Coins getting lost in the mail???

[AdamL]

Has anyone had a problem with this? Apparently I had one disappear. I mailed a coin to someone on Feb. 13th and it still has not arrived. It was the first time I had sent anything internationally. When they handed me the customs form, I couldn't remember that people had recommended that I put down "hobby supplies" or something like that. So, I wrote something along the lines of "numismatic supplies" or item, or something like that. Still, I don't think that would have caused any problems. Has anyone else had any bad postal experiences?

[Humpybong]

I am still waiting on a package sent from US a couple of months ago and one from Poland (registered) is still missing, but otherwise no problem here with Australia Post.

[Tobyle]

I'm a bit hesitant to say I've had no problems as yet, but I sent 4 parcels a week ago of which I thought 2 would have arrived by now.

[ElleKitty]

I've had a few problems with coins disappearing.  I've had two parcels now; one to Australia and one to Portugal that disappeared. Sort of; the one I sent to triggersmob arrived, just ... sans coins.

[AdamL]

I've had a few problems with coins disappearing.  I've had two parcels now; one to Australia and one to Portugal that disappeared. Sort of; the one I sent to triggersmob arrived, just ... sans coins.

sans coins??? wow.

[Humpybong]

My luck has changed.....the missing one from Poland (posted 7th December, 2007) has just arrived in the mail.


Now if the missing one from US would turn up..........

[Dumanyu]

I won a coin on ebay from an individual from eastern Europe. I sent the check, but received no coin. When I queried said dealer, his reply was he never received the check, therefore I received no coin. I didn't send the check registered, so I have no recourse. Never again!!! Paypal all the way.

[AdamL]

My luck has changed.....the missing one from Poland (posted 7th December, 2007) has just arrived in the mail.


No if the missing one from US would turn up..........

Well, that gives me a little hope that my package might yet reach its destination. I'm fully prepared to send a replacement if the original doesn't arrive. But I will continue to wait for a while. Once I sent someone 100 miles away a letter, and it vanished for weeks before finally arriving safely. Too bad we can't e-mail our coins to each other. LOL.

[TwoShadows]

Proper packaging for coins is very IMPORTANT! Also I have quit mentioning "numismatic" as the world is catching on. I always use "Hobby Supplies" and add the face value of the coins for the customs label. Never use the actual value. Recently I sent $1,760 worth of American Eagles to a land across the big pond. I used face value of $80.00, larger box than needed with customs label marked hobby supplies and NO INSURANCE. I NEVER insure as thats like putting a target on the package. Sent by international priority mail so I could track it and in about 8 days it cleared customs and 10 days it was there. The member on the receiving end was NOT home to receive the package so I notified him of the failed delivery attempt and he went to the post office to pick the parcel up. Tracking can be done on specific types of mail and the fact I KNEW they attempted delivery and he didn't is quite a unique experience. All I had to do was email to let him know to go get the package. All is well that ends well and I could QUIT sweating bullets!!!
Also I might add a $11 international priority mail flat rate envelope is a great way to ship. The coins must be put into plastic flips and taped between two pieces of cardboard but no one suspects a flat pack envelope to be carrying coins. I have shipped eagles this way as well. CONCEALMENT is very important!!!

[Nevol]

I've had one package to the Philippines go missing in the mail.  I replaced it with another selection of coins & the 2nd one got through OK, but the recipient gave me a diffferent address to send it to.

All parcels to me from overseas have arrrived safe & sound. Occasionally some do take a little longer but they've all made it OK.

A few years back I had a packet of stamps from Western Aust disappear & the sender gave me 50% credit as I'd purchased quite a lot of items from him. 
I just buy a "Year Book" of stamps each year now & concentrate on my coins. 

[RenaL]

Always send your coins registered!

I had two or three outgoing envelopes and a few that I expected gone missing.
All which were sent via regular mail.

Each and every envelope/parcel that I sent or expected made its way to the end if registered.
Even then, you should check with the tracking number after a reasonable time has past after it has been sent.


As hard as it is to say, many postal service protocols are vulnerable to theft. I don't believe there's any other explanation to this.
I have heard dozens of similar stories which all involve unregistered envelopes.

Even if you try to conceal the content of the package, international packages get attention and they will most probably get through an x-ray scan.

[Tobyle]

Always send your coins registered!

Whenever I've tried posting package from Australia have always been told it 'can't be registered'. Can only opt for 'insured post'.

add the face value of the coins for the customs label. Never use the actual value.

Particulary if I've had to purchase coins for someone, I've always insured the package because we can't use registered post. If one is insuring, wouldn't you have to put the actual value of the coins rather that face value on the customs label if having the package insured?

[EgCollector]

Always send your coins registered!

I totaly agree. All the packages i didint receive, when i checked with the sender, the answer was "i sent it using regular mail". And after loosing a package i sent by regular mail to the USA, i always use registered, insured mail.

The only problem i have now is the customs. I received a package two days ago, and the sender mentioned the value and not the face value of the coin although the package was not insured. So, I had to pay to receive it 

[TwoShadows]

This is typically why I don't ever use the market value of the coins. It draws attention to the parcel and I know many postal carriers, like it or not, are darned nosey!!! Unless the U.S. has changed its policy on insurance one cannot receive more than about $45 dollars once the package clears our borders so whats the point? (I am talking regular mail here) and should I pay for Registered Mail I feel there is NO need for insurance as the package has to be accounted for at all times, with written signatures, and locked away over night if unattended? Registered packages to some parts of the world are a must and it is very good that collectors all over the world know this. There would be a great number of packages "lost" without members relaying such information to one another.
I will say NEVER send a coin in a regular business envelope, no matter how you wrap it. Our postal equipment, or should I say, sorting equipment will squeeze that coin right out the end of the envelope. I learned that from experience early in my trading days. Use bubble mailers or boxes that MUST be handled.
Since 2002 I have only lost one coin (squeezed out) and had one coming to me that met the same fate. Don't use standard envelopes!!!

[JoseMartins]

I've had a few problems with coins disappearing.  I've had two parcels now; one to Australia and one to Portugal that disappeared. Sort of; the one I sent to triggersmob arrived, just ... sans coins.

If one live in the US do not send coins by unregistered mail to Portugal, the customs services were privatised a couple of years ago and since then any unrecorded "valuables" that go trough the customs simply vanish, and from my experience a low value on the customs form is useless even if its true...
The problem is almost specific to stuff from the US because each country outside the EU has a customs inspection rating, some are 1 (verified items) in 100, others 1 in 20, the USA is 1 in 2...

Jose

[Triggersmob]

I have sent coins to Portugal, China and India, so I made sure these were registered. The coins I've sent to U.S.A have been sent in normal mail and I have had no problems, so far.

Some coins have gone missing coming this way though.  As Ellekitty mentioned, a couple of coins went missing, but also lost a roll of Lincolns from Gary Burke. The strange thing is the packet of Lincolns had a big hole in it and the other three rolls were still in there.

 

[Topher]

I haven't figured out anything about the postal service here in Canada, except that there is no consistency.  I once sent a package to Massachusetts that took almost a month to arrive, and another time I received a package from Portugal on a Monday afternoon, when it was just sent the previous Friday.  (One business day earlier!)  Go figure.

Adam, if you're referring to the Super Bowl contest, then I had completely forgotten about it, and I still did not receive it.    No need to send a replacement, though.

[scottishmoney]

Historically I have had issues with the Canadian PO being horrendously and egregiously slow.  Most recently a registered from Ottawa took nearly three weeks on that side of the border.  OTOH I have gotten real quick packages from Switzerland, and especially Great Britain.  The postal clerks in my local PO gripe about all the paperwork they and we have to fill out to send items, compared to many of the places I receive mail from.  Most of the mail I get from overseas comes w/o customs forms, no problem.  But I have to fill out customs forms etc. for so much other than a flat envelope to go overseas.  It is just a subtle but omnipresent erosion of our personal liberties.

[AdamL]

I haven't figured out anything about the postal service here in Canada, except that there is no consistency.  I once sent a package to Massachusetts that took almost a month to arrive, and another time I received a package from Portugal on a Monday afternoon, when it was just sent the previous Friday.  (One business day earlier!)  Go figure.

Adam, if you're referring to the Super Bowl contest, then I had completely forgotten about it, and I still did not receive it.    No need to send a replacement, though.

Yeah, thats what I'm talking about. I thought to myself, "Its only going to Canada" so I went the cheap route. 
Then again, I went the cheap route on the secret bunny contest, and the package arrived in Australia in less than 10 days. As for replacing the package, I have more of those dimes and I'd feel better if I honored my committment to get the coin to you.


 

[Nevol]

I bought some coins from Canada early last December. Was told 6 - 8 weeks for delivery as Canada Post doesn't have overseas Air Mail for parcels???  I thought this was weird. 

Come early Feb, no coins.  Let the sender know, he chased it up with Canada Post & lodged a claim. They had somehow misplaced the package & eventually found it (which gob smacked me that it just 'sat' somewhere for over 2 months), the sender paid more postage to get it prioritized, and I finally received it 25 Feb. 

The tracking number the sender gave me in December never showed the package as ever moving, just that it had been dispatched. This has really put me off buying any more Canadian coins as I paid over  $100 for what I bought.

[Jeff]

I have one to the States never turn up and had to send replacement coins.

Several in Australia have arrived with damaged wrapping and coins missing but all packing intact! Never with registered items. I suspect Australia Post has some dishonest employees or contractors.

Jeff

[GregK]

I will always insist on registered or insured post (I don't mind paying) especially if the consignment is expensive.  I had a few purchases, good ones, of ebay and ost sellers insisted on registered, some agreed to it, and only one ever refused (I did not bid on that one). It did once take 28 days though, for a registered parcel to travel 500 miles. I've never lost a package from overseas.  But, it can be worrying with the wait to see if a package, I have sent, has been delivered.  The UPS tracking is a great tool.       

[CoinCrusader42]

I will probably never know the truth of my lost mail situation.My mail to Canada, Europe and Australia always gets there.  A package to Triggersmob once took three weeks to arrive, but it did actually get there.

So, a few weeks back I had a lot of coins on my desk and decided to give them out to some very nice and deserving people.  Packages were put together for Kitty,Topher, Nevol, humpybong, Snooba, Gregk, and Muckeye -- I think

Anyway, I'm starting to think perhaps they weren't lost in tha mails afterall.

After getting the packages ready to mail, I tossed them in a wire basket for a day or two.  Then I took them to the post office only to find it closed.  Finally I had a friend mail tham, and when he found a long line at the post office he just guessed the needed postage and dropped them through the slots.

So, I'm glad for this whose who received their paackages, and can see a number lf ways the others might have gone astray,

I will remember the names of those who didn't get coins on the last attempt, and try to do better next time.

 

[Muckeye]

Gary, you were very generous, thank you again.
regards,

[Triggersmob]

A package to Triggersmob once took three weeks to arrive, but it did actually get there.

Actually it was three months.

[Tobyle]

I'm starting to get a bit concerned now re the last lot I sent out!

[S.George]

 

Dear Knights and Knightesses:
As per Postal Regulations, valuables should be sent by Insured Mail only.   This Rule is insisted many nations.
In India, Postal and customs are criminals.   They keep a Record of what is inside the package at the time of opening.   
They FEED MY ADDRESS IN THE COMPUTER AND WATCH, REGULARLY.   If the coins are sent by ordinary mail, it will not show up.  They steal
If sent by Registered Mail, the customs criminals open it and remove the contents.   They staple it and send the empty envelope.
Insured Mail with coins is only way, left out
Here too, the customs criminals LEVY CUSTOMS DUTY, PURPOSELY, BECAUSE, I HAVE GIVEN COMPLAINT ABOUT AGAINST THEFT.
Recently, U.S.Proof Sets of 2005, 2006 and 2007 were valued by a customs criminal for Rs.25,000 and a duty of Rs.4000 equal to $100 was levied.
(I CAN RECEIVE COINS UP TO RS.10,000 = $250 AS GIFT AS PER RULES.)
I appealed them, quoting the above rule.   But they said the above 3 Proof Sets were assessed for Rs.25,000 = $650   But the levy was reduced to $75   But the Proof Sets were BROKEN TO PIECES.
In U.S.Post office also there are problems.
A friend from Florida sent Ike Blue Pack by   Registered Mail.   In California the packet 'was found damaged' and they have removed the Blue Pack and other siver coins.   Other copper, nickel coins were returned to him back.
Another friend from Florida has sent Sacagawea Dollars from 1991 to 2007 with Prez. Dansco Album.  Though it was sent by Regd. Mail with Insurance cover of $50 or so     THE PACKAGE HAS NOT RECEIVED BY ME.
On complaint and initiation of Tracer Action the USPS has not refunded the insured value so far.
German Customs are very very honest.
So, thefts are being done by Postal system and Customs in India.    INSURED MAIL IS THE ONLY SAFE WAY.
George

[scottishmoney]

I bought some coins from a seller in Venezuela back in March, they never showed up.  He sent them registered but the tracking was never good after it hit the USA.  It was a small value item, I believe seller actually sent them, but they just never made it.  It is the first time knock on wood that I have ever had a coin shipment go astray.

[tiddyathome]

When sending coins to Canada ,
'Canada admits coins addressed to coin dealers or collectors only if uninsured.'
That is from the Australia post web site.

[scottishmoney]

When sending coins to Canada ,
'Canada admits coins addressed to coin dealers or collectors only if uninsured.'
That is from the Australia post web site.

Why don't they just state that they want to seize your coins for personal benefit of the customs inspectors?

[CoinCrusader42]

Triggersmob is right.

Don't know why I wrote three weeks.

It took three months plus a few days.

But, at least it got there!

 

[tiddyathome]

When sending coins to Canada ,
'Canada admits coins addressed to coin dealers or collectors only if uninsured.'
That is from the Australia post web site.

Why don't they just state that they want to seize your coins for personal benefit of the customs inspectors?

All of my coins have gotten through so far . And all coins sent back have arrived.

[scottishmoney]

I think I posted earlier, I had a shipment of coins from Venezuela that seemed to have gone down with the ship somewhere, seller was more than helpful and apologetic, but I waited waited waited.  Then last Friday after a nearly 6 week journey from Caracas, they arrived.  The best clue to where they had been was the original postmark, coupled with another postmark a month later also from Caracas.  Damnable Latin American postal offices anyway.  But truly lovely coins, and an interesting 12 1/5¢ coin.

[TwoShadows]

I sent a package to Norway once that took three months. The explanation I received was mail went to a clearinghouse in Germany and was not forwarded to Norway until they had a full truck or plane load. Sat there for two months in a pile of mail.
Glad to hear your coins did arrive! I know the worry that goes along with this hobby and the fact we are sending money back and forth with our fingers crossed every time we do it! Guess I have been more than lucky (knock on wood) so my fears have eased a bit. I have at times sent hundreds of dollars worth of silver and gold around the world and then spent days praying for word of their arrival.

[scottishmoney]

Right now I am praying for the arrival of my Tallent & Belzberg sale from Stack's Galleries purchase to arrive anytime now.