Is this normal?

[+zazth]

I buy a fair number of coins from different coin companies and normally have no problem getting my coins. About once a year we will have a problem with packages either being extremely slow in reaching us, being returned to the sender by our post office or simply disappearing completely. I have had companies resend orders when it became apparent that coins were not going to reach us. This time we have a problem.

 

The company in question has never posed a problem before. We order coins, we receive coins. I can think of one occassion in the past with this company where we did not receive our coins and they were sent back to us (some how they had been sent back to the company). Not a problem. This time the coins were not missed until I returned from deployment and started sorting through the coins we had received for the past six months. One package was not received. Upon e-mailing the company, I received what I consider a form letter back. Stating :" Your item was delivered at 3:46 pm on May 24, 2008 in NEWPORT NEWS, VA

23603." The included tracking code yields no further info than that statement. The coin company states that the coin was delivered and that I need to see the Postmaster about it??? This is after I sent another e-mail requesting either the coins be re-shipped or my money refunded.

 

I don't think I am being demanding asking for the coins I paid for to be delivered. When we made our coins we sent out more than one package to a couple of people because they did not receive the coins the first time around. I never saw the first set of coins come back. I had to eat the cost of the lost coins.

 

Is this normal now for a coin company to do this?

[+tsunrisebey]

You pose a very interesting question and one I have often thought about and have even somewhat touched on in previous 'shipping coins' responses.

 

Like you, I've had to mail a number of coins out again because they haven't been received. I now use confirmation delivery on all US packages but I have often said that confirmation delivery does not prove anything, only that it was delivered to a mailbox but not necessarily the one it was intended for.

 

However I wondered what would happen or what I would do in a case where delivery is confirmed and then someone say's they didn't get their coins. I suppose if it were me, I would offer to send new coins if I had them or refund the money assuming the customer has not had repeat issues with 'missing packages'.

 

I honestly don't know where the obligation lies and it almost would seem like a personal choice by the vendor. I'm very curious to see what others think.

Edited September 9, 2008 by tsunrisebey

[+zazth]

I receive coins from this company every month and this is the first time this year that I have not received a package. Honestly I am disgusted that a company would tell a customer to take it up with the postmaster rather than making it right.

Tracking leaves a lot to be desired as in this case all it said was the package was deliverd to Newport News, not my address. The company came back in the second e-mail and stated that the package was confirmed arriving at my address but the tracking code comes up invalid now. Either way, I never received the coins.

To make matters worse I already know what the postmaster will say. They consider the package to be delivered and no longer their problem.

[Hogwild Stuff]

This is an interesting question. As a vendor I have had this happen a few times. A couple of thoughts:

 

- The reason we (and I assume most vendors) pay the extra few cents for delivery confirmation on every package is to avoid the problem of having to replace or refund coins that were actually delivered to the customer. I have had several times where someone has come to us saying they didn't get their coins, only to provide delivery confirmation after which they went back and discovered sure enough, the coins just go misplaced.

 

I was also on the other side where the seller did not use delivery confirm, I complained, the coins were replaced and then discovered that I had in fact received them, but misplaced them. They did get sent back.

 

- I have also had a couple of times where I was quite sure that the coins had been delivered but I was being taken advantage of. Those are the hardest ones to deal with.

 

- The bottom line for me really is that it depends on the circumstances. Has it happened before? Are they a new customer or someone who purchases a lot of coins? It might also depend a bit on how many coins it was.

 

- I honestly do think that when a delivery confirm shows it was delivered it is not unreasonable for the vendor to not want to send out replacement coins. Generally though, if it is someone who is a good consistent customer, I would probably send replacements or a refund, the first time. I might then do it a second time but only with conditions, such as requiring that buyer to purchase insurance or pay for priority mail or signature verification.

 

Just my thoughts

[+zazth]

This is an interesting question. As a vendor I have had this happen a few times. A couple of thoughts:

 

- The reason we (and I assume most vendors) pay the extra few cents for delivery confirmation on every package is to avoid the problem of having to replace or refund coins that were actually delivered to the customer. I have had several times where someone has come to us saying they didn't get their coins, only to provide delivery confirmation after which they went back and discovered sure enough, the coins just go misplaced.

 

I was also on the other side where the seller did not use delivery confirm, I complained, the coins were replaced and then discovered that I had in fact received them, but misplaced them. They did get sent back.

 

- I have also had a couple of times where I was quite sure that the coins had been delivered but I was being taken advantage of. Those are the hardest ones to deal with.

 

- The bottom line for me really is that it depends on the circumstances. Has it happened before? Are they a new customer or someone who purchases a lot of coins? It might also depend a bit on how many coins it was.

 

- I honestly do think that when a delivery confirm shows it was delivered it is not unreasonable for the vendor to not want to send out replacement coins. Generally though, if it is someone who is a good consistent customer, I would probably send replacements or a refund, the first time. I might then do it a second time but only with conditions, such as requiring that buyer to purchase insurance or pay for priority mail or signature verification.

 

Just my thoughts

 

In our case it is two coins. We have purchased a minimum of two coins per month for at least the last 18 months. My first thought was that the coins were simply misplaced but this simply is not the case. I am at the point where I want to cancel my monthly orders. I can remember once last year that a shipment did not make it to us and the company replaced the order. ( I might add that what was sent to us was an envelope with yet another envelope inside, addressed to us and marked return to sender by the post master. Both envelopes had the same address and we received the second one???)

[+zazth]

Just got an e-mail from the company stating that they will resend the package! YEAH!!! I think I'm going to get a PO Box.

[Hogwild Stuff]

Just got an e-mail from the company stating that they will resend the package! YEAH!!! I think I'm going to get a PO Box.

 

Congratulations. I am guessing the fact that it went to the wrong place was probably a contributing factor. I would have had a big impact on me.

[+Droo]

I've been very lucky to never have had to deal with this issue. Perhaps it's because I know the postal carrier personally or perhaps it's a more distinctive address so they don't get lost in the shuffle. But you sure have had too many postal problems to just chalk it up to fate, bad luck or gremlins (not the cars).

 

So I'm stuck on how the postmaster can claim the package was delivered to a different zipcode/address/whatever than it was addressed to? And if so how does it become the sender's fault?

 

Just curious.... I'm glad you got resolution but I think the postal service in your neck of the woods needs looking into!!

[+zazth]

Oh, no they claim to have delivered it to my town and state. The fact still remains the same I never got it. When the package was returned last year our postmaster completely denied sending it back. Instead he claimed that my mail must have been sent to the Virginia Beach area ( a different zip code)! For about a month my mail took about three times as long to get to me as normal. My address had not changed. I'm not sure what the problem was then but now I am convinced that our mail service is the worst. PO Box sounds like a solution at this point, at a different post office.

[+Renegade Knight]

... Is this normal now for a coin company to do this?

In business there is a risk to shipping. Chiefly exactly what you encountered. Things can happen in shipping through neither the fault of the sender or receiver. If neither party is responsible, who is going to take on the risk of loss?

 

In business it's handled by designating where the risk changes. FOB Dock means once the shipper sends it off it's the buyers risk. FOB Destination means the seller will retain the risk until it's received by the buyer. I could have my FOB terms off a bit.

 

http://blog.accountingcoach.com/fob-shippi...ob-destination/

 

Of course the FOB concept is normally on things much more expensive than a coin.

 

The real right answer is to hold the SOB responsible who jacked your coin. That's hard to do. Plan B is some sellers will ship out another coin and plan for the occasional loss. If it happens too often with one person (you do seem to have bad luck) that person may be flagged. To many losses to one person either means they are stealing the coins and the replacements are not worth their business, or someone else is stealing the coins and though it's not their fault, they are still costing the business money and so not worth doing business with. Some sellers may suck that up as part of the bigger picture.

 

Recently I sold a book via Amazon. It never arrived. This is the first time I've ever lost anything in the mail. I gave a refund and next time I'll be using delivery confirmation. ICE on the other hand has had coins not arrive more than once. We try to buy insurance when it's offered. Why should the seller take on the risk of theft? Plus we can spread the cost of insurance over many coins. It's not always offered. Guess which batch of coins were lost? The ones were we didn't even have the option of insuarnce.

 

For a single coin. Insurance can jack the price up quite a bit. You have a problem. LoriDarlin has also had a problem. She solved it by using a PO Box.

 

As for your final answer as to "are you being reasonable" Both you and the seller are being reasonable. There is no easy answer. Looks like your seller stepped up to the plate though.

[+LionsLair]

I had a delivery problem several months back.

I was waiting on a package for several weeks and started to wonder were it was. I contacted the vendor and they emailed me the delivery confirmation. I was dumbfounded as I knew it hadn't been delivered to me. About three hours later I got a phone call from a nieghbor several houses away and she told me she had a package that was in her mailbox that she has had for a week or so and had been meaning to get it to me but it slipped her mind after a day or so. I went and got my package(the coins) and promptly emailed the vendor who probably thought I was trying to take them for a few extra coins(15 total) if they even offered to replace them. I now try to purchase insurance when buying multiple coins, but seldom do if only 1 or 2 coins are involved.

I thought it was funny that we don't even have simulair house #'s or names. I also thought the timing was very coincidental that she called when she did.

I guess the point of the story is that sometimes it's no fault of the vendor or reciever of the package, but a postal workers mistake(they are inclined to human error as well as anyone)

I'm just glad it was an honest person that recieved them and made sure I got them. I may have never seen them if some unsavory character had gotten them.

.....that's all I got to say about that for now...

[avroair]

Just got an e-mail from the company stating that they will resend the package! YEAH!!! I think I'm going to get a PO Box.

 

I disagree.

 

The coins were shipped in a timely manner with delivery confirmation and they were delivered. I believe your annoyance is targeted at the wrong people. The vendor is not to blame, the post office is. Therefore, you should pursue a complaint with the post office, not the coin vendor. I know it's frustrating, but it's silly to threaten canceling your subscription when the coins were lost by a third party (post office).

[+MustangJoni]

I had a delivery problem several months back.

I was waiting on a package for several weeks and started to wonder were it was. I contacted the vendor and they emailed me the delivery confirmation. I was dumbfounded as I knew it hadn't been delivered to me. About three hours later I got a phone call from a nieghbor several houses away and she told me she had a package that was in her mailbox that she has had for a week or so and had been meaning to get it to me but it slipped her mind after a day or so. I went and got my package(the coins) and promptly emailed the vendor who probably thought I was trying to take them for a few extra coins(15 total) if they even offered to replace them. I now try to purchase insurance when buying multiple coins, but seldom do if only 1 or 2 coins are involved.

I thought it was funny that we don't even have simulair house #'s or names. I also thought the timing was very coincidental that she called when she did.

I guess the point of the story is that sometimes it's no fault of the vendor or reciever of the package, but a postal workers mistake(they are inclined to human error as well as anyone)

I'm just glad it was an honest person that recieved them and made sure I got them. I may have never seen them if some unsavory character had gotten them.

.....that's all I got to say about that for now...

 

I had the same thing happen to me. I was waiting on a package, the person who sent it about it, she sent me the delivery confirmation information. It showed that it was delivered. I did not receive it. She decided to send me another coin, but I felt bad, so I sent her another coin just for being nice about it. I received her coin, she received mine, then a few days later, the first package showed up in my mail box. Apparently, it WAS delivered...to the people down the street.

 

I've used delivery confirmation a few times, and I've had several times where it has never shown that the package was delivered. Emailing the person it was mailed to, I find that it was delivered! I know tracking through the post office is much cheaper than sending fedx or ups or something like that. But sometimes I feel that I'm paying $.35 for nothing. I mean, IF they actually scan the package they can tell you that it was delivered, but they can't tell you where it was delivered. What good is that?

[+Koolbrez]

How about registered mail? Will that work to help this problem. Is it cost effective? Would it work better for 1 or 2 coins? Just a thought.

[+Geo.Error]

A other question: what do you do when people say i send you a ""coin""gift and you wait and you get nothing.

 

I have send a coin who is lost in the mail, so maybe these gifts are lost.

 

i believe that those people have send to me or maybe the forgot it because they are busy people.

 

When i mail them as example: i've got nothing it feels like i am begging and that i don't want to do because it is a gift.

 

What will you do????

Edited September 10, 2008 by Geo.Error

[+fairyhoney]

I know that sometimes, I get a different person's mail I end up taking it to them. I wonder : what if somebody got Mine and never returned it to me?

I know that my mail-person scans some of my packages because I see her doing so. Maybe some mail can be scanned and delivered to the wrong address?

 

I know one time, I won coin A but received coin B - It wasn't my fault - I let them know and they sent me the correct coin and told me to keep the A coin.

[+fairyhoney]

I might add that one time I won a coin but it never got to me. I only tell it like it is - I am not about to lie about not getting a coin