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The Case of The Missing Christmas Cheer

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fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
There once was a tin of 1995 Christmas Cheer that was happily bought up by yours truly.
Steve the PipeStud shipped out my highly anticipated tin va USPS. I closely watch the tracking until the day where it says "Out for delivery" when mysteriously a few hours later the status gets changed to "Delivered, Individual Picked Up at Postal Facility". I think to myself how could a package that's on the truck for a couple short hours be then picked up at the "Postal Facility"
Well I waited another day just to see if the package ever shows up and nothing. I open a claim with USPS and decide to go visit the post office. The kindly person gave me three numbers to call and told me to call the first number.
We'll I've been calling the first number for a couple hours and nobody ever answers the phone. So I called the second number and someone actually answers. I give them the tracking number and they said well it was picked up at the post office. So I told her NO it was not and I point out how could it be picked up at the post office while it was out for delivery? She tells me she'll look into it and if I don't hear anything back to call the first number.
I've been calling that first number with no freaking answer EVER!
I've resigned myself to never receiving the tin so I went to file an insurance claim and when I go to login to my account on USPS.com it's disabled!!!!
So I've submitted a request to have someone look at my account which can take 3 days.
I don't know if we have any postal workers here but are all post offices as bad as the one's in New York City?

 
eriksmokes85

eriksmokes85

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 24, 2015
172
0
Wow..That seems super shady! You don't have any shipping restrictions in New York do you?

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Erik there are no restrictions in New York but we do have a ridiculous 75% tax on tobacco products. lol
Yeah Dave the postal system in NYC is a joke and there appears to be no real accountability.

 
buroak

buroak

Lifer
Jul 29, 2014
1,867
14
Michael Bloomberg Loyalists probably thought it was a package of contraband lids for 32oz soda pop cups. When they find out it is actually tobacco somebody will get a medal.

 
mayfair70

mayfair70

Lifer
Sep 14, 2015
1,968
2
Sounds like somebody stole it. Who knew you were getting this package? USPS account being disabled is shady to say the least. I'd say go up the administrative food chain until you get satisfaction or something resembling an answer. Bummer. Sorry this happened to you. :evil:

 
lifesizehobbit

lifesizehobbit

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2015
913
386
Ftizy - despite my sarcasm above, I do hope you can track it down or find a way to replace it. Nothing makes me crazier than USPS. I live in a small town where you pretty much know the postal workers; for whatever reason the local distribution office re-routes packages for me some 40 miles away, then they realize they did wrong and I get the package 2 days later than projected.
Mayfair70 has a good suggestion; start in person at the local office.
Best on recovery!

 
phil67

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
This is no reflection on PipeStud in any way shape or form as he seems like a great guy. However, when a seller ships out a package whether it be USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc. it is the sender who has made a contract, as it were, with the courier service of their choice and it is up them, and them ONLY to take care of any issues with the chosen courier service they used. In this case, it would be up to PipeStud to make any and all such calls to USPS and not you to get the issue resolved as it is not you who made a 'contract' with USPS, but PipeStud. Bottom line... it is his responsibility and not yours.

 
pipestud

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,750
Robinson, TX.
That is absolutely correct phil67. And I did my usual follow-up as I do with any packages that my buyer does not receive. Fortunately, even shipping out about 60 packages a week, this has only happened with USPS (to me anyway), less than a handful of times in 15-years of selling and shipping packages from my eBay and private websites.
I called my local PO and, as fitzy said, the package was recorded as having been delivered. I requested a copy of the transaction for my records. The next day my local postal carrier brought a copy of the completed transaction to my home with my mail. So, to make a long story even longer, I have an official document from the USPS that says the package was picked up at the NYC post office by the recipient. The recipient says he never picked up the package. I do not have another year 1995 tin of Christmas Cheer in stock (or any other aged CC tin at the moment), so, I can't send fitzy a replacement. I would not mind doing that at all, especially considering all the free publicity I seem to be getting on this particular thread on the most widely read pipe Internet forum in the world. :wink:

 
phil67

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
That's a real bummer PipeStud and I'm surprised that USPS even took the time to send you a copy of the completed transaction that it was picked up at the local post office by the recipient, or someone who claimed to be. Very unusual to say the least and most obviously out of your hands now as you, the sender, did everything that was required of you. Just a real shame that it took this turn of events. :wink:

 
pipestud

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,750
Robinson, TX.
Fortunately, I live out in the country in a small, 7,500 population community (Robinson, TX.). We all pretty much know each other. My own local postal carrier has been on my rural route for over a decade, is a good friend, and I give him a healthy and well deserved Christmas bonus ever year. The gentleman goes out of his way to help me and it is greatly appreciated. Our local PO probably has as many customers show up in a week as one of the branch NYC PO's has in its restrooms at any given time!

 
fitzy

fitzy

Lifer
Nov 13, 2012
2,937
27
NY
Sorry haven't checked this post in a little while.
The problem is the postal system in NYC. The local post office to my office is a monstrosity. It takes up an entire city block and it's just a mess. Taking it up the chain is nothing like it would be in a small town post office. Their way of taking it up the chain is calling the numbers they gave me. The first number is for the supervisor of the mail carrier for my building. How does this person have a number that he/she never answers? And I mean NEVER. I must have called that number about 10 times an hour for 8 hours yesterday.
When I informed Steve he immediately contacted his local post office. This isn't on Steve it's on the horrible service we get in NYC. I've purchased from him plenty of times in the past and will certainly continue to do so. I'll just have to have him ship to my home outside the city.
I have no doubt that the package has been lost or stolen. I really don't know how it can go from being on the truck which usually doesn't show up at my office until after 4pm to being picked up at the post office a few hours later unless there's been fraud by the postal worker.
The complaint I filed online said someone should contact me within a day but may take up to 3 days to resolve. Of course there has been NO contact by the postal service.
I'm just hoping sometime in the next few years Steve will have another 1995 tin show up on his door step that I can purchase from him.
P.S. I should mention the mailroom for my firm confirmed to me they didn't pick up packages at the post office and that they NEVER go to the post office to pick up mail. They have a very tight inventory system for tracking mail and I do not believe that they received it.
Also I should mention that when I went to the post office to ask about the package I stood in a queue for about an hour.

 
cynicismandsugar

cynicismandsugar

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2015
773
4
Springfield, Mo
Fitzy, I'm sorry that there hasn't be a resolution to your issue. With our supportive and generous community (sans a fringe group of questionable Ebay/retail dealers) it seems that the postal service and increasing legal regulations are our only true enemies.

 
J

jitterbugdude

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2014
993
8
Were they any identification marks on the outside of the package? Sounds to me like it was pilfered by the driver. All he has to do is run his scanner over the barcode and mark it as "picked up by customer"

 
nutcracker

nutcracker

Might Stick Around
Oct 28, 2015
84
0
Maybe see if you can go up the Postal Inspector side to get somewhere other than a phone number. Try https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx to get something followed up on the mail carrier.

 
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