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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,158 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
I learned something new the other day. I went to the post office and wanted to send a letter (containing a few coins) and I asked to insure it. The clerk was new and said "You can NOT insure a letter."
I checked it out with our Postmaster the next day and that is the rule. Many clerks will insure a letter, but they are NOT supposed to. So I asked why. Apparently there is only one way to insure that you get a pay out from the Post Office on "money" sent in the mail and that is to REGISTER the letter.
I have sent and received literally thousands of insured letters and have even claimed three losses that were paid. But the postmaster here in Angier, NC says that I have been very lucky.
Has anyone else run into this problem?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1703 Posts |
I have heard the same thing Bob,I also tried to use Conformation on a letter and thats a no-no too. They said it had to be certified.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
751 Posts |
Hey, Bob
On the chance that I was the recipient of said letter, rest assured as it arrived safely yesterday.
Thank you very much. The coins are very interesting and special because they came from a forum buddy.
Mick
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5362 Posts |
texasmick - yes, that was the letter/package. Glad to hear they arrived safely. Odd thing is that I have received 6 letters since - all insured - and I have sent others with no problems. It really depends on which clerk you get.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
751 Posts |
Funny, I forgot to comment on topic:
I mail the majority of my coins from the little PO on Hanscom AFB. I figure there is little chance the coins will be purloined at the point of origin.
The Post Master there has told me that insurance and DC is restricted to their $4.05 product. But of course, when you buy postage on-line through paypal, that is not enforced.
Strange
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Pillar Of The Community
3147 Posts |
You can get insurance and delivery confirmation on Priority Mail. But, I NEVER insure coins as, in my mind, its like putting a target on a package. I will mail registered to many countries as I know the package would probably disappear other wise. And even then I STILL DO NOT insure the package.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I have heard you can't insure "money" but you can insure "numismatic collectibles" maybe you need to ask the post master about that because I am just repeating what I have heard, money would be worth face value and numismatic collectible would be worth more than face value. That being said I have insured each and every package I have ver sent out and I have never had to file a claim as of yet, if they ever ask what it is I will always say its a collector coin or something to that effect and they have never had a problem with it here in Bessemer City NC
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
Bryan1315 - That was my thought too. It was also the way the postmaster handled the three claims that I processed when I lived in New England. But here, the postmaster said that the rules would only cover me for FACE value of the coins NOT their collector value. I didn't want to get argumentative but that didn't seem right to me. The example that the Postmaster countered with was a winning lottery ticket sent in the mail insured. The value paid was the original cost of the lottery ticket NOT the value as a winning ticket!  So I am questioning the value of insuring low value coins at all.
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
SwamperBob, your Postmaster is right on the lottery ticket, but dead wrong on the coins. MM  |
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Rest in Peace
United States
2684 Posts |
The USPS publishes a neat little booklet entitled, A Customer's Guide to Mailing which explains most things we want to know. It's new only in January, but doesn't cost anything and I recommend securing one for anyone who uses the USPS frequently. If there's any questions for which I need a more thorough read-out, I go to the Domestic Mailing Manual (DMM) http://pe.usps.com/ . In both sources, there is clearly no prohibition against insuring envelopes (letters) for the value of the contents as long as the contents are reasonably well packaged. E.g., if one were to mail, say a 1927 one dollar silver certificate, one could insure it for 100 dollars. If the USPS were to lose it in transit, it would be liable for the $100, not just the face value of one dollar. Mailing loose coins isn't a good idea and the USPS may not insure it if they detect that a letter's contents are not secure. One could mail slabbed coins in a regular envelope and get them insured if they're securely packaged, but above 3/4" thickness, it becomes a parcel which an envelope (letter) would become if a slab is correctly packaged. I've heard that urban legend for decades regarding insuring collectible coins or paper money only for their face value. The DMM clearly states, "insured for the value of an item". It's been my experience that USPS clerks and Postmasters are not very knowledgeable about their own rules and regulations and indeed can't even agree among themselves within a single PO. I have this problem a lot in my local PO which with its 300% personnel turnover in two years and is easily the worst PO with which I have ever done business. If they tell me something which I question (which is most everything they tell me), I nod my head, then go home and check it out in the DMM. I feel my blood pressure rising.  Discussions about the Postal Service do that to me.  Fred |
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,158 |
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Posted 09/13/2006 08:44 am
