selling and shipping a very expensive item

For what it's worth: I have heard of the USPS making it very difficult and time consuming to collect a claim. I have also heard that if you are ever in this situation you should contact your US Senators and Representatives and ask for help. I have also read several letters in Coin World that this method brought success.

 

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I've supplied the link to this before, but since there still seems to be confusion, here it is again, along with the quoted maximum coverage:

USPS Registered Mail Service:

 

It took about 4/5 months from start to finish. We had to wait like 30 days to pass before the USPS would accept the claim. Then the claim was submitted by the seller, and then had to go to somewhere like Chicago. Then it took about 60 days for them to pay.

 

How much money are we talking about ?

 

Can anyone else confirm this? I think that is fokelore, I've heard other people make that claim. However, based on what I've read on the USPS website you can supply them with a link to the sale or a printout to prove the value. They claim they will accept online sales value per their own language!

Have any of you had to make a USPS insurance claim on coins?

 

I take it this was for coins? How did you prove the value to USPS?

 

Yes USPS insurance DOES cover collectible coins and currency. It says so right in their regulations. It does NOT cover coins and currency as regular cash. (Can't just tuck $4K in tens and twenties into a box, insure it for $4k and expect them to pay off.) UPS and FedEx on the other hand DO NOT insure collectible coins and currency.

Yes some people have had problems getting settlements from the USPS but typically this is on regular insured mail because the loss of Registered mail is so rare that for all practical purposes it just doesn't happen. So it is extremely rare to even have a claim for Registered mail, and then only a small number of those claims have problems.

And regular insured th maximum payout is $5K, and for Registered the maximum payout is $25K

 

I have only had to file one claim w/ usps valued at $3500 (junk walker halves) and had to wait the 30 days to file initial claim then it took another 5 1/2 months and help from senator's office with an attorney before the check was received.

Now, anything over $1000 gets shipped via private currier, fedex, ups, or dhl along with an extra private shipping insurance.

Edit to add...the package was shipped via registered mail and was received, but package arrived torn open and empty except for packing slip/receipt.

 

Would you care to post the private shipping insurance carrier? or more than one if you know of them.
Thanks,

 

As I said, it could easily take 6 month's , but every situation is different.

 

I like u-pic for under 5k...cheap and quick turn around time to resolve claims.

I have filed 2 claims in 5 years and both times it took about 14-18 days to resolve. The time to receive compensation is largely based on how quickly both shipping and receiving parties takes to complete and return paper work.
http://www.u-pic.com/CoverageRules.asp