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USPS package stolen - handplane inside.

2K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  TopamaxSurvivor 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I bought a fantastic Stanley #5 from one of the members on this site. Transaction was great and he shipped it out in a flat rate box with USPS. I was away at a conference the day it got delivered. Came home the next day hoping to see my new plane but it was not there.

Waited two more days and started to get worried. The tracking number says that it was delivered and left on my front porch. The sinking feeling in my gut says that someone thieved that package from my porch. The worst part of it all is thinking about the thief throwing it away because it has no use to him.

For those of you who use USPS much more often than I do, do I have any options? I am less concerned with the money than I am disappointed I wont be able to use my new plane, but I would like to try and get back some of the money to start saving for another #5.

If you have any advice I would love to hear it, otherwise, I will take my hard luck and keep smiling.

Cheers,
 
#2 ·
I have had problems with package delivery in my zip. Here are a few things you can try:

Go to usps.com and file a complaint that the package was not delivered. They will investigate. They will probably also claim that it was delivered correctly.

Contact the US Postal Inspectors and report the stolen package.

File a police report.

Ask the sender if they sent it with insurance. Have them file a claim on the insurance.

And Now my latest problem with USPS:

Four weeks ago I ordered a gross of scroll saw blades. The company sent them USPS priority mail flat rate. I got a tracking number from the company. On Thursday I checked USPS tracking and USPS said they were delivered. Great so I go to the mail box on my front porch and no box. I filed an online complaint with USPS. A couple of hours later I got a call from a supervisor in the local post office claiming that the package was in my mail box. Since I was home and walked to the front porch and looked in the mail box. NO PACKAGE. When I told the supervisor that she insisted that there was a postal employee present and that the package was in my box. No postal employee and no package. While on hold a postal van drives up and a woman motions for me to come to the van where she hands me my package. When the supervisor comes back to the phone she still insists that the package had been correctly delivered. I called the toll free number for USPS and asked to have the manager of the local post office call me. I was told they would call within 2 to 3 days. Four weeks later still no call.

Postal problems are common especially in my zip.
 
#3 ·
Hope you can recover some part of it. That really sucks. A friend worked with a guy who had a similar experience. The guy sent a Colt SSA in for restoration work. He never saw it again. I seem to recall it belonged to a father or grandfather. He was out the gun and a lot of money.
 
#7 ·
Unfortunately, USPS leaves packages at the delivery address and thieves are in great abundance. I have even caught them in my mail box ;-(( UPS is worse, they will not even knock on the door when they drop the package! Nor will they bother to get an adult signature if one is required and stamped all over the box, UPS leaves it by the door. At least FedEX will knock on the door and get a signature if requested.

I ship to my PO Box and go to the PO and pick it up.
 
#8 ·
I got one for you… My wife has a small sewing business, and often orders fabric from other sewers online. Once several years ago, she placed a large order with a friend of hers, to the tune of $500, give-or-take. When the box arrived, it was a complete mess, and had a very official looking note attached, stating that the box had been opened and re-packed due to damage. It was extremely light as well - not what you'd expect from $500 worth of fabric.

Inside the box were:

- 1 shoe (not a pair - just one shoe)
- a wire wisk
- one other completely random object that I can no longer recall
- absolutely no fabric at all

Of course we filed a complaint, which went absolutely no-where. We're pretty sure we figured out what happened though. The box happened to be a re-used Home Depot Box, and this was around Christmas time. Our guess is that a seasonal employee found a heavy ($500 of fabric…) Home Depot Box, and thought he'd hit the jackpot. When he tore into the box and found nothing but fabric, he/she tossed it all, threw whatever he/she had handy into the box, and sent it on its way.

Worst part… Not only was my wife out the $500 she spent on the fabric, but she was also out the $1000 or so in orders that the fabric was for. I don't know why, but she still ships via USPS. I stick with UPS.
 
#9 ·
I got one for you… - harriw
I can beat that! A few years ago my wife ordered chair cushions from JC Penney. A huge box arrives…inside were probably 10-15 smaller boxes destined for people all over the country (no chair cushions though). Disgruntled person in the shipping dept I guess. She called JC Penney and after several minutes of denial she was able to convince them that it indeed happened and they arranged pick-up and also re-sent the chair cushions. The original order arrived a few days later so then we had 2 sets…I never asked how she resolved that.
 
#15 ·
Guess I have had too many lowlife slimeballs at my door. I never leave anything that indicates no one is home. If I have seen any suspicious characters in the area recently, I might leave a sign telling a couple friends I'll be back in a few minutes. Just went to get some extra ammo for our trip to the range. I'm not sure that really does any good. I had one scumbag here asking if the RV was for sale? Just an excuse to be at the door when someone answered. He was hiding his face with one hand as he spoke. When the sign saying "Nothing is for sale, leave while you still can" was pointed out, the scumbag said he didn't see it. He had a woman in the car to act as a lookout, of course.

About a year ago a neighbor found a guy dressed in dark clothes including a dark hoody wandering around the neighborhood about 11 PM. He said he was looking for a friend. He had a woman lookout sitting alone in his car on a dark night while he walked around a dark street looking for friends. Yeah, you betcha! Fortunately, the neighbor got the license number and followed them a few miles out of the neighborhood and called the cops when they stopped. They told him he shouldn't do that.

I always try walk up to the scumbags and snap a picture. When they are scouting, I anticipate their arrival time and usually go the the mail box to not raise any suspicion. Usually works pretty good. Even had one tell me I couldn't take his picture on a public street ;-))

One time my wife spotted a natural gas company truck driving slowly through the neighborhood. Just one thing; we don't have gas here ;-) She called the PD. They found out he was hitting houses on company time!
 
#16 ·
Yesterday, UPS delivered a package to my mother in laws house. She wasn't home. They didn't even bother leaving it at the door… instead, they left it under the mailbox at the edge of the road. It's on a street that sees very little traffic, but it could have easily been picked up by anyone driving by.

Now… the rest of the story…

I stopped by to swap vehicles (wifes car was parked there), saw the package and grabbed it so I could put it in the house for her. Then I noticed the address it was for was two houses down the street, so it wasn't even delivered to the right house!

I walked it over to the right destination, and the elderly lady there (probably early 70's) said it was some very expensive computer electronics she had purchased for her grand children for xmas, gave me a big hug, and said that UPS would be getting a very nasty phone call from 'Granny' :)

Cheers,
Brad
 
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