Filing A Claim With The Usps

[that_watch_guy]

People always ask me why I prefer to ship things Fedex or DHL. Here is the reason why: filing a lost or damaged claim with USPS is nearly impossible for some reason. Case in point, the lost PAM127. I shipped a PAM127 to another member over 1 month ago. He waited and waited and waited, and finally after about 20 days I just refunded him, assuming that the watch wasn't going to show up. I filed a claim for the insured package and this is what I inlcuded:

1 x Paypal statement showing the transaction

1 x Bank statement showing the transfer

1 x Printed Invoice / Receipt showing how much he paid for the watch

1 x Formal letter stating that the watch was never recieved

1 x Print out from online tracking that shows the watch was never delivered

They denied my claim and told me that I would have to provide an actual credit card receipt from a store to show how much the watch was originally worth. Seriously, with this type of merchandise, I don't know if it's even worth insuring through USPS, as they will go out of their way to NOT honor your insurance claim. To top it all off, they are the ones who lost the package, it wasn't damaged, wasn't mislabled, they lost it.

This gets me thinking that what if you are simply selling some of your used stuff on ebay or something, stuff that you do not have a receipt for. Is there any point in insuring the box with USPS? They are going to deny your claim unless you have an original receipt.

So anyway, after about 30 days, the watch finally shows up at the member's house (probably due to me initiating a claim), long after I had already refunded him. I sent it priority mail, and it took over 30 days to reach another person who is also inside the USA. The member was kind enough to send the watch back to me, and hopefully USPS hasn't lost it again.

I've had to file a claim with Fedex once, and they were fast about it, they accepted my bank statement/paypal statement, and sent me a check in less than 2 weeks. USPS is cheaper, sometimes faster, but as far as filing a claim goes, things don't go as smoothly as Fedex or DHL.

[Guest TTK]

Where is it written in the great scheme of things that everything you buy must be by credit card....in an instance shuch as this .....the best course of action is to tell them you don't have a credit card...that you have furnished them with adequate evidence and that you are about to instigate legal action for negligence....you paid for delivery...they didn't deliver....contractual obligation is upon them......ask them to furnish you with evidence that they delivered and you'll drop the lawsuit.....otherwise ask them for their terms and conditions...and if there isn't a disclaimer regarding original receipt.....proceed.....!

Edited June 25, 2006 by TTK

[Willith]

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but.....

I agree with TTK. There is said it.

I would argue with USPS all day, you have shown enough proof to file a claim. Does the tracking show the date the watch was sent out? I've fought with USPS on their tracking system because there were many times when I would use the delivery confirmation and it never tracked or even showed a mailing date. So, basically I paid extra for a service that did not a damn thing for me, it wasn't an isolated incident either. They just said, "sorry, but it's not our problem", now that's customer service.

[that_watch_guy]

I agree! but the postal service does not. The problem is that if you tell them the buyer paid cash for the item, they then want to see some kind of receipt from YOU showing how much YOU bought the item for, if you tell them that YOU paid cash, I guess you are out of luck.

[Happy T]

Taken from the USPS web site:

3.2 Evidence of Value

The customer, either the mailer or the addressee, must submit acceptable evidence to establish the cost or value of the article at the time it was mailed. (Other evidence may be requested to help determine an accurate value.) Examples of acceptable evidence are:

a. Sales receipt, invoice or bill of sale, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.

b. For items valued up to $100, the customer's own statement describing the lost or damaged article and including the date and place of purchase, the amount paid, and whether the item was new or used (only if a sales receipt or invoice is not available). If the article mailed is a hobby, craft, or similar handmade item, the statement must include the cost of the materials used in making the item. The statement must describe the article in sufficient detail to determine whether the value claimed is accurate.

c. Picture from a catalog showing the value of a similar article (only if a sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer is not available). The date and place of purchase must be included.

d. Paid repair bills; if the claim is for partial damage, estimates of repair costs or appraisals from a reputable dealer. Repair costs may not exceed the original purchase price.

e. Receipt or invoice for the costs incurred to buy a surety bond required to reissue a lost item.

f. Receipt or invoice of costs incurred for the reconstruction of nonnegotiable documents.

g. A copy of a canceled check, money order receipt, credit card statement, or other documentation indicating the amount paid. For Internet purchases, a copy of the front and back of the canceled check, money order, or a copy of the credit card billing statement is required.

h. For Internet transactions conducted through a Web-based payment network that offers payment services through a stored value account, provide a computer printout of the online transaction identifying the purchaser and seller, price paid, date of transaction, description of item purchased, and assurance that the transaction status is completed. The printout must clearly identify the Web-based payment network provider through which the Internet transaction was conducted.