USPS Claim- They lost my gun!

[tappedandtagged]

I recently got back my stamp for a SilencerCo Spectre II. The threads on my Volquartsen 10/22 barrel were not concentric to the bore and I was getting end cap strikes. The strikes were more like "grazing" and caused no damage to the end cap whatsoever.

Volquartsen readily agreed to help me out, so I packaged it up nice and tight and mailed it out, via insured USPS. I sent it out on 04/02/15. The tracking number has remained stagnant since 04/03/15. I contacted Volquartsen and verified that they never received my 10/22. Great, and prompt customer service from Volquartsen by the way.

I then called the post office at 1-800-ASK- USPS. They gave me a "report number" and told me that someone would contact me within 48 hours. This was on 04/16 around 3pm. They called me back the next morning around 10am. I was told that they had no way of knowing where my package was, or what happened to it.

So, long story short, I'm in the process of filing a claim. And that's where it gets even more complicated. The Post Office won't give me the amount that I insured the package for unless I can PROVE that it was worth that much. In my opinion, the fact that I insured it for $350 should be proof enough that its worth that much!

I can't just submit a "sales receipt" for the item, since I can't buy a Ruger receiver with a Volquartsen barrel anywhere "off the shelf." Even at that, I didn't buy just the receiver, I bought the whole Ruger 10/22, then the barrel. As such, I think I'm going to be stuck trying to figure out how to get a "statement of value from a reputable dealer."

The way I see it, a stripped 10/22 receiver goes for $80 shipped on gunbroker.com (at the cheapest). The barrel is $286. That's $366 total. I insured it for $350.

So, now for my question, what are the chances the post office will actually honor this and give me the full $350 that I insured the package for?

[GaSwamper]

Just had a similar incident with a scope. I ordered on the 31st and tracking said it was picked up on Apr 1, it was sent to a sorting fac. Apr 1, that was the end of tracking updates until the 15th when it finally showed up at the Post Office.
No one knew anything the whole time naturally.

[GOST]

I had a set or darts go through about the same thing. Got home from work and there was a notice where they had tried to deliver. Went to the post office the next day to pick them up and they couldn't find them. This went on for 3 weeks till they were finally found. They were on the shelf next to the counter, about 2' away from where I'd been standing every time I went in to check on them.

[toolboxluis00200]

man that suck hope it works out for u

[GaSwamper]

I also found out USPS won't do squat for a claim until it's been at least 30 days overdue. Funny though I filled a lost package report and it showed up 2 days later.

[GOST]

I try not to use USPS, they have left very expensive packages sitting on my steps out in the rain.

[GaSwamper]

I once had UPS leave 300 bucks worth of lathe tools sitting at the base of my mail box out at the highway. luckily I was anxious to get and was watching the tracking like a hawk, my mail box is 1/4 mile from my house BTW.

[Uffdaphil]

I used to have a great UPS guy who left packages by my back door shielded by a bush. New guy just leaves a $1000 scope at front even when order states leave at rear.

[tappedandtagged]

I also found out USPS won't do squat for a claim until it's been at least 30 days overdue. Funny though I filled a lost package report and it showed up 2 days later.

I filed a lost package report on Thursday. They called me Friday and told me "it should turn up. You should give it another 30 days. If you don't have it by then, then I would consider an insurance claim if I were you." Seriously, wait a total of 45 days from the date I mailed it to start thinking about a claim? I called my local P.O. and was told I can start a claim at day 15. I'm just waiting on a statement of value from Volquartsen.

And for what its worth, Volquartsen has been awesome this whole time. I replied late last night to the RMA email I received back on March 30th from Scott Volquartsen. He replied this morning, on a Saturday, on his weekend off, saying he would take care of me! How awesome is that. I am very impressed and very inclined to buy more Volquartsen products in the future.

[tappedandtagged]

Well color me purple! I just rechecked the tracking number. It showed up in Demoines Iowa and is supposed enroute to Carroll Iowa for Volquartsen!

I am so relieved. The receiver is from the first 22 I ever owned, one that my dad bought me 16-17 years ago!

[GaSwamper]

Awesome. I know that feeling of releif when it finally turns up.

[Deadwing]

Glad they found it! Last year, i purchased a couple stripped lowers that wound up being out of spec and needed to send them back for replacement. I shipped via USPS Priority Insured, as i can stop by the post office at 1AM after work and use the automated kiosk to ship. At any rate, i'm near Seattle, WA and the package i sent was going to the Portland, OR area. I can drive that in a few hours. A week goes by, and tracking still shows only that the package was accepted at my post office. I call the recipient, no joy. Another week goes by, and still no movement on tracking, still no package at destination. I call my local post office, and all they can tell me is that my package isn't at their facility and that they have no idea where it is. I then started the ball rolling on a claim using the USPS web form. It took almost three weeks to get a call from someone. Finally, after almost six weeks my package just showed up at it's destination. No explanation as to where the hell my package was from USPS. In fact after my initial conversation with the person who took my claim, i never heard anything from anyone at USPS. And after the package was delivered, tracking still showed the exact same thing it showed from day one! So yeah, i have trust issues with the postal service lol.

[GOST]

Glad they found your rifle. Are you gonna have it sent back by USPS?

[Uffdaphil]

Good to hear it showed up. The most common reasons at the P.O. for lost items are poor packaging where item falls out and can't be matched to box and employees failing to completely empty container. Empty hampers are stacked up and if a piece is in the bottom of one it could be a long time before it is used again. Sacks are the worst. Empties are stored into same size sacks and piled up. One full of letters looks the same. We once found a large #1 with about 60lbs of letters 12years old!

Theft was rare when I was still working, but with all the non-career hires these days, I suspect it might be more prevalent. Registered mail is the most foolproof method. Sacks are padlocked and carried hand-to-hand by the truck drivers. Each person taking possession has to sign for it.

[UWone77]

As hard as USPS pushes insurance at the point of sale, you'd think they'd make the claims part more consumer friendly.

I've had to call USPS twice because of lost packages. Both times they were able to find it after a few days.

Another time, I bought and upper and they destroyed the outer package. I'm not sure how nothing was lost inside that box, before they taped it up. Overall, I ship mostly USPS, and am generally satisfied, but they need some improvements.