<p>L.A. Parent,
I totally agree with you. Even when tracking and insurance is purchased, the PO didn’t perform as they should. When we started the process of filing a claim for the racing bike, helmet and shoes, we were having to try to get/find receipts form the purchase of the bike (made 2 years before) and the newer helmet and shoes in order to prove their value. While I understand in principle, what did they think we did- ship 50 lbs of rocks across country, spend almost $200 in shipping , insurance and tracking and then hope/expect that they would lose it so we could file a claim? Really?</p>
<p>FWIW, airlines fighting DOT about whether they have to refund luggage fees when bags are delayed or permanently lost. Sad to have to fight about this. Logically, it seems we should be refunded when the service we paid for doesn’t provide what was minimally expected–getting an item from point A to point B within a reasonable time.</p>
<p>Jym626:</p>
<p>Thanks–you capture my thoughts exactly:</p>
<p>"While I understand in principle, what did they think we did- ship 50 lbs of rocks across country, spend almost $200 in shipping , insurance and tracking and then hope/expect that they would lose it so we could file a claim? Really? "</p>
<p>You made my day!</p>
<p>If only I could figure out how to quote you…</p>
<p>How to quote?</p>
<p>You need to use the following quoting tags. The second one is the same with a / in front. </p>
<p>[noparse]
[/noparse]</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Ok I am doing a test</p>
<p>Oh thanks xiggi…the quoting worked</p>
<p>Thanks, L.A.Parent. and congrats on the quoteblock.</p>
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</p>
<p>lol Did you think the USPS was going to take your word for how much they were worth?</p>
<p>I didn’t need to ship rocks, L.A. Parent. Seems like its more likely that the PO employees have the market on the rocks… in their head.</p>
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</p>
<p>What a way to generalize a whole sector of people.</p>
<p>Yup. They earned every bit of it. And they seemed to have shared those rocks with a few others as well.</p>
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</p>
<p>They did earn it. How?</p>
<p>For the love of god. If a person pays, say (making this number up) $25 to purchase $900 worth of insurance and they lose the item, they should pay the %#$)&*_$)^&+^ $900. Otherwise they shouldn’t have sold the person the insurance.</p>
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</p>
<p>L.A. Parent never paid for insurance or confirmation.</p>
<p>Do you know how postal insurance works? You have to actually prove what the item is worth.</p>
<p>This thread must have started on a BBC show …</p>
<p>Man: Is this the right room for an argument?</p>
<p>Other Man: I’ve told you once.</p>
<p>Man: No you haven’t!</p>
<p>Other Man: Yes I have.</p>
<p>M: When?</p>
<p>O: Just now.</p>
<p>M: No you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Yes I did!</p>
<p>M: You didn’t!</p>
<p>O: I did!</p>
<p>M: You didn’t!</p>
<p>O: I’m telling you, I did!</p>
<p>M: You did not!</p>
<p>O: Oh I’m sorry, is this a five minute argument, or the full half hour?</p>
<p>M: Ah! (taking out his wallet and paying) Just the five minutes.</p>
<p>O: Just the five minutes. Thank you.</p>
<p>O: Anyway, I did.</p>
<p>M: You most certainly did not!</p>
<p>O: Now let’s get one thing quite clear: I most definitely told you!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh no you didn’t!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: No you DIDN’T!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: No you DIDN’T!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: No you DIDN’T!</p>
<p>O: Oh yes I did!</p>
<p>M: Oh look, this isn’t an argument!</p>
<p>(pause)</p>
<p>O: Yes it is!</p>
<p>M: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>(pause)</p>
<p>M: It’s just contradiction!</p>
<p>O: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>M: It IS!</p>
<p>O: It is NOT!</p>
<p>M: You just contradicted me!</p>
<p>O: No I didn’t!</p>
<p>M: You DID!</p>
<p>O: No no no!</p>
<p>M: You did just then!</p>
<p>O: Nonsense!</p>
<p>M: (exasperated) Oh, this is futile!!</p>
<p>(pause)</p>
<p>O: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>M: Yes it is!</p>
<p>(pause)</p>
<p>M: I came here for a good argument!</p>
<p>O: AH, no you didn’t, you came here for an argument!</p>
<p>M: An argument isn’t just contradiction.</p>
<p>O: Well! it CAN be!</p>
<p>M: No it can’t!</p>
<p>M: An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.</p>
<p>O: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>M: Yes it is! 'tisn’t just contradiction.</p>
<p>O: Look, if I <em>argue</em> with you, I must take up a contrary position!</p>
<p>M: Yes but it isn’t just saying ‘no it isn’t’.</p>
<p>O: Yes it is!</p>
<p>M: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>O: Yes it is!</p>
<p>M: No it isn’t!</p>
<p>O: Yes it is!</p>
<p>M: No it ISN’T! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.</p>
<p>O: It is NOT!</p>
<p>M: It is!</p>
<p>O: Not at all!</p>
<p>M: It is!</p>
<p>(The Arguer hits a bell on his desk and stops.)</p>
<p>O: Thank you, that’s it.</p>
<p>M: (stunned) What?</p>
<p>O: That’s it. Good morning.</p>
<p>M: But I was just getting interested!</p>
<p>O: I’m sorry, the five minutes is up.</p>
<p>M: That was never five minutes just now!!</p>
<p>O: I’m afraid it was.</p>
<p>M: (leading on) No it wasn’t…</p>
<p>O: I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to argue any more.</p>
<p>M: WHAT??</p>
<p>O: If you want me to go on arguing, you’ll have to pay for another five minutes.</p>
<p>M: But that was never five minutes just now!
Oh Come on!
Oh this is…
This is ridiculous!
O: I told you… I told you, I’m not allowed to argue unless you PAY!</p>
<p>M: Oh all right. (takes out his wallet and pays again.) There you are.</p>
<p>O: Thank you.</p>
<p>M: (clears throat) Well…</p>
<p>O: Well WHAT?</p>
<p>M: That was never five minutes just now.</p>
<p>O: I told you, I’m not allowed to argue unless you’ve paid!</p>
<p>M: Well I just paid!</p>
<p>O: No you didn’t!</p>
<p>M: I DID!!!</p>
<p>O: YOU didn’t!</p>
<p>M: I DID!!!</p>
<p>O: YOU didn’t!</p>
<p>M: I DID!!!</p>
<p>O: YOU didn’t!</p>
<p>M: I DID!!!</p>
<p>O: YOU didn’t!</p>
<p>M: I don’t want to argue about it!</p>
<p>O: Well I’m very sorry but you didn’t pay!</p>
<p>M: Ah hah! Well if I didn’t pay, why are you arguing??? Ah HAAAAAAHHH! Gotcha!</p>
<p>O: No you haven’t!</p>
<p>M: Yes I have! If you’re arguing, I must have paid.</p>
<p>O: Not necessarily. I <em>could</em> be arguing in my spare time.</p>
<p>M: I’ve had enough of this!</p>
<p>O: No you haven’t.</p>
<p>M: Oh shut up!</p>
<p>Reminds me more of this type of conversation: [Archer</a> Asks “Why?” - YouTube](<a href=“Archer Asks "Why?" - YouTube”>Archer Asks "Why?" - YouTube)
which is a little more acceptable in a 2 year old than an adult, like this: (watch the guy that comes in at 35 seconds-- quite an entertaining addition) <a href=“Epic Why Guy - YouTube”>Epic Why Guy - YouTube;
<p>jym, your experience inspired me to look up the USPS requirements for proof of value. Even if I held onto every single receipt I ever received, there are still many, many things where there’s no receipt. What if I’m sending something I received as a present, something where the value has gone up (e.g. out of print book), or something which I purchased for cash from a craigslist seller or at a swap meet? I’d want to see how UPS and FedEx handle these cases.</p>
<p>USPS will accept claims with just a statement if the claimed value is under $100, which covers pretty much any package I’ve ever sent flat rate. Anything more valuable (left-behind cell phones, house guests leaving behind wallets (!)) got shipped overnight with insurance up the wazoo. I wonder what % of items get lost on overnight vs. priority vs. first class/parcel post.</p>
<p>So if you shipped some “priceless” thing, even paying out the wazoo for insurance,tracking, etc, if they lose it and you can’t “prove” value, you are SOL? That sucks.</p>
<p>That’s why I get receipts emailed to me.</p>
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</p>
<p>It’s called life. If you went to court, you would have to provide the value as well.</p>
<p>Like I stated before, do you think the USPS is supposed to take your word for how much you paid for an item?</p>