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We sent a small flat rat box with some Canadian rolls in it and only half of them made it. USPS now is giving free $50 insurance so we will see if they pay up. The box was stamped by the post office that it was opened along the way. It was easy to file the claim.


Package1_zpsb57f0cf0 by henrysmedford, on Flickr

Package2_zps63b85183 by henrysmedford, on Flickr

Keep us informed. Curious on how they screw you over.

Joe...........Rule #1!!!!!!

You can never use too much tape!

Did you or the PO put the brown tape on?

The brown tape is from the post office. I had wrapped all edges and all around the box with filament tape.

Cover up your address in that photo!

Bummer on the box getting torn open.

Engineer wrote:Cover up your address in that photo!

Bummer on the box getting torn open.

Good luck but don't hold your breath!

henrysmedford wrote:The brown tape is from the post office. I had wrapped all edges and all around the box with filament tape.

I love that tape you used. Expensive but you need a box cutter or knife to cut it open.

TheJonasCollegeFund wrote:

henrysmedford wrote:The brown tape is from the post office. I had wrapped all edges and all around the box with filament tape.

I love that tape you used. Expensive but you need a box cutter or knife to cut it open.

So, someone in the USPS circuit probably had a hand in purposely opening the parcel?

I'm eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Fine print will say that bullion isn't covered. If there IS no fine print, they'll make some up and stick it on the website and say you didn't look hard enough. $50 insurance is just a gimmick for advertising.

beauanderos wrote:Fine print will say that bullion isn't covered. If there IS no fine print, they'll make some up and stick it on the website and say you didn't look hard enough. $50 insurance is just a gimmick for advertising.

I stated in the claim Canadian numismatic coins.

JerrySpringer wrote:

TheJonasCollegeFund wrote:

henrysmedford wrote:The brown tape is from the post office. I had wrapped all edges and all around the box with filament tape.

I love that tape you used. Expensive but you need a box cutter or knife to cut it open.

So, someone in the USPS circuit probably had a hand in purposely opening the parcel?

I would think they had to as well. That stuff doesn't just come off. Someone knew something, or was just looking to see what they could get and they sliced it open.

I just wonder why only take Half of the stuff? If someone is "smart" enough to risk their job etc etc, why would the leave "Partial Evidence". This would lead me more to believe that it could have been damage by machine or run over by a forklift. Perhaps caught in a conveyor belt or something?

henrysmedford wrote:I stated in the claim Canadian numismatic coins.

Good Call Please keep us posted, I hope they own up to it!!

This is not meant to rain on your parade BUT
your initial tape job looks insufficient for anything 75 ounces or more.
you said you taped the edges but it looks as though you did not.
The 2 edges that are important are the long corner, perforated "edges" near the flap.
I had 7 or 8 - 10 oz silver bars being mailed to me and the same corner, perforated edges were not taped.
the SFR box was partially opened at the long perforated CORNER EDGES near the flap.
The items inside were not packed in tight enough to prevent them from flopping around inside the box during transit.
Thus, they were flopping around inside the box and broke open the box at those 2 perforated edges.
When people send heavy items to me and I do not know how they ship I will give them specific instructions so that this does not happen.

Glad yours was not very expensive coins or silver.

Bullet proofing a box means that you need to consider that the postal workers will throw your box against a wall and drop the box.
It needs to stay closed for the entire journey and you need to presume that more than 1 person is going to throw your box against a wall.

I am not a professional shipper but I was for 4-5 years when I was younger and was shipping fragile ceramic items all over the world. I have also had 2 or 3 heavy boxes that I sent out in the past couple years that were not sufficiently taped and the receiver told me about the problem. Their feedback made me change my packaging practices.

I agree with Chris. Whether you are shipping a SFRB or MFRB you have to cover the boxes with tape in all directions. Here is what the MFRB looks like when I ship it.

NDFarmer wrote:I agree with Chris. Whether you are shipping a SFRB or MFRB you have to cover the boxes with tape in all directions. Here is what the MFRB looks like when I ship it.

What is a good price for that taps. We were at Home Depot and it was $8.50 a roll for the 2" wide.

This is what I have been using lately. Yes good strapping tape is expensive. But if you want your boxes and the contents of your boxes to make it you can not go sparingly with the tape when you send out your boxes. Here is what I have been using lately and it is $5.00 per roll which is the cheapest I have found. If any one else is buying it cheaper please let us know where you are getting it.

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-5 ... pping-Tape

NDFarmer wrote:This is what I have been using lately. Yes good strapping tape is expensive. But if you want your boxes and the contents of your boxes to make it you can not go sparingly with the tape when you send out your boxes. Here is what I have been using lately and it is $5.00 per roll which is the cheapest I have found. If any one else is buying it cheaper please let us know where you are getting it.

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-5 ... pping-Tape

That's the cheapest I have seen anywhere for that strength.

Yes you probably can find cheaper tape but you have to watch the tensile strength. Obviously the higher the tensile strength the better the tape. Yes 170 lb tensile strength is pretty good. It has been working for me.

Another thing I do to keep the edges of the strapping tape from rolling up during shipping is after I cover the box with strapping tape I cover it again with clear packing tape.

NDFarmer wrote:Yes you probably can find cheaper tape but you have to watch the tensile strength. Obviously the higher the tensile strength the better the tape. Yes 170 lb tensile strength is pretty good. It has been working for me.

Another thing I do to keep the edges of the strapping tape from rolling up during shipping is after I cover the box with strapping tape I cover it again with clear packing tape.

Same way I do mine. You have to make em hurricane proof. $2 worth of tape (it isn't nearly that much) will save a world of hurt if the item wasn't insured with $20 and registered shipping.

My only gripe with registered is that the last two took two weeks each... with few if any scans along the route they took.

Just checked online and it is now showing claim approved. I will post when/if I get paid.

SafariScreenSnapz002 by henrysmedford, on Flickr

henrysmedford wrote:Just checked online and it is now showing claim approved. I will post when/if I get paid.

SafariScreenSnapz002 by henrysmedford, on Flickr

Go buy a lottery ticket...NOW!

Got a check today. PS kind of cool that the void only shows up when you scan it.

Scan by henrysmedford, on Flickr