USPS loses two high-value books, Bat #49 and GL #1, please keep an eye out!

[ChrisInBaltimore]

You would think with all the signing and checking that registered mail supposedly goes through that the most obvious thing would be to check the recipient's id!

They can't. It would disenfranchise the mail recipients who don't have proper id.

 

 

But they always check my ID when I pick up packages at the post office.

 

I've never had my ID checked at the door. When I used to work in a restaurant, they'd show up and get just about anyone to sign for packages. They never checked a thing.

[Domo Arigato]

I'm hoping the fact that I purchased signature confirmation, and there's no signature, would give me a leg to stand on.

Based on how the post office is run, I don't think it will. I have a feeling they're going to fall back on the "no insurance" excuse.

 

With most businesses...if they damage or lose your property while it's in their care....they take responsibility for it.

 

With the post office, you're essentially responsible for their mistakes unless you pay them for insurance to cover their own neglect or carelessness.

[techtre2003]

Call up Metropolis / Comic Connect and ask them to give a call to the other offices in the building. If you want to do it, then go ahead. See if there is a J Hitcher employed by any of the other businesses that share building space with Vinny and Co. Hitcher may not work for Metropolis but they may work in the same building. The postman may have handed it off to wrong suite.

 

Anyone who works in that building would know Metropolis is there and the value of the books that they deal with since Metropolis makes the news every so often with a new record sale.

 

You would be looking for any business located at:

873 Broadway

New York, NY 10003

 

Metropolis is located in suite #201.

 

Here is a list of businesses that are at the same address:

https://www.google.com/search?q=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&oq=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&aqs=chrome..69i57.181j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8#q=873+Broadway+New+York%+NY+10003+

 

 

 

I like the USPS and generally they are (at least in my opinion) better than every other delivery service. However, when they once left a package on the doorstep that was supposed to be signed for, containing an AF15, ASM1 and ASM 129. It sat there the whole day.

 

Nothing surprises me.

 

They left an very expensive piece of jewelry I bought for the wife on my doorstep the other day, that was signature confirmed. I am beginning to notice a real lack of professionalism across the board with USPS lately and will be looking into shipping alternatives.

 

I think the USPS is about like any other company with multiple locations; some are good and some not so much. I'm pretty lucky to have an awesome mail carrier and a good post office in general. It probably helps I live in a small town. I can't say that about my UPS guy. Anytime I'm home when he delivers all I hear is a thud on my porch and a quiet knock on the door. Even if I answer the door right away the dude is always nowhere to be seen. I swear he must park down the street and jump in the bushes after he knocks on my door because I can never catch him; either that or he's the Flash!

 

I wish you luck OP!

[jools&jim]

 

They left an very expensive piece of jewelry I bought for the wife on my doorstep the other day, that was signature confirmed. I am beginning to notice a real lack of professionalism across the board with USPS lately and will be looking into shipping alternatives.

I have noticed this, too, and was in fact warned that this would be happening by my old letter carrier (and my former co-worker at the USPS back in the early '90s) -- a 30+ year veteran & a genuine professional in his mid-50s who took early retirement last year.

 

The USPS has in fact been encouraging early retirement for several years now to reduce labor costs; many veteran clerks and carriers (like my friend) were also opting for an early out--if they could swing it--due to concerns (legitimate or not) over the long-term availability of their retirement benefits. (According to the Washington Post, 34,000 veteran postal employees retired in 2012-2013 alone*.)

 

So on the one hand we have fewer veteran workers handling a more-or-less consistent volume of mail (given the scale involved -- an average of ~ 164 billion units annually since 2010 to an average of 152 million delivery points**); and, on the other, we have new hires whose training and qualifications may or may not be consistent with that of the retirees they are replacing, but who certainly lack their predecessors' knowledge and experience (my old letter carrier was considerably less charitable in his characterization of the new hires he was seeing...).

 

I have personally observed this general decline at the service counter on several occasions during the past year (e.g., new clerks who were not familiar with the software, over-charging for postage, etc.), and have also had more delivery problems (sending and receiving) in the past year than I've experienced in the entire 25 years or so that I've been buying and selling comics via mail-order.

 

I'm generally an admirer and supporter of the US Postal service -- but things are not looking good. Needless to say, I fear that this is only the beginning of our postal woes...

 

----------------------------------------

 

* http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wave-of-retirements-hitting-federal-workforce/2013/08/26/97adacee-09b8-11e3-8974-f97ab3b3c677_story.html

 

** http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-facts/decade-of-facts-and-figures.htm

 

[Phicks]

1. I assume your package would have been delivered to wherever it went by a delivery truck.

2. Large truck fleets for the government usually have GPS built in, so the office knows where the trucks are, particularly if they are ever stolen.

3. So based on the time your package was signed for, could they not figure out the address where the truck was at that moment?

 

Perhaps these are the sort of steps their internal investigator follows.

[Domo Arigato]

You would think with all the signing and checking that registered mail supposedly goes through that the most obvious thing would be to check the recipient's id!

They can't. It would disenfranchise the mail recipients who don't have proper id.

But they always check my ID when I pick up packages at the post office.

Sorry....I was joking....but apparently doing a poor job at it.

 

And I'm tending to agree with some in this thread. I think the most likely scenario is that the package was either delivered to the wrong suite in the building...or a postal employee recognized the comic connection in the delivery address and took it.

[AnkurJ]

Not sure if collect insure would cover this in any case since it was signed for and delivered according to the post office.

[porcupine48]

I really hope everything turns out well for you sir.Sincerely. J

[Boba]

Call up Metropolis / Comic Connect and ask them to give a call to the other offices in the building. If you want to do it, then go ahead. See if there is a J Hitcher employed by any of the other businesses that share building space with Vinny and Co. Hitcher may not work for Metropolis but they may work in the same building. The postman may have handed it off to wrong suite.

 

Anyone who works in that building would know Metropolis is there and the value of the books that they deal with since Metropolis makes the news every so often with a new record sale.

 

You would be looking for any business located at:

873 Broadway

New York, NY 10003

 

Metropolis is located in suite #201.

 

Here is a list of businesses that are at the same address:

https://www.google.com/search?q=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&oq=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&aqs=chrome..69i57.181j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8#q=873+Broadway+New+York%+NY+10003+

 

 

 

I like the USPS and generally they are (at least in my opinion) better than every other delivery service. However, when they once left a package on the doorstep that was supposed to be signed for, containing an AF15, ASM1 and ASM 129. It sat there the whole day.

 

Nothing surprises me.

 

They left an very expensive piece of jewelry I bought for the wife on my doorstep the other day, that was signature confirmed. I am beginning to notice a real lack of professionalism across the board with USPS lately and will be looking into shipping alternatives.

 

I'm always dumbfounded when I get home and my packages are sitting out in the rain. Often times they'd fit inside my storm door too and the guy was too lazy to open it up. Our usual mail carrier is pretty good, but he disappears for long stretches and it is different people everyday when he is gone.

 

The FEDEX guy was dropping off a $2500 comic sent my Metro with signature confirmation, the guy delivering it handed it to me and then started to walk away and turned and asked me to sign his electronic device and said "I was going to leave it for you anyway". I ALWAYS get packages left at my door, from both USPS and FEDEX. And while I might be happy to have the packages, it always makes me wonder how they get around the signature confirmation.

[Boba]

They left an very expensive piece of jewelry I bought for the wife on my doorstep the other day, that was signature confirmed. I am beginning to notice a real lack of professionalism across the board with USPS lately and will be looking into shipping alternatives.

I have noticed this, too, and was in fact warned that this would be happening by my old letter carrier (and my former co-worker at the USPS back in the early '90s) -- a 30+ year veteran & a genuine professional in his mid-50s who took early retirement last year.

 

The USPS has in fact been encouraging early retirement for several years now to reduce labor costs; many veteran clerks and carriers (like my friend) were also opting for an early out--if they could swing it--due to concerns (legitimate or not) over the long-term availability of their retirement benefits. (According to the Washington Post, 34,000 veteran postal employees retired in 2012-2013 alone*.)

 

So on the one hand we have fewer veteran workers handling a more-or-less consistent volume of mail (given the scale involved -- an average of ~ 164 billion units annually since 2010 to an average of 152 million delivery points**); and, on the other, we have new hires whose training and qualifications may or may not be consistent with that of the retirees they are replacing, but who certainly lack their predecessors' knowledge and experience (my old letter carrier was considerably less charitable in his characterization of the new hires he was seeing...).

 

I have personally observed this general decline at the service counter on several occasions during the past year (e.g., new clerks who were not familiar with the software, over-charging for postage, etc.), and have also had more delivery problems (sending and receiving) in the past year than I've experienced in the entire 25 years or so that I've been buying and selling comics via mail-order.

 

I'm generally an admirer and supporter of the US Postal service -- but things are not looking good. Needless to say, I fear that this is only the beginning of our postal woes...

 

All - UPS, FEDEX and USPS all equally leave signature confirmation packages on my doorstep without a signature.

[simply2fly]

I have an FFL03, so I occasionally have rifles/handguns delivered and UPS has NEVER left one of those on my front door without a signature... maybe just tell them it contains a firearms?

 

No one wants the BATF to investigate them.

[nearmint]

Not sure if collect insure would cover this in any case since it was signed for and delivered according to the post office.

 

No, they admit that there's no signature on the proof of delivery.

[taro90]

Sorry to hear about your plight, Jeff. Hope you get the books back.

 

 

All - UPS, FEDEX and USPS all equally leave signature confirmation packages on my doorstep without a signature.

 

This has happened to me on a few occasions.

[Tom473]

Call up Metropolis / Comic Connect and ask them to give a call to the other offices in the building. If you want to do it, then go ahead. See if there is a J Hitcher employed by any of the other businesses that share building space with Vinny and Co. Hitcher may not work for Metropolis but they may work in the same building. The postman may have handed it off to wrong suite.

 

Anyone who works in that building would know Metropolis is there and the value of the books that they deal with since Metropolis makes the news every so often with a new record sale.

 

You would be looking for any business located at:

873 Broadway

New York, NY 10003

 

Metropolis is located in suite #201.

 

Here is a list of businesses that are at the same address:

https://www.google.com/search?q=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&oq=873+Broadway+%23201%+New+York%+NY+10003+(800)+229-6387&aqs=chrome..69i57.181j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8#q=873+Broadway+New+York%+NY+10003+

 

 

 

I like the USPS and generally they are (at least in my opinion) better than every other delivery service. However, when they once left a package on the doorstep that was supposed to be signed for, containing an AF15, ASM1 and ASM 129. It sat there the whole day.

 

Nothing surprises me.

 

They left an very expensive piece of jewelry I bought for the wife on my doorstep the other day, that was signature confirmed. I am beginning to notice a real lack of professionalism across the board with USPS lately and will be looking into shipping alternatives.

 

I'm always dumbfounded when I get home and my packages are sitting out in the rain. Often times they'd fit inside my storm door too and the guy was too lazy to open it up. Our usual mail carrier is pretty good, but he disappears for long stretches and it is different people everyday when he is gone.

 

The FEDEX guy was dropping off a $2500 comic sent my Metro with signature confirmation, the guy delivering it handed it to me and then started to walk away and turned and asked me to sign his electronic device and said "I was going to leave it for you anyway". I ALWAYS get packages left at my door, from both USPS and FEDEX. And while I might be happy to have the packages, it always makes me wonder how they get around the signature confirmation.

 

Metro sent me a book the other day, and the FEDEX guy left it with my neighbor next door, with a note on mine telling me so. I was cool with that, much better than just drop and go like USPS.

[nearmint]

I can't say enough good things about how ComicConnect is handling this. On Monday, they've scheduled a meeting with the mail carrier and an inspector.

[Brian48]

I have an FFL03, so I occasionally have rifles/handguns delivered and UPS has NEVER left one of those on my front door without a signature... maybe just tell them it contains a firearms?

 

No one wants the BATF to investigate them.

 

You can't always rely on that either. I had a Glock 19 that was shipped back to my residence from the factory for repairs. I came home to find that Fedex had just left it by my door.

[nocutename]

I didn't read through the entire thread but if you haven't done so call the Local post office for that zip code and speak to the supervisor there. That 1-800 number is a call center, they don't know anything. Sometimes the 1-800 operator will give you the direct number or you can try to do a google search for the number as well. You will need to call 1st thing in the morning before they open. Once the doors open, most branches will not pick up the phone.

Most of the time, the carrier will recall what happened to the package.

 

The other thing, is just call around to NYC, Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx comic shops. If you need help with a list I can see what I can queue up. But there are more resourceful board members than myself.

 

In the meantime, I will scout CL everyday just in case they turn up there.

 

Good luck getting the forwarded to CCL or returned.

 

 

[Warren Oates]

Very weird. The carrier for that day should know something, they must. I bet they delivered it to a nearby business with a similar address.

 

Hitcher is uncommon last name, checked to see if there are any in the area?

[nearmint]

I didn't read through the entire thread but if you haven't done so call the Local post office for that zip code and speak to the supervisor there. That 1-800 number is a call center, they don't know anything. Sometimes the 1-800 operator will give you the direct number or you can try to do a google search for the number as well. You will need to call 1st thing in the morning before they open. Once the doors open, most branches will not pick up the phone.

Most of the time, the carrier will recall what happened to the package.

 

The other thing, is just call around to NYC, Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx comic shops. If you need help with a list I can see what I can queue up. But there are more resourceful board members than myself.

 

In the meantime, I will scout CL everyday just in case they turn up there.

 

Good luck getting the forwarded to CCL or returned.

 

 

Thanks for your help. The folks at CC are meeting with the carrier and an inspector on Monday. I hope the carrier remembers the package, but he must deliver a ton of packages in NYC.

[Silver Surfer]

Jeff hopefully these will turn up.