USPS has lost my return shipment...what next? 0

[njboot]

The submission was shipped back from NGC on 3/22/19. The last update to the tracking was made on 3/23/19. I've already begun a request through USPS, though they cannot initially track it down. How do I proceed now? Here is what complicates things: I use a pseudonym for a bunch of my online accounts, so my legal name is different than the addressee's name on the shipment. Can I still make a claim?  Does NGC make the claim? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. 

[LISA B]

HI,

Thank you.  I wouldn't worry just yet.  USPS Registered mail from Florida to your state will take about 5-10 business days.  Give it a few more days.  If you don't have these by Monday email me directly.  lisab@ngccoin.com

Thank you,

Lisa

[Star City Homer]

Are they stuck in DC?  I had 4 shipments between 3/20 and 3/25.  All got to DC in a timely fashion and were listed as 'departed' from there.  Today, three were updated as leaving DC (for the second time) as of 4/2.  The fourth is still listed as departing DC on 3/24.  Of course, the only package with a gold coin is in that box!

Anyway, I hate to see someone else is seeing delays, but in a way it's comforting.  Perhaps the DC center had an unadvertised problem that is causing generalized delays.  That's a lot better than a package missing. 

Fortunately registered is unlikely to be truly lost...too much accountability.  Shoot, years ago I was using registered via an FPO address (from/to myself and from/to another FPO).  One box sat in one location for three months as apparently the only dude/dudette with the key was transferred or something.  My inquiry did get it moving again and I eventually got it.  It was only sentimental items I didn't have room to carry in my backpack and would not trust to the military movers.  But even so, my complaint got it found.

In any case I too got a little worried about my slow packages from Florida...to the point I even found the USPS page for hunting missing mail.  I didn't use the form as it did not include registered in the drop down and there was too much fine print to read (I was busy).  I checked in with NGC and the polite gentleman on the phone said they didn't get worried until 15 days.  I'm guessing not including weekends, so though I'm on day 13, I'll let it go a few more days.  Perhaps I can take @LISA B up on the email offer too if it goes past Monday?

3 hours ago, LISA B said:

HI,

Thank you.  I wouldn't worry just yet.  USPS Registered mail from Florida to your state will take about 5-10 business days.  Give it a few more days.  If you don't have these by Monday email me directly.  lisab@ngccoin.com

Thank you,

Lisa

 

[LISA B]

We have filed a trace for this package.

Thank you,

Lisa

[Star City Homer]

Well, as a punch line, and despite not getting any new notifications to my phone despite signing up for them...ALL FOUR packages are suddenly 'out for delivery'.  

Honestly, I'm wondering if they hadn't gotten to my local PO and sat somewhere unscanned.  When I stopped in and asked in a friendly way (I actually know/like the folks in my little local office) to check their better tracking system, I did see the guy's eyebrows do a little dance.  I asked if that meant if there was a problem and he said something like 'oh no, give it a bit more time'.

Hope you will have good news soon as well @njboot

@LISA B As usual, calling NGC or commenting seems to be a good luck charm too.  You guys have great customer service in case you needed to hear that today :D.  

[LISA B]

Thank you!  It looks like they are all out for delivery today.

Lisa

[Conder101]

Register can be slow.  It used to be the Post Office didn't even allow you to file a lost item claim for Registed mail until 30 days after mailing for that reason,  But Registered is VERY VERY safe.

[Star City Homer]

22 hours ago, Conder101 said:

Register can be slow.  It used to be the Post Office didn't even allow you to file a lost item claim for Registed mail until 30 days after mailing for that reason,  But Registered is VERY VERY safe.

Very true!  I'm normally fairly patient, but given the 'registered priority' usually moves a tad faster, well it was a notable delay on the one box.  I use registered a lot and watch it like a hawk.  The 30 days IIRC was from when there was just plain registered.  Shoot, there is a registered express and once my post office tried to get me to use that because they thought I was mailing cremains.  Nope, it was to NGC, and just a big box :D.  So, at least CONUS, there are different levels.

Back a few years ago I used to use registered when PCSing between duty stations, including to overseas FPO/APO type addresses.  It was a great way to move something small, valuable, sentimental, and/or irreplaceable, that would not fit in a backpack or I did not want to chance with a contracted mover of dubious provenance (anything bulky went to a relatives house and coins were in an SDB during overseas tours).  

I had a move from Japan to Spain and sent a few boxes.  One stopped moving and spent 3 MONTHS in one location.  I finally found an official complaint channel as my local post office folks had no idea what to do (these were Sailors staffing the US postal office on the Spanish base, no neg on them but they did not have all the access a normal post office did). 

Once I got a live person the box finally moved.  I guess someone either got transferred, got out, or got lazy on that one.  3 months to go 12 miles had to be a record.  The box finally showed--it was mostly photos and my son's teddy bear that he had outgrown (but I had not and in fact still have ).  The one with coins had sailed through no problem.

This scenario is why I am a huge tracker of my mail.  (And don't get me started on a check sent from Virginia to New York--it spend 17 days in Denver shortly after marijuana was legalized...all I can think of is that check went to a really good party).

I guess like everything, as soon as one asks, the tracker updates!

[Conder101]

You can send a Priority or express package by Registered mail, but once you do it is just registered and all registered mail is handled the same.  A Registered Priority or .Registered Express is handled the same as just Registered.  Have sailor staffing post office in spain is quite possible why that package was delayed.  Only Postal employees can handled registered mail, temporary or part time employees are not allowed to.  The sailors may not have been allowed to process it on.

Edited April 6, 2019 by Conder101

[numisport]

I find return shipping from NGC sometimes sits in Tampa for 2 or 3 days. According to my local USPS people outbound mail is decisively slow from Florida and this hasn't changed for years. I still think we are lucky to have such a secure registered delivery system !

[Star City Homer]

On 4/6/2019 at 2:58 AM, Conder101 said:

You can send a Priority or express package by Registered mail, but once you do it is just registered and all registered mail is handled the same.  A Registered Priority or .Registered Express is handled the same as just Registered.  Have sailor staffing post office in spain is quite possible why that package was delayed.  Only Postal employees can handled registered mail, temporary or part time employees are not allowed to.  The sailors may not have been allowed to process it on.

That may have been part of the problem...at least some of them could (or at least, did).  I mailed well over 30 registered things FPO over the years (as well as received them).  The registered ones I'd have to go to the main post office vs. the little(r) branch one at the hospital. That is getting on several years ago though so who knows. 

I did not know the priorty/express was handled the same though.  Interesting as the local guys make something of a deal about it.  Especially that time they though I was mailing cremains...and that was required registered express.  I still tease them about that.  Nope, not sending dead bodies (even cremated ones) through the mail!  Though it actually makes good sense if I ever had to ship something like that.  Nothing is more reliable than USPS Registered unless it's a personal courier or something. 

[derryb]

On 4/6/2019 at 2:58 AM, Conder101 said:

You can send a Priority or express package by Registered mail, but once you do it is just registered and all registered mail is handled the same.  A Registered Priority or .Registered Express is handled the same as just Registered.  Have sailor staffing post office in spain is quite possible why that package was delayed.  Only Postal employees can handled registered mail, temporary or part time employees are not allowed to.  The sailors may not have been allowed to process it on.

There is no registered express. There are only to types of registered mail: First class registered (only if under 13 oz.) and priority registered. Both travel at the same snail pace so when you are under 13 oz. always choose first class registered and save a couple of bucks. Use of any USPS priority packaging for a registered shipment requires the priority registered rate. And yes, you can take advantage of flat rate priority with registered mail, you just have to pay the additional registered fee. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by derryb

[Conder101]

As you mentioned if you use the priority flat rate box you will be charged the priority flat rate plus the registered mail charges.  I would not be surprised though that is you use a priority EXPRESS box you might be charged the Priority Express rate plus the Registered mail charges.  And the package would then just be handled as a regular Registered mail package.  This is probably where people get the idea about Registered Express.  They think if they use an express box and pay the higher fees that it will get there faster....it won't.

[Star City Homer]

Thanks @derryb and @Conder101 too.

This is so weird.  I had tried to ship a box registered to NGC and my post office lady specifically said that cremains had to go 'registered express' (I was shipping coins).  I remember the exchange very clearly as it was so very odd.  I'd had no idea there was such a service (and it doesn't sound like there is).  ALL my registered mail goes in a box (usually a recycled NGC box if I haven't destroyed it opening it up) that is 100% wrapped in paper security tape--no express or priority marks visible.  

Plus the whole cremains thing.  I'd recently had my dog cremated (as in within a week or thereabouts) so I was VERY sensitive to the comment even though it wasn't meant poorly.  I mean, I spent a couple years joking with her that I wasn't sending dead bodies in the mail. 

That postal worker is retired now, but next time I go in I will have to ask about it again.  Maybe she was poorly informed...lord knows the office is small enough the newbies sometimes have little idea how to even do registered.

I guess it's time to do some primary research rather than go by what my local guys/gals have to say.  Not that I ever 'need' anything other than regular registered.  Cremains.  Ugh.  My doggos are in the back yard thank you very much.  They will not be traipsing around the world until they have re-entered the carbon cycle.  

As for thinking the priority registered moved any faster, that is probably an example of recall bias (and noting it when I moved back CONUS where everything moves faster).  Recall bias is real.  

 

edited to clarify that I was NOT shipping cremains during that first exchange.  It was coins naturally.

Edited April 23, 2019 by Star City Homer

[thebeav]

Not every clerk knows the Domestic Mailing Manual (DMM) inside and out. I've often had to go to a different post office when mailing in a specific way because a clerk somewhere tells me it's not allowed. It just happened at one of my favorite offices when I encountered a 'new' clerk. I asked her to please ask her supervisor, which she did. The mailing was OK'd by them,but now I have a clerk that doesn't like me.

[Star City Homer]

Well, not that this thread hasn't gone far enough off the rails...I finally figured out what likely happened to make me think there was such an odd animal as Express Registered (which really makes no sense). 

The event I remember occurred about the time the PO rules changed and cremains were REQUIRED to go express.  For whatever reason (appropriately sized and dense package) my clerk assumed I was sending cremains.  I was trying send Registered.  She was trying to explain the new rules that cremains had to go Express.  Somehow that conflated to Express Registered in my mind--or maybe she did say that but was either misspeaking or misinformed.  Most likely she said Express and I said Registered and heard both. 

My current lady had a good laugh at my expense when I was mailing a letter today.  We both agreed 'priority registered' was silly but she did offer to hand carry/courier my next piece of registered mail as long as I covered the expenses.  Did I mention I have friendly post office?