<p>Just got a package from S, flat rate priority mail box. It was opened and the keys were taken off the caribiner, which was wrapped in a t-shirt. The t-shirt was received but NOT the keys or student ID. Also missing is a box of nails hubby wanted (can’t get them in our state). We were SHOCKED! There is no note that the box was opened. S said he mailed it from Office Depot with TONS of tape (no tape when received). I called USPS & told them about the incident & they said they’ll follow up.</p>
<p>Earlier, S mailed us a pocket knife that slipped through the envelope. We called USPS about it but still have not gotten it back. Very disappointed, after the many years of pretty good service we’ve had with USPS.</p>
<p>I had insured the package, though certainly not to reflect current gold prices!! I am waiting a while to do it, Ive been married nearly 30 years, I can wait a year to see if gold goes back down to a more reasonable price.</p>
<p>It was quite an interesting process. UPS was able to track it to the large city 2 hours from me and the guard signed off on it, but then no one locked it into the high value box. They are supposedly tracing it, but you really ahve to wonder- did a tiny package just get lost or did someone steal it?</p>
<p>Just a word of caution: When you’re dealing with a USPS loss, it is important to document everything. In our case, we had a loss, but USPS provided a note of explanation. When we then tried to collect on the insurance, we sent a claim to USPS in Atlanta (I think), but we neglected to send it registered mail. Sure enough, our claim was “lost,” and we were out the insurance money.</p>
<p>Who would think to send something TO the post office via registered mail? It never occurred to us. Our costly mistake.</p>
<p>Sorry you’ve had a problem! Could someone have broken into your mailbox? How did the box reach you? Was it hand delivered?</p>
<p>HiMom, I am guessing the thief is taking place at Office Depot before the box gets into the postal system. When I ship priority flat rate I create the label and pay for the postage online. Some post offices have postal mailing machines where you can pay and mail any package that will fit in the machine 24/7.</p>
<p>somemom, I have been told never use the special shipping it alerts everyone there is something valuable inside the package.</p>
<p>To me, it’s odder that they bothered to take out SOME of the contents from the box & didn’t just decide to take the entire box. They removed the keys from the caribiner, as well as taking the student ID & the box of nails while being sure to send on the tshirt & caribiner! S said when he shipped the box, it was well-sealed with LOTS of tape from Office Depot. When I received it, the box was flapping open and the seals were all broken. I will have to tell S to find another place to mail things from & to avoid that Office Depot–seems like that may be the place where the items were lifted. <sigh> So weird!</sigh></p>
<p>Sorry that the wedding ring was stolen. Was it a simple gold band or were gems on it as well? That’s pretty low, stealing a wedding ring! The thefts of S’s items are mostly VERY weird! The keys are NOT useful for any addresses listed–neither where it was sent from or to. The student ID has no address & is for CA–stolen in VA. Nails are very cheap and not worth a prison sentence! I just don’t get it!!! D says you have to be on campus to use the student ID & it also has no address on it.</p>
<p>We will have to pay to replace all the stolen items, but so irksome! Yes, I often use the USPS self-serve machine & put the package directly into the post office itself. Have never trusted Office Depot all that much to handle things I valued (put paychecks directly into the post office as well). Will definitely trust OfficeDepot even less now. :(</p>
<p>So were the keys actually removed from the caribiner and then it was put back in the box? So it could no way have come open and things fallen out? Then items found on the floor put back in the box?</p>
<p>Apparently it has to be marked special value when it is insured. It was over 1 ct main stone plus side diamonds plus a very nice ring that we gave my Dd for graduation, and sadly that is going to cost twice the purchase price to replace and it is only a few years old. I did not realise how gold had gone up in the past couple of years. I mean, I knew that in my business mind, but did not think about it for a tiny little ring doubling the price.</p>
<p>Yes, the keys were REMOVED from the caribiner and it was re-wrapped in D’s tshirt & placed BACK in the box. There was NO WAY that the keys could have fallen off the caribiner. It was wrapped very nicely in the middle of D’s t-shirt where her ID card was originally also nestled! This is the thing that is so extremely odd and points to deliberate theft rather than just “things falling out.”</p>
<p>So sorry someone stole the ring you were giving to D. Wow, that was a nice ring that someone stole!</p>
<p>Some mail is run through x ray machines, right, for security purposes? Was your mail opened because of the nails? If so, surely they would have put everything back into the box and tape it up again?</p>
<p>Well, S has just told me that he mailed TWO caribiners – the one that made it here is gold colored & wrapped in D’s tshirt. The one that didn’t arrive is blue and has D’s keys, student ID & box of nails. I asked S if he might next time put MORE tape to keep the box more secure & if perhaps it may have just opened in transit & all the other stuff fell out? He admitted that it may have happened that way. Oh well, he says he’s sorry, but I told him he needs to tell this to D & help reimburse her for having to duplicate the lost items! <sigh> Perhaps the student ID will be found & make its way back to campus, as it does say to return it there. He says he did NOT wrap the other items in the tshirt.</sigh></p>
<p>My neighbor works for FedEx a few years ago I overheard him explaining to another neighbor, the best way to ship an heirloom brooch. He says he never ships small items in a small box instead he places the small box in a larger box with towels or sheet or anything to add bulk. He also says he never insures a box for more than $200; even if the contents are very valuable. His reasoning no one will risk their job to steal a box valued at less than $200.</p>
<p>A co-worker told me that when she worked as a postal clerk, one of her co-workers there opened anything that looked like a birthday card and pocketed any cash inside before re-sealing and sending it on to the addressee. I had always been skeptical of this story but . . .</p>
<p>uh oh. I literally just packed up my engagement ring and a second ring from my MIL to mail to a jeweler in another city for resetting. the jeweler’s advice was to use USPS, pack a small box inside a large box, and insure for the maximum allowable. I was already nervous, even though the jeweler says she does this routinely with clients, but now reading this thread makes me want to hop in the car and drive 6 hours to deliver the rings by hand :(</p>
<p>Up until now, I have NEVER had any problems with things mailed or received. I think in our case, it could be my S needs to use MUCH more TAPE and engage his brain more in mailing things instead of thinking that minimal is enough.</p>
<p>Wow, sewnsew! That’s amazing that someone would open things that look like birthday cards & STEAL any cash! Another reason NEVER to send cash in the mail!</p>
<p>PRJ, I suspect you’re fine and wouldn’t stress. I’m sure the jeweler knows what she’s talking about or she’d be out of business by now! I have never bothered to insure things, but have never mailed all that much of value–well, passports, but mostly STUFF. When I forward credit cards, I don’t activate them & expect the recipient to do so once they’re safely in hand, put in a box with lots of other stuff.</p>
<p>Told S I’ll give him LOTS of tape for Christmas!</p>
<p>I have a local jeweler I like a lot and would only use someone I trusted a great deal, especially for gems.</p>
<p>This was with a jeweler I have used for over 20 years, I used to live in that town, and usually am there often enough to drop stuff off, he ships it back. Because I live in the boonies I have shipped a lot of jewelery over the years, but this is the most valuable item I have ever done :(</p>
<p>Don’t stress. Your jeweler would NOT have recommended the method if she didn’t believe it absolutely safe. She uses it regularly & is still in business after two decades, so relax. Everything will be just fine!</p>
<p>If the box was all taped up at Office Depot, USPS would not have then accepted it if it was opened and left open by someone at the store. Likely, it WAS a USPS employee. </p>
<p>It would be easy to track the few people who had contact with the box at Office Depot, and consequences would be huge. It would be impossible to track the many people who had contact with the box at USPS. And with the culture of “we cannot track your package or what happened” attitude I have encountered, and the difficulty in making a claim, I have NO DOUBT it was a USPS employee. </p>
<p>And my MIL, with whom I was close to until her death, hated to send even a dollar in a birthday card. And if she did, she never left it in her box to go out, she mailed it at the post office. The she always called to BE SURE the card had the money in it. They lived on a rural route, and money DID go missing from cards she received.</p>
<p>Had a family member who was a postal inspector, and we were on tour of a very large city post office with him once. Up in the catwalk above the workers and witnessed in person, and again on the survelliance cameras, this very thing. The worker was so slick, I missed it the first time, but there it was, slipped his hand into the envelope, pocketed the money and off the card went down the line…</p>
Very disappointed, after the many years of pretty good service we’ve had with USPS.</p>
Oh well, he says he’s sorry, but I told him he needs to tell this to D & help reimburse her for having to duplicate the lost items! <sigh> Perhaps the student ID will be found & make its way back to campus, as it does say to return it there. He says he did NOT wrap the other items in the tshirt.</sigh></p>