USPS claims

[Ursa_Major]

Hi guys,

am I right in thinking that with USPS the sender claims in the event of a package not arriving?

Thanks

G.

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by Ursa_Major
Hi guys,

am I right in thinking that with USPS the sender claims in the event of a package not arriving?

Thanks

G.

Your question seems confusing but if I interpet it as I think you meant...you want to know if it's the senders responsibility to file a claim with the post office in the event a package does not reach it's intended destination. The answer to that question is yes...and no. Both parties can go to thier post office(s) and armed with the proper information (tracking number) can help find it. But in the long run, I believe it's the sender who has to submit a claim.
Thankfully, I have never been in that boat. I did send a package to Canada once and a day after I sent it, the buyer e-mailed me and told me the address in hos paypal account was wrong. About three weeks went by before it came home to papa. Whew...80 bicks worth of rocket stuff just floatin out in postal land...not good.

 

[Ursa_Major]

Thanks - you got the right interpretation of my question. The package was shipped from a vendor to the hotel where a friend was staying for a fortnight, both in the US. I've had stuff go missing when it's been shipped across to the UK before, and I needed this kit to use in my L3 flight, hence shipping it to the hotel & ensuring it got back to me OK. The same vendor shipped a couple of bits to me at my hotel in San Fran last year, so I wasn't expecting any problems. Except this time, the package didn't show, and apart from a promise by the vendor to ship a replacement to the UK (which he's not actually done as far as I can tell - no email saying it's shipped, and no package arriving at my home address), I've had no response to my emails in to him. Pretty poor, all told, as I'm 150+ bucks down on the deal, and am having no contact back from the vendor. I'm looking into raising a claim myself for the missing goods, but can't get a finalised invoice including shipping from the vendor either. Looks like I've been had over a barrel six different ways to Sunday.

 

[andysrockets]

I expect this is true with any postal/courier service. The sender has the contract with the postal service and is the one that pays for that service, not the recipient. The recipient only has a sales (or other) contract with the sender.
Track+Trace(TM) type things may be of use to the recipient, but even still, a lost package is an issue to be sorted between sendder and courier.

 

[Ursa_Major]

Thanks Andy - that was pretty much what I thought, but I'm having absolutely no contact back from the vendor - last I head from him was July 25th, when he was going to ship a replacement to me in the UK. I've mailed him several more times since then - I don't even know which type of post he shipped it, and haven't had an invoice from him for the total amount charged.

I'll give it a couple more weeks, having supplied him again with my email addresses (from both work & home, in case one's blocked) and my contact number again, then it'll be over to the Vendor forum for name'n'shame unfortunately - I had him down as one of the good guys in the business too, with a personal recommendation from Pete...

G.

 

[Fishhead]

July 25th and you're STILL giving this guy the benefit of the doubt?! Man, you are WAY more patient than I could ever be. I'm looking forward to hearing who this vendor is so I can refuse to buy from him. Have you seen anything negative about him in the past on here?

 

[Ursa_Major]

I've heard nothing negative about him anywhere, which is why I'm concerned. The order was apparently shipped on July 5th, but 25th was the last contact I had from him. It looks like his website hasn't been updated since July too. I'm holding fire on the naming, because the guy's not had any negative comments here or elsewhere, and I want to give him the final chance to sort things out as I may want to buy other items from him in the future too - the stuff he sells has an amazingly good reputation, and as I said before, the previous time I dealt with him, everything went like a dream. Just this time, delivery & communications suck. I'm guessing he's way tied up with real-life work given the lack of website updates too.

G.

 

[Fishhead]

Wouldn't be Rebar, would it?
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20252&highlight=rebarrocketry

 

[Ursa_Major]

Wouldn't be Rebar, would it?

Nope, I'd seen all the negativity flying around them, left well alone. The stuff Rebar sold I could get over here anyway - I tend to only buy abroad if I can't get what I need from the UK vendors I use.

G.

 

[cydermaster]

Hmmm .... This thread is a little close to home for me.

I recently recieved a LOC Legacy complete with dented body-tubes, from an American dealer. The dealer says that the package was insured, and it is up to me to make the claim, but the post office (UK) says that its the sender who has to make the claim.

Does anybody know an international contact number for the USPS? All the ones I seem to find are for domestic calls only, and wont let me connect from over here.

 

[andysrockets]

Originally posted by cydermaster
I recently recieved a LOC Legacy complete with dented body-tubes, from an American dealer. The dealer says that the package was insured, and it is up to me to make the claim, but the post office (UK) says that its the sender who has to make the claim.

You have a sale of goods contract with the vendor. Nothing more - nothing less. Most good ones will have a 'Ts+Cs page' on the website, so I'd check that. In any case, federal/state law overrides whatever is written on that page.
The vendor has a contract with the US courier for transport and insurance, and only those 2 parties can initiate a search or insurance claim. The UK Post Office is just a 4th party which is acting as a partner for the US courier, so you'll never be able to trace backwards or make a claim.
The only thing you can do as recipient is to refuse to sign for the package if it is clearly damaged, or note on the reciept form that it was damaged in transit and witnessed by the delivery guy or guy in the collection depot.

 

[Ursa_Major]

Still no contact from the vendor - I sent him yet another email which I know has been displayed via his email account, yet no reply, not even "I'm busy".

Has anyone else had similar problems with Blacksky / Scott Bartel recently or is it just me?

I know I've named & shamed one of the 'big guys' in rocketry in public now, and I'm quite prepared for the pariahship that goes along with it, but enough's enough.

I'm 150+ bucks down, the guy doesn't even have the decency to reply to my emails, and it's looking increasingly like I have no legal redress against him because I'm not a US resident.

I've thought long & hard about doing this, and given plenty of time & opportunities since the end of July for him to reply to me, but nothing's come of it. It's a pity, because his stuff's really good, and I had another order lined up for him.

Looks like the old saying about how you can only really gauge a seller's customer service when something goes wrong is true. And unfortunately Blacksky didn't come out at all well.

G.

 

[Ursa_Major]

I've just got off the phone with Scott, and the problem is on the way to resolution.

I'm guessing the comms breakdown was due to extreme business, as the new Blacksky products sound incredibly cool. Can't wait to get my hands on them

G.