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 Replies: 11 / Views: 2,892 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
718 Posts |
Today I received a quantity of gold sovereigns that I purchased from APMEX to my residence. They were delivered by UPS. I received notifications indicating that they were to be delivered between 4:30 and 7:00. At 2:30 I went to my email to find a notification that the package had been delivered. Opened my front door and there it was. Package indicates that signature is required. I signed nothing. Proof of delivery was, "Package left at residence." My wife and I were watching television about 25 feet from the door and heard no knock, or doorbell. So I'm wondering what would happen if a "porch pirate" had taken the package before I got to it (the package was on my porch less than 15 minutes)? What would happen if I wasn't a former Boy Scout and scrupulously honest, and I claimed I never received it as they have no signature. I wonder if APMEX knows how their packages are being handled? I'm probably the only one who has ever had this happen to them {sarcasm intended}. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
718 Posts |
Off to the bank now to add to my safe deposit box contents.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
557 Posts |
Yep, SOP for UPS and other companies as well. I've had numerous pricey gold coins delivered to the great white north from the US and they always arrive in similar fashion....no knock or doorbell in most cases, just a nice little brown package worth mega $$ laying on the stoop. So far, all have arrived, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time...
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5177 Posts |
I no longer let gold coins be delivered to my home. Everything is now routed to work where there always is someone to accept the delivery on my behalf.
And for those that are retired and be home most of the time, I suggest installing a motion-detection cam at the front door.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
562 Posts |
Quote:
What would happen if I wasn't a former Boy Scout and scrupulously honest, and I claimed I never received it as they have no signature After reading what happened to other people here, I'd guess you'd be out of whatever you paid. I don't think the signature requirement means what it used to. Recently when an expensive shipment is being delivered, I have a hold put on it and it stays at the local post office until I go pick it up. Edited by Chopped Triumphs
11/02/2022 03:06 am
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Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
This is rather unsettling.  I did not have to sign for anything that was "signature required" through most of the pandemic. However, I have had the same driver for several years now and he always rings the bell. Now that things have eased up, I had to sign the pad on the most recent SR deliveries. Quote:
Everything is now routed to work where there always is someone to accept the delivery on my behalf I used to do this before I started working from home. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4333 Posts |
Quote:
Recently when an expensive shipment is being delivered, I have a hold put on it and it stays at the local post office until I go pick it up. I no longer trust USPS for anything containing value after a multi-thousand dollar order of mine disappeared out of state, and the claims process was a mess. Recently we had six graduation gift cards in a row not show up after my scanning app showed they were to be delivered. This was over a period of about six months. Filed a notice with the postmaster and recently we found that the thief was a local USPS employee. When I listen to LED ZEPPELIN...so do my neighbors...
Roll hunting since '77
Dirt fishing since '72
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
The individual who made the delivery to your front door would have no idea of the value of the contents of the package. Just doing the job mindlessly, and getting onto the next delivery. With a shortage of labor UPS has a schedule, which delivery personnel have to keep. So, one way of saving time is for the delivery guy is to report that no one was at home, just to save time.
Sloppy way of doing delivery business but most customers just accept that this is just the way it is, and UPS mostly get away with it.
My personal way of avoiding this situation is to buy as little on-line as I can, and buy most things face to face with good old cash.
I have bought $10,000 worth of Pt bullion from a specialist bullion dealer over the counter with cash, instead of waiting for delivery. I thought that the risk was just too big.
If you don't like carrying that amount of cash, you can always pay with a bank check, so long as it is specifically for the bullion dealer's account, and no one else.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3641 Posts |
I agree with NumisEd - having a motion-detecting camera or something like a Ring doorbell is great for the times when the delivery person just drops something off without bothering to knock or ring the doorbell. I also like it as I know when a package is dropped off when I'm not home and can call someone to pick it up if it's something important...
Member of SPMC, FCCB, ANA and ANS. My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
I switched to a PO box after two non-deliveries. During Covid USPS drivers would sign for delivery themselves and place items in the mailbox. After one of those disappeared, USPS shrugged it off and said they followed protocol, making it my fault. They even showed me the delivery slip signed by the driver.
The PO box has worked fine so far, except for dealers who refuse to ship to a PO box. They don't get my business.
By far the worst experience was with Fedex, who left an unsigned bubble pack envelope on my porch that had been ripped open and emptied. The dealer refunded my purchase, and I can only hope they have improved their packing and shipping methods. I won't ever order from them again.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
11/06/2022 08:12 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
533 Posts |
All carriers have gone crazy lately as have many vendors I recently had a shelf unit shipped from Walmart and they used Fed-Ex. Fed-Ex dropped it down the street and marked the signature as "OOO" for out of office, in other words no signature. Walmart refused to cover it as it was "signed for". When I pointed out to them that the signature simply reflected that no one signed for it they just stated the policy again, that it was "signed for" so they were covered. How does a "signature" stating no one signed for the delivery provide proof it was signed for? Anyway the person that did get it dropped it at my house so it worked out but what a crazy way to do business Edited by jaxenro
11/07/2022 06:26 am
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Hard to say what would happen. UPS left a mint box of 500 ozs of silver inside my open barn. It was there a couple days before my son brought it to the house. He wonders why the package was so heavy.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,892 |
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Posted 11/01/2022 6:27 pm
