Thieves!

[Joanna]

My post office is closed on Saturday, so I always put the mail out front for late Friday/early Saturday payments. The mail carrier usually comes around 6pm here, so when I put out 2 packages at 3pm, I thought I was in good shape. Apparently, she came early today, though, because they didn't get picked up.

 

Now the plot thickens. Sometime after 6pm, a couple of thieves began making the rounds in the neighborhood. They tried to break into the apartment of someone who lives in the building next door. They didn't succeed in getting in, so they moved on to another apartment.

 

When they were through with that building, they went to mine. I have no idea if anyone here was burglerized, but one thing they did steal was the mail. My two packages to ebay customers were taken. Both were photos.

 

Around 10pm I got a call from someone in the other building, warning me that I had been burgled. I said I was home all night, and we soon figured out that it was my mail that had been stolen.

 

Here's where it gets interesting. The thieves were not movie fans, apparently, as they tore through all my packaging only to discard the photos deep in some bushes near the other building. When one of the tenants went looking for clues in there, he found my photos, and called me (the paypal slip was still with the photo).

 

I went down to retrieve them and both pictures were in perfectly good shape, thanks to the fact that I always pack them in plastic sleeves with a cardboard insert and the paypal slip. The outer packing material -- and therefore my priority mail stamps -- were nowhere to be found. So I'm out nearly $8 in shipping costs. But I don't have to refund any money, and my customers will still get their pictures.

 

I'm always careful about putting things out by the mailbox (trying to time it with the pickup), and if I'd known the mail had already come, I'd never have left them there. So take this as a warning for all of you ebay sellers who rely on your mailcarrier for pickup.

 

I'm especially happy neither package contained comics. I'm guessing they would have kept those.

 

-- Joanna

 

 

[Ares]

I feel for you!

Once during an icestormI had the front passeger window in my car smashed and glove box emptied.

All they got were some expired insurance forms and Car operations manual.

 

Al my CD's and sunglesses were still there.

 

I was out $200 for the window.

[Paladin]

Sorry that happened to ya Joanna. It leaves ya with a sucky feeling. Hopefully they'll catch this thievin' scum!

 

It's makes me remember when I got robbed about nine years ago. A few kids were going down my street, in South Carolina at the time, breaking into people's cars in their front yards. I wasn't going to stay there that night cause I was getting my house interior painted, but I had to get up early the next morning to do a radio show. Slept near the doorway. Didn't hear them break in, cause I'd left my car door unlocked. I'd left stuff in the car cause I'd intended to stay in a hotel, but it was to late to leave, and I'd forgotten to go out and lock my car door. They took alot of personal belongings. Got up early for my show, went out, got in my car and immediately had the feeling of being robbed. On top of that, the sun had yet to come up. Eerie feeling.

 

Get this though. I got lucky. The police caught them. They were a couple of teenagers. Got everything back except 40 dollars which they used for cab fair. They had crashed my neighbor's car window and had taken his car's cd player. Never heard if he got that back. Thieves are very selective.

[ultimatevenom]

Theives today

 

Did you hear about anyone elses stolen goods?

 

Oh well, $8 for shipping is better than refunding the buyer/s right?

 

 

[Joanna]

Thanks, guys!

 

Did you hear about anyone elses stolen goods?

 

Oh well, $8 for shipping is better than refunding the buyer/s right?

 

 

I didn't hear about any others (besides the 2 people who found my stuff in the bushes. They found some other things in the bushes, as well). And the fact that I got the photos back is fantastic.

 

I think I'm most grateful for the fact that my buyers and I have avoided the whole "I never got it!" "I sent it!" run around. It's a fast lane to mistrust and if the buyers were hotheads, a possible neg or two for me. I would've refunded their money, or sent a replacement (one photo was a double), but it would still have made both sides a tad suspicious, while never knowing the truth.

 

Though having 2 buyers complain of missing pictures, both sent on the same day, probably would've made me realize that something simply went wrong.

 

-- Joanna

[deathlok]

Sorry about that Joanna. I've had my car broken into a couple of times, so I know how it feels. Hopefully what comes around, goes around, then the thieves will get caught eventually.

[OldGuy]

Sounds like the makings of a new pedigree. The Discerning Bandits Pedigree......

[Darthdiesel]

sorry this happened Joanna = please report it to your postmaster and hasve him report it to his local Postal Inspector - we don't take mail theft lightly....you may alert them to a possible local ring of mail thieves = remember it's still a federal offense to mess with the US mail....and there's nothing more that would make me happier then seeing these guys in the federal penn... and age don't matter...there are places that will incarcerate minors...good to get them off the street and put them where they'll inevitably end up anyway.

[Dr_Neff]

One time a dude had pried open my car with a crowbar and we found him in it the next morning, sleeping. He had done it to avoid the severe weather conditions. Nothing was taken except a snickers from the glove box. Cost me $50.00 deductible to have door replaced.

 

Although I think it is a lesson for us all to handle packages as personally as possible, of course pending P.O. hours/availability..

 

Lucky you weren't selling those topless photos of Lucy Liu!

[ninanina]

Joanna, sorry for your loss but I am happy they didn't damage the photos. Some might have out of frustration.

 

Had a guy break into my home while I was home alone sleeping around 6 in the evening. I woke up when I heard him rummaging through the house. Just as I got up and stood beside the bed, he slowly opened the door and made eye contact as I was trying to do my best "hammer" impression. He turned tail and ran off. Fortunately he was just a punk, not looking for any confrontation.

 

Still, it was kinda scary.

[Dr_Neff]

I can't stop these stories!! ......

 

,,,,,,,,, Once someone "broke" into our House while I was at school and my GF was at work, stole jackets,switchblades, even our laundry quarters, jewelry, and some shoes (!) Lifted the lids of the 4 comic boxes I had stashed in the closet, but didn't take any of the ASM 129's (one box full of multiples ) or the Daredevil 1-150, Fantastic Four 2-100, and the other box was all Incredible Hulk 102 (WHEW) turned out to be the landlord's son using a pass key, he broke a window to cover it up, but had broken it from the inside so the Po-Po could tell it was an inside job. We got all our stuff back/refunded except the knives which we didn't mention.

 

Another time when I was getting a divorce my wife took 5 of my most valuable books (All Flash Quarterly 1, Flash 1, Green Lantern 1, Spidey 1, FF 1) and held them until she made sure I didn't keep any of her things when I left her the (paid for) house and two cars!! Then in custody court, she had me COURT ORDERED not to buy or sell comic books until our case was over! "To much of a distraction from the pertinent issues of the case" said the judge. We got joint custody, and my ban was eventually lifted.

[ninanina]

I can't stop these stories!! ......

 

,,,,,,,,, Once someone "broke" into our House while I was at school and my GF was at work, stole jackets,switchblades, even our laundry quarters, jewelry, and some shoes (!) Lifted the lids of the 4 comic boxes I had stashed in the closet, but didn't take any of the ASM 129's (one box full of multiples ) or the Daredevil 1-150, Fantastic Four 2-100, and the other box was all Incredible Hulk 102 (WHEW) turned out to be the landlord's son using a pass key, he broke a window to cover it up, but had broken it from the inside so the Po-Po could tell it was an inside job. We got all our stuff back/refunded except the knives which we didn't mention.

 

Another time when I was getting a divorce my wife took 5 of my most valuable books (All Flash Quarterly 1, Flash 1, Green Lantern 1, Spidey 1, FF 1) and held them until she made sure I didn't keep any of her things when I left her the (paid for) house and two cars!! Then in custody court, she had me COURT ORDERED not to buy or sell comic books until our case was over! "To much of a distraction from the pertinent issues of the case" said the judge. We got joint custody, and my ban was eventually lifted.

 

The thief was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

 

Your ex?

 

Now she knew exactly what she was doing.

 

You told her what these were worth, didn't you.

[lighthouse]

sorry this happened Joanna = please report it to your postmaster and hasve him report it to his local Postal Inspector - we don't take mail theft lightly....you may alert them to a possible local ring of mail thieves = remember it's still a federal offense to mess with the US mail....and there's nothing more that would make me happier then seeing these guys in the federal penn... and age don't matter...there are places that will incarcerate minors...good to get them off the street and put them where they'll inevitably end up anyway.

 

What Darth said...

 

They don't take any attacks on the mail system lightly. My old post office had a sign on the wall outlining all the cash rewards the Postal Service paid out for information. You see someone punch a mail carrier, it's like $10,000 in cash. You see someone kill a mail carrier, you get a fat payday. My buddy used to joke about talking some drunk homeless guy into assaulting a carrier just so he could collect his reward.

 

Joanna, I'm glad you got your pictures back and that no one was hurt. I will refrain from suggesting that this would have been a good time to have a man like Hammer around the house...

[500Club]

Then in custody court, she had me COURT ORDERED not to buy or sell comic books until our case was over! "To much of a distraction from the pertinent issues of the case" said the judge. We got joint custody, and my ban was eventually lifted.

 

Joint custody of the kids, or of the books?

[Joanna]

sorry this happened Joanna = please report it to your postmaster and hasve him report it to his local Postal Inspector - we don't take mail theft lightly....you may alert them to a possible local ring of mail thieves = remember it's still a federal offense to mess with the US mail....and there's nothing more that would make me happier then seeing these guys in the federal penn... and age don't matter...there are places that will incarcerate minors...good to get them off the street and put them where they'll inevitably end up anyway.

 

I don't have any information at all about the crooks, though. I never saw anything or anyone. I asked the 2 people who found my photos if they had reported the break-ins and they hadn't. I'll tell the people at the post office when I mail them Monday, and see what they have to say. Maybe just the awareness that this is going on in my neighborhood will help.

 

-- Joanna

[Bugaboo-migration]

Had a guy break into my home while I was home alone.......

Did you set up all sorts of booby traps for him throughout the house?

[Joanna]

Had a guy break into my home while I was home alone.......

Did you set up all sorts of booby traps for him throughout the house?

 

He didn't break into my apt. He just broke into the building and stole the mail.

[Darthdiesel]

Ahh, getting back to Lois Lane's "booby traps" I see...as long as she uses them on Lana Lang...

[Bugaboo-migration]

He didn't break into my apt. He just broke into the building and stole the mail.

Uh.........ok.........but I was replying to ninanina.

[Darthdiesel]

He didn't break into my apt. He just broke into the building and stole the mail.

Uh.........ok.........but I was replying to ninanina.

 

Yes, ninanina can come across with a Maculkin flair about his posts now and then