Usps

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Anyone contemplating sending payment for an item purchased on the Forum by way of the USPS, would be well advised to use Fedex or another alternate carrier. In the past four months, the post office has managed to misplace two bank checks that were sent by registered mail, both for substantial amounts of money (and charged me $12.00 each for the privilege). In December '09, I sent a check for a Mullen guitar I wished to purchase which subsequently did not arrive at its destination. After a lengthy period, the check was finally located at the local post office when it was discovered that the postal carrier had placed the delivery notice on the wrong door. Recently, another check was sent to Ken Fox for the purchase of one of his fine steel amps which also never arrived. After ten days of waiting and an additional three days of non productive phone calls, I was basically told that they had no idea what happened to my envelope and could not help me. I informed them of my opinion of the way that they conduct business (which most likely meant absolutely nothing as I am certain they fully realize they are the only game in town.)

Tim Kowalski · From: Illinois, USA

David, I feel your pain.

I sent a Postal Money Order for a Goodrich VP purchased on Ebay. I bought the money order, filled out the envelope and had the clerk put on a stamp and place it in the outgoing mail - right there at the Post Office. The payment didn't arrive. I tried to cancel the Money Order and send a new one. I was told that I would have to wait 30 days before I could claim that it was lost - then the process would begin for a refund.
Fortunately, the seller was cool. I sent another payment (this time a certified bank check) and got my pedal. 30 days later I claimed the lost MO at the Post Office and got a refund in about 2 weeks.
Because it is not possible to follow up on a money order for 30 days, I really avoid sending them. The seller in this case could have cashed the money order and I would have never known before sending a second payment.
In short, USPS money orders are good for sellers and bad for buyers. It is not possible to determine if a MO was cashed until 30 days pass. A dishonest seller can cash the money order and say that they never saw it. I trusted the seller and it worked out for me - not to say that I was not justifiably concerned.
My two pennies.
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Ray Riley · From: Des Moines, Iowa, USA

I will never use a postal MO again. 2 have been lost. it cost around $3 dollars a piece to trace them. Sent to Bobbe Seymour in Nashville. Ray

Allan Jirik · From: Wichita Falls TX

I guess it's the luck of the draw. I've had no problems with USPS, having taken delivery of steels and sent bank checks in February and May. The last time (2 weeks ago) the mailman left the steel with my neighbor because I wasn't home and left me a detailed note where it was. Cool, I didn't have to go pick it up at the post office. No damage, on time. I'd do it again.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Sending something through the mail is one thing, but I won't use a postal MO again for exactly the reasons Tim outlined. The seller was a well known forum member and it wasn't a lot of money, so it wasn't a big deal. We waited till we were pretty sure it was lost, and I just sent the payment again and went through the refund process for the original MO. But can you imagine sending a postal MO for, let's say, $3000 for a pedal steel, having it get lost, and then having to send yet another payment while the PO takes its time - measured in months - to get you a refund? It's crazy and completely unworkable.

If you think postal MOs are a reasonable option as a financial instrument, I strongly suggest you read the fine print more carefully - I was stunned. If a MO gets lost in the mail and someone besides the intended recipient manages to cash it somehow - fake ID or whatever - you lose, even if it happens after you get your refund. At least that's what the fine print dictated that last time I did it. To get a refund, I had to sign a form saying if it was ever cashed, I'd pay them back. No more for me.

I'd rather just send a personal check and let the seller wait till it clears before shipping. If a standard check is lost in the mail, it's a nominal fee to cancel the check and simply send another check. Even a bank MO or cashier's check is better.

Mail and packages are going to get lost - no system is perfect. What separates systems is how they handle problems when they do occur.

All my opinions based on my own experience, naturally.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I use USPS money orders for charities where I don't want to end up on a mailing list. To me, that's the only benefit of them - they're anonymous like cash.

I use USPS every day for shipping of Forum products (strings, CDs, etc.). My mishap rate is well below 1%, and half that is because I had the wrong address. It's very rare that a correctly addressed package doesn't get delivered, in my experience anyway.

The only package in recent memory that didn't arrive was from the USPS itself - a shipment of stamps from The Postal Store! I had a tracking number for that and they owned up to the error. I suspect it was stolen by an employee.
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Ransom Beers · Posted 22 May 2010 2:29 am

I guess because they are (in their words) financially in deep CACA that the lost $$$ may well go to help defray their costs but they don't own up to it,waddaya tink?

Gary Lee Gimble · From: Fredericksburg, VA.

If you have a good relationship with your bank, a wire transfer may be a good option. Simply call your bank, provide them with all pertinent info and request to have your paper work filled out before you arrive. Depending where you live and who you bank with, a wire cost is comparable to a cashier's check. If you bank on line, you may consider this to be a better option by simply orchestrating a payment from your home, no running around. Make arrangements with your builder so you can be notified early enough to cut a check; avoiding a delayed shipment. Either way, your disbursement is protected if lost with considerable less hassle resolve of a lost MO. A little over a year ago, I bought some cabinets from Rick Johnson. My payment method was an on line check, with no issues.
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I think that part of the problem is urban vs. rural. In this small town, I know my delivery people (USPS, FedEx and UPS) and the clerks at the post office. And they know me. Neighbors around here routinely help the carriers when no one answers so that a second trip isn't necessary. The UPS guy will even stop by my house if I'm not at the office for a delivery - he knows where I live, of course.

In urban and suburban areas, delivery is a commodity and service suffers as a result. Carriers have to follow the rule book. Some are just inept. Large volumes of mail make mistakes more common, and less important to supervisors, who are more concerned with the organization than with the customers.
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