Items lost in mail!!! what should I do?

Lee · 6th January 2018, 01:37 PM

In selling and shipping a few hundred items for Lew's estate, I have had just two fall off tracking. Both were international and came back to my porch unexpectedly, one after a full year and the other just after two months. Another item got misdirected at an airport in the Netherlands and sent to Brazil where it sat in Customs about a month before the fact that it was addressed to Israel was noticed and it was successfully put back on course.

If the auction house's packers got the address correct or placed a legible return address on the package it should find its way back or forward in due course. (I always include a slip with both addresses inside as well.)

PayPal and credit cards will usually give you up to about 6 months to file an 'item not received' claim and will very likely find in your favor if there is no tracking showing delivery. So patience is appropriate at the moment. If you paid by bank transfer, then you are probably at the mercy of the auction house's policies. Good luck at having your items in good order and fairly soon.

Green · 6th January 2018, 05:28 PM

Many thanks Lee for informing us your experience. So, looks like there is a small chance it will finally come my way one day. I think I will wait for one more month before I discuss about reimbursement from the auction house. I paid by bank transfer but hope the auction house will be gentlemanly enough to reimburse if it has to be decided that the package is definitely lost.

This loss is especially unfortunate and keenly felt as the kerises were from Edward Frey's book.

A. G. Maisey · 6th January 2018, 07:52 PM

I send around 100 parcels every year from Australia to other countries.

I've been shipping internationally since 1978.

In all that time there have been only two actual losses, as well as an incident in Whitehorse where a package was run over by a piece of machinery, and another incident in Utah where a parcel fell behind a piece of furniture in the delivery post office, and was found two years later when they did a re-organisation.

I believe you will eventually come out of this OK, as others have commented, if it is insured the sender should reimburse you, but the likelihood is that eventually that parcel will get to you.

Green · 6th January 2018, 11:59 PM

Hi Alan;

That sound somewhat reassuring, except that if it ever find my way i hope it will be sooner than later.

A constant thought that keep running in my head is this:... these three kerises do not want to come back home.!!

Except that unlike most most malays who believe that some keris have special magic and persona I (who is also a malay- from Kelantan) is generally NOT superstitious ( but may be I am unconsciously)...

A. G. Maisey · 7th January 2018, 04:46 AM

Yeah, I can understand the not wanting to go home thing.

Just about everybody I've ever known from SE Asia gets addicted to pizza, donuts and Italian restaurants within the first six months in Oz.

Your keris will probably be a bit super-sized when they do eventually get there.

kahnjar1 · 7th January 2018, 06:10 AM

If you paid using Paypal you have 180 days after paying to lodge a claim for non receipt of item. This in no way affects any other investigation.

drac2k · 7th January 2018, 03:07 PM

As a fellow collector, I feel your pain; especially when the prize you won far exceeds the cost!
When dealing with the USPS, I always send the item by Priority and I fully insure it, as well as ask for a signature confirmation if any significant amount of value is involved; they seem to pay much better attention to the package when they are monetarily responsible.
Since you are in Malaysia, my next possible solution may not be cost effective for you, but I have found that it sometimes works; call the USPS Service center with the tracking number.You will have to wait for many minutes on hold before you will be able to talk to a human being and prior to that agree to participate in the short survey after you have talked to the USPS representative.They must be graded on their performance as I have found them to be very, very helpful and call more than once if you do not get the answers that you want, as a different operator may have new information or different insights.
My guess is that your hold up would be with Customs.
Good Luck and I hope that your items will come to you.

6th January 2018, 01:37 PM	#1
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 940	There is still hope In selling and shipping a few hundred items for Lew's estate, I have had just two fall off tracking. Both were international and came back to my porch unexpectedly, one after a full year and the other just after two months. Another item got misdirected at an airport in the Netherlands and sent to Brazil where it sat in Customs about a month before the fact that it was addressed to Israel was noticed and it was successfully put back on course. If the auction house's packers got the address correct or placed a legible return address on the package it should find its way back or forward in due course. (I always include a slip with both addresses inside as well.) PayPal and credit cards will usually give you up to about 6 months to file an 'item not received' claim and will very likely find in your favor if there is no tracking showing delivery. So patience is appropriate at the moment. If you paid by bank transfer, then you are probably at the mercy of the auction house's policies. Good luck at having your items in good order and fairly soon.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

6th January 2018, 05:28 PM	#2
Green Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Malaysia Posts: 323	Many thanks Lee for informing us your experience. So, looks like there is a small chance it will finally come my way one day. I think I will wait for one more month before I discuss about reimbursement from the auction house. I paid by bank transfer but hope the auction house will be gentlemanly enough to reimburse if it has to be decided that the package is definitely lost. This loss is especially unfortunate and keenly felt as the kerises were from Edward Frey's book.

6th January 2018, 07:52 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	I send around 100 parcels every year from Australia to other countries. I've been shipping internationally since 1978. In all that time there have been only two actual losses, as well as an incident in Whitehorse where a package was run over by a piece of machinery, and another incident in Utah where a parcel fell behind a piece of furniture in the delivery post office, and was found two years later when they did a re-organisation. I believe you will eventually come out of this OK, as others have commented, if it is insured the sender should reimburse you, but the likelihood is that eventually that parcel will get to you.

6th January 2018, 11:59 PM	#4
Green Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Malaysia Posts: 323	Hi Alan; That sound somewhat reassuring, except that if it ever find my way i hope it will be sooner than later. A constant thought that keep running in my head is this:... these three kerises do not want to come back home.!! Except that unlike most most malays who believe that some keris have special magic and persona I (who is also a malay- from Kelantan) is generally NOT superstitious ( but may be I am unconsciously)...

7th January 2018, 04:46 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,048	Yeah, I can understand the not wanting to go home thing. Just about everybody I've ever known from SE Asia gets addicted to pizza, donuts and Italian restaurants within the first six months in Oz. Your keris will probably be a bit super-sized when they do eventually get there.

7th January 2018, 06:10 AM	#6
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,802	If you paid using Paypal you have 180 days after paying to lodge a claim for non receipt of item. This in no way affects any other investigation.

7th January 2018, 03:07 PM	#7
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,270	As a fellow collector, I feel your pain; especially when the prize you won far exceeds the cost! When dealing with the USPS, I always send the item by Priority and I fully insure it, as well as ask for a signature confirmation if any significant amount of value is involved; they seem to pay much better attention to the package when they are monetarily responsible. Since you are in Malaysia, my next possible solution may not be cost effective for you, but I have found that it sometimes works; call the USPS Service center with the tracking number.You will have to wait for many minutes on hold before you will be able to talk to a human being and prior to that agree to participate in the short survey after you have talked to the USPS representative.They must be graded on their performance as I have found them to be very, very helpful and call more than once if you do not get the answers that you want, as a different operator may have new information or different insights. My guess is that your hold up would be with Customs. Good Luck and I hope that your items will come to you.