A little nervous with the USPS going forward

[BabyRuth]

Not so sure other carriers are any better - the other day I picked up a T213 Cobb from the B/S/T(thanks sportscardpete). Card was shipped with FedEX. I checked the FedEx website and it said delivered on time. Hmm.. No one came to my door or front porch. My son was pulling into my driveway and noticed a package out in the street, 3 feet from my mailbox. Lo and behold Mr. Cobb was out in the middle of the street. Luckily I live on a cul de sac and there is not much traffic or the Georgia Peach could have been the victim of a hit and run!!!
The moral of this story - America has gravitated toward being a service industry with lousy service. Trust No One Mulder!!!

[yanks87]

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by yanks87

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

Registered Mail is the only way to go with an item like this. Literally everyone who touches it along it's route has to sign for it and scan it. It is a slower service but the closest you will get to 100% accuracy.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Registered Mail is the only way to go with an item like this. Literally everyone who touches it along it's route has to sign for it and scan it. It is a slower service but the closest you will get to 100% accuracy.

100% agreed. I only use registered for high dollar cards.

[x2drich2000]

Personally, I would highly consider just refusing the sale if the buyer insisted on using fedex/UPS. Since I never use either, I just feel it would likely be more of a hassle then it would be worth.

[buymycards]

I have mailed over 1000 items so far this year, about 1/2 with tracking and 1/2 without. I have had 2 people claim that they didn't receive their item, and all of the people received their tracked items.

I have received nearly 200 packages, some of them took longer than normal, but they all arrived safely.

USPS delivers 20 million packages a day. So, if the PO is 99.9% accurate, that means that 20,000 packages per day are damaged, lost or misdelivered. We never hear about the 19,980,000 packages that arrive safely, only the ones that have a problem.

Also, I would venture to say that of the 20,000 packages with problems, 1/2 of them are caused by the sender or the recipient, with crappy packaging, reducing the size of the label which results in the machines not being able to read the bar-code, customers who have moved but not notified USPS, PayPal, or eBay, etc.

I have had major slowdowns with Fed Ex and UPS packages, plus 2 delivered to the wrong address, but again, I would guess that both of those companies are over the 99% accurate delivery range.

Plus, I totally agree with Scott about using Registered Mail for expensive items, and I agree with Scott about using a Post Office box. The drawback with using a PO box is that it is only for USPS mail. You cannot send a Fed Ex package or a UPS package to a PO box.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by buymycards

I have mailed over 1000 items so far this year, about 1/2 with tracking and 1/2 without. I have had 2 people claim that they didn't receive their item, and all of the people received their tracked items.

I have received nearly 200 packages, some of them took longer than normal, but they all arrived safely.

USPS delivers 20 million packages a day. So, if the PO is 99.9% accurate, that means that 20,000 packages per day are damaged, lost or misdelivered. We never hear about the 19,980,000 packages that arrive safely, only the ones that have a problem.

Also, I would venture to say that of the 20,000 packages with problems, 1/2 of them are caused by the sender or the recipient, with crappy packaging, reducing the size of the label which results in the machines not being able to read the bar-code, customers who have moved but not notified USPS, PayPal, or eBay, etc.

I have had major slowdowns with Fed Ex and UPS packages, plus 2 delivered to the wrong address, but again, I would guess that both of those companies are over the 99% accurate delivery range.

Plus, I totally agree with Scott about using Registered Mail for expensive items, and I agree with Scott about using a Post Office box. The drawback with using a PO box is that it is only for USPS mail. You cannot send a Fed Ex package or a UPS package to a PO box.

My numbers are a bit smaller. but still significant. Thankfully have had no delivery or receiving issues. Do almost nothing with Fred ex or UPS - so can't comment there. Agree with registered mail. and PO box - I have my box set up as a "street address" - costs a few bucks, but allows delivery of FedEx and UPS packages to it.
Re making purchases - I would make sure either the items you are purchasing qualify for Ebay money back guarantee, that the seller's are insuring them and that you pay for them with some form of credit card backed payment (so you have immediate recourse).

[Baseball Rarities]

Originally Posted by buymycards

Plus, I totally agree with Scott about using Registered Mail for expensive items, and I agree with Scott about using a Post Office box. The drawback with using a PO box is that it is only for USPS mail. You cannot send a Fed Ex package or a UPS package to a PO box.

This is how I do it also. Anything expensive goes Registered Mail and I have everything that I can sent to my PO Box.

My Post office allows me to use their street address in conjunction with my box # so that I can use for Fedex and UPS in lieu of my PO Box.

https://www.mymoneyblog.com/po-boxes...t-address.html

[tedzan]

DITTO.....to what Scott, Rick and Kevin have said.

For over 40+ years now, I have everything of value sent to my P. O. BOX.

I have had only two problems in all those years (20, 000+ transactions), and both resulted in "happy endings" (Thanks to the postal people at my Post Office).

Furthermore, I mail all my cards via 3-Day PRIORITY US Mail (packaged in a box). And, I can happily say ZERO defects.

It's worth the slightly extra cost to go this way, since you can Track the package all the way to it's destination.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[ValKehl]

Ted, FYI, you can track a First Class Package all the way to its destination, just like you can track a Priority Mail Package. And, a First Class Package costs less, but usually (but not always) takes longer.

[bigfish]

Originally Posted by buymycards

I have mailed over 1000 items so far this year, about 1/2 with tracking and 1/2 without. I have had 2 people claim that they didn't receive their item, and all of the people received their tracked items.

I have received nearly 200 packages, some of them took longer than normal, but they all arrived safely.

USPS delivers 20 million packages a day. So, if the PO is 99.9% accurate, that means that 20,000 packages per day are damaged, lost or misdelivered. We never hear about the 19,980,000 packages that arrive safely, only the ones that have a problem.

Also, I would venture to say that of the 20,000 packages with problems, 1/2 of them are caused by the sender or the recipient, with crappy packaging, reducing the size of the label which results in the machines not being able to read the bar-code, customers who have moved but not notified USPS, PayPal, or eBay, etc.

I have had major slowdowns with Fed Ex and UPS packages, plus 2 delivered to the wrong address, but again, I would guess that both of those companies are over the 99% accurate delivery range.

Plus, I totally agree with Scott about using Registered Mail for expensive items, and I agree with Scott about using a Post Office box. The drawback with using a PO box is that it is only for USPS mail. You cannot send a Fed Ex package or a UPS package to a PO box.

I use a P.O. Box for all packages. I know FedEx and ups say they won’t deliver to a P.O. Box but If you just put box number xxx and the address the will deliver it to the PO. Check with you’re postmaster. It’s great. They are always there to sign and I have had no issues.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by yanks87

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

I have always paid the price for overnight deliveryw/signature conf on high dollar items...and I never ever tell the shipper there are baseball cards in the package!!!!! Never had an issue.

[Luke]

Your situation really sucks, but it is definitely an outlier. I've sent/received somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 packages since I've been collecting and a total of 4 of them have been lost.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Luke

Your situation really sucks, but it is definitely an outlier. I've sent/received somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 packages since I've been collecting and a total of 4 of them have been lost.

^^THIS^^ I have easily sent/received 15,000 packages over the last 25 years and have only lost one. Luckily for me it was a $10 card and I had another one and sent it to the buyer.

[ctownboy]

Seven, I still don't see why you are only dealing with eBay and not also having the postal inspector look into the matter. It seems a crime has been committed somewhere and you are likely to get further with the USPS than you are with eBay.

David

[Seven]

Originally Posted by ctownboy

Seven, I still don't see why you are only dealing with eBay and not also having the postal inspector look into the matter. It seems a crime has been committed somewhere and you are likely to get further with the USPS than you are with eBay.

David

You know I never even thought about that. With everything going on, I'm going to give them a call. Thank you, David.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by yanks87

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

Registered or overnight...Registered takes longer as there is a chain of custody... Overnight because less hands touch it...

[notfast]

Originally Posted by yanks87

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

I’ve had good luck with Priority Express. 48hrs delivery time to get just about anywhere on the east side of the Mississippi. Less than a day for stuff within a few states.

Registered is nice but it’s a lot slower. I feel like the faster services allow me less time to worry.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by yanks87

I'm a small fish collector, but apparently I have a whale of a card that I am thinking about selling with the values increasing every time one hits the market. One of the things that has held me back from selling it is the shipping. I have never shipped anything valued over $10k, let alone a single card. Is there a preferred method for shipping something like this? I almost feel like buying a plane ticket and hand delivering it, if and when I decide to sell it.

I had a card delivered last month for just under 10. It was sent with insurance from Chicago and the package was $60.00. It was a bagged box with signature confirmation, next day. They just left it in my mailbox and I got it fine. I routinely have multiple gold coins delivered from APMEX and nothing has ever been lost. Still, it can be worrisome.

As my buddy Tom Petty would say, "Most things I worry bout', never happen anyway".

[Ronnie73]

I understand not trusting the post office but like others have said, the number of successful packages compared to lost items is huge. I'm currently dealing with a lost package also right now. It shows that it was delivered to my P.O. Box but never got it. $75 value. I also had another package disappear along the way to me last year. $120 value. It sucks but I try to forget but I can't. To top things off, a couple days ago I had a package totally destroyed and had like black tar all over it like it was ran over with a forklift. Even with the hole in the package, somehow the contents were still inside and safe. It was a coin but if it was a card, it would have been damaged. Currently I'm extra nervous about getting all my packages and it sucks because I shouldn't have anxiety using the post office.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by ctownboy

Seven, I still don't see why you are only dealing with eBay and not also having the postal inspector look into the matter. It seems a crime has been committed somewhere and you are likely to get further with the USPS than you are with eBay.

David

David, just as an update, I called the USPIS and spoke to someone they opened a case for me. This has been a big help thank you again.

Originally Posted by Ronnie73

I understand not trusting the post office but like others have said, the number of successful packages compared to lost items is huge. I'm currently dealing with a lost package also right now. It shows that it was delivered to my P.O. Box but never got it. $75 value. I also had another package disappear along the way to me last year. $120 value. It sucks but I try to forget but I can't. To top things off, a couple days ago I had a package totally destroyed and had like black tar all over it like it was ran over with a forklift. Even with the hole in the package, somehow the contents were still inside and safe. It was a coin but if it was a card, it would have been damaged. Currently I'm extra nervous about getting all my packages and it sucks because I shouldn't have anxiety using the post office.

I commented this in the other thread concerning someone having their package get lost in shipping through USPS, I think it's the perfect storm at the moment, with the USPS being pretty mismanaged, combine the fact that the Coronavirus has probably increased ordering and put even more of a strain on them. Rough situation all around. I don't think I would be as angry or as distrusting if it was something of lower value in my case.

[bmattioli]

Since 1984 that includes Overseas shipping while in the Military I've had Zero packages lost or misdirected. The odds I would say are extremely low. They, USPS do a great job in my opinion.. Go the registered mail route if concerned as suggested..

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

It was exactly because of this thread that I made sure I stayed home from work when the mailman was due to deliver a pretty expensive card the other day.

It was sent with signature required, but sure enough when I got to the door my mailman was already leaving it on my porch...and to make it worse it started pouring rain about an hour later. If I had not made a point of being home, I would have had a very pricey card sitting outside in the rain for hours.

I definitely understand WHY they aren’t having people sign. And I care about the safety of our mail delivery people. But I feel like they should just hold those items at the post office until the recepient can come sign.