At a loss

[Revenant]

I can barely believe the call I got from NGC today. 1 week ago today I shipped out my first submission to NGC. It had 2 invoices, 1 was a 56 coin modern and 1 is a 5 coin early bird. It cost me an extra dollar or so to ship it priority mail. The box was made of a heavy cardboard and wasn't particularly fragile.

 

NGC received it today.

 

The package arrived completely wrapped in shrink-wrap. It was wet. It had been so completely soaked apparently that the box was barely holding together, thus the shrink-wrap. The Invoices and other forms inside the box were damp. NGC confirmed that all coins in both invoices were accounted for however they weren't yet sure whether any of the coins had been adversely effected. Both invoices are marked as received and the coins are going to go on to grading. We'll see how that goes...

 

Now, the package was shipped with insurance. The post office had marked that it was damaged. NGC marked it as damaged when they received it. NGC is retaining the box as evidence of the condition in which the package arrived.

 

What would the rest of you do or say to the Post Office for this? This isn't even the first time this month I've had problems. They've tried to deliver a $3000 package to the wrong house. The lazy carrier didn't even try to deliver a $900 package to my house, she just left a notice card with the WRONG DATE written on it. They lost a $300 REGISTERED Mail package (I'm sorry, but after 3.5 weeks, it's lost). It's supposed to be the most secure shipping method they have and they couldn't get a package from near Austin to the Houston area. AND NOW THIS! AND this has all been in the last month.

 

What? Do they hate me?

[bsshog40]

I think I would be getting some records together and talking to the postmaster first to see what he has to say. He may have an issue with a carrier that he's not aware of.

[cpm9ball]

This is why it would be to your benefit to ship via Registered Mail as NGC suggests. Every person handling the package in the USPS system must sign off on it. You might have saved a few dollars by shipping via Priority, but it could have cost you an entire shipment. Suppose that some lazy carrier (like the one you have?) didn't bother to check the package and some or all of the coins fell out of the soggy carton. By the way, just because you have it insured doesn't mean that the USPS will pay the claim. You might still have to substantiate the value.

 

Good work on NGC's part for holding on to the "evidence".

 

Chris

[Revenant]

This is why it would be to your benefit to ship via Registered Mail as NGC suggests. Every person handling the package in the USPS system must sign off on it. You might have saved a few dollars by shipping via Priority, but it could have cost you an entire shipment. Suppose that some lazy carrier (like the one you have?) didn't bother to check the package and some or all of the coins fell out of the soggy carton. By the way, just because you have it insured doesn't mean that the USPS will pay the claim. You might still have to substantiate the value.

 

Good work on NGC's part for holding on to the "evidence".

 

Chris

Like I said, they've already proven that they CAN lose a registered mail package (God only knows how).

[pendragon1998]

I'd go after them for the entire value of the shipment, less the face value of the coins Tell them that the collectable value of the coins was completely destroyed (which it very likely was, due to the moisture).

[Revenant]

I'd go after them for the entire value of the shipment, less the face value of the coins Tell them that the collectable value of the coins was completely destroyed (which it very likely was, due to the moisture).

 

NGC said that while it was good and wet it didn't look like the box had been submerged and the forms were near the side of the box, outside the several layers of plastic wrapping that the coins were in. I'm hoping against hope that no water reached the coins.

[gmarguli]

I'd go after them for the entire value of the shipment, less the face value of the coins Tell them that the collectable value of the coins was completely destroyed (which it very likely was, due to the moisture).

 

It's not that easy. They will ask for receipts for the purchase of the coins and written documentation from an authority that the coins value has been adversely affected due to the damage. Just try to get some postal employee to understand that coins getting wet have hurt their value. I sold some collectible stamp sheets that got wet during shipping. Instead of paying for the damage, the postal employee handling the claim told the buyer that they'd try to pry the sheets apart. As far as I know, they did finally pay the claim.

[Conder101]

They lost a $300 REGISTERED Mail package (I'm sorry, but after 3.5 weeks, it's lost).

I wouldn't write off a Registered mail package after just 3.5 weeks. And it might be a good idea to have the recipient go down to the post office and have them physically look to see if it is there. There have been many times when Registered mail is put in the lock up at the final destination PO and then forgotten and it just sits there forever with no further delivery attempt made. Also have you asked the post office to trace the package. While we have an online method for tracking it, it doesn't up date frequently. The post office has an in house tracking method that is probably slower, but much more comprehensive.

[Revenant]

 Quote:

They lost a $300 REGISTERED Mail package (I'm sorry, but after 3.5 weeks, it's lost).

I wouldn't write off a Registered mail package after just 3.5 weeks. And it might be a good idea to have the recipient go down to the post office and have them physically look to see if it is there. There have been many times when Registered mail is put in the lock up at the final destination PO and then forgotten and it just sits there forever with no further delivery attempt made. Also have you asked the post office to trace the package. While we have an online method for tracking it, it doesn't up date frequently. The post office has an in house tracking method that is probably slower, but much more comprehensive.

I am the recipient and I have checked, though not in the last week or so.

[prudden]

Don't you know postal workers hate everyone? Kidding aside. I had a lost package a thre or four months ago. They were a couple pretty scarce Guadeloupe coins,One Franc and 50 centimes. Luckily, I had a couple more 1 Franc coins in slightly better condition that the buyer was very happy to get instead.