[W&B] Why we insure stuff . . .

[Rob McElroy]

Mark,

It may be time for you to file a USPS complaint about the arrogance and 
ignorance of your Bensalem, PA post office officials.  A signature is a 
REQUIREMENT on insured USPS packages and the postman can not (according 
to USPS rules) just abandon them on your porch (or your neighbor's 
porch).  If you're not at home, he is supposed to leave you a notice 
telling you that the package will be waiting for you to pick up, and 
sign for, at the post office.  These are the rules, even if they are 
ignored by some postal officials and delivery persons.

Rob McElroy
Buffalo, NY


Mark Baltor wrote:
> *Your "post-person" obviously got up "oily" this morning, Milan.*
> ** 
> *You're fortunate, though; you have to sign for insured packages. *
> *My post office here in Bensalem, Pa. insists that they can abandon 
> insured packages on the pavement outside my house (on busy U.S. Rt. 
> 13) without even ringing the doorbell unless they are either 
> Registered Mail, or Signature Guarantee! Likewise, while I have paid 
> for dozens of  green "Return Receipt" postcards when sending mail, I 
> have NEVER had one delivered by that same Bensalem Post Office. I 
> guess they throw them away. . .*
> ** 
> *The USPS is actually more reliable at delivering packages than 
> UPS/FedEx, both of whom have the stupidest drivers available, since 
> both have repeatedly misdelivered insured packages to the only other 
> house with the same house number as mine in this 9-digit zipcode; six 
> blocks from here on a dead-end street that they can only get to by 
> passing my house twice: going and returning! Fortunately, the 
> "neighbor" at that address usually stops by to tell me that there's a 
> package for me on his porch.*
> *Mark Baltor*
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Milan Zahorcak <mailto:milan.zahorcak at comcast.net>
>     *To:* Wood & Brass <mailto:woodandbrass at kjsl.com>
>     *Sent:* Thursday, July 19, 2007 5:27 PM
>     *Subject:* [W&B] Why we insure stuff . . .
>
>     Hi folks,
>      
>     Well, this is different . . .
>      
>     A fellow member sent me a fairly rare and pretty pricey lens that
>     arrived this afternoon.
>      
>     It got here pretty much safe and sound, but not from lack of
>     trying by the USPS.
>      
>     The post-person rang the doorbell.  I was expecting her, knowing
>     that the package had been insured and that I'd have to sign for it.
>      
>     I opened the door and she handed me the box - wrapped in several
>     layers of clear plastic bags - said that the box had been damaged
>     in transit.
>      
>     We looking through the plastic bags - it looked like the box had
>     been soaked in oil.
>      
>     http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Misc-pics/USPS-oops1.jpg
>      
>     I asked her to wait for a moment, went and got my box cutter, and
>     then we opened the plastic bags and then opened the box while she
>     watched, acting as my witness.  Remarkable presence of mind, no? 
>     That and the fact that this is not the first time I've received
>     damaged goods - no snide comments from the peanut gallery, please.
>      
>     Turns out that nothing got past the outside of the box, nothing on
>     the inside at all and the lens was/is perfectly OK.  No problems
>     otherwise, but you do have to wonder how they managed to do this.  
>      
>     Cute note, though.  I thought y'all might enjoy reading it.
>      
>     http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Misc-pics/USPS-oops2.jpg
>     <http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Misc-pics/USPS-oops2.jpg>
>      
>     Another one of those "Probably a lesson in here, somewhere" sort
>     of things.
>      
>     Regards,
>      
>     mz
>