Bunnie bad news I think ... shipping problem.. postal ethics???

[tinkster]

I shipped a big box full of lotus and its long overdue to arrive.  I thought maybe I had wrong zip code and it would show up late. 

Today I get a slip from my post master with a letter that says I have a damanged box at the post office and that they appologise for the damage and are strivin not to have these errors happen.. anyway there is a note that asked me to come into the post office.  They know me very well from my shipping on ebay.  I know it has to be this box of lotus as I have ebay shut down and not workin now and is the only other thing I have shipped.

My question is do anyof yall know what they are gonna do.. I did not insure the box but they admit in the letter and appologise for their error.  I did not get the box back I presume they have it there.  If they ask me the worth what do I say????? I wsa not sellin the lotus but there was 9 named lotus in the box I was doing on a trade.  Guess they probably wont offer me money without insurance.. maybe just the shipping fees??

I will post picture of the letter they sent me when I can scan it in the morning.

tinkster

[matherfish]

Hi Tinkster. I had a similar thing happened to me lately. I sent a few lotus seeds to someone (free) but the postage was almost $2. The envelope was returned, toen and empty. They had it in another envelope with a clear window so that I could see the ruined package. A sticker on there told me the same thing you were told. Anyway, they did not replace it, not even the postage. I was just out of luck. Maybe you will fare better. 

[Kat]

That stinks.  Value I would think would be around $100 or more but good luck getting the post office to pay.  Maybe the lotus are still alive.

[Esther]

I also doubt they will offer to give you any remuneration for your package. If it had been insured, then they would. If they do ask about value, then tell them the value as you see it. It doesn't matter if it was a trade or not. They don't need to know that.

[Julles]

We have incredible problems with the mail in my neighborhood.  I get things from the wrong zip code, the same address but another street, torn, misdelivered, or never delivered, or they leave packages out in plain view, so they get stolen, and, when it does come to our house, street people dig through mailboxes, looking for checks and trying to steal your identity.  I've had all my mail turned over to my post office box.

I doubt the Post Office will do anything more than that apology letter.  You want to know why Fed Ex and United Parcel Service do so much business?  Because they offer better service and more personalized attention than the other option, the U.S. Post Office. 

[Desertponder]

If it was leaking any moisture, box wet, etc. they are going to want to know what is in the package.
I doubt they will reimburse you anything since there was no insurance. The mail is getting to be a pain in the tush.

[Ky Kim]

What a bummer.

Kim

[bunny56lbc]

Hey tink , don't worry about it ! Now I won't be watching the mail for it , thx for letting me know...
The post office is bad about that kind of thing & it's getting worse !
I don't think you'll get anything back with no insurance .

bonnie

[Joyce]

My brother works for the PO, and in general, he agrees with most of you.
We are a very small town, and have a very small town PO,
where every PO worker knows everyones name and you can't get service any more personal than the postal workers asking about family, pets, concerns,
carrying boxes in and out for you, and even repacking stuff for free when it's packaged wrong.
But my brother also complains mostly about the way people ship stuff.
(besides the 'terminally angry' people who come in just looking for a punching bag...IE: Postal Worker)
Never, EVER ship any plant(s) unless it is in a corrugated cardboard shipping box or padded shipping envelope.
Priority mail boxes are FREE! So there is no excuse not to use them.
(do not use thin cardboard boxes, someone sent me a waterlily in a cereal box once,
and it was a cardboard covered PANCAKE by the time it got to me....NOT the POs fault!  )
Inside the box, make sure there is at least 2 watertight bags around your aquatic plants.
What I now do is put a heavy duty black lawn leaf bag into the box as a liner, (or some other bag big enough to line the box)
and then put the aquatic plants in separate bags into the liner bag and the close it all up.
Aquatic plants do not need to be dripping wet for shipping.
When preparing your aquatic plants for shipping, set them out somewhere in the shade until excess water runs out from them, so they are not dripping wet.
Wrap them with a couple pages of newspaper, newspaper does not need to be wet.
No added water is needed...just seal the existing moisture into the watertight bag you are using.
Pad any open air areas with balled up newpaper, packing peanuts, or those new air bag things.
A tightly packed box keeps the plants from banging around inside the box and getting damaged.
Use tape made for shipping. Never use scotch tape. Tape all seams, not just one strip of tape here, one strip of tape there.
I sometimes add a strip of tape along the seams on the bottom of the inside of the box if it's gonna be a heavy one.

Tinks, I bet the lotus are still alive.

The boxes that I have recieved that were damaged the worse were from UPS.

[Double S]

Did you go to the PO and ask for the damaged box?  They lotus may still be in there!!

[tinkster]

Getting ready to go down there now.. had an out of town drs appointment all day with my daugher yesterday so couldnd get down there to see what they want.  bad timing!

I hope something is left but not sure why they didnt send the box back to me unless their isnt much left or there is a liquid issue but I didnt have any water really.. just damp newspaper as it was going to bunnie and she is so close to me shipping is usually one day.  anyway.. crossing fingers!

tinskter

[barb]

What a shame!  We've had bad luck with our mail, too.  Items lost/never received/damaged, once I went to the PO and the clerk was drunk.  It was 9:00 a.m.  ROFL!  And now there is a new girl that subs for our regular mail man occasionally.  She won't even come to the door to deliver packages.  She'll either leave me a note in my mailbox telling me I wasn't home, (which I was!) and to come pick up the package at the PO the following day, or she won't even leave a note at all.  To add insult to injury, the packages she doesn't deliver aren't even supposed to be signed for.     They were just clothing from JCPenney, and on the boxes it clearly read, "Mail carrier-leave package if no one home".  (and I WAS home) I think she is afraid of our dogs, I was outside with them once, and she didn't even want to put our letters in the mailbox, which is next to the road, not on the house.  They are two border collies, nothing scary, but to her they are killer animals.  LOL  One day I was indoors with the dogs, and even then she wouldn't leave my package, she is afraid to set foot on our property.  That was a Saturday, and I was livid that I had to go and pick up the package that Monday.  I did make a formal complaint with the PO, hopefully it won't happen again.

[Ky Kim]

I tried something different last year when sending Banana trees and Elephant Ears.

 You know how they continue to leak water after they are cut.  My daughter use to have a bed wetting problem, but thanks to the Malem alarm that was taken care of.  So I had all these doggie pee pads left over, (yes I bought the puppy ones, they were cheaper) and I had a brain storm idea.  I wrapped the plants in those..  With the material side, plus the plastic side being water proof.  Then I put them down in a garbage bag.  No leaks and made it there just fine, even with it being so hot outside.

Kim