Dont use USPS to ship a Detector!!!

[DiggerinVA]

This is a warning to everyone who buys, sales and trades detectors through the mail.....I have always used USPS Priority (insured for full amount) to ship detectors. And I have shipped a bunch, always shipped insured for the full value of machine. Well I recently shipped a very nice Minlab Sovereign GT to a friend whom I have dealt with in the past. The machine was boxed/packed by the lady at the post office. Upon arrival, the box had several holes/ damage and had what appeared to be concrete dust on and in the box. The control box on the detector was cracked/split and even had pieces broken off. Also the rod to box mount had been broken off aswell. I have made 3 attempts to get this guys money back.....all 3 claims have been denied by USPS! I have sent them many pictures of the box and contents, with still no money refunded. I have received letters stating that my "proof" of damage and proof of value were insufficient. The guy even took the machine and package to his PO and was told he should have never opened the box!!!! Why do we pay for $650 in insurance for an item if they are going to deny the fact that that is the true value of the item? I have made this deal right with the purchaser out of my own pocket and will NEVER use USPS to ship anything of value again. This is just a warning to all of you who may use this "joke" of a company to ship merchandise.......Thanks and Happy Hunting!

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Sorry to hear about this terrible experience. That is a true bummer all the way round.

 

[Deft Tones]

Don't feel bad that it's his fault for opening the package.

Shipping companies will always win if you fail to claim damage at recieving. Never open the package no matter how bad you want to.

I learned my hard lesson on a 7 grand heat pump. Minor aluminum cooling fin damage. I was worried about the integrity of the copper. Claim denied, so I installed it anyway. It works great, but I got lucky and had little choice.

Sorry to see others graduate from the school of hard knocks. Sorry to see a discontinued machine go down possibly forever.

Bummer for the loss.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

I dont agree with this but, the insurance is to cover loss only, not damage. I think thats wrong.

 

[thaigler]

I dont agree with this but, the insurance is to cover loss only, not damage. I think thats wrong.

I did not know that thanks

 

[Fletch88]

Oh no I'm about to ship a GPX via the mail this week! Maybe ups or fedex would be better but will costs twice as much from my experience.

 

[ecmjamsit]

My experience with the government is that it is all a big ripoff. Sorry for your loss. Anything fragile, I usually double box. Hard to get anybody to own up to responsibility these days.

 

[can]

I had several packages sent to me recently. No problems. I guess I got lucky. I did not know that one should not open a busted package. Thanks for the info. Hope you can get this thing resolved.

 

[SD51]

I feel your pain. Very ironic... I shipped just my detector control box using USPS last Friday for a warranty repair. Paid for second day delivery and paid to insure it for the actual value. Boxed it using one of their boxes too. Got the tracking number and checked it on Monday (the day it should have arrived) and no luck. Showed they didn't get it. Called the repair center Tuesday morning and the tech said it just arrived, but the box was pulverized. Top completely smashed in and both sides crushed. He said the unit powered-up somehow so I still don't know if there is any damage.

Made a visit to the PO and thanked them for using my detector as a football! They do absolutely nothing about handling any claims there. They give you their website! Thought I'd check the tracking number again today and guess what? It still shows that it didn't arrive!!! Decided they slogan of "Priority" should be changed to "Pulverized"!

My advice... use UPS or FEDEX and use very heavy corrugated boxes, not just one. Will report back with an update from the repair center when I know anything.

 

[Dr. Syn]

Have to agree the PO is in shambles anymore.
My recent one was shipped out of Hong Kong, Registered Air Mail. It left there on the July 13th. And went into a black hole somewhere.
After a week of no updates, I filed for missing package.
Another couple of days and the PO's website showed it had hit Orlando Fl, apparently never going through Customs, I called some friends there to check.
That night it went from Orlando, to Tampa FL, then to Lakeland FL. And it was listed as not deliverable due to faulty address. Noted would return to sender if possible.

I went to the main PO the next morning, of course they were worthless. Said they had sent it to another PO at the other end of town.
I go to that one, give them the info and about 15-20 minutes later worker comes out with package.

Faulty address was ONE LETTER off on the street name. Even misspelled, it pronounced the same as the street name sounds, Lowey instead of Lowry. My name, street #, my business name, city, state, zip all correct. Oh yeah even my phone number was on it.

These worthless souls couldn't even pick up a phone to call me to clarify the address.

Then just to top it off, two days later I get an email from the PO. Seems they found my package, and it would be delivered that day.
Yeah the one I had picked up two days prior. Still waiting...

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Anything fragile, I usually double box

Best advice anyone can give with USPS. They can have fun trashing your outside box, while the inside box and contents stay safe!

 

[woodstock]

Over the past decade I have used all common carriers and always carry enough insurance and anything you recieve should be opened to check for damage while the driver can observe it ... even if they ***** cause you make them wait the then your claim takes longer . If you had covered all your bases we wouldn't be reading this post .
IMHO , Woodstock

 

[turkeyinstrut]

I dont agree with this but, the insurance is to cover loss only, not damage. I think thats wrong.

Not quite true, I bought a Thompson Center Seneca Custom Shop stock off a Gentleman a couple years ago for 600.00 and he shipped it fully insured, when I received it the stock was broken completely in two. After about three months of fighting with the postal system I finally got a check for the 600.00 plus the 17.00 shipping charge, you just have to be persistent with them and DON'T take no for a answer.

 

[The Dirt Pirate]

I have had my share of bad experiences with USPS myself. When I lived in Colorado the lady that ran the post office there would steal checks from people and I only found out because one day I went to check my mail and there was a line of people waiting in the lobby and that wasn't normal for such a small town post office. After a while I asked what was going on and I was told that most of the people there were looking for their checks because they were supposed to be in their PO box but they weren't. Long story short it was finally determined that the lady who ran the post office had been stealing checks and packages from people the entire time she had been working there and she was finally fired and faced felony charges the worst of which I think were from all the social security and SSI checks that she stole and cashed.
Another time I placed an order through the mail for something that I collected (video games) and it cost me $2,800 which at that time I didn't think was much considering it would be a huge addition to my collection. Anyway, finally after waiting for a couple of weeks and checking the status every day and the status still showing it was at the post office that it originated at I called the person I bought it from to see if they could find out what was going on. They went down there and were given the run around and told that the package hadn't been mailed from that post office despite the fact that he had the tracking numbers and receipts to prove that it was. It took about 3 or 4 months to finally get that straightened out but it did finally get resolved. Those are just a couple bad experiences I've had with USPS.

 

[flinthunter]

You say that the item was boxed/packed by the lady at the post office. I don't know of any post office that will do that for you. If it was done by a shipping/packing company then they didn't package it correctly and should be held responsible. When I send an item out by USPS it should not break unless a semi runs over it.

 

[DiggerinVA]

You say that the item was boxed/packed by the lady at the post office. I don't know of any post office that will do that for you. If it was done by a shipping/packing company then they didn't package it correctly and should be held responsible. When I send an item out by USPS it should not break unless a semi runs over it.

I have no proof of this, but I honestly believe that my package was purposely damaged......no other explanation in my opinion. I had problems finding a box long enough for the longer shaft on the Sovereign.....so when I went to the PO, the lady said "I have a box and I will pack it for you". She wrapped it several times with FRAGILE tape and I feel that sometimes the USPS drivers see this as a game.....I am tired of dealing with this. I have atleast 4 hours in trying to resolve this issue and now near $50 in replacement parts {out of my pocket} and I am just glad it is over. Not that I feel I was treated anywhere near fairly.....just got tired of the BS.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Oh no I'm about to ship a GPX via the mail this week! Maybe ups or fedex would be better but will costs twice as much from my experience.

I always use UPS, as I am a retired delivery driver after 27 yrs. of service. There will be those on the forum who disagree or have had a bad experience with UPS also, but for the most part your package will make it thru a lot faster, and is handled better than the Post Office. You can also track it every step of the way, where the P.O. only allows a "semi tracking system". They will show it being picked up and delivered, but where is it in between ? Just my personal opinion.

 

[1320]

I always use UPS, as I am a retired delivery driver after 27 yrs. of service. There will be those on the forum who disagree or have had a bad experience with UPS also, but for the most part your package will make it thru a lot faster, and is handled better than the Post Office. You can also track it every step of the way, where the P.O. only allows a "semi tracking system". They will show it being picked up and delivered, but where is it in between ? Just my personal opinion.

To make an insurance claim with UPS is ludicrous. Twice I've attempted to make a claim..."oh no...we consider your item perishable"....wtf?! The USPS tracking system isn't a "semi tracking system", it's from cradle to grave but.....it's only as good as the scans that should be made along the way.

I feel pretty comfortable saying regardless of the shipper, the delivery drivers/carriers care the most for your package, one would be hard pressed to lay blame in that direction. The damage most often occurs in the mechanical (dumping) sorting process (USPS). I'm not familiar with UPS/Fed Ex sorting methods but as a USPS insider, it's sickening to watch.

 

[RustyGold]

I too had a problem with UPS not willing to pay for damages to a 1933 painting that I had them package (for insurance purposes) that was insured for $5,000 and ended up receiving $160. Just enough to have it repaired minus the fuel charges it cost them to ship and ruin the painting.
So now, I video every step of the way, from showing the item functioning to boxing it up and weighing it on camera.

One item that was shipped to me through USPS was delivered to another address and my very intelligent wife got a full refund and shipping charges back by staying logical and persistent!

 

[Sandman]

When I worked at a MD Shop i would get many customers come in to test detectors and then not buy them and order online. We tested each detector after assembly and the customer could take it home in their hot lil hands knowing that it worked. Some brought them back broken and we had no record they purchased them from us so we told them to buzz off. The woman that owned the shop just got tired of correcting things. She said if they're stupid enough to check out her detectors than order from somewhere else they deserve to be robbed.