USPS Lost Package From America

roses

Hi,

My brother sent me a package one month ago, technically not ebay related but I thought you guys might know the answer.

He sent it mid February via USPS First-Class Mail International. Normally items he sent me previous arrived in about 5 days so now I think this is lost. It was worth [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]$131.79[/FONT] plus the $25 shipping he paid.

I have a customs tracking number and when I called Royal Mail, they did a search and said there is no sign of it having entered the UK, they said they normally can track using this number.

It states on the USPS website that insurance cannot be bought for First-Class Mail International so this package was not insured as per their rules. So where does that leave him in terms of making a claim for a lost item?

plumface

I posted on wrong thread,sorry!!

lovinituk

roses wrote: »

It states on the USPS website that insurance cannot be bought for First-Class Mail International so this package was not insured as per their rules. So where does that leave him in terms of making a claim for a lost item?

I think you've answered your own question - if its not insured then he can't make a claim. Perhaps he, as the sender, should speak to USPS directly.

custardy

roses wrote: »

Hi,

My brother sent me a package one month ago, technically not ebay related but I thought you guys might know the answer.

He sent it mid February via USPS First-Class Mail International. Normally items he sent me previous arrived in about 5 days so now I think this is lost. It was worth [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]$131.79[/FONT] plus the $25 shipping he paid.

I have a customs tracking number and when I called Royal Mail, they did a search and said there is no sign of it having entered the UK, they said they normally can track using this number.

It states on the USPS website that insurance cannot be bought for First-Class Mail International so this package was not insured as per their rules. So where does that leave him in terms of making a claim for a lost item?

what is the format of the tracking number?
2 letters,9 numbers,2 letters?

KxMx

I do think a month is too soon to call it lost. I know you say things in the past usually arrive in 5 days, but that's not IMO grounds to declare it lost and things can still get held up for no apparent reason and just arrive out of the blue.

I've had packages take 5 or so weeks to arrive, with no damage, customs stamp, incorrect address etc, all of which can reasonably slow things down. No apparent reason what so ever but they've still taken that long.

roses

Thanks all, the only tracking number I have is the customs reference number, which Royal Mail said they can normally track and as far as they can see never entered the country.

Such a shame the US consumer rights are not as good as the UK ones. I would have thought that since they pay for a service in the US and they have proof, this should be enough legally to make a claim but apparently not!

soolin

roses wrote: »

Thanks all, the only tracking number I have is the customs reference number, which Royal Mail said they can normally track and as far as they can see never entered the country.

Such a shame the US consumer rights are not as good as the UK ones. I would have thought that since they pay for a service in the US and they have proof, this should be enough legally to make a claim but apparently not!

Not sure I understand?

Insurance is always for the benefit of the person sending it and it is perfectly possible even in the UK to send something uninsured. It is nothing at all to do with rights, it is all to do with common sense. If a sender wants something insured then they choose the service and pay the additional costs for that service.

If the sender in this instance sent it insured and paid whatever premium was required then he should claim against the service using his insurance. If he decided not to pay for an insured service then it was a gamble that did not pay off in this instance.

roses

My point was that if you pay for a service (postal delivery) then you should legally be entitled to receive that service, or a refund. Royal Mail do provide "free" insurance up to 100x stamps providing you have proof of postage and they refund your postage cost. USPS don't give a single penny back, not even the cost of postage even though they have failed to complete the task you paid them for.

martindow

roses wrote: »

Such a shame the US consumer rights are not as good as the UK ones. I would have thought that since they pay for a service in the US and they have proof, this should be enough legally to make a claim but apparently not!

The situation here would be the same if you sent something valued at 80 to 90 pounds on an ordinary UK postal service.

I'm sure there are USPS services which would have insured the parcel. The sender took the gamble to use a cheaper service and take their chances.

As has been said it is still possible that it could turn up.

F&L

I once had an item that took a while to arrive from the US as it had been opened and checked by Customs. With the value of the item being what it was, then even if marked as a gift there would have been duties to pay on it (assuming it was a new item - I've no idea what the rules are on used items). Was the Customs declaration correctly attached with the value etc?

custardy

roses wrote: »

Thanks all, the only tracking number I have is the customs reference number, which Royal Mail said they can normally track and as far as they can see never entered the country.

Such a shame the US consumer rights are not as good as the UK ones. I would have thought that since they pay for a service in the US and they have proof, this should be enough legally to make a claim but apparently not!

well this doesnt make sense
do you have a tracking number or not?
if it never entered the country,Then it can't have a customs tracking number
As for consumer rights,your brother chose the service and inurance cover