09/01 update: Claim approved!
You may be familiar with my previous and still ongoing USPS saga. I now have yet another one.
I bought some Metallica shift knobs from someone for $6250. The package was insured for $5000, the max. Two of the knobs were damaged and we filed an insurance claim on October 23, 2020. Nearly a year later, we're still fighting to get the $380 we claimed for the two broken items.
Here's the key details...
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2020-10-08 | Item shipped |
| 2020-10-23 | Insurance Claim filed (7175964) |
| 2021-01-02 | Find out SF post office never submitted info on inspected items. |
| 2021-03-19 | After months if in-person visits and emails, told forms were finally submitted |
| 2021-04-21 | Claim appealed, but we hadn't even knowing it was denied originally or why. |
| 2021-06-04 | Claim denied again, but with details |
| 2021-06-24 | After many phone calls to ensure all we were submitting all the correct details this time, we submit a comprehensive appeal |
| 2021-07-27 | Second appeal is denied |
| 2021-08-02 | Get through to Customer Advocacy who tells me I need to get the local post office to change a form on the claim. |
| 2021-08-17 | After going to the post office 2-3 times a week, the new manager calls me to tell me it is being submitted. It does not get submitted. |
| 2021-08-31 | After more pestering the new manager, it is, in theory, re-submitted. |
October 8, 2020: I was sent a package of shift knobs (small statues) from Las Vegas. I paid $6250 for all of them (which was at a steep discount), and the sender insured it for the max which was $5000. Two of the statues arrived with small pieces broken off.
October 23: We filed a claim (7175964) for $830. The one item usually goes for about $460-$400 on ebay and we claimed $380 for that. The second item usually goes for about $450-$500 or more, and we claimed $450 for that. Together thats $830.
Once the claim was filed I went to my local post office (2111 Lane St.) to show the damaged items (the sender had to file the claim). The manager, Marya Munir, took a look, said she'd file the paperwork. I asked her if I needed to leave the items with her and she said no, she'd just end up throwing them away I should keep them; so I did.
That should be it, right?
From here on out, things get bad quickly. From quick response to no resposes, to blatant lies, it all goes down hill quickly.
January 2, 2021: I asked the sender if he'd heard anything. He called and waited on hold for over an hour to be told that they're still waiting on info from the local post office about the items, it was never filed.
I would then swing by the post office about once a week at different times trying to get in touch with the manager (Ms. Munir).
January 20: I caught her at the post office and asked what was going on and she said she would look into it.
January 21: I sent an email to follow up.
January 22: I followed up the next day via another email. She replied saying she hadn't heard anything. I thanked her.
January 31: I waited a week and emailed her for an update.
February 3: She replied saying there was no update and she'd follow up.
February 18: I tried again pointing out it had been a month since my original chat with her. I got no response.
March 2: I followed up saying I'd received no response.
March 4: I followed up again, but got no response.
March 17: I tried again in a new email thread asking again for an update and pointing out this was the 4th email over 6 weeks since I'd last heard from her. I would again get no response.
March 18: I went back to the post office to inquire in person but she was not there, so I sent an email with a subject saying I stopped by.
March 19: I finally got a reply saying that she had updated the claim but needed to re-do it today and that it was all resubmitted and should be ready. I thanked her.
March 24: I followed up to ask if there was an update and also if the claim number was still the same. I got no reply.
March 31: I tried again. No reply
April 1: I told the sender he should be able to call and get an update.
April 21: It took the sender several tries, several numbers, and several hours of calls, but on April 21, 2021, the sender finally got ahold of someone and was told it was appealed. It was unclear to either of us that it had been denied the first time, or why it was appealed. Unfortunately this used up an appeal that would later be useful.
April 26: I emailed to update her and let her know the above status update and asked her to check from her end that everything was in. I got no response.
June 18: The sender forwarded me a denial letter dated June 4. This time I told the seller I'd find out more details. After many calls to USPS, someone put me onto the USPS Claims line (800-974-2733) which had people who specialize in claims and could tell me more.
As the letter states, the appeal was denied again for the kept items, but also because the evidence of value wasn't clear. I was told that a letter from Ms. Munir saying she advised me to keep the items as well as evidence of what I paid for the items was necessary.
June 23: I email Ms. Munir and ask her to provide me something stating she advised me to keep the items. She responded the next day saying "Yes. I advise you to keep it."
June 24: I put together this letter with a full explanation of all the attached pieces of evidence including the three payments to the seller (one, two, and three) as well as the letter from Ms. Munir confirming she advised me to keep the items. This was a second appeal, and it was denied also.
July 27: I called I called the USPS Claims line again and they told me that once something is denied twice, the case is closed, I asked to speak to a supervisor and got incident unmber INC000026442256, and was told a supervisor would call me. Instead I got an email saying my incident was resolved and I would need to get the post office to submit a new 2865 form.
August 2: I called again and was told I could call the Customer Advocacy group (202-268-4760) who can deal with closed cases. Incident number INC000026448370 was closed.
I called them and they told me that I'd have to go back to the post office and have them re-submit the 2856 form and check the box saying they have the items. I had already asked the post office about this and they had said that the system won't let them change a closed case and they can't submit a new one on the same tracking number. They said that the post office could mail it to them or fax it to them. They gave me the mailing address but not the fax number.
I went back to the post office the same day and was told Ms. Munir had moved to a different post office and there was a new manager. It took many attempts of going down to the post office, but eventually I was told the manager was there, and dropped off the items and information on what to do.
I went back several times to check on this. Richard, who works the counter, got to know me, and every time I stopped by (2-3 times a week) he'd go and move my paperwork back to the top of the pile and apologize the manager hadn't done it.
August 17: the new manager, Lanelie Abgulos, called me and said she was submitting today.
August 27: I called the USPS Claims line again to see what had changed and they had no record of any new submission. The nice person who spoke to me called the intenral number for the post office, as well as Lanelie's email and voicemail. Incident number INC000026476466 was closed.
I stopped by again that day and Lanelie came out to speak to me. She said the system didn't allow her to submit a new form (which we already knew), and so she didn't do anything. I asked her if she faxed or mailed it as I had mentioned in my instructions I left with the items. She said no, and asked me to email her the details.
Later that day I sent her an email with the details.
August 31: I texted Lanelie to ask if she had sent it and she responded with the exact same thing she told me in person: that the system wouldn't let her submit the form. I explained, again, that we know this, and that I sent her an email with the details, and if she could confirm. She replied she'd been able to re-submit through MyPO. I'll call Customer Advocacy tomorrow to confirm.
September 1: I called the Customer Advocacy line and they said there was no update. But the woman I spoke to, Folson, was awesome and said she'd call the local post office and get the information. A few minutes later Lanelie called me to tell me they had all the information and would be approving the claim. A few minutes after that, Folson called me back to say payment was going out!! All that's left now is for the sender to get the money and then send it to me.
