How would you handle this?

[Cygnet]

USPS tracking says my jewelry was delivered.
UPS Store, where I have a box (because UPS to my house is highly unreliable) said they didn't get it last night. It was supposedly delivered yesterday AM.

Jewelry was shipped insured, but the UPS clerk said that the insurance only applies if THEY lose it, and they show it was delivered.

UPS store says they didn't get it.

This was for my flea market stall. I'm out about $55, but it's $55 I can't afford to replace right now.

(And my hair accessories? I ordered them Friday and the shipper still hasn't sent them and didn't respond to the email I sent yesterday morning and isn't answering their phone. Growl. Though at least they're not lost, it's just a vendor being slow.)

Edit to add: The UPS store has put other people's mail in my box a few times. I'll make them show me their signature log. If someone else signed for and picked up my package because they got the slip in their box, what do I do then?

I had the kid at the UPS Store check the back yesterday for the package even though there was no notice in my box, because I thought it should have gotten there, and he said there was nothing in the back for me.

-- Leva

[mtc]

Postal Service tracking is iffy at best. I've had stuff delivered when the tracker said it was sitting in Georgia and visa versa. Initiate a claim for loss with all the potential handlers and see if that doesn't rattle a cage or two.

[MoonRiver]

I would verify that the address the jewelry person used for shipping and the USPS address are both correct. Did you require a signature? If so, that's something else you can check.

One time USPS put a box in my stand alone garage, rather than on the front step or the attached garage. I didn't find it for several days.

[Cygnet]

*growl*

The USPS clerk just HUNG UP ON ME. She told me yes I could file an insurance claim ... earlier, someone else said no. I asked how long that woud take and she said she didn't know. I said I'd be happy to hold while she found someone to ask and she said it "wasn't something she could look up in a book" so I asked to speak to someone above her and she hung up on me!

USPS says this wouldn't require a signature.

The UPS store says they never got it and that everything requires a signature when it comes in their store.

I'm so ----ed.

And now the post office is not answering their phone when I try to call back.

[shepmom]

Cyg, stay nice or they'll go postal towards you wink

Sounds like this requires a visit to the post office. Tell the person what has happened and ask what steps you will need to take to get the insurance filed. Remember tis season is heavy on the carriers. Lots of Christmas cards and parcels. Could be somebody at the UPS Store swiped your package if they had a clue jewelry, something of value was within their hands.

[Cygnet]

I called back and spoke to someone above the nimwit. They're going to talk to the carrier and try to get to the bottom of it. I AM nice, but I work in customer service, and hanging up on a customer who has a reasonable question (how long will this take?) is reasonable.

I never use USPS if I can help it for packages. I've had a lot go missing, and there have been police reports in the mail of packages and mail found opened by the side of the road. "Mailbox thieves" have been blamed but now I wonder. We have a meth problem here, so mailbox thieves is plausible, but "postal carrier with sticky fingers" is also plausible ...

The UPS store is a mom and pop operation. It IS possible somebody at the store could have pocketed it, but I've had zero problems with them and I've had a lot of high dollar stuff go through that store -- I just had a $400 or so chop saw delivered and was surprised to see it arrived in a big box with a picture of a chop saw on the side! (Thank goodness nobody had sticky fingers ... you could sell a chop saw like that in five minutes at the local swap meet, no questions asked.) And lots of stuff from Amazon (DVDs) and lots of stuff from distributors, including DVDs of movies that aren't even available yet and which would be very easy for someone to sell.

Nothing's ever gone missing from them before. Generally speaking, nobody used the USPS, though. They all use UPS or FedEx.

Am leaning towards a Post Office problem.

(And I can't visit the post office without taking time off work. I work 45 minutes away and they're only open 8 to noon.)

[Otter]

Originally Posted by shepmom

Could be somebody at the UPS Store swiped your package if they had a clue jewelry, something of value was within their hands.

That is a lot more likely in the postal service then UPS. UPS is the Teamsters Union and they do run background checks and they will take action. If you work for UPS and even try something like that, even if the property owner doesn't bring you up on charges, UPS will and the Teamsters will fine you heavily.

I'd go to the post office and politely make it clear you are not leaving until this is settled. If your local post office is a branch, go to the main one and make a fuss there. Let THEM do the tracking and make the phone calls, if they can they will tell you you have to go talk to ___ over in ___ in the hopes you'll get frustrated and give up. Just sit there and tell them you paid to have a package delivered, they lost it, they find it.

[Cygnet]

Well, it finally turned up. :-) It was delivered to the wrong store in the strip mall. The post office said that couldn't POSSIBLY happen, that the mailman was very reliable and never made mistakes like that.

So, yay, I have my inventory now.

(And the box, it turns out, just has the owner's name on it and her return address, and NO indication it had jewelry in it. Smart of them. I always hate it when a company delivers something with a logo or picture on the box indicating what it is, particularly if it's valuable. Makes it easy for employees with sticky fingers to snag the good stuff without risking getting caught over a box of fruitcake or gramma's knitted scarves, yes?)

-- Leva

[MullersLaneFarm]

Leva,
Hey!!! Don't dis gramma's knitted scarves!! Just sold one of my handspun, hand-knit scarves for $70.00!!

So glad you got your package!

[How Do I]

Glad to hear your package was found! The last time, 4 years ago, I used UPS to ship a package I was out an expensive S-O (damaged by UPS) tool box and the $250 it was sold for. Grrrr!! I've had less problems with USPS, but for what they get paid I would expect more from them.

[Cygnet]

Originally Posted by MullersLaneFarm

Leva,
Hey!!! Don't dis gramma's knitted scarves!! Just sold one of my handspun, hand-knit scarves for $70.00!!

So glad you got your package!

Yabut, your average thief is going to find it a lot easier to unload a box of jewelry or tools or expensive anime DVD vs. knitting. If they'd even recognize the scarf as valuable.

I can just see someone taking it to their fence and going, "It's real alpaca, honest! And look at the knit work! Itty bitty stitches! And isn't the color lovely?"

(And congrats on the sale. :-) Good job. I am horrible at knitting and respect anyone who can.

Edit to add: On the topic of thieves and dishonesty ... Anyone who buys jewelry from an unknown party REALLY needs to be careful. It's one thing to buy $5 a pop costume jewelry, but for love of ... don't buy expensive stuff out of the trunk of someone's car!

I spotted a seller at a market selling some items from cheapwholesalejewelry.com and a couple other places that I KNEW wholesaled for $5.99-$8.99 because I was making a list to buy some myself! Out of curiosity, I asked what he was charging for one of the rings.

$800-1300

And he lied and claimed they were real stones.

I was SO tempted to try to get a booth next to him and show up one day and hock the same stuff for $20 a piece just out of sheer orneriness, but alas, booths on either side of him were already taken.

I about choked. I was planning on marking mine up 3X and was wondering if they'd sell for that ...

-- Leva