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 Replies: 20 / Views: 3,557 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
ebay has come a long way in the 12 years I've been buying coins there. Buyer protections are in-place to foil the bad guys and mitigate seller errors/omissions. So I feel confident bidding $76 (including shipping) for a BU 1878-S ( VAM 18 Spaghetti Wing) Morgan dollar from a seller I've done lots of business with over the years. The seller puts the coin in the mail on the 16th and provides a delivery confirmation tracking number. I check the number on the 17th and it shows the coin in-transit on the 17th. I am at the mailbox on the 21st (20th is a holiday) just after the mailman arrives ... no coin. Same thing on the 22nd and 23rd. After the no-hit on the 23rd I run the tracking number and it shows delivery confirmation on the 21st! I head off to the Post Office for an explanation. They take my info and will get with the driver and call me back. I get no call after 24 hours and drive back to the P.O. This time I get the supervisor who said he talked to the driver and he doesn't recall leaving me a package on the 21st ... DUH! The scan indicates it was delivered somewhere on my street (this is confirmed by the time stamp on my pkg and the way-point scans the driver makes along the route). I finally corner the driver on the afternoon of the 25th and try to get a plausible explanation. He doesn't recall a scanned pkg that day, but was extremely busy. Not once did he admit an error or offer an apology. The coin is gone and as far as ebay is concerned, it was delivered. The moral here is if you have home delivery and want to increase your chances of getting the package, pay for signature service. Otherwise you are trusting USPS to do the job they are paid to do (extra charge for delivery confirmation). That's a gamble I'm not willing to take in the future. 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1150 Posts |
That sucks. There are too many of these types of stories when dealing with the USPS. Of course, then you hear about a mailman (like in our area) who is actually stealing the mail and hoarding it at his house.
I have a PO box and it seems that things are less likely to get lost that way. Its much harder to explain how something didn't get into your locked PO box inside the post office than how it didn't get into your unsecured mailbox or how the mailman "doesn't recall" delivering an item.
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Valued Member
United States
292 Posts |
I try to check the delivery confirmation on a daily basis when I know something is coming. I've never had any problems (knock on wood) but if it ever does occur I know that time is of the essence.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2254 Posts |
Seated, do you have a number on your address that may have gotten transposed when it was being filled out? Do you live in a very populated area where there is no telling where it could have gotten dropped off? We often get the neighbors mail because in our neighborhood they bunch 6-7 mailboxes next to each other. It may be worth asking the neighbors....
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Forum Dad
 United States
24183 Posts |
It's even worse in rural areas when the delivery person isn't even a USPS employee. Some places everything gets scanned as delivered when its loaded on the delivery vehicle in the morning.
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Moderator
United States
14463 Posts |
I like the service I have gotten from USPS. So far, nothing lost either sending or receiving (edit: over 250 shipments). A few were mis-routed taking an extra day or so. Once even had my carrier come by after hours in her car. One delivery had fallen out of their carrier box and was found at end of their shift. It could have just be delivered the next day, but she took time to bring it back to me. I bought her a small box of chocolate for Christmas.  Edited by Fuzzy317
02/27/2012 2:06 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2797 Posts |
Quote:
Seated, do you have a number on your address that may have gotten transposed when it was being filled out? Do you live in a very populated area where there is no telling where it could have gotten dropped off? We often get the neighbors mail because in our neighborhood they bunch 6-7 mailboxes next to each other. It may be worth asking the neighbors.... I confirmed with the seller (he used ebay label service). When I spoke with the carrier he said he usually doesn't go by the address, but looks at the name. I talked to neighbors on the left and right, plus a house down the street that is one digit off (I'm 1102, he's 1002). All deny any knowledge of the pkg. If it were dropped off at the wrong address I would expect it to have been corrected by now. One of two possibilities here ... wrong address and they are keeping it ... sticky fingered mail carrier (my vote). Same outcome either way.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4944 Posts |
Quote:
sticky fingered mail carrier (my vote). If you really think this is the case, you should look into getting a P.O box. If the mail carrier did take the coin, he may keep doing it knowing that you are getting coins shipped there. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
Some people won't do business with P.O. or APO/FPO boxes.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4944 Posts |
Quote:
Some people won't do business with P.O. or APO/FPO boxes. That's true, but it is definitely better than having your coins stolen. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I always add signature confirmation to every package I send on ebay for this very reason |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Quote:I always add signature confirmation to every package I send on ebay for this very reason That will be my direction for all future purchases from ebay. I had a coin come in yesterday that, due to the price, the seller voluntarily bought insurance on the package and it required a signature at delivery. Mr. Postman came to the door yesterday and the wife signed for it. A very nice XF 1878 8TF VAM 14.13.  Asking a seller to include signature confirmation (at my expense) will delay it a day or more. Some may not be able to modify the auction to include an additional $2.55 ($2.10 if purchased online) after closing. Many will probably be "unwilling" to take the extra effort. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Last evening my 75 year-old neighbor rang my doorbell accompanied by his 4 yr old granddaughter. In her hand is a small box with an address label and delivery confirmation sticker. Hey Dave, the postman left this in our box by mistake today. I look at the label and it's the coin that went missing on the 21st of Feb.  I went on to relate to him my fiasco with this one ... delivery confirmation on the 21st of Feb but not delivered to me; my discussions with the Supervisor, the carrier and eventually the Postmaster. Checking and double-checking delivery timestamps, etc. I could see the smile slowly leaving his face. It appears the box was placed in his mailbox on the 21st and he forgot about it. He never admitted to this and I don't really care to get an admission of guilt. The package had all the original markings and was not tampered with. A month late, but I did get the coin.  |
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Moderator
United States
189767 Posts |
Amazing. An eventual happy ending. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
I've had some postal snags myself--I had to pick up my last 4 (undelivered) packages directly from the PO. Good to hear that Newman didn't get his mits on your coins.  |
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Moderator
United States
189767 Posts |
I do recall that you and I had a run-in with Newman once!  |
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Replies: 20 / Views: 3,557 |
Posted 02/27/2012 1:29 pm
