Head’s up - USPS mail theft

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks @MMtwo, that is super helpful, didn’t even know about that kind of tape.

 

[MMtwo]

Thanks @MMtwo, that is super helpful, didn’t even know about that kind of tape.

You're welcome. It was a learning curve for me the first time. The last package took 11 days from Virginia to California.

 

[Fancygems]

I send more valuable jewelry (800+) registered and insured with a required signature. The item is double boxed, with the inner box taped to the wall of the package. It takes longer and you cannot track it en route, but it's going to get there. It's cheaper than an insured priority package. I believe this is the only way to ship jewelry valued at over $5,000 that will be covered for loss by USPS.

Each person who touches your package signs for it. If Cletus is on vacation this week and he is the authorized registered mail carrier, your package is going to sit there until Cletus comes back. It's a drag but it takes the worry out of the situation.

Edit: You'll need to get paper mailing tape and tape every crevice of the box. It applies like self pasted wallpaper and it will need to dry. Once at the post office they stamp it all over to secure it from tampering.

Yes I do this as well and have never had an issue.

 

[MillieLou]

@elizat and @MillieLou what insurance did you use? I am curious because again as I was researching this I found that UPS and FedEx "declared value" isn't the same as insurance so did you do 3rd party and how did that work?

Blue Nile generated the Fedex label (which I paid for) and then I followed their instructions to obtain separate insurance via Parcel Pro, with whom they have an account. Luckily I never had to test out the claims process, so can't comment on how good they would be...

BN were very explicit about how to package, how to seal, what to write and what not to write (anything to suggest it was jewellery inside, including the full company name).

Still felt like I was taking a risk though.

 

[lmyracle]

This was USPS, not UPS.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I send more valuable jewelry (800+) registered and insured with a required signature. The item is double boxed, with the inner box taped to the wall of the package. It takes longer and you cannot track it en route, but it's going to get there. It's cheaper than an insured priority package. I believe this is the only way to ship jewelry valued at over $5,000 that will be covered for loss by USPS.

Each person who touches your package signs for it. If Cletus is on vacation this week and he is the authorized registered mail carrier, your package is going to sit there until Cletus comes back. It's a drag but it takes the worry out of the situation.

Edit: You'll need to get paper mailing tape and tape every crevice of the box. It applies like self pasted wallpaper and it will need to dry. Once at the post office they stamp it all over to secure it from tampering.

USPS Registered Mail is the only way for an individual to safely send higher value jewelry if the vendor does not provide a return label. I have done it many times and it is very, very safe. Individuals cannot insure jewelry with FedEx and UPS.

I didn't read every post, but did Dolly send her a return label? All I know is that other vendors with jewelry insurance send the label along with the packing instructions required by the insurance company. If the customer sent it back on her own without insurance, then the loss is on her. I can't imagine the lack of common sense in sending jewelry back in a padded envelope, though!

 

[elizat]

I send more valuable jewelry (800+) registered and insured with a required signature. The item is double boxed, with the inner box taped to the wall of the package. It takes longer and you cannot track it en route, but it's going to get there. It's cheaper than an insured priority package. I believe this is the only way to ship jewelry valued at over $5,000 that will be covered for loss by USPS.

Each person who touches your package signs for it. If Cletus is on vacation this week and he is the authorized registered mail carrier, your package is going to sit there until Cletus comes back. It's a drag but it takes the worry out of the situation.

Edit: You'll need to get paper mailing tape and tape every crevice of the box. It applies like self pasted wallpaper and it will need to dry. Once at the post office they stamp it all over to secure it from tampering.

This. More expensive items I send this way too. My threshold is usually $1k.

I am guilty of the bubble mailer. When I do items under $100 I usually do a bubble mailer, wrap the item in bubble wrap and wrap that as well or a separate envelope. So it's an envelope within an envelope. But still in a padded mailer.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'll clarify that I meant not sending fine jewelry of any real value (such as a diamond ring!) in a padded envelope. If I can afford the loss of the item, I wouldn't care.

 

[ForteKitty]

This was USPS, not UPS.

Did you see the screenshot from page 1? it's UPS. Fedex/UPS do not insure jewelry. The person would have needed third party insurance. In her case, she should have sent it via Registered Mail or asked Dolly for a label.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Did you see the screenshot from page 1? it's UPS. Fedex/UPS do not insure jewelry. The person would have needed third party insurance. In her case, she should have sent it via Registered Mail or asked Dolly for a label.

Right. I consider this 100% on the buyer. She send something uninsured (and poorly packaged), so it's her loss.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

From what I've been told, this varies from country to country, and once it arrives at the destination country, their local post office takes over... which can be good or bad. USPS doesn't employ staff overseas and rely solely on other countries' local post. Shipments via USPS to Australia used to go to the door and require a signature, but I've heard from friends that isn't the case anymore. I shipped a band to the UK once and it scanned in as arrived, then was never seen again.

Just a heads up regarding international shipping: USPS international signed for flat rate envelope has been the safest for me personally. I'm in France, used to be in Germany. Our delivery persons are
public officials with a special status and thus extremely reliable.
FedEx and ups are private, thus a bigger pain to deal with.

But all in all very very reliable postal services all around.

Alex parks overnighted a package from ny once and I actually got it i. 20 hrs door to door.

Sorry to be rambling, but I'm trying to clear up some prejudices from US sellers since I'm missing out on so many potential purchases because people think the postal service is bad everywhere else in the world.

 

[ForteKitty]

Just a heads up regarding international shipping: USPS international signed for flat rate envelope has been the safest for me personally. I'm in France, used to be in Germany. Our delivery persons are
public officials with a special status and thus extremely reliable.
FedEx and ups are private, thus a bigger pain to deal with.

But all in all very very reliable postal services all around.

Alex parks overnighted a package from ny once and I actually got it i. 20 hrs door to door.

Sorry to be rambling, but I'm trying to clear up some prejudices from US sellers since I'm missing out on so many potential purchases because people think the postal service is bad everywhere else in the world.

It's not that straightforward unless you have third party insurance.

This is the International Mailing Manual for USPS, and under Express Mail Insurance for France specifically, it states:

1. Coins; banknotes; currency notes, including paper money; securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver; precious stones; jewelry; watches; and other valuable articles are prohibited in Priority Mail Express International shipments to France (including Corsica and Monaco).

France | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

So if a private seller ships to you and it gets lost, there's no insurance payout. I always comb the fine print carefully, because I know people who have gotten screwed before.

Also if you click on Insurance payout, the max amount allowed is only $650.

 

[Dancing Fire]

( I returned via USPS because that was the easiest way to purchase insurance even though USPS makes me nervous esp lately with all of their delays.

Waste of money. My BIL before he retired he used to work inside the USPS registered mail cage, and he said all register mails are handle the same way with or w/o insurance. He said by customers purchasing insurance he can tell there's an expensive item inside by looking at the postage stamp price. Said he knew there's diamonds inside the package when he see a postage label like $30.

IOW, you just announced to every USPS workers who will be handing your package that there's high value item inside. I used to ship a lot of rare coins via USPS registered mail with insurance, but after talking to my BIL and a friend who works at the front counter I didn't purchase insurance again no matter how valuable my package was.

 

[Mreader]

Waste of money. My BIL before he retired he used to work inside the USPS registered mail cage, and he said all register mails are handle the same way with or w/o insurance. He said by customers purchasing insurance he can tell there's an expensive item inside by looking at the postage stamp price. Said he knew there's diamonds inside the package when he see a postage label like $30.

IOW, you just announced to every USPS workers who will be handing your package that there's high value item inside. I used to ship a lot of rare coins via USPS registered mail with insurance, but after talking to my BIL and a friend who works at the front counter I didn't purchase insurance again.

So in that case what happens if the package gets lost or stolen? Are you just out the money or is there still a way to get reimbursed?

 

[Dancing Fire]

So in that case what happens if the package gets lost or stolen? Are you just out the money or is there still a way to get reimbursed?

If the package was like $1k they'll pay you w/o much fighting but if you were to claim a $20K ring they'll say ...PROVE IT!. They'll fight you till thee end of time.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Mods: Hope this is acceptable.

Should ask the Mods to move this thread to Hangout.

 

[yssie]

Ditto @ForteKitty - USPS for international packages can be confusing and one does need to read the fine print. There is one page that contains the details of what is and is not insurable per country. No matter what the counter clerk says, no matter what any other USPS page might say, the information on this page is the only information USPS will consider if you file a claim.

This page tells you whether jewellery is permissible for shipping via Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International, or neither. It changes per country - Australia, NZ, and the UK have very different allowances, for example.

Individual Country Listings | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

Then this page tells you what your total package insurance limit is.

322 Priority Mail Express International Insurance | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

The value limits on the page above will almost always differ from the value limit or specialty clearance designation limit information displayed in the Click-n-Ship customs UI, even once you select the destination country. Why, I couldn’t possibly say.

 

[yssie]

The vendor was entirely at fault here. Clients can’t be expected to follow protocols that aren’t ever communicated - if you know that something should be double-boxed then it’s your job to tell your customer that.

Also, a jewellery vendor who chooses to use her home address for either outbound or inbound packages is painting an extraordinarily large target on her back. This is what PO boxes and hold for pickup services are for. I saw the post on IG last night, and honestly, my first thought was that she’s courting trouble and that more mailbox/route theft is all but guaranteed. And that I hope she has a really really good home alarm system because diamonds in the mailbox means diamonds in the house too.

 

[Mreader]

If the package was like $1k they'll pay you w/o much fighting but if you were to claim a $20K ring they'll say ...PROVE IT!. They'll fight you till thee end of time.

Ugh just a no-win then. This makes me wonder if personal articles policy insurance would kick in in the situation.

 

[yssie]

Registered is the only USPS class of mail wherein delivery is guaranteed. If a Registered package goes missing USPS will turn post office(s) inside out to find it. Can be slow but is absolutely the safest method to mail valuables domestically if a vendor-provided label isn’t an option!!

 

[Dancing Fire]

A month ago I shipped a 30K watch in a 2nd day USPS priority flat rate box w/o insurance. I'm not gonna announce to the world that there's a high value item inside.

 

[caolsen]

I send more valuable jewelry (800+) registered and insured with a required signature. The item is double boxed, with the inner box taped to the wall of the package. It takes longer and you cannot track it en route, but it's going to get there. It's cheaper than an insured priority package. I believe this is the only way to ship jewelry valued at over $5,000 that will be covered for loss by USPS.

Each person who touches your package signs for it. If Cletus is on vacation this week and he is the authorized registered mail carrier, your package is going to sit there until Cletus comes back. It's a drag but it takes the worry out of the situation.

Edit: You'll need to get paper mailing tape and tape every crevice of the box. It applies like self pasted wallpaper and it will need to dry. Once at the post office they stamp it all over to secure it from tampering.

Great tip - thank you!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

It's not that straightforward unless you have third party insurance.

This is the International Mailing Manual for USPS, and under Express Mail Insurance for France specifically, it states:

1. Coins; banknotes; currency notes, including paper money; securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver; precious stones; jewelry; watches; and other valuable articles are prohibited in Priority Mail Express International shipments to France (including Corsica and Monaco).

France | Postal Explorer

pe.usps.com

So if a private seller ships to you and it gets lost, there's no insurance payout. I always comb the fine print carefully, because I know people who have gotten screwed before.

Also if you click on Insurance payout, the max amount allowed is only $650.

Yes, you are right, I have not received items over 650 this way. It's about the maximum amount I'd take this risk for. And I'm guilty of writing "Geological findings & Carbon, AUR , PT , Research Materials'", too.

For the rare high value item FedEx overnight IS super reliable. But I do think the sender needs a business account for unlimited insurance

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Dolly from Bijoux posted this on IG. Sharing for those who didn’t see it as folks in this forum ship a lot of stuff back and forth as private sellers who probably don’t have commercial jewelers insurance. The trade folks who commented said there is something up with shipping in and out of LA using the US Post Office.

Mods: Hope this is acceptable.

OMG !
That'd totally cut open !
That is completly unacceptable and if that happened here someone would be calling the six o'clock news about it

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Just a heads up regarding international shipping: USPS international signed for flat rate envelope has been the safest for me personally. I'm in France, used to be in Germany. Our delivery persons are
public officials with a special status and thus extremely reliable.
FedEx and ups are private, thus a bigger pain to deal with.

But all in all very very reliable postal services all around.

Alex parks overnighted a package from ny once and I actually got it i. 20 hrs door to door.

Sorry to be rambling, but I'm trying to clear up some prejudices from US sellers since I'm missing out on so many potential purchases because people think the postal service is bad everywhere else in the world.

I once had someone (a 2nd hand bookstore ) refuse to sell me a Bruce Springsteen lyric book because i was in NZ and she had heard our post office was unreliable ???
Every place has the story of the postie hoarding mall and not delivering it - but honestly after using NZ post my whole life i never knew it was ubrealiable!!!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I once had someone (a 2nd hand bookstore ) refuse to sell me a Bruce Springsteen lyric book because i was in NZ and she had heard our post office was unreliable ???
Every place has the story of the postie hoarding mall and not delivering it - but honestly after using NZ post my whole life i never knew it was ubrealiable!!!

Yes, I know that feeling Daisy.

I have had a big glitch .... PayPal had my new adress , but thé wrong country (which IS NOT VISIBLE DOR ME). So the seller sent it Germany instead of France (USPS intl signed for). Took a week longer, but still arrived safely in my home)

 

[caolsen]

Such great advice - PriceScope is so full of knowledge. love it!

 

[NKOTB]

Just curious, do the packages go missing after they leave the US? or after they arrive at your country? When I sell stuff on LT I don't ship outside of the US anymore because off theft. USPS can't control it once they leave the US, and Fedex/UPS requires third party insurance.

I hear WAY more stories down there about packages going missing or delivered improperly, etc. When I have stuff going to or coming from there, I only hold my breath on that side of the border.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Registered is the only USPS class of mail wherein delivery is guaranteed. If a Registered package goes missing USPS will turn post office(s) inside out to find it. Can be slow but is absolutely the safest method to mail valuables domestically if a vendor-provided label isn’t an option!!

That is what I thought when I sent a gem back to Multicolour gem. It was lost. Maybe this is true when it stays in the US but USPS told me once it leaves the US they can't track it. I don't know if I was given a bunch of lies by the post office. I made multiple inquiries but got nowhere. Vendor said they never received it. I was out $500.

 

[ForteKitty]

That is what I thought when I sent a gem back to Multicolour gem. It was lost. Maybe this is true when it stays in the US but USPS told me once it leaves the US they can't track it. I don't know if I was given a bunch of lies by the post office. I made multiple inquiries but got nowhere. Vendor said they never received it. I was out $500.

They can't track once it leaves the US. Registered mail is only guaranteed domestically. Our federal govt. can't control another country's postal system.