I use USPS Priority whenever possible.  The less time a shipper has your item, the less chance of damage.  That and the UPS hassle factor/I don't agree with the way you do business, and I choose USPS.  

And I have never had the USPS leave items on my porch and run away, for me to hopefully find them when I get home.

RonP

If you are going to send something like a file tape it between 2 pieces of wood and ship it a box. I'm a letter carrier and I have seen things coming out of boxes that were not wraped properly. If the product inside was lost this person would be saying the same thing, that the USPS sucks. It's amazing what we see. Some people just don't know how to box things up.
Another thing, If you pay for insurance I would not get delivery confirmation. You have to sign for the insured package, so you know you got it.

Re: lpcjon2's post.
I am sure he meant well, but in my opinion you would be wasting your money.

If package is lost, you will have to prove the value. I think you would be hardpressed to prove a value of an old file to be anywhere near $300.  The Post Office will not pay more than actual value for loss of something with sentimental value. Same as for an old photograph- (yes it may be irreplaceable).

Also, Delivery Confirmation means exactly what it says. At the time of delivery the mailman does scan the parcel. Yes, it may be scanned at various points along the transportation line. BUT, (if lost) in the end you will be able to track it right up to the point where it was last scanned. And then the clerk will look at you and say "I am very sorry, but I don't know what happened to your parcel".

I am a retired Postmaster of a Sectional Center Office. I have handled a lot of claims over the years. It may not sound like it, but I do choose the USPS for all my shipping; I think it offers a great service for the price. If the item is irreplaceable I will use Registered Mail, which automatically includes insurance, (unless you refuse it) by the way.  If not irreplaceable, I just send it insured for the appropriate amount.

Good luck and I hope you get better service next time.

Gary

ive never had a problem with the USPS, If I were you I would look at it as that was probably the last time that would happen.  The only problem I have with it here is that they do just leave things on doorsteps, for anyone to take. I mailed a few hundred dollars worth of gifts to my niece and nephew, they were delivered but never recieved if you know what I mean...Bummer

Matty, We are allowed to leave a package that does not need to be signed for if there is a secure area. I know at our office we do not have the room to bring back every parcel when no one is home. If you are waiting for something let your carrier know not to leave it if someone is not home. I have customers that I leave things in the shed or on back porches, in cars.

"they were delivered but never recieved if you know what I mean...Bummer"

You can pay for Signature Delivery Confirmation, Now your carrier should not leave it with out someone there to sign for it.

I haven't had problems with the USPS until recently. I just got a new King of the Mountain Lumbar pack and recieved a box that looked like it used to have 4 sides now has 2. The pack was undamaged-no big deal. Last Friday I got a Fathers day card from my grandkids-one of those Hallmark cards that you can record a greeting on. Well I never got to hear the greeting, the card was so badly mangled all the internal workings were shot-Very big deal. I'm not saying I'll never use the USPS again but maybe some individuals that work there need to put some extra pride and caring in their work. You can't put a price on sentimental value.

Craig,
One of the harder explanations I had to give for a lost package was one that one of my rural carrier insisted he remembered delivering. (And he was one of the really good conscientous guys).
The delivery confirmation showed he scanned it when delivering it. When I asked him if he remembered where he put it in the farmyard, he said "yes - in the green pick-up truck, because it was raining, and I did not want the package to get wet". When I told the customer that he replied "I don't have a green pick-up truck". So, someone drove off with the package, intentionally or not.

By the way, this carrier made it good to the customer out of his own pocket- fortunately it was not too expensive. Not because he had to, but because that was the kind of guy he was. Many times I wished I had a few more like him.

MnFn, I have been with the USPS for 31 years and and it's ashame all employees don't have the same work ethics. Thats ashame the owner of the truck didn't bring it back.

One thing today the USPS gets blame for a lot more. We deliever parcels for Fed Ex and UPS,  There are other contracted companies that transport parcels for the USPS and we are responsible for there damaged parcels.

Nothing is perfect and it hirts when it happens to us personally. It's the risk once it leaves our hands.

It's not a perfect world.

I have never had a problem with priority mail usps.  That said I have had problems with ups and fed ex.  I may be wrong but I hear ups is self insured so good luck with a claim.  I always insure valuble shipments.

I ship and recieve alot of bows thru USPS with no problems. UPS on the other hand broke one bow in half. Then I work for a high end antique dealer and we shipped a $8,000 dollar bronze sculpture with a marble base in a wooden crate. When it arrived in Cal. the marble base was missing. They couldn't tell me how this happened. Then a buddy of mine had a custom muzzle loader which required a signiture left leaning against his apartment door. They didn't even knock to see if anybody was home. I'll stick with USPS

With the company I work for we spend about $100,000 a year with FedEx and another $200,000 with the post office. FedEx ground is much better than UPS or the post office for packages over 5lbs. For the small stuff the USPS can't be beat.

I might be able to help you locate the item.  I'll PM you my phone number.  Give me a call if you like.

Sorry about your problems with USPS, but I have had VG luck with shipping and receive bows. Over the last two years, no less than a dozen bows received and five or six sent. Some recurves, hybrids and longbows. Most of the recurves were in boxes, the others in carpet tubes or PVC. I'll send Priority Mail with Insurance and a Tracking no.  

I have been shipping tons of stuff with USPS the only things that ever got lost were shipped next day air.  Both were eventually found and delivered 6 to 10 days late.  I only ship snail mail now and every package gets there in great shape and right when they tell you it will arrive.

Just talked with Lefty and he is trying to locate the file for me.  This is such a great place that a guy that doesnt know me from adam goes out of his way to help. I sent another file USPS in an indistructable box and Frank(STICSHOOTER) received it, hope it makes it home as a knife.Lol.  Guess Im not done with them yet, I felt that overwhelming results of good service through the USPS on this site gave me enough confidence to try them again, hope that dont bite me back. Thanks to everyone that felt my pain and apologies to all USPS workers, I know you all work hard, and to Lefty... THANKS brother!

Try and file a claim on it. Even if it wasn't insured or didn't have a tracking number on it some times things end up in an unclaimed office if a package breaks open and there's no way to tell where it belongs. The penalty for a Postal Employee caught stealing is pretty harsh but it does happen. when I was a contractor for them I've seen more than one offender taken out in cuffs. When they catch one they always make a big scene of it to so everyone knows what happens to those that get caught.