Fed-Ex Shipment Arrives Empty

As most of us are aware, the technical level of proficiency of employees in most organizations, --but especially government organizations-- varies dramatically. There are some who are pretty smart at the USPS, and then there are the other 85% who are still licking self-adhesive stamps. My point being that anecdotal evidence from just a couple USPS employees isn't a very compelling case for the existence or non-existence of anything.

 

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Make that 4. Numismat's 3 and my 1. Different PO different parts of the country.
I can check more.

 

Don't waste your time. On both occasions I was hallucinating. It's not possible. Every USPS employee (including the illiterate ones, which is a majority at my 3 local offices) knows every policy, every technical capability of the system, etc. It is 100% impossible for the auction to be embedded in the tracking code, bar code, etc. Both PayPal and eBay would make sure that every member knows every policy, and would make every policy, including shady ones like this, easy to find.

Sometimes I think the human race needs to be smitten from the planet.

 

Except for stating that you've seen it with your own eyes, you've presented no proof. It's your job to prove your statements. Without tangible proof, only idiots and conspiracy nuts will believe you.

 

Honestly, I am shocked that someone such as yourself, whom from your posts seems reasonably intelligent, has such a hard time believing this. Seriously guys/gals, am I claiming to have seen the Loch Ness monster here? Do I have some form of gain from communicating this observation? I understand "burden of proof" but holy smokes folks, who is the crazy person here; the person giving a heads up to those in his hobby community or the combative, thrice divorced due to irreconcilable differences hard anus'?

 

Well, I followed your instruction, went to my PO, had her key in a number and then posted the results. No ebay popped up, no paypal popped up, no listing showing what I had mailed popped up. Nothing.

 

Cool. Sorry you wasted your time.

 

There is always the chance the sender is the agent of fraud, but not in this case: http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=23&threadid=921254&STARTPA

 

I fell asleep two pages ago.........

 

That shipment was worth $36,000 at NGC & PCGS values for the listed grade!

The OP didn't give details on who exactly the Dealer was, or if the package was insured, just that it was Sent FedEx (Overnight, 2nd Day?). If you adhere to the following precautions you can MINIMIZE the temptation that an unscrupulous person will tamper wih the package contents, or steal the package outright:

(1) if you have private insurance--see below--you NEVER have to pay for the Shipper's Insurance, and it is never disclosed on any shipping/tracking Label or Manifest; in addition, it is less expensive than any of the commercial shippers' insurance, and higher limits are available. Registered Mail maximum available insurance is $25,000, so if the shipper wanted the added security of USPS Registered Mail with it's multiple scans each time the package is touched and vault storage, he would have been UNDERINSURED by $11,000!

(2) DO NOT use the full name of Coin Dealer--that is a dead giveaway that something of value is inside the box. Example: IF the coin dealer was Rare Coin Inc. or Sunrise Gold Buyers (both legit coin dealers in Lindenhurst, L.I.) and you wanted to ship to them, you should first:
(a) contact them and advise that you want to send "X" coins with a brief description.
(b) ask them if they regularly use an abbreviated moniker for their name. If yes, then use that. If not, then use your own such as RCI and SGB, respectively. The carrier making delivery will know that it is the dealer as-long-as their address is correct.

(3) NEVER put Coins or Valuables or Gold or anything decsriptive on any Shipping Label or Forms!

(4) for high value shipments ALWAYS double box your coins and seal ALL seams with reinforced Paper Tape. Use a 1 Cubic Foot Box or FedEx Express Box. Why Paper Tape? If you have ever submitted to the TPGs you know that they return your coins in boxes that have been Paper Taped and it is rather tough and time-consuming to cleanly open the box without it being rather messy and obvious. Well can't it be opened and resealed? Yes, but you can put a "tamper evident seal" on the seams by using a Magic Marker and putting a zig-zag pattern all around--like the USPS does with its Stamp when you send a Registered Package.

Doing the above may sound more complicated and costly, but would you want to risk losing $36,000 worth of coins--especially that condition rarity 1888-S Liberty?

I posted this the other day for the benefit of those who submit high value shipments for grading, and it would also hold true for shipments to Coin Dealers:

For those of you who regularly submit to NGC, PCGS, ANACS, or CAC and don't like paying the high-cost of insurance from USPS, FedEx or UPS for the "Full Retail Value" of what you think your coins are worth if they were lost or stolen in transit, I would like to inform you of an association that offers low cost insurance for ANY valuable item, an also discounted FedEx rates.

It is the "North American Collectibles Association, Inc." (URL below), and thru them ShipandInsure.com. There is an annual fee of $45 for the initial membership and $90 for renewal, but this is soon recouped if you do multiple shipments valued in the thousands or higher. You can use UPS, USPS (Priority or Registered) and FedEx. The cost/$100 starts @ $0.11 for Registered Mail and the most expensive is $0.26 for FedEx 2-Day; the other methods are between these 2 costs.

Some of the Carriers/Methods allow as much as $75,000 of insurance per shipment; or higher upon getting phone approval.

Aside from the savings on the outbound shipment, you can avoid having CAC, NGC, and PCGS charge their higher MANDATORY Insurance on the DECLARED VALUE of your coins; you do this by submitting the "Confirmation Letter" from ShipandInsure with you coin shipment AND select "I will use my own insurance" and the appropriate Carrier--usually FedEx or Priority Mail/Registered. Unfortunately, ANACS will not allow you to use your own insurance.

You will need to fill out an Application and show 3 Trade References (what coin Dealers have you had a credit purchase with [e.g. Rare Coin Wholesalers; Great Collections, etc], BUT NOT EBAY MERCHANTS unless a direct transaction via CC or Check) and 2 Trade Organizations to which you belong (e.g. ANA, PCGS Collectors Club, NGC Collectors Society, etc):

https://nacacollectors.com/

 

Since the use of computers in commerce all types of security has gone out the window. My local coin shop had his monthly shipment of Coin World magazines lifted from Fredex of all things.It pushed me into joining the ANA and subscribing to CW....

 

I will personally show this to a few local( 7 )Coin dealer friends of mine,You NEVER know where those coins will end up...Good Luck!

 

You're just being facetious now. Either stand by what you know or stop wasting our time with tall tales.

 

One little aspect of this discussion is to try to check any incoming package for signs of tampering or retaping BEFORE signing for it. Often you need to insist on seeing the packet first, because they don't normally hand it to you until after you've signed. If tampering is evident, either refuse to accept, or only accept with a very clear notation there was damage to the exterior and possible tampering.

 

I don't know any other languages (not for lack of trying to learn at least 2) that I can say it in. I don't care if someone went to their post office, gave a cloudy description of what they were asking, and were misinformed by a degenerate postal worker. It is a fact. I saw it, TWICE. But just as Rickmp said, I am tasked with proving this, and honestly, I don't know how I could PROVE it. And some members have given me such a bad taste, I don't care to. For the members who aren't argumentative for the enjoyment of being argumentative, and who hopefully received a healthy heads up from me, as well as the previous poster, I hope they simply are aware of it, that's all. Maybe karma will make a truly POSTAL worker target one of these annoying trolls in a sort of universe balancing itself way for arguing and whining about someone trying to help them. Happy New Year.

 

Seems to me you could prove it by selling a coin and re-enacting it, only this time bring a cell phone camera to the post office with you.

 

Pffft. Please. I don't feed the beast known as sleazebay. I occasionally put in bids at 1/4-1/2 grey sheet value and flip them at coin shows, but I could never sell on a medium knowing I would pay 13% from the get go. I just don't do that kind of volume. It's still a hobby to me. A hobby I haven't put money into in years, but not my main stream of revenue.

 

As a powerseller I pay under 5% to sell there, paypal adds 3%. I avoided ebay for years due to the offensive listing styles.

 

What are the requirements to be a power seller? I suppose you have some sort of minimum number of transactions.

 

Basically 100 or so no problem transactions over a period of time.