2 Bows Lost in the Mail... USPS

[Sixby]

I have shipped not only every bow I ever made but every bow I ever sold which is way over 500 bows over a period of 25 years using USPS priority , fully insured and never had one single problem.
I have heard about others like Steve having a problem but man, two in a row. Thats got to be either a scam of some kind by the receiving end or all time bad luck. Hope it works out for you but its not normal in any way.

God bless, Steve

[matt steed]

I just got one of the bows that Steve sent me. It looked as if they played hockey with the box, it had fragile written on it. I still haven't got the other bow that was mailed on the 28th day of August.

I was talking to Herb Meland with Pronghorn bows yesterday. He told me that he quit putting Pronghorn bows and fragile on the boxes that he mailed. He has had several broke and damaged lately. He mailed one bow to a customer and the riser was missing but the limbs were in the box.

[PastorSteveHill]

Glad it made it Matt.  Sorry it took so long..  Hopeing the other one makes it someday..

[matt steed]

Me too. Maybe it will show up before long. Hopefully undamaged.

[Burnsie]

I guess I'm lucky, I've had the opposite experience with the USPS.  Never had a problem with something I shipped getting to its intended address (and its way cheaper than UPS and FedEx)
Just sent out a 66" Jack Howard Gamemaster Jet last Thursday from Illinois to New York, my post lady said it would arrive on Monday (today). Got an email Saturday morning saying it had arrived already in great shape and he was very happy.

Only negative I have had is paying for Priority shipping which should get the item there in 2 days, but it took 3-4.

[Walt Francis]

This is the second time USPS refused to pay the insurance.  Eight-ten years back, I sent a 72" English Longbow to one of my other brothers in a thin walled pvc tube.  The 60" bow was on his porch when he got home from work with the broken tip stuffed in the top of the pvc tube.  I filed the claim and decided it wasn't worth my time dealing with them nine months later, after I had spent more time trying to get them to pay the $500 insurance than I had spent building the bow.

Can't say the other two shipping company's are any better.

[McDave]

Originally posted by Walt Francis:
This is the second time USPS refused to pay the insurance.  Eight-ten years back, I sent a 72" English Longbow to one of my other brothers in a thin walled pvc tube.  The 60" bow was on his porch when he got home from work with the broken tip stuffed in the top of the pvc tube.  I filed the claim and decided it wasn't worth my time dealing with them nine months later, after I had spent more time trying to get them to pay the $500 insurance than I had spent building the bow.

Walt, was some of the problem proving the value of it?  I wonder if it would have been any different if someone had just paid you $500 for the bow.  I've never shipped a bow I made myself, but I have shipped a few bows as gifts where I might have bought the bow many years ago and still feel like it should be worth whatever I decide to insure it for.  I would guess that would be difficult to prove, although there are bows being sold used that might be comparable.  Harder, I would imagine, with a bow you make yourself, unless you are in the business and can show comparable sales.

[Kingstaken]

I've shipped and received a number of bows USPS. I had one bow that was delivered damaged, but they paid ins out right away. No qualms about it. Lucky I guess?

[Holybeardman]

I recently bought a bow from the folks over at Nocking Point and the Whip ended up disappearing from any sort of updates for a couple weeks before finally showing back up as of yesterday afternoon saying its in transit.

They are blaming it on customs which I'd imagine could be the case, but both USPS and CanadaPost were equally useless...

[Chuck Jones]

Could be an address problem. If you have even one number wrong, USPS will not deliver the package, and it will get sent somewhere else.

Print your labels on the USPS website, and they will not get lost. If you type in a wrong number or zip, they will not accept the address. You have to use a legitimate address to print the label. It will have a scan bar on the label that helps it to get to the addressee.

I have shipped several thousand packages by USPS in the past 12 years by using the USPS click and ship, and they have never lost a single one.

[Terry Green]

From what I'm reading, and a lot of people are posting they've never lost anything, is the fact that if you do lose something the customer service follow-up is absolutely worthless ....is that correct?

Because anyone can lose a package sooner or later but it's how you handle it afterwards that counts.

[MnFn]

BTW,
 The cost of the insurance is not going to be reimbursed on a lost item.

Also, generally if the item can't be repaired and insurance is paid in full for the total value, the USPS keeps the merchandise.

At least that is the way it was 10 years ago.

[Walt Francis]

Terry,

I've been on both ends: USPS lost or stole three bows and have not paid the insurance (which was less half of what I could hve sold them here on the classifieds for.

They broke a bow I built and then never paid even though is was insured.

[Walt Francis]

dp

[JamesV]

My local postmaster suggested that I not waste money with buying insurance. He said if I have a claim and I do finally collect that I would be too tired to enjoy it.

James

[PastorSteveHill]

Well, the 2 bows I posted about in the original message of this thread finally showed up.  On the day I went in to file a claim, they started tracking again later that day...  Who knows?? Makes no sense.. But I'm thankful they got to the destination unharmed..  I do think someone opened the box and took the bow out and repacked it...  But... Maybe someone just wanted to test it out for a spell..

[Lowrider]

Good to hear.

[MPaul]

We'll guys I have heard these stories from about all carriers I know a fellow who shipped a item with ups they damaged it in shipping he had it insured and they refused to pay said he did not pack it properly. Had to hire an attorney to get then to pay. Also the post office USPS is independent not a government branch. And FedEx ground are independent contractors.

[Bow man]

Terry we have have been fortunate to have had only one damaged bow claim never paid and from what I always here they say inadequate packaging.
The one lost Package we had They paid within in a week of the claim.  

I believe the reason we have been so forunate on Damage is we only use a reinforced Triangle box. it won't roll off things like a round tube, and they can't stack on it  

I believe Fedex and UPS is worse than USPS that is just me

[Flatshooter]

Steve, tracking on the Thunderhorn said delivery Monday. It came today but they didn't leave it because I wasn't home to sign for it. Hope to pick it up Monday morning. At least you can rest certain that one of them made it. Hope the other two show up soon buddy.