[meteorite-list] Question about lost shipment and what to do.

[Michael Gilmer]

Hi Mike, Gary, Al, Bernd, Chris, and List,

I concur with Gary on this one about USPS.  Now, I don't completely
disagree with Chris Peterson's assessment of the postal service,
because they have their fair share of inefficiency and waste - and
that is why they are hemorrhaging money to the tune of billions of
dollars.

Perhaps I have just been lucky with USPS.  It is very rarely that I
lose a package without a trace.  I've been selling a wide-range of
collectibles online since 1999 and I can count on one hand the number
of times USPS has lost a package (or damaged it to the point of being
a total loss).  This handful of lost packages was the minority in
thousands of successful mailings.

More frequently, a package will be slow through USPS and take several
days (to weeks) longer to arrive than it should.  Delays of a few days
are not uncommon and delays of weeks happen about once a year.  In my
personal experience, the "hiccup rate" with USPS is about one package
out of a few or several hundreds.

On the other hand, I have shipped via UPS about 20 times in my
lifetime.  Out of those 20 times, I have had major issues about a
half-dozen times.  This includes lost packages, damaged packages, and
very poor customer service.  My personal hiccup rate with UPS has been
about 25-30% of packages shipped.  For this reason, I ceased using
them entirely about 2 years ago.  I don't even like buying from
vendors who use UPS and I tend to avoid sellers who ship via UPS in
favor of those who ship via USPS or FedEx.

I've never had a problem with FedEx and find their service to be
reliable, albeit more expensive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites

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On 12/21/10, Gary Fujihara <fujmon at mac.com> wrote:
> Aloha Mike,
>
> Sorry to hear about your package going AWOL, but as everyone has already
> mentioned, there is hope that it will eventually arrive at its destination.
>
> FWIW, despite everyone's grim perspective of the USPS, I have found their
> service to be exemplary, especially when compared to UPS who gouge us in
> Hawaii and lose or damage packages on a seemingly regular basis.  Gotta also
> remember that its the busiest season of the year for the post office, who
> are operating under a constrained budget with less staffing than in years
> past.  Good luck getting your package to its destination Mike!
>
> gary
>
> On Dec 21, 2010, at 6:18 AM, Mike Miller wrote:
>
>> Hi all, I shipped a priority flat rate box on Dec 6th and it was
>> scanned and left the Las Vegas sort facility on the same evening. Now
>> ever since it has just said it was in transit to its destination. I
>> did use a signature confirmation. The bad news is it is a meteorite
>> that I sold for several thousand dollars.......I know but it is too
>> late to register and insure the package. I am hoping there is some one
>> who investigates something like this because I don't think the item
>> was lost it was in a flat rate box, hard to miss that lying on the
>> floor. So if it is gone then I am guessing someone has stolen it.
>> Input would be helpful....and I guess the moral of the story  is
>> shipped expensive items insured and registered, they can go missig
>> even from state to state.
>>
>> --
>> Mike Miller 3835 E Nicole Ave Kingman Az 86409
>> www.meteoritefinder.com
>>      928-757-1378
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> Gary Fujihara
> Big Kahuna Meteorites (IMCA#1693)
> 105 Puhili Place, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
> http://bigkahuna-meteorites.com/
> http://shop.ebay.com/fujmon/m.html
> (808) 640-9161
>
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