Would love to see the original taped pics, that box looks like it got squashed and one end popped open. No offense to the seller, but it makes me wonder how well it was taped up if 0% of the original black tape is still on the box.
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Another USPS horror story and any advice is welcomed (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jers28
- Start date
OP
OP
I took it to my local post office and while that proved mostly a waste of time, the clerk did say within seconds, looks like the package was torn open, contents got misplaced or stolen and then re-taped. Yup. I agree.
acezag
Flush
As many as I can adopt, dear postal worker. As many as I can adopt.
Well, not many anymore, duuuh?
This needs to be standard operating procedure on PCF. I hate when I buy a rack of chips and they arrive in a SFRB. I dread opening it as I'm always in fear I'm going to have broken/chipped chips.
Has that ever happened? I have mailed a lot of racks via SFRB (properly padded and very well taped) and have never had anyone tell me any arrived broken or chipped.
Just curious if it has actually happened to you or is it just a fear. If it did happen, what was the shipping condition? Padding inside, warneke secured/taped as well, no rattling of chips in same.
How much did it cost to ship a family member? Did they arrive safely?
Sorry, couldn't resist. Thought maybe we could use a little levity in the thread.
You used to be able to do it...
I just would never chance it and feel like it's sloppy and irresponsible of those who do. Squeeze a SFRB with a warneke box of chips inside it. You can just about feel the chips they're so close to the outside of the box. The inside of the SFRB is barely bigger than the warneke box. There isn't really any room for any substantial amount of padding in between them. Besides, as has already been said, you can get all the materials shipped to your door by USPS for absolutely free. And the difference in shipping cost between the two methods is about 50 cents. So there is zero reasons not to do it the way Robert described it. Unless you're just lazy and don't care if the chips arrive to your buyer undamaged.
Edit: Last sentence not directed specifically at you. Just a general statement. As said, I've received MANY shipments from PCF members that in my opinion were not properly packaged.
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Says nothing about grandmas!
You could also just tell them you’re a shipper for cremated remains. That’s your job and you get paid for it, hence the ongoing shipments.
Agreed. I use this method paired with the one Tommy mentioned that involves buying the Mailer Box which is slightly larger than the SFRB and fits two racks in Warneke’s pretty nicely. Add some craft paper or bubble wrap and they’re pretty snug. Stick that box inside two Priority Padded and you’re good. If it’s a SFRB, three can be used since the box is smaller. Fold in the protruding edges and tape them to make it look like a padded brick of you know what. Done deal.
sleepypiggly
Flush
Kind of why I was asking because I don't feel the same sense of apprehension when someone sends something to me in a SFRB---mostly because I have had 0 issues w/ any sort of damage issue and have never heard of any from others either and I would have thought if it was common, or even more than a little uncommon, many people would have talked about it.
I may start up a separate thread for discussion. Frankly, it would be easier and take less time for me to do it @Rieguy's way, not harder, so lack of effort is a non-factor IMO for anyone who is already taping up the SFRB very well.
My other thought is that those padded packages get tossed around much more than a uniform SFRB because they are not uniform and do not stack easily. But that is just my thought, don't know if that is accurate or whether the padding would offset being handled differently.
FordPickup92
Royal Flush
I do this also
FordPickup92
Royal Flush
I hate fed ex they are almost worst than. Usps where I live. They lose or wrongly deliver (to another house) almost every single one of my packages. Their customer service is literally dog shit.
I definitely would recommend UPS
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Is this a function of the stores being franchises vs company owned? I know my sample size is small, but I had vastly differing experiences at ups/fedex stores solely based on the location and not because it was ups or fedex. I recall going to one ups and they told me i couldnt ship something the way I wanted, drove to another store 10min away and they said we can ship it how ever you like!
FordPickup92
Royal Flush
That's actually a great question, I've had the same experience with UPS. Sometimes I think it's just grouchy/lazy clerks. Other times they carry different shipping supplies from one store to the next. They all work in and out of one central hub, not sure if that's by county or state.
OP
OP
I definitely think it’s an all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs type thing. I have had great and horrible experiences with Fed Ex, USPS and UPS. It can vary wildly from one region to the next and even one driver to the next. I have one delivery guy I’d swear just delivers my packages to the wrong house (wrong neighborhood, even) just to mess with me. The best part is the people that live in said house like to open my packages to see if it’s worth keeping before admitting they have it. Fortunately, they don’t play poker or know the value of chips. 
I had some lumber delivered to them and tracked it down as they were frantically trying to chorale it into the garage for themselves. They claimed they were protecting it for me. It was July and no hint of rain for weeks, never mind that lumber doesn’t melt in the rain. lol People are…well, strange shall we say. It was specifically for a poker table. I wondered what on earth excited them to have a stack of 4 x 8 sheets of 7/8” plywood. It was nice, but still just plywood. Weird.
I had some lumber delivered to them and tracked it down as they were frantically trying to chorale it into the garage for themselves. They claimed they were protecting it for me. It was July and no hint of rain for weeks, never mind that lumber doesn’t melt in the rain. lol People are…well, strange shall we say. It was specifically for a poker table. I wondered what on earth excited them to have a stack of 4 x 8 sheets of 7/8” plywood. It was nice, but still just plywood. Weird.
FordPickup92
Royal Flush
@Jers28 I'm really sorry for you and the seller. Such a devastating situation. I am blessed to say I am lucky to have never had this problem receiving packages in my time here. I have filed many claims with usps, mostly for delayed packages, and if I recall they all eventually showed up. Shipping during covid was a nightmare, I've had my fair share of arguments with usps. Ultimately, yeah they simply don't give a shit, and the insurance is a joke. There's definitely a method to the madness as far as shipping single racks goes
And yeah I would definitely reiterate using a SFRB inside multiple PFRE and a standard flat rate envelope outside is cheapest. The multiple label thing is a good idea. I did not always ship this way, but when I have sent using only SFRB in the past I taped it to death. I think anymore, large purchases are just better made in person. Keep in mind, postal workers see your address and if it's public knowledge as you say, they can Google it and likely identify who or what you are associated with it. Probably better to have a secondary address for packages, or a business address is even better. I've had tremendous success shipping to and from my work with 0 issues
And yeah I would definitely reiterate using a SFRB inside multiple PFRE and a standard flat rate envelope outside is cheapest. The multiple label thing is a good idea. I did not always ship this way, but when I have sent using only SFRB in the past I taped it to death. I think anymore, large purchases are just better made in person. Keep in mind, postal workers see your address and if it's public knowledge as you say, they can Google it and likely identify who or what you are associated with it. Probably better to have a secondary address for packages, or a business address is even better. I've had tremendous success shipping to and from my work with 0 issues
FordPickup92
Royal Flush
My "neighbors" have kept alot of my deliveries for my horse....lol to each is own. People will sell anything to anyone anymoreI definitely think it’s an all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs type thing. I have had great and horrible experiences with Fed Ex, USPS and UPS. It can vary wildly from one region to the next and even one driver to the next. I have one delivery guy I’d swear just delivers my packages to the wrong house (wrong neighborhood, even) just to mess with me. The best part is the people that live in said house like to open my packages to see if it’s worth keeping before admitting they have it. Fortunately, they don’t play poker or know the value of chips.
I had some lumber delivered to them and tracked it down as they were frantically trying to chorale it into the garage for themselves. They claimed they were protecting it for me. It was July and no hint of rain for weeks, never mind that lumber doesn’t melt in the rain. lol People are…well, strange shall we say. It was specifically for a poker table. I wondered what on earth excited them to have a stack of 4 x 8 sheets of 7/8” plywood. It was nice, but still just plywood. Weird.
Rakrul
Flush
Felt_Lizard
Full House
On a lot of chip packages, I mark the outside:
"Handle with care. CERAMIC TILE SAMPLES."
"Handle with care. CERAMIC TILE SAMPLES."
I use like 90 zip ties around the package.
MINIMAL
Sitting Out
I buy and sell all the time its 100% the sellers responsibility to make sure the package arrives in fair condition by doing everything they can to prevent the package from being opened or damaged. If the seller sealed that box with plenty of tape then it would have never opened depending how expensive/rare the content is double boxed is always above and beyond but makes sure it will arrive safe. Hope all gets worked out and someone had insurance.
Doesn’t help OP, but just read an interesting article about the Supreme Court ruling yesterday on protecting USPS.
I won’t link it to avoid the risk of it getting too political, but something I didn’t know is that basically USPS can do whatever they want to your mail, they can choose to shred it/ steal it, not deliver etc and they are protected from lawsuits:
Factoid on volume
I won’t link it to avoid the risk of it getting too political, but something I didn’t know is that basically USPS can do whatever they want to your mail, they can choose to shred it/ steal it, not deliver etc and they are protected from lawsuits:
Factoid on volume
FWIW this is mostly how it already was. USPS was already immune from civil lawsuits “arising out of the loss, miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter.” This ruling just (ridiculously, imo) says that intentionally not delivering mail also qualifies as miscarriage or loss. But your chances of successfully suing USPS for losing your package are effectively the same as they were before, 0. It's also still a federal crime for a postal employee to "intentionally delay, detain, open, destroy, or secrete mail entrusted to them." with an up to 5 year prison sentence.
FWIW, I have recently been dealing with two local post offices (USPS) about a lost Etsy package, not poker chips.
The package was sent to the wrong post office one town over from me. It had the correct address on the shipping label, but went to the wrong place. Rather than passing it along to their neighboring office, these folks seem to have sat on it for a while, then put it in some general “mis-shipped” bin which was taken away... But the item was never scanned for a new destination.
This USPS office repeatedly told me they would “call back by the end of the day,” but never would. I finally got there in person, and at least got a printed acknowledgement from them that they lost it. However, they are claiming that only the shipper can file a lost package report.
The shipper is going to do that, and she seems to think that USPS has “GPS tracking” now on all packages. Really? Seems unlikely.
The package was sent to the wrong post office one town over from me. It had the correct address on the shipping label, but went to the wrong place. Rather than passing it along to their neighboring office, these folks seem to have sat on it for a while, then put it in some general “mis-shipped” bin which was taken away... But the item was never scanned for a new destination.
This USPS office repeatedly told me they would “call back by the end of the day,” but never would. I finally got there in person, and at least got a printed acknowledgement from them that they lost it. However, they are claiming that only the shipper can file a lost package report.
The shipper is going to do that, and she seems to think that USPS has “GPS tracking” now on all packages. Really? Seems unlikely.
A buyer/recipient can file a claim as well - I have done it. It may be easier to provide qualifying documentation as a seller/sender though. Ultimately, I needed about eight documents and hours of emails/calls to get a refund, but I did.
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