Theft from USPS international mail

[astral]

<p><strong>A warning about UP Postal Service:</strong></p>

<p>I recently purchased an inexpensive viewfinder screen for a vintage SLR from KEH. I am in the United Kingdom, and KEH's $60 charge for Fedex delivery was disproportionate to the value, so a friend on the US west coast actually purchased it and forwarded it to me with the aim of saving $40 or more.</p>

<p>The viewfinder screen was small enough to go in a standard letter envelope with a minimum of packaging, so he sent it by <strong>US Post regular mail</strong>.</p>

<p>The envelope arrived in 5 days, complete with all paperwork <em>and packaging</em> but <em>without</em> the screen: the envelope has been opened and re-sealed. <strong>The screen has been stolen</strong>. Unfortunately my friend apparently did not insure the item.</p>

<p>The absence of any marks that normally happen to a packet in transit <em>suggests </em>that the theft took place in the USA. While this cannot be proved, in my experience empty envelopes travel better than full ones. There was no indication on the envelope about its contents, so this appears to be 'blanket' theft from easily opened envelopes and packets, that is happening within the postal system.</p>

<p>The most annoying part is that the screen is particularly hard to find in the UK. (Nikon 'K' screen for F2 if anyone has one).</p>

<p>I appreciate that thefts from mail are pretty common in some countries - and exceptionally rare in the UK - but in the USA?</p>

 

[dhbebb]

<p>Sorry about your loss - through bitter experience I never send anything of any importance without recorded delivery and never anything of any value without full insurance (dishonest postal employees avoid insured packages, since these are traceable, but know they are certain not be caught stealing normal mail), I myself have lost a couple of things en route from the US before I adopted this rule and have noted that the post route from UK to Germany seems particularly prone to theft.</p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Stolen, or lost in a mail-processing machine. If there is a next time, have your friend use a small nylon-material envelope...and put a customs label on the envelope. My wife has had a envelope arrive from Japan that was mailed with a small dictionary in it...the envelope looked as if the sorting machine kind-of-chewed on it...the dictionary never was found. Also, one gent mailed a SD card to me...the envelope appeared to have split open: no CD card inside. Theft? Doubtful. Post Office 'care in handling' ... probably not so good.</p>

<p>So chances are good the K screen may not have survived the machine in the post office's sorting center.</p>

<p>The customs info tag keeps the mailman honest, as does a small amount of insurance.</p>

<p> </p>

[astral]

<p>Thanks David. I always use an insured or recorded delivery service wherever I send stuff., but it quickly becomes uneconomic to buy, or send, lower-value items via international mail. In particular, some stores overcharge significantly for insured 'courier' services: I have been selling books online for over 10 years and I know the actual costs involved.</p>

<p>Jerry - definitely stolen: envelope pristine and the re-sealable KEH plastic bag is was present <strong><em>and sealed </em></strong><em>- it sort of says "Tough *** Dumbo. I have helped myself to your xyz, na-na nah na-na"</em></p>

[dhbebb]

<p>Let us not forget (for the UK at least) the "poor man's insurance" in the form of a certificate of posting. It costs nothing, except that you have to take your letter to a post office and ask for the certificate. It gives you cover up to 100 times the cost of a first-class letter (currently 60p). Warning: If you need to make a claim, the post office will want evidence of the value of the lost item.</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>This really isn't a 'photo conversation' since the subject is an accusation about theft issues with the U.S. Post Office with a camera part being merely incidental to a particular anecdotal incident.</p>

<p>In any event, I also wondered about there being a machine damage related issue which should be no surprise when sending a part, especially a screen, in a flat "standard letter envelope". They are called that for a reason. They are designed for sending letters. It is also questionable object that this is the type of thing one is ordinarily inspired to steal. I suspect there was damage that was checked out, bent or broken pieces discarded and a worker may not have marked the envelope or something along these lines. <br>

Maybe it was stolen, I don't know. I can't speak for the post office (maybe someone with more expertise can weigh in) and it certainly may have erred but, it is apparent that reconsideration of how the part was packaged is in order. If it was sent this way by the vendor there would probably be disapproval of the method and maybe a photo.net post complaining about it.</p>

<p>Its a 'no brainer'. Don't mail camera parts in "standard letter envelopes".</p>

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>the term Hand stamp only will help sometimes</p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>I always use an insured or recorded delivery service wherever I send stuff.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> It doesn't sound as though it was done here.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>but it quickly becomes uneconomic to buy, or send, lower-value items via international mail. In particular, some stores overcharge significantly for insured 'courier' services: I have been selling books online for over 10 years and I know the actual costs involved.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Your story indicates that the price may be low, it is a high value item for you nevertheless. Apparently you didn't have the friend obtain the insured service for its known face value.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Jerry - definitely stolen: envelope pristine and the re-sealable KEH plastic bag is was present <strong><em>and sealed </em></strong><em>- it sort of says "Tough *** Dumbo. I have helped myself to your xyz, na-na nah na-na"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Just because the item was re-sealed isn't 100% proof it was stolen. Even if it was taken out, it may have been because it was going to jam up a machine or something and tossed aside or who knows. <br /><br />Even if stolen, you don't know for sure the location and ultimately, it should never have been mailed in the way it was. </p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Alan,</p>

<p>I think it boils down to the fact that it is not profitable to buy lower cost items internationally, due to the cost of shipping. In fact, even items of a few hundred dollars I seldom buy from the big NYC dealers, as they slap a high shipping and handling cost on most parcels sent overseas, by courrier service, and less expensive insured USPS is not even an option.</p>

<p>In many shipments I've made or received between Canada, USA, China, Japan, England, Romainia, South Africa, and USA, I have lost only one item by post, a VF sent to a Photo.Net member in the US and which got lost somewhere south of the Canada US border. The insurance allowed refund to the buyer. One of the most expensive places to ship for Canadians (and I presumne US senders as well) is England, as your local costs of delivery of imported goods in the UK are very high. An NPC polaroid back for a Mamiya 6 cost about $100 to send to Bristol by normal air parcel post, most of the cost of which was local end point delivery. The same thing occurred with a Mamiya 6 lens. Each buyer did do well, however, as the prices of those parts in England were significantly higher than the same items on the used market in North America.</p>

<p>Using uninsured postage on small items is another story, of course, and the cost versus item value, and the security, are comparatively high and low, respectively.</p>

<p> </p>

[astral]

<p>Well, it is a salutory lesson for anyone buying or selling (internationally): it is not worth gambling on skimpy packaging and uninsured delivery, both are asking for trouble.<br>

<strong><em> </em></strong><br>

<em>"Ultimately it should never have been mailed in the way it was"</em> [John H] is spot on. And although the purchase price was only $20, by the time I paid all the additional costs the 'price' had doubled.</p>

<p>The envelope - while clearly not satisfactory - was received undamaged and with no marks, message or sticker (etc) to say what had happened. That is suspicious and disconcerting. I have bought many items at auction where I have been lucky to receive anything but a brown paper bag marked <em>'Contents Damaged in Transit' . . . </em>mysterious <em>Agatha Christie</em> 'empty envelope' disappearances are a different matter.<br>

Ho hum!</p>

<p> </p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>That is suspicious and disconcerting.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think that's a fair statement.</p>

[bobatkins]

<blockquote>

<p>The envelope arrived in 5 days, complete with all paperwork <em>and packaging</em> but <em>without</em> the screen: the envelope has been opened and re-sealed. <strong>The screen has been stolen</strong>. Unfortunately my friend apparently did not insure the item.<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Seems HIGHLY unlikely it was stolen. More likely the envelope came open and it fell out. Maybe someone resealed the envelope at some point on the journey if they saw it was open.<br>

<br>

Theft of items from packages or letters in the USPS system is very rare, and who in their right mind would risk committing a federal offense (with mandatory jail time) for a Nikon 'K' screen for F2. Who would even know what it was! And why not just steal the envelope. Who would open it, remove a Nikon 'K' screen for F2 and seal it back up again?<br>

<br>

When mail theft does happen here it's usually mail stolen from mailboxes or trucks. Thieves don't open and reseal packages, they just steal the whole thing. Why put evidence of theft back into the system.<br>

</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Found a K2 but realize you need the K screen...</p>

<p>http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKON-FOCUSING-SCREEN-K-FOR-F-F2-150819-/140759397020?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c5e9f29c#ht_2051wt_975</p>

<p>This one is $16 + $11 USPS to UK. If the link doesn't work go to the auction site.</p>

[astral]

<p>Darn it . . . I just got an email from my friend who says:</p>

<p><em>"Oops, I forgot to tell you, I am sending the paperwork now, but there's anothe parcel coming with some more bits in it - last minute decision. I forgot to tell you". </em>And that's after I received several "I sent it" confirmation emails!</p>

<p>So, major embarassment here (and over in San Diego, CA) . . . Oh well, we <em>are</em> both getting older by the day and sometimes forget things.</p>

<p><em>Sorry folks - this was a wild goose chase and Agatha Christie mystery rolled into one.</em> AC.</p>

[jim_service]

<p>Next you're going to tell us that your friend's last name is "Butler".</p>

[astral]

<p>Ha-ha . . He's coming over here next Spring for a l-o-n-g Euro trip together: he is definitely gonna pay for this . . . washing pots for weeks, etc . . . . . :-)</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>I wondered if there could be an issue with the friend but didn't want to suggest they did anything nefarious. Also, it seemed unlikely there would be two mailings for a small item. Why would an empty packet be sent separately? I'm glad the 'suspicious and disconcerting' mystery is solved. Hopefully the part is coming in a suitable container.</p>

[astral]

<p>John - I think it was a last minute decison - papers in an envelope and gadgets in a box. They were apparently posted together. But he forgot that they would not necessarily arrive here at the same time - maybe even a week apart - allowing for UK Customs delays. Or maybe he fully understands the customs delays and wanted to get the documents here a.s.a.p. (Fairly slow email turnaround hasn't helped).</p>

<p>Maybe I'm gonna get an early birthday present in the box . . . . I'm trying to persuade him to give me his unused 'Hasselblad . . . Huh, sadly rather unlikely.</p>

 

[jcuknz]

<p>It is obvious that the real problem is the 'internet' which has greatly reduced the volume of traffic the post offices around the world have to carry. This has resulted in increased costs to the carrier and poster. Then we have the usually very efficient courier services who with their low volume naturally have to charge high prices ... such as 6 pounds to carry a one pound step-up ring UK>NZ or $100 to carry a $200 camera KEH to NZ. I paid the six pounds but not the $100 :-) </p>

[dhbebb]

<p><em>... the 'internet' which has greatly reduced the volume of traffic the post offices around the world have to carry</em><br>

To be strictly accurate, e-mail has vastly reduced the numbers of regular letters and postcards sent, while home shopping services such as Amazon have increased the number of packages containing valuables. The message to light-fingered postal employees - dive in whenever you see an untraceable package - your chances of a jackpot are good!</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>This is a very odd story... but seems to have ended happily.</p>

[graham_line]

<p>I think this points out the extreme need for a good replicator. :-)</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>United States Postal Service, going into the USA, is mostly reliable.</p>

<p>Once I ordered a medication from UK. Instead of delivery, I received a letter from some customs inspector, that the medicine was not approved in the USA, and therefore was confiscated.</p>

<p>I think we should appreciate the US Gov. taking good care of the health of citizens.. :).</p>

<p>In your case it is not clear if the USPS is to blame or the foreign counterpart.</p>