with a priority box and tracking.

I'm always on the fence about asking for higher levels of insurance. In a way I feel like that does nothing but flag it as something worth stealing if one is so inclined. On the other hand, with cameras, computers, etc., I suspect it would be awfully hard to a USPS employee to pilfer a package.

Certified is not the safest way to go. Certified mail goes in the regular mail stream with all of the other mail. The only protection you receive is the carrier signs for the certified piece before he/she heads out on the route, and the item cannot be delivered without the recipients signature. Then, the carrier shows the signature to the supervisor, upon return to the office, and the carrier is cleared.

Registered Mail is the safest route. It gets signed for by everyone who has contact with the Registered item, even the truck drivers have to sign a log for Registered items that are on their truck. The Registered item is kept separate from the rest of the mail and it never goes into the regular mail stream.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by buymycards

Certified is not the safest way to go. Certified mail goes in the regular mail stream with all of the other mail. The only protection you receive is the carrier signs for the certified piece before he/she heads out on the route, and the item cannot be delivered without the recipients signature. Then, the carrier shows the signature to the supervisor, upon return to the office, and the carrier is cleared.

Registered Mail is the safest route. It gets signed for by everyone who has contact with the Registered item, even the truck drivers have to sign a log for Registered items that are on their truck. The Registered item is kept separate from the rest of the mail and it never goes into the regular mail stream.

Rick, does Registered get delivered by my regular mail carrier?

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by Jim65

Rick, does Registered get delivered by my regular mail carrier?

Yes

[Silverskulls]

Originally Posted by buymycards

Hi Brian, go online and file a complaint with one of your Congressman/woman. The complaint will go right to the District Manager, who will bring a shit storm on the Consumer Affairs office to resolve this. It doesn't always work, because sometimes things just disappear, but many times they will resolve it quickly.

+1

Look up your rep here (https://www.house.gov/representative...representative) and call one of their in-State offices. Tell them you’re a constituent and need help with a USPS issue