Stolen Comic Books

[Dr Chaos]

On 11/15/13 I had some comics that I purchased at the VCC left on my doorstep by USPS.

 

Someone took the box, opened it and attempted to sell them to my local comic store.

 

The LCS bought the one slab which they listed on ebay (this is how I found out they had been approached). LCS bought the slab but passed on the following raw books:

 

Green Lantern 43 Raw VF 8.0 White

Green Lantern 52 Raw VF+ 8.5 White

Green Lantern 54 Raw VF 8.0 White

Justice League of America 40 Raw VF/NM 9.0 OW

Flaming Carrot Comics 1 Raw NM- 9.2

 

I am located in Hackensack, NJ and the LCS is in Wayne, NJ so it would make sense that the thieves made other attempts to sell these books to other stores in Northern New Jersey or possibly Manhattan.

 

The were described by the LCS owner as 50-60s heavy set individuals. They were acting oddly and one had no teeth. The LCS owner also said they looked like mobsters so they might look like rejects from a Soprano's casting call.

 

I just found out about the theft last night when I contacted the seller.

 

If you were approached by these men about my missing comic books or if they approach you in the future, please let me know and more importantly contact the authorities.

 

I will be filing a police report with the Hackensack PD but would appreciate any help in apprehending these thieves.

[Doohickamabob]

Sucks. I hope you catch them / get your comics back / etc.

 

At this stage, I wonder why don't LCS (and other businesses) ask to see ID before purchasing a high-value item from a walk-in customer? Or even record the ID of the seller as part of the transaction?

[Dr Chaos]

Sucks. I hope you catch them / get your comics back / etc.

 

At this stage, I wonder why don't LCS (and other businesses) ask to see ID before purchasing a high-value item from a walk-in customer? Or even record the ID of the seller as part of the transaction?

 

Thanks!

 

I contacted the LCS as soon as I found out. They are taking down the ebay listing and will be giving me the slab I purchased. The owner seems to remember what these guys looked like and will help the police with a description.

 

Between a local comic show this weekend and the other comic stores in the area I may be lucky enough to track down the raw books but I really want to catch these guys.

[Columbia Comics]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

Sellers should always do a signature confirmation unless they're willing to accept full responsibility for loss or theft.

 

best of luck tracking the stolen books down. The slab is easy and should be returned. I suspect you'll never know where the raw books end up.

[Maccai3]

Sucks. I hope you catch them / get your comics back / etc.

 

At this stage, I wonder why don't LCS (and other businesses) ask to see ID before purchasing a high-value item from a walk-in customer? Or even record the ID of the seller as part of the transaction?

 

whenever i have sold games to a store they require ID and an address, this should be standard

[Dr Chaos]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

Sellers should always do a signature confirmation unless they're willing to accept full responsibility for loss or theft.

 

best of luck tracking the stolen books down. The slab is easy and should be returned. I suspect you'll never know where the raw books end up.

 

From what I can gather the seller paid for insurance but not signature confirmation. The insured amount is about 80% of the purchase price.

 

The seller is a boardie, he has filed a claim with the post office and we have been working together. If he hadn't given me a picture of the slab with the CGC number I would not have found the ebay listing.

[comicwiz]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

How is this humanly possible, short of jumping on a plane and hand delivering a parcel to every buyer?

 

Seriously, think about what you write. This isn't on anyone really, except the insurer to help recoup the loss, and a little help from the police in catching these crooks could go a long way in ensuring no one else from the nearby area gets scammed in a similar way.

 

To use a callous response like that does a disservice to people who do everything humanly possible to procure the safe delivery of a parcel and the unpredictable happens.

 

No, I wasn't the seller, but your comment struck a raw nerve.

 

To say nothing of the high incident ratio of buyers gaming sellers by making up the whole "stolen package" story just to screw them out of their items and their money (which I want to be clear, is not what I'm insinuating happened in the OP's case).

 

btw: sorry to hear this happened

[BeachBum]

If the seller paid for insurance (over the $50 free provided with Priority) the package needed to be signed for (from what I understand).

 

It's on the USPS carrier who delivered it. He should have not left the package on the step if you were not home. He should have left a slip for pick up at your local post office.

[shadroch]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

Sellers should always do a signature confirmation unless they're willing to accept full responsibility for loss or theft.

 

best of luck tracking the stolen books down. The slab is easy and should be returned. I suspect you'll never know where the raw books end up.

 

 

Should the seller send along a guard dog to protect the books while they sit on a stoop?

If the books come on a day the buyer is home, its okay, but if the buyer goes out for a few minutes, the onus goes back to the seller?

 

[comicwiz]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

Sellers should always do a signature confirmation unless they're willing to accept full responsibility for loss or theft.

 

best of luck tracking the stolen books down. The slab is easy and should be returned. I suspect you'll never know where the raw books end up.

 

 

Should the seller send along a guard dog to protect the books while they sit on a stoop?

If the books come on a day the buyer is home, its okay, but if the buyer goes out for a few minutes, the onus goes back to the seller?

 

Exactly. I remember reading on another message board of an incident where a person lived in a building, and it turned out that someone in the building was taking walks in the apartment complex hallways, and picking-up dropped-off parcels near residents doors like some free-for-all opportunity to go on a shopping spree.

 

The other thing - and this is an extension of the discussion that took place recently about "free shipping" - why should the onus be on the seller if the mindset and culture is one where everyone expects a free ride? If the buyer paid for shipping and paid for insurance and paid for the signature (yes, CanadaPost requires separate payment for each one of those things) then I would see a problem, but if they didn't and asked the seller to throw-in shipping in the offer price, whose fault is it?

 

I know if it were me, there would be no way anything was shipped until all this was spelled out, but pretending the seller is the only person who needs to be accountable in such a situation is wrong.

[Dr Chaos]

If the seller paid for insurance (over the $50 free provided with Priority) the package needed to be signed for (from what I understand).

 

It's on the USPS carrier who delivered it. He should have not left the package on the step if you were not home. He should have left a slip for pick up at your local post office.

 

Thanks for your post.

 

The seller and I were both unsure if the insurance includes the obligation of USPS to obtain a signature or if them dumping the package on my porch would leave us SOL.

 

The seller has opened a claim but we were not sure what to expect from USPS.

 

Between getting the slab back from the LCS and the insurance, I could be made whole with the remainder going to the LCS. That is my hope anyway. With that being said I really hope these guys get caught.

[comickat-migration]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

[shadroch]

If the seller paid for insurance (over the $50 free provided with Priority) the package needed to be signed for (from what I understand).

 

It's on the USPS carrier who delivered it. He should have not left the package on the step if you were not home. He should have left a slip for pick up at your local post office.

 

I get a couple of priority packages a month, never been asked to sign for one that I can remember.

[sd2416]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

 

I just mailed some off and insured them for $50.00 (the free amount given to priority) and $500.00 and was asked on both if I wanted to ADD signature confirmation.

[GACollectibles]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

 

Not sure where you got your information but I believe any insured package over $200 requires signature, otherwise it does not.

[slym2none]

Where's our resident postal employee(s)?

 

 

 

-slym

[Jeffro.]

I hate to say it but you should initially seek recourse from the seller. It's their responsibility to ensure that you receive the books and entrusting USPS to deliver is suspect at best.

 

Sellers should always do a signature confirmation unless they're willing to accept full responsibility for loss or theft.

 

best of luck tracking the stolen books down. The slab is easy and should be returned. I suspect you'll never know where the raw books end up.

 

 

Should the seller send along a guard dog to protect the books while they sit on a stoop?

If the books come on a day the buyer is home, its okay, but if the buyer goes out for a few minutes, the onus goes back to the seller?

 

Columbia Comics believes that the seller is always 100% responsible for everything, even stuff that is completely out of the seller's control. I agree that sellers should stand by their deals but how in the world is any seller responsible for some low life who steals the package off your front stoop?

[slym2none]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

 

Pretty sure this isn't true...

 

 

 

-slym

[Dr Chaos]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

 

Not sure where you got your information but I believe any insured package over $200 requires signature, otherwise it does not.

 

According to seller package was insured for exactly $200 (I do not know whether or not this includes the free $50).

 

If signature confirmation was required, it is not on the tracking so USPS would have screwed up by leaving it on the porch.

 

Given the varying opinions the question as to whether a signature confirmation was required seems to be unanswered.

[GACollectibles]

This doesn't add up to me. ALL packages sent insured by the USPS REQUIRE a SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION before it is delivered.

 

Not sure where you got your information but I believe any insured package over $200 requires signature, otherwise it does not.

 

According to seller package was insured for exactly $200 (I do not know whether or not this includes the free $50).

 

If signature confirmation was required, it is not on the tracking so USPS would have screwed up by leaving it on the porch.

 

Given the varying opinions the question as to whether a signature confirmation was required seems to be unanswered.

 

Cutoff is $200, 200.01 and up is supposed to get a signature.

 

As for the free insurance, I believe it's not additional insurance, you just pay above the free $50 base.