Post Office offers less than 1/2% of what was in my insured regristered package

19Lyds asked where it was lost?? and the response provided was that all the P.O. did was make a few internal calls and couldn't find it...

that simply isn't good enough. As Lee noted, with Registered Mail a P.O. employee must sign for the package at every step of the process. If the package gets lost/misplaced, there is a clear record of who last signed for the package and that person is the responsible party. It doesn't take an attorney to go in and demand more information regarding where the package was lost (they will know exactly who last had it w/ Registered).

 

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I've read through this thread, and may be a little late, but this is what I would do:

Ask the postmaster general, or whoever you talked to, to give you a statement in writing and signed by him as a U.S. Postal worker, that they will not pay you the full amount of the claim for the insurance you paid for. It is reasonable to ask for such things in writing, and if the postmaster balks, it is because he knows he is committing fraud.

Record all the calls you make. A guy got overcharged by Verizon wireless and recorded the calls: (http://verizonmath.blogspot.com/2006/12/verizon-doesnt-know-dollars-from-cents.html) and (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2isSJKntbg note that Youtube deleted the original video after it reached a million-something hits), which led to a large public humiliation for the company. The Verizon Math blog has a post from June 3, of this year (and the problem happened years ago), stating that clips from his call are being used at the World Science Festival or something like that. Verizon was not able to end it, and probably still suffers negative repercussions because of it.

You won't be able to topple the Post Office, or even measurably stop business, but recording a call with a Postmaster who states he won't pay you your full claim because he doesn't think the items insured are worth the insurance you paid for (or whatever his justification is), and posting it on the web could cost that guy his job, or give you some leverage to use later. At the least, it will warn others not to use USPS insurance. I don't speak for all of CoinTalk, but I would certainly visit any video you post or blog you make and leave a comment, and recruit my family to donate 5 minutes of their time to seek justice for a coin collector.

I'd also consider hiring a shark lawyer to send a notice or something like that. Yeah, their legal fees are very cheap compared to yours, but if they know they are going to lose (ie. they won't pay what they agreed to in a contract), they pay up to avoid spending any more money and time than they have to. You might be able to get a cheaper lawyer to send an intent to file lawsuit (or whatever, I don't know law) for $50 (or free if you know a family member or friend who practices law). A lawyer's council (even a good one) can also be free, although they will always recommend you do what is best for them - ie. action that racks of their legal fees.

I totally agree with everyone here that making as big a fuss as possible about this is the only real action you can take. I think most crooks can brush of nuisances, however. They bank on the fact that they get paid to answer your calls and complaints, while you are just spending free time chasing after something. I'd ask for full written findings from their investigation, written letters of their insurance reimbursement, etc... to at least make them work for their money. Photocopy your check (don't cash it). Record your calls, asking them to state clearly that they are not paying what they agreed to pay, make them state their name, why they aren't paying, etc... Don't let them know you are recording. If nothing is resolved after a few more days, I'd post everything in a video, the recording playing%2

 

I cannot understand what USPS is doing here. I received an empty package. I paid $75. It was insured for $80. I filled out the online form on USPS.com and within 2 weeks I received a check for $80. Face would have been $2.

You are charged for insurance based on the value you put on it. You can mail a pine cone and put insurance for $10,000. You will get $10,000 if the pine cone is lost.

Please keep us updated.

Here is the online claim link if anyone needs it:
https://ecap-ws-prod.usps.com/entre...=https://onlineclaims.usps.com/oic/landing.do

 

This is what makes it so ridiculous. For them to argue over what the items are worth is maddening, considering that they had no problem charging you for a policy that is more than they would pay.

 

Exactly.

 

No they can require you to give some evidence that the Pine cone was worth $10,000, but the OP can do that with his coins.

 

I'm confused... are you saying you shipped your coins in a cash bag? Or was it in a box and the PO placed it in a cash bag?

 

Check your state law before recording a phone call without the knowledge of the other party.

 

thats disgusting.. I would have gone "postal"

 

USPS policy, only bullion,coins,etc..sent via Reg-Mail™ is insurable for replacement value..Unless you have graded coins from a reputable TPG you are basically out of luck. I have discussed this with probably hundreds of people because of the coin forums I belong to and this has always been a very hot topic. I was told your coins need to be graded with pictures and proof that they are your coins. I have sent bullion that was lost and had an invoice that matched the weight of the package sent and received a refund for the amount insured..I don't agree with there policy but to me they are saying prove to us your coins were worth this amount. When sending coins to a dealer or a TPG ask them to use there shipping account and insurance (tell them you will pay ) and you won't have problems in the future.. Sorry for your bad luck...

 

This is sort of an off topic reply, but hopefully might shed a bit of hope to the original poster. A friend of mine sent her wedding and engagement rings back to the original place where she bought them via priority, registered, insured, tracked, basically everything but an armed guard inside the box. Then for some random reason, here package still hadn't showed up 2 weeks later (mind you this is going from Florida to Seattle, but still, priority shouldn't take nearly that long). Then 3 weeks goes by and STILL nothing. Needless to say she had everyone and their uncle on the phone with USPS trying to figure out what was up.

You may have a shot because everyone person that handles a registered package has to sign for handling and delivering it to it's proper next destination. They might be able to figure out what bag it was in and who had it last.

Secondly, registered mails does some funky stuff. I can't remember the reason, but I remember when I was working in a coin shop in town, someone was sending us a coin from Georgia (the state), and it came to us about a month later with a French airmail sticker on the package... Something similar happened to my friends rings. It traveled across the country a few times but eventually DID end up finding its way to its destination about a month later.

So there is still hope. I wish you the best. I'd be flipping out!

 

Here is the latest. I filed a Mail Theft Complaint report with the US Postal Inspectors out of Chicago and did a Claim Appeal with the USPS Insurance in St Louis. I mailed both out of the little country Post Office I had mailed the package from. The lady who took my mailing was there. She remembered me said she was sorry that everything had happened was appalled about the amount of the insurance had offered me. She had been working on tracking it and found out that the package went to San Francisco instead of Oakland, from there it was last signed for in Atlanta. None of this showed up on my US Postal Tracking with the Post Office on the internet. The website still showed just the accepted mailing in Sunol. She had made some phone calls and was still trying to find out what has happened with the package. She showed me she still had my name phone number and package # so maybe it will show up. As of this AM ICG had not gotten it but but a note on my account to call if it showed up. I also got a letter from my Congressman who is asking for USPS to look into it. Copies were forwarded to everyone. I am hopeful that the package may get delivered. Thanks DC

 

The cash bag was from the little Post Office with reciepts for the day going to one of the Main Post offices in Oakland. Coins were securely packaged in one of the priority mailing boxes not taped withplastic tape but with the paper tape required for Regristared mailing so the Post Office Stamp can be stamped all the way around it to show tappering. DC

 

It's true in most jurisdictions. Lacking evidence of it to be a partial payment, it is evidence of a settlement. The offer is the check - cashing it is acceptance. These are all that is needed to infer an agreement.

The law doesn't work for you unless you know it. A lawyer doesn't work for you without a guarantee or at least high probability of a financial payoff.

 

The limit on bullion from the USPS postal service is only $15 unless you ship under the provisions of DMM 609.4.2c.

You can read it here:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2019243/...surance-Claims

 

That same publication (122) also clearly states:

"Fair market value of stamps and coins of philatelic or numismatic value as determined by a recognized stamp or coin dealer or current coin and stamp collector's newsletter and trade paper."

 

Don't give up man! It's not right, what they're doing. You payed for that insurance, they need to honor the deal. Get a good lawyer, get as much media attention as you can. If you can't get your money back for it, you can certainly make a living pain out of pr and legal for them.

 

It only takes one. For example:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020607...gnal.com/business/mendelson/0502/051802b.html

 

Try to put it in your newspaper! It might help! :smile
-Taylor

 

There are a lot of idiots working for the post office who don't care about the rules much less follow them. I mailed a coin registered mail to a friend in Kent, Washington and the local mailman simply tossed it in his mailbox, which was on a post along with four other boxes. Anyone could have walked with it. No signature, not even a card requesting a signature. I'm lucky I know the guy I sent it to, otherwise I could have been jerked around royal on the deal. And to think I paid nearly $20 for that kind of service. Unbelievable.