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USPS Delivery Confirmation

beneteaubeneteau Member Posts: 8,552 ✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
Bought a handgun on the auction side. The seller delivered it to his FFL to ship to my FFL. I asked for a tracking/delivery number--finally got one. Kept checking USPS website----nothing. Finally he told me the number was the insurance number. You can't track a USPS insurance number. The only place that can obtain info on an insurance number is from the USPS office that originally shipped the item.

I don't ship anything I sell without Delivery Confirmation.
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Comments

  • GuvamintCheeseGuvamintCheese Member Posts: 38,932
    edited November -1
    Seller went cheap and didnt use priority.
  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,704 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by cartod
    Seller went cheap and didnt use priority.

    He may have used Priority. I've had it happen where the insurance number gets scanned instead of the Delivery Confirmation number. Maybe that flags it for the USPS so they know to drive over it with their truck and then blame the shipper for poor packaging.
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 17,040 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I believe that the insurance number is scanned and can be tracked. I will ask the lady 100 feet from my door.
  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,664 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i have never been able to check a usps tracking #
    i got one now i bought from gb with a tracking # for usps . aint worth a damn
  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,858 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Insurance number is trackable by the USPS but that system isn't open to the public.

    40 cents is pretty cheap for tracking but its only basic, it isn't scanned at every stop like UPS or FedEx is.
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
  • gruntledgruntled Member Posts: 8,218 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've been retired for several years so this may be out of date but
    the insurance number was not trackable then. It was not even an accountable item. If the carrier neglected to get it signed for there would not be any record of the item after it was mailed.
  • fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,554 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    insurance number can be asked about at any PO but not on the web site green tag is on web site..blue tag some must sign green tag tells you were it is
  • armilitearmilite Member Posts: 35,490 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You can't track anything through the post office unless it is scanned in when it is dropped off. On numerous occasions I've dropped off items with tracking numbers to be shipped only to watch the post office workers not scan them in and just toss them in a bin.
  • beneteaubeneteau Member Posts: 8,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by armilite
    You can't track anything through the post office unless it is scanned in when it is dropped off. On numerous occasions I've dropped off items with tracking numbers to be shipped only to watch the post office workers not scan them in and just toss them in a bin.


    That happened to me once----so I started waiting in line and asked the clerk to scan it before I left.
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  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    delivery confirmation has worked great so far
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    What is it about tracking, anyway? I get customers who ask, and I explain that I use USPS, and that is usually the end of it.

    Do you have to know each step a package makes before it gets to you? Or, does it only matter that it gets to you? For me, it's the latter.

    When people call or email and want to know where their item is, I tell them, about the time you really start to get worried about it, it will show up.
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by beneteau

    Bought a handgun on the auction side. The seller delivered it to his FFL to ship to my FFL. I asked for a tracking/delivery number--finally got one. Kept checking USPS website----nothing. Finally he told me the number was the insurance number. You can't track a USPS insurance number. The only place that can obtain info on an insurance number is from the USPS office that originally shipped the item.

    I don't ship anything I sell without Delivery Confirmation.






    The tracking number for insured items is the insured number itself. When the package is delivered it will show the necessary information for you online.
    What's next?
  • beneteaubeneteau Member Posts: 8,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by kimi


    The tracking number for insured items is the insured number itself. When the package is delivered it will show the necessary information for you online.


    Wrong
    an insurance number cannot be tracked online. From the internet: You can not track a package with the Insured Number at usps.com. However, your local Post Office can look up the Insured Number but should only do so if you are initiating a claim. This can not be done until 21 days after the date of mailing.
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  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,664 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:What is it about tracking, anyway?
    when you lose $1300.00 through an AUCTION SITE you take every precaution you can
  • MFIMFI Member Posts: 7,899 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The delivery confirmation number is the only number that can be tracked.. I ship USPS all the time. I will not ship anything without delivery cofirmation. It is .70 cents I believe.
  • john wjohn w Member Posts: 4,104
    edited November -1
    USPS tracking is useless. It tells you when it was shipped and when it arrived and thats it unless they redid their system which i doubt!
  • grizgriz Member Posts: 425 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    They don't always show up. Ordered a welder extension cord earlier this month and received an email that it had shipped. When it had not arrived in two weeks I contacted the seller and learned that the UPS truck had wrecked and burned destroying everything on board. They were still trying to figure out which of their customers had packages on the truck. He said he would mail me out a new one first thing in the morning and send me a check for the shipping to cover the late arrival. Pretty good customer service if you ask me.

    He said UPS wanted so much paperwork to prove what he had on the truck (25 packages) that it was going to take him days to get it all done. He was seriously contemplating going Fed-Ex in the future.
  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,044 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    lately I've been shipping usps.com, free tracking and a slight discount. The tracking # can be checked but not always. Last year I shipped a $1200 (usps priority, insured)rifle to Utah, it was scaned at the shipping point (Wis.)but never after that, it took about a week to get there. Local p.o. checked the insurance # and it showed up all the way (post master was very helpful).
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by beneteau
    quote:Originally posted by kimi


    The tracking number for insured items is the insured number itself. When the package is delivered it will show the necessary information for you online.


    Wrong
    an insurance number cannot be tracked online. From the internet: You can not track a package with the Insured Number at usps.com. However, your local Post Office can look up the Insured Number but should only do so if you are initiating a claim. This can not be done until 21 days after the date of mailing.








    You're right, there has been a change to the system. Have you tried to track it anyway, despite the time limit limitation? I would imagine the reason for the change was because people got wise to the fact that paying for delivery confirmation in conjunction with certified, insured, and registered mail was a total waste of money, since all numbers could be used for tracking.

    ADDED: The last time I used an insurance number to track mailing and delivery of an item was a few months ago. As a matter of fact, I found out that the item had arrived to the delivering PO during the weekend.
    What's next?
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