$30k Book’s Tracking Hasn’t Updated for 5 Days, How Long is Reasonable to not be Upset? 3 3

[OtherEric]

It's not just USPS, sadly.  I have a much cheaper book on the way to me via FedEx, and it's been within 40 miles of me since Sunday night.  It's not even getting closer; looking at the various locations it's been tracked at it probably passed within 1000 feet of my apartment (assuming it was on the freeway) but it's still just jumping from transfer point to transfer point.  At least I'm still getting updates.

Glad your book showed up finally!

[Dr. Love]

23 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

 

Glad your book showed up finally!

+1

[Phill the Governor]

On 8/19/2020 at 7:15 AM, NP_Gresham said:

That is the ONLY way to send an expensive book.

FedEx and UPS have no good option to insure that high, and for what they do have you will need an attorney to get pennies on the dollar. BTW for remote addresses, both FedEx and UPS drop shipments in the US mail. No profit in providing service to remote areas.

What would concern me is that it was sent 2-3day which means priority. If it was Priority, the sender was irresponsible.

This should have been sent Registered, whuich is very slow but as secure a method as you can find

Unfortunately, after numerous inquiries into how Registered mail is actually treated, it seems very plausible there is NO additional benefit to the added cost. Not only this but internal (or outside) investigations (I can't remember which) have proven that just like airport security the "security" fails 99/100 times: Locked bins with registered mail have been left open, tracking not updated, packages stolen bc of perceived value...

The biggest problem with registered mail supersedes the main problem at hand: duration the package is in transit. It just opens the door up for something to happen along the way.

 

It's likely not a popular take, but I would say regular priority mail blending in with the rest has a greater chance of arriving safely on time. IIRC two gentlemen on the boards tried an experiment years back and proved that marking "Fragile" on a box ironically becomes an extra liability. Go figure.

[NP_Gresham]

42 minutes ago, Phill the Governor said:

Unfortunately, after numerous inquiries into how Registered mail is actually treated, it seems very plausible there is NO additional benefit to the added cost. Not only this but internal (or outside) investigations (I can't remember which) have proven that just like airport security the "security" fails 99/100 times: Locked bins with registered mail have been left open, tracking not updated, packages stolen bc of perceived value...

The biggest problem with registered mail supersedes the main problem at hand: duration the package is in transit. It just opens the door up for something to happen along the way.

 

It's likely not a popular take, but I would say regular priority mail blending in with the rest has a greater chance of arriving safely on time. IIRC two gentlemen on the boards tried an experiment years back and proved that marking "Fragile" on a box ironically becomes an extra liability. Go figure.

I dont know where you got your information, but it is not accurate.

Everyone who touches registered mail signs for it - that is why it is slow. The last person who signs for it is personally responsible - they attach your pay.

I was a letter carrier for the PO and I can tell you Express and priority were dropped off in bags where no one was there. If no one at the airport signed for registered mail I brought it back and got signed off. I occasionally took the airport run when the special delivery messenger was not working.

No one EVER returned without the registered signature or the package(s). The bags had a complete list by number of contents in the bag and the bag had a lock with a registry number.

It was the most secure by far. It was stored in a locked cage or safe at every location. It took so long at times because you had to find the accountable clerk to get signed off.

 

[Phill the Governor]

14 minutes ago, NP_Gresham said:

I dont know where you got your information, but it is not accurate.

Everyone who touches registered mail signs for it - that is why it is slow. The last person who signs for it is personally responsible - they attach your pay.

I was a letter carrier for the PO and I can tell you Express and priority were dropped off in bags where no one was there. If no one at the airport signed for registered mail I brought it back and got signed off. I occasionally took the airport run when the special delivery messenger was not working.

No one EVER returned without the registered signature or the package(s). The bags had a complete list by number of contents in the bag and the bag had a lock with a registry number.

It was the most secure by far. It was stored in a locked cage or safe at every location. It took so long at times because you had to find the accountable clerk to get signed off.

 

It may not appear to be accurate from your experiences, but it's 100% accurate from my first hand experience and a friend that worked for USPS in the past who has seen some less than ideal things.

It's reassuring that you've had a positive first hand experience, but it doesn't change the overall part of my post: duration the package is in transit. There is a human element here. The last several times I used registered mail were times I remember accepting that the package had been lost in transit only for it to arrive weeks or even a month later. Feel free to do some independent research of other people's horror stories dealing with registered mail and you'll likely decide it's safer sending something priority in an unmarked package. Again, this is NOT a popular opinion, but I'm just speaking from the perspective of someone who has 3rd party insurance so I want it to get there ASAP. Time in transit is it's own version of insurance.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Phill the Governor
spelling

[woowoo]

On 8/18/2020 at 8:16 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I shipped a big book to rehnart park registered usps on 7/6. That’s near you, right? Same deal as yours - supposed to be 2 to 3 days delivery. It took 10. It arrived 7/16.

i understand your concern, but I think it’s just slow

Yup it took a long time to get to me. The mail lady said when its sent Registered mail they lock the item up till someone signs for it but it never gets lost. Thank you to @GreatCaesarsGhost

[NP_Gresham]

30 minutes ago, Phill the Governor said:

It may not appear to be accurate from your experiences, but it's 100% accurate from my first hand experience and a friend that worked for USPS in the past who has seen some less than ideal things.

It's reassuring that you've had a positive first hand experience, but it doesn't change the overall part of my post: duration the package is in transit. There is a human element here. The last several times I used registered mail were times I remember accepting that the package had been lost in transit only for it to arrive weeks or even a month later. Feel free to do some independent research of other people's horror stories dealing with registered mail and you'll likely decide it's safer sending something priority in an unmarked package. Again, this is NOT a popular opinion, but I'm just speaking from the perspective of someone who has 3rd party insurance so I want it to get there ASAP. Time in transit is it's own version of insurance.

. Part of USPS training for every employee is the chain of custody of Registered mail. It is as I stated the MOST SECURE. Someone pays when it is lost or stolen. A letter Carrier on a relay route left a registered package in a push cart while he went into a business, when he returned  (no more than a couple of minutes later) the "Regi" was gone - he paid $70,000 out of his pay.

I am very familiar with deviant behavior is the USPS, just llike anywhere else.  I personally knew 3 clerks who were hauled out in cuffs in one day at the same Post Office. But it is usually for money Orders. That is statistically the #1 area of fraud.

As for speed I told you at every step it is slow- why do you keep arguing that? The point is SECURE and that is the most secure. If you send $30Kpackages any other way , you are not thinking clearly. Priority has no security, there are insurance limits.

Your freind is exagerating and knows not what he is talking about - is he 'disgruntled'?.

[Badger]

1 minute ago, woowoo said:

Yup it took a long time to get to me. The mail lady said when its sent Registered mail they lock the item up till someone signs for it but it never gets lost. Thank you to @GreatCaesarsGhost

And that is also why the tracking takes so long to update. The package is still at its last location; it only moves when someone can and will take responsibility for it. That can take days. Registered Mail is the safest but it can take forever due to its security requirements.

[Phill the Governor]

2 minutes ago, NP_Gresham said:

. Part of USPS training for every employee is the chain of custody of Registered mail. It is as I stated the MOST SECURE. Someone pays when it is lost or stolen. A letter Carrier on a relay route left a registered package in a push cart while he went into a business, when he returned  (no more than a couple of minutes later) the "Regi" was gone - he paid $70,000 out of his pay.

I am very familiar with deviant behavior is the USPS, just llike anywhere else.  I personally knew 3 clerks who were hauled out in cuffs in one day at the same Post Office. But it is usually for money Orders. That is statistically the #1 area of fraud.

As for speed I told you at every step it is slow- why do you keep arguing that? The point is SECURE and that is the most secure. If you send $30Kpackages any other way , you are not thinking clearly. Priority has no security, there are insurance limits.

Your freind is exagerating and knows not what he is talking about - is he 'disgruntled'?.

Aside from the obvious security requirements, I am not arguing why it takes a long time. I am saying that because it takes so long there is a greater chance of something happening to it - regardless of it being the most secure. The longer the transit the greater the liability, I don't care how secure it is.

[NP_Gresham]

Just now, Phill the Governor said:

Aside from the obvious security requirements, I am not arguing why it takes a long time. I am saying that because it takes so long there is a greater chance of something happening to it - regardless of it being the most secure. The longer the transit the greater the liability, I don't care how secure it is.

I understand what you are thinking but it is chain of control , not time in transit that makes things secure.

Money orders take seconds to fill out, and yet they are forged and fraudulently pilfered at a high rate.

A package can be dumped your porch in seconds, but having a signature required takes more time- which is more secure?

 

[NP_Gresham]

22 hours ago, Daveb25 said:

After waiting over an hour on hold having an investigation started and going up the ladder with usps yesterday the book showed up in the system at 2:15am with a delivery by 11:15am and just arrived. I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Originally the first person on the phone swore up and down mine wasn’t one of the 210 packages the auction house dropped off that day but when I asked them to run each and every other tracking number they said they would get back to me in 24 hours and 8 hours later it began tracking. 

Great News

 

Now let's see the book!

[BladeTX]

On 8/18/2020 at 7:10 PM, Daveb25 said:

I am awaiting a shipment of a $30k book from a major seller/auction house.  It was put into the usps system 6 days ago and supposed to be 2-3 day mail. (We both acknowledged it shouldn’t have been sent that way but it’s too late to change).  It has been showing:  

Shipment Received, Package Acceptance Pending

since it was shipped on August 12th.  Today is the 5th business day in transit with no update.  Typical transit time for priority mail between the shipping place and me receiving the book has been 2 days in the past.  How long is reasonable to wait for them to make me whole or find out what happened to the book and where it is.  I know the post office is having issues but no updates and no book have me worried.  

I had a similar situation.   Item sent Priority, should have been there in 2-3 days.   After 6 business days, I sent USPS a request to locate the package.  Turns out it was at the destinations local post office.  After I sent the tracking request, the item arrived same day.   I think USPS is so screwed up right now that nothing is moving as it should but waiting more than 6 days for a 2 day delivery was getting irritating.  Suggest when ready to launch an inquiry.

[Ryan.]

3 hours ago, NP_Gresham said:

. Part of USPS training for every employee is the chain of custody of Registered mail. It is as I stated the MOST SECURE. Someone pays when it is lost or stolen. A letter Carrier on a relay route left a registered package in a push cart while he went into a business, when he returned  (no more than a couple of minutes later) the "Regi" was gone - he paid $70,000 out of his pay.

What state was this? 

[NP_Gresham]

1 minute ago, Ryan. said:

What state was this? 

Chicago I believe.

[Ryan.]

8 minutes ago, NP_Gresham said:

Chicago I believe.

Interesting. That type of wage deduction would seem to run contrary to Illinois employment laws. 

[NP_Gresham]

2 minutes ago, Ryan. said:

Interesting. That type of wage deduction would seem to run contrary to Illinois employment laws. 

A labor contract supercedes the law.

It most often is in the employees favor, but not always.

Additionally USPS is a federal employer, they dont follow all state laws such as having a license plate on vehicles.

 

[N e r V]

10 minutes ago, NP_Gresham said:

A labor contract supercedes the law.

It most often is in the employees favor, but not always.

Additionally USPS is a federal employer, they dont follow all state laws such as having a license plate on vehicles.

 

 

15 minutes ago, Ryan. said:

Interesting. That type of wage deduction would seem to run contrary to Illinois employment laws. 

Article 6 U. S. Constitution. 
 

Is that to political? 

[Ryan.]

24 minutes ago, N e r V said:

 

Article 6 U. S. Constitution. 
 

Is that to political? 

No dispute that federal law prevails over statutory law.

Whether or not a union would ever allow one of its members to become potentially destitute and have his wages garnished over a case of simple negligence, well... 

[Math Teacher]

On 8/18/2020 at 7:54 PM, KCOComics said:

I would call USPS.

When you get off the phone with USPS, go out to the back of your house and look at your pet unicorn.

Seriously, if you can get someone at USPS to talk to you, I would seriously recommend that you rush and buy a lottery ticket. If you got someone from USPS to talk to you, you must be the luckiest man on earth!

[Math Teacher]

On 8/18/2020 at 8:52 PM, Daveb25 said:

Let me modify that and say they told me it has definitely been dropped off at the post office by their lead shipping person.  

Just out of curiosity, did they get a receipt for the package when they dropped it off? If they didn't, they are in big trouble. No receipt, no evidence that the package was ever dropped off.

PS - I am very glad to hear that you received your book!

Edited August 20, 2020 by Joe Ankenbauer