Hot Rods Update/USPS Lost it- Lower Shaft for my Halbrand 101 QC?

I bought a HTF hardcover book on eBay, seller packaged it in a plain, manila envelope. Four pound book, it came with a corner heavily damaged where the book tore through the envelope. Seller was not thinking, proper packing would have prevented any damage.
Anyway, I took it to local PO and turned it in, never even filled out any paperwork, but I was given a receipt for claim. Seller received payment promptly and sent my refund ASAP.
Just my experience, but the system did work for me. Pack securely, ship promptly, insure when needed and in general do things like you expect them done for yourself. Do things get lost ? Sure, but many other situations are preventable.

 

And with it being answered

Yup. Insurance is pretty cheap. Pennies on the dollar. I always include insurance when I ship. You never know.

 

Ordered a windshield gasket from Campbell Cal. They shipped it on last Friday 2 day priority mail. I finally got it today in Az only took a week. USPS at their finest & they want more money. Yep stamps just went up $.02.
They should put a chip in expensive stuff then maybe they could catch the thieving crooks.

 

Remember "delivery confirmation" isn't really what it sounds like. It may get scanned as "delivered" but, it could have been delivered to the wrong house, on the wrong street. But it will show up as having been delivered in the system. So it really doesn't mean that much.

Anything expensive and/or irreplaceable, really needs to be at extra cost, sent signature confirmation this is a PITA for everyone involved but cuts down on problems because someone has to sign for it. Send it to a business that is open during business hours. Let your carrier know a few days ahead of time so they can keep an eye out for it.

 

I ALWAYS pack items as heavily as possible, and use the fiber laced packing tape wrapped completely around the box in several locations. We've all had packages arrive totally messed up in shipping. I've had items that never made it to me, that they swear were delivered (online tracking does't prove a thing). It takes a LOT to get me angry, but after the Big Brown "delivered" two DOT approved slicks, that I did't get, they got the full measure of my "pissed-off-ness". All that did was get me on their "list", and I had to SIGN for ALL deliveries. It got to be a real pain, especially when I was't home, and they'd leave a "notice". The tires they "delivered" were actually delivered to the correct street, just on the other side of a group of trees and blackberry brambles. Those folks daughter actually signed for them (???). My daughter knew their daughter, and they figured out who the tires were meant for, and notified me; I picked them up at their house (the dad has a Pantera!). When I got home, I notified the local Big Brown shipping center with what had happened, and had the tires. An hour later THEY called me back to tell me THEY had located my tires, and would be delivering them (?????). I had to again tell they I had possession of the tires. The biggest issue with me is they lied, lied, lied, and then lied some more to try and make themselves look like a responsible company. "Don't p*ss on my boots and tell me it's raining"; that saying seems to fit. I will say deliveries have improved greatly since the tire episode several years ago, but packages still come totally beaten up, and it's not just the Big Brown; Fed Former, and the Post Office are't really any better. Package your stuff like it's fine china or crystal. However, I think the "FRAGILE" labels or writing on a package is just a "challenge" in the routing centers, if you know what I mean.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

There's no time to look at anything but the address, where it's going. It might help at certain points along the way. Or it might hurt. No substitute for good double boxing for fragile items. Heavy stuff (cast iron and steel) will bang through boxes, make sure it's secured from moving around.

Trying to save a few bucks on shipping can be counterproductive. Don't try to stuff ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag. Also Media rates and el-cheapo shipping usually means big heavy items. So it's more likely the package sits around longer and then somebody throws a carton of encyclopedias right on top of it. Smoosh. Priority packages go through the system faster and aren't usually so heavy.

 

I worked for UPS for a few years - loading - and on the box line........if you buy something from me - DON'T ask me to ship it UPS.....

 

USPS employee here. Looking at the pics, tells me it is the fault of the sender. Heavy, sharp, or ridged parts in a regular cardboard box = box being ripped & parts being lost. Wrap the parts in bubble wrap & tape securely. Tape cardboard onto sharp edges, before wrapping the parts & putting into a box. Use packing peanuts/bubble wrap/crumpled newspaper/etc, to fill the voids. Use heavy boxes. Used packing/strapping tape. Duct/masking/scotch tape is not made for this purpose. Stop trying to save a few pennies or dollars on shipping by not using good packing methods, then blaming the shipping company (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc) for the mistake. I'm not a window clerk. If I was, I'd advise senders bringing in packages when I think they did a terrible job of packing. Not all do. If it moves inside the box, it will probably rip the box. And, as I've advised on this board before: PUT THE NAME & ADDRESS ON THE PARTS INSIDE THE BOX. IF THEY FALL OUT, THE P.O. WILL DELIVER THEM, EVEN WITHOUT THE BOX. Can't you geniuses figure out why you get the empty box, but not the parts? Because it has the delivery address on it. The bar codes help to determine where packages are, & where they were left. They get scanned by a device that has GPS. I'm sure not all delivery people scan the bar code at exactly the point they put the box down, although they should. Sometimes, it's hard to juggle heavy boxes, walk through unshoveled or icy driveways, dodge crap people leave in there lawns, & avoid the family dog (he's never bit anyone before!), & carry the scanner. So, it may get scanned in the vehicle (60ft away?) Not to mention, the time stress put on these people. If you do your, part correctly, the shipper will do theirs. Most of the time.

 

Many years ago (40?), before USPS began to reshape themselves into a UPS competitor, my boss sent me to the post office to mail a small package. He told me it was breakable, so insure it. When I got to the counter, I told the clerk that the object in the box was breakable and I wanted to insure it. He tells me "We don't insure against breakage, only loss but I can stamp it Fragile for you." I tell him to go ahead and he grabs a nice, big, red rubber Fragile stamp and proceeds to wham it against the box on two sides. Then he calmly placed the stamp back on the rack, finished taking my money, and then tossed the box six feet into a big rolling bin full of other boxes.

As a young, stupid kid, I was too shocked to say anything. When I told my boss what happened, I thought he was going to fire me on the spot he was so mad. Luckily whatever was in the box made it to the destination OK.

 

Fordors,
Check your Conversations.

I think I may have what you want.

Bruce

And Beano, Thanx for the referral.

 

yep, I totally blanked on that one. UPS still sucks whales balls though!

 

IT was me who blanked I originally said UPS in my thread
.

 

Thanks!

 

GearheadsQCE, no PM here.

 

Sorry, I got that wrong. It was 51 mercules
Too much talk about UPS & USPS I guess.

 

Just an update. Hot Rod Works has the lower shaft. I contacted the seller the USPS wouldn't honor the insuranse in their neck of the woods, so I checked the 3 USPS offices here in my area and they wouldn't honor the insurance either. Even though it was insured. They said since you received the package and it was lost for 15 days they are not responsible for any of the contents getting lost. They also said it wasn't packaged correctly. It looks like I got the shaft, not the one I paid for and in the pic.

 

do you need a lower shaft? I have an extra 6 spline x 6 spline 15 3/4 long

 

I have an extra lower shaft fits halibrand 101 6 spl x 6 spl x 15 3/4 oal x brg dia .78 email me lonewoofs@aol.com

 

Here is a story you don't hear very often. I bought a 40 LaSalle grille from a guy in New York. When it didn't arrive, I called him. He said he mailed it UPS and had the paperwork. He ships old car parts everyday, so knew how to pack them.UPS tells me they put it on my front porch several days earlier. I said there is always someone there, and they DID NOT leave it on my porch. They double checked their records and discovered they left it on A porch,several miles away, in a BAD part of town, at an address not even remotely like mine, next to a scrap yard. No problem, they said, they would just send a guy to pick it up, and bring it to me. By now, it is several weeks later. Next day, a guy from UPS shows up at my door, with the LaSalle grille unharmed. What do you think the odds of that happening twice are?