Reminder to sellers, please use Delivery Confirmation.

[misidawnrn]

I sold a book a while ago and had my sister send it for me since I had to work and she didn't send with DC :glare:(my fault, I forgot to tell her to) and guess what...yep...it's "lost" in the mail. The poor lady has been waiting forever for the book and it is neither at her house or returned back to mine. I am refunding her money so now I am out the money for the book and the book...all could have been saved with a stinking little few cents.:banghead: So please, save yourself (and your buyer) heartache and headache and send with a Delivery Confirmation number. I always do and this time it bit me in the hiney!

[Night Elf]

I sold a book a while ago and had my sister send it for me since I had to work and she didn't send with DC :glare:(my fault, I forgot to tell her to) and guess what...yep...it's "lost" in the mail. The poor lady has been waiting forever for the book and it is neither at her house or returned back to mine. I am refunding her money so now I am out the money for the book and the book...all could have been saved with a stinking little few cents.:banghead: So please, save yourself (and your buyer) heartache and headache and send with a Delivery Confirmation number. I always do and this time it bit me in the hiney!

 

How could it save you money? I thought DC only let you know date/time/zip code when it was delivered. How can it help if it's lost in the mail? Or are you saying the lady might be lying and it was actually delivered to her?

 

Also, I've heard that media mail can take up to 4 weeks, though I've never personally experienced that.

[RoughCollie]

You can track a package that has delivery confirmation. It can still get lost in the mail, of course. But if the tracking system has been utilized by the postal workers, then you can at least find out which post office it was last in, and contact them.

 

We've used the tracking to prove that a customer has received a book (sometimes they don't realize it, and sometimes they lie), and to prove that the package was delivered to the address the customer gave us (customers sometimes give us the wrong address usually due to their typo), and to reassure ourselves that the customer actually never received the package (it was lost in the mail).

 

We've had packages not be delivered for up to 3 months with media mail. It is a small percentage of the total, but it happens. We see this more than most because we mail thousands of packages a year.

Edited October 5, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Mom2J112903]

I do not use DC but instead place insurance on the item. This way if it does get lost in the mail, no one is out any money, minus the postal service of course.

[misidawnrn]

How could it save you money? I thought DC only let you know date/time/zip code when it was delivered. How can it help if it's lost in the mail? Or are you saying the lady might be lying and it was actually delivered to her?

 

Also, I've heard that media mail can take up to 4 weeks, though I've never personally experienced that.

No, I am not saying she is lying but I can tell where the book is and if it got lost in transit or something. If it did get delivered it would have saved me from refunding the money, that is how it would have saved me money. If not the PO could have traced it to it's last destination.

[misidawnrn]

You can track a package that has delivery confirmation. It can still get lost in the mail, of course. But if the tracking system has been utilized by the postal workers, then you can at least find out which post office it was last in, and contact them.

 

We've used the tracking to prove that a customer has received a book (sometimes they don't realize it, and sometimes they lie), and to prove that the package was delivered to the address the customer gave us (customers sometimes give us the wrong address usually due to their typo), and to reassure ourselves that the customer actually never received the package (it was lost in the mail).

 

We've had packages not be delivered for up to 3 months with media mail. It is a small percentage of the total, but it happens. We see this more than most because we mail thousands of packages a year.

Holy cow!!!! This has been over 4 weeks and the woman has been more than patient waiting for it. Even I would begin to wonder at 3 months!!!! yikes!

[Nestof3]

For some reason, I have had perfect success with items shipped with D/C. I would not refund a person's money if D/C showed it being delivered. If the customer wants insurance, they will have to pay for it.

 

On paperbackswap, for example -- I have shipped 390 books and received 537. Though the stas are not staggering, I have never had one book go missing while 9 books supposedly sent to me never made it.

 

If the person had D/C put on it, it would at least help solve the mystery. Through paypal, it's only 19 cents. I would never ship anything without D/C.

 

And yes, I have had media mail take several weeks, A few of my D/C books took quite a bit of time, but most of my media mail with D/C take less than a week -- sometimes two days.

 

How could it save you money? I thought DC only let you know date/time/zip code when it was delivered. How can it help if it's lost in the mail? Or are you saying the lady might be lying and it was actually delivered to her?

 

Also, I've heard that media mail can take up to 4 weeks, though I've never personally experienced that.

[Nestof3]

Tacking $1.75 on to a book for insurance would break the deal for lots of buyers. I will add it for orders around $50 but definitely not every book I mail out.

 

I do not use DC but instead place insurance on the item. This way if it does get lost in the mail, no one is out any money, minus the postal service of course.

[Night Elf]

How much does DC cost? I've never used it.

[MicheleinMN]

I haven't read the other replies, but delivery confirmation isn't worth the paper it's printed on to me.

 

I try to always offer insurance to the buyer, but I also try to make it very clear that if she chooses to go without insurance it will be her loss if the package is lost. On very large sales, I automatically include the price of insurance in the shipping charges. And if I am the buyer, I almost always ask for insurance (at my expense).

[Mom2J112903]

I haven't read the other replies, but delivery confirmation isn't worth the paper it's printed on to me.

 

I try to always offer insurance to the buyer, but I also try to make it very clear that if she chooses to go without insurance it will be her loss if the package is lost. On very large sales, I automatically include the price of insurance in the shipping charges. And if I am the buyer, I almost always ask for insurance (at my expense).

 

This is exactly what I do.

 

I can't belive a couple of dollars would break a deal. :001_huh:

[Sputterduck]

You can track a package that has delivery confirmation. It can still get lost in the mail, of course. But if the tracking system has been utilized by the postal workers, then you can at least find out which post office it was last in, and contact them.

 

We've used the tracking to prove that a customer has received a book (sometimes they don't realize it, and sometimes they lie), and to prove that the package was delivered to the address the customer gave us (customers sometimes give us the wrong address usually due to their typo), and to reassure ourselves that the customer actually never received the package (it was lost in the mail).

 

We've had packages not be delivered for up to 3 months with media mail. It is a small percentage of the total, but it happens. We see this more than most because we mail thousands of packages a year.

 

 

I've had packages stolen right off my porch, so if someone says they didn't receive something, but you know it's been delivered, they aren't necessarily lying! One package we found torn up and thrown over the fence!

[Nestof3]

19 cents if you print your labels using paypal's shipping. There is no charge for using their shipping. You don't even have to leave the house. :D

 

How much does DC cost? I've never used it.

[Nestof3]

This makes no sense to me. It wouldn't show up as delivered if it had been stolen. And, yes, I wouldn't leave my packages out for the carrier to pick up if I had a theft problem in my neighborhood.

 

I've had packages stolen right off my porch, so if someone says they didn't receive something, but you know it's been delivered, they aren't necessarily lying! One package we found torn up and thrown over the fence!

[Nestof3]

It would if the person had to spend nearly two dollars more and wanted the seller to cover the cost. I personally don't want to spend $2.00 more shipping on a $5.00 book.

 

This is exactly what I do.

 

I can't belive a couple of dollars would break a deal. :001_huh:

[Nestof3]

But, see, I've never had a package lost that was shipped to me or from me that had delivery confirmation on it. I don't know why that is -- I don't know if it moves things better through the mail system or if it makes a seller less likely to be dishonest, but I have seen a correlation.

 

 

I haven't read the other replies, but delivery confirmation isn't worth the paper it's printed on to me.

 

I try to always offer insurance to the buyer, but I also try to make it very clear that if she chooses to go without insurance it will be her loss if the package is lost. On very large sales, I automatically include the price of insurance in the shipping charges. And if I am the buyer, I almost always ask for insurance (at my expense).

[Joy at Home]

I agree DC is hit or miss. Much of the time I find it useless, except to give buyer peace of mind in knowing it has been shipped. Otherwise, I've had packages get lost, and the only entry in the tracking information is that it was accepted for delivery at my post office when shipped. It doesn't necessarily track where it got lost, especially if it got lost before it arrived at the sorting facility.

[Lolly]

This makes no sense to me. It wouldn't show up as delivered if it had been stolen. And, yes, I wouldn't leave my packages out for the carrier to pick up if I had a theft problem in my neighborhood.

 

But, what if it was dropped off on the receiver's porch and then stolen? DC would show it as delivered. They left it on the porch. Someone else picked it up and took it. Or, we have had neighbor's packages left on our porch before (delivered to wrong address). What if that neighbor wasn't so honest and kept it.

 

I did get DC for a package I just mailed. I figure I can use it as proof that I mailed a package to that address if it is never delivered.

[ondreeuh]

This makes no sense to me. It wouldn't show up as delivered if it had been stolen. And, yes, I wouldn't leave my packages out for the carrier to pick up if I had a theft problem in my neighborhood.

 

I believe she's referring to packages she is receiving being stolen off her porch before she can get them. DC is scanned when the carrier drops it off; someone can still intercept it before you personally take it into your house.

[Parrothead]

I agree DC is hit or miss. Much of the time I find it useless, except to give buyer peace of mind in knowing it has been shipped. Otherwise, I've had packages get lost, and the only entry in the tracking information is that it was accepted for delivery at my post office when shipped. It doesn't necessarily track where it got lost, especially if it got lost before it arrived at the sorting facility.

:iagree: I can't tell you how many times I've had packages shipped vis USPS that only ever showed the message that electronic notification was received and that USPS is expecting the package at the PO shortly when the package ends up on my doorstep.

 

If the postal workers do not bother to scan in the tag at each facility then DC is useless.

[Sputterduck]

This makes no sense to me. It wouldn't show up as delivered if it had been stolen. And, yes, I wouldn't leave my packages out for the carrier to pick up if I had a theft problem in my neighborhood.

 

With delivery confirmation, do they leave a package at someone's door and call it delivered? Or does the person have to be there to sign for it?

 

I've had packages left at my door when I wasn't home, and they were no longer there when I got home. They *were* delivered to my house. They were stolen off my porch. When the rebellious teens moved away, people stopped having their cars broken into during the night and packages stolen off their doorstep. It wasn't a bad neighborhood, there were just a couple of bad teens.

[Parrothead]

With delivery confirmation, do they leave a package at someone's door and call it delivered? Yup

 

Or does the person have to be there to sign for it? Nope

.

[hsmom3tn]

...if someone says they didn't receive something, but you know it's been delivered, they aren't necessarily lying!

 

I have had several packages from PBS to not show up. A few had DC and it was no help since it apparently never got scanned. There was even one time that DC said a notice had been left for me, but I had not gotten a notice. My postman said he didn't leave me a notice. The P.O. did not have my package. It never showed up or got returned to sender.

 

 

I agree DC is hit or miss. Much of the time I find it useless, except to give buyer peace of mind in knowing it has been shipped. Otherwise, I've had packages get lost, and the only entry in the tracking information is that it was accepted for delivery at my post office when shipped. It doesn't necessarily track where it got lost, especially if it got lost before it arrived at the sorting facility.

 

:iagree:

 

I still always get DC, though. I ship with paypal labels, so 19¢ is a small price to pay considering it is done correctly more often than not.

[Nestof3]

Yeah, I see how that would render D/C pretty useless.

 

In the end, that's why I offer insurance, but if the buyer declines, they also decline the protection that it offers.

 

 

But, what if it was dropped off on the receiver's porch and then stolen? DC would show it as delivered. They left it on the porch. Someone else picked it up and took it. Or, we have had neighbor's packages left on our porch before (delivered to wrong address). What if that neighbor wasn't so honest and kept it.

 

I did get DC for a package I just mailed. I figure I can use it as proof that I mailed a package to that address if it is never delivered.

[Nestof3]

That's why you should buy insurance if you live in an area where this happens. I have never in the 11 years I've lived here had my mail stolen. I am almost always home during the day, though.

 

My husband has had his large gas cans stolen at night three times, though. :glare: He now locks them up in the garage at night.

 

With delivery confirmation, do they leave a package at someone's door and call it delivered? Or does the person have to be there to sign for it?

 

I've had packages left at my door when I wasn't home, and they were no longer there when I got home. They *were* delivered to my house. They were stolen off my porch. When the rebellious teens moved away, people stopped having their cars broken into during the night and packages stolen off their doorstep. It wasn't a bad neighborhood, there were just a couple of bad teens.

[Mom2J112903]

In the end, that's why I offer insurance, but if the buyer declines, they also decline the protection that it offers.

 

:iagree: I am not going to refund your $ if you decline insurance.

[jplain]

I am not going to refund your $ if you decline insurance.

 

However, if your buyer paid via PayPal, and you cannot prove you mailed the item, PayPal will refund your buyer.

 

For that reason, sellers need to purchase DC, and they need to make sure the package is scanned into the system when the post office employee accepts it at the post office. If you drop it off at the post office, and it never gets scanned in, DC won't protect you.

 

I pay for and print out postage at home. But then I have the postal employee manually scan my package into the system, instead of simply tossing it in the bin like many prefer. I've received more than one dirty look for insisting, but I don't care.

 

A note: if you print your postage at home and pay for insurance and DC, and you want the item to be manually scanned in at the post office, you need to know the exact amount you paid for the insurance. The postal worker won't be able to scan it in properly without that information.

[nukeswife]

The biggest thing to remember with DC is that it's NOT tracking. It's simply to get confirmation of delivery. Many POs will only scan it when it is first dropped off (or the label is printed it will show up that they are expecting it) and then scan it when it's dropped at the delivery address.

 

I don't think it was put in place as a way for buyers to track shipments. It was supposed to be so that the person mailing the item could show that the PO delivered it to the address on the package.

 

If you want real honest to goodness tracking then you need to be willing to pay to use express mail, UPS, or Fed Ex instead. Even Priority mail doesn't give you tracking, you can add DC to priority, but then you're back to only being guaranteed conformation of the actual delivery, not check points along the way.

[Murmer]

However, if your buyer paid via PayPal, and you cannot prove you mailed the item, PayPal will refund your buyer.

 

For that reason, sellers need to purchase DC, and they need to make sure the package is scanned into the system when the post office employee accepts it at the post office. If you drop it off at the post office, and it never gets scanned in, DC won't protect you.

 

I pay for and print out postage at home. But then I have the postal employee manually scan my package into the system, instead of simply tossing it in the bin like many prefer. I've received more than one dirty look for insisting, but I don't care.

 

A note: if you print your postage at home and pay for insurance and DC, and you want the item to be manually scanned in at the post office, you need to know the exact amount you paid for the insurance. The postal worker won't be able to scan it in properly without that information.

 

This! It is the seller's job, according to PayPal, to make sure the buy receives what they purchased which according to PayPal is with a DC showing delivered. So you could still lose the money if they file with PayPal.

[Disney Dreaming]

This whole deal has gotten out of hand. You either pay to protect yourself or take the chance that the shipment gets lost, stolen, or someone "claims" they never received the package. I wouldn't mind this if I didn't constantly feel that someone expects you to sell at very low prices and then you have to pay for dc or insurance and shipping! I am considering donating my items to actual needy homeschool families locally instead of selling my used items since most people aren't willing to pay 50% of new prices when the items have been used only one year.

[Nestof3]

I'm willing. In fact, I'll typically buy if I can save just about anything. :D

 

since most people aren't willing to pay 50% of new prices when the items have been used only one year.

[Disney Dreaming]

I'm willing. In fact, I'll typically buy if I can save just about anything. :D

 

Wish I encountered more like you while I was selling things! I am the same way-if I can find something used 1 year(or 2) and it is still in great condition, I am more than willing to pay 50% of the new price!