topic Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance. in Community Chat

I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

sfnative — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 05:43:48 GMT

Having found it necessary to return an item to QVC, which I don't do often at all, I took it to the Post Office for processing and was denied the ability to purchase insurance. This was news to me.

Since I have already experienced theft of two items by employees of the USPS, I was livid at this news.

Does anyone know when this policy was initiated? Thanks for your help.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

OnlyShopsOnline — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 05:49:55 GMT

Did they say why you couldn't purchase insurance? Just curious, because we have a very strange post office, near our home, and I think the people that work there are delusional.

Everytime I went in there, I used to get some strangely high price, and they never gave me any alternate shipping options. Wouldn't even give me a receipt once.

On the rare occassion that I use the USPS, I now go to a different location. It's a greater distance from my home, but they are always so helpful. Always offer different shipping options. And, give me receipts for items mailed with a pre-paid label, which the other location wouldn't do.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Desertdi — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 06:36:46 GMT

My post office is always very accomodating. The clerk always gives me the rates for the fastest, the cheapest........always asks if I need a return receipt, insurance, etc. Unfortunately, the place is always crowded, with a long line................

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Kachina624 — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 07:29:21 GMT

@OnlyShopsOnline I've been told by clerks at two different locations that they are no longer supposed to give you a receipt for a package with a pre-paid label. Instead, they scan it as soon as you give it to them.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Desertdi — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 07:53:48 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

On the rare occassion that I use the USPS, I now go to a different location. It's a greater distance from my home, but they are always so helpful. Always offer different shipping options. And, give me receipts for items mailed with a pre-paid label, which the other location wouldn't do.

@OnlyShopsOnline I've been told by clerks at two different locations that they are no longer supposed to give you a receipt for a package with a pre-paid label. Instead, they scan it as soon as you give it to them.

And.....my PO also has UPS and FedEx boxes outside.......I can just dump the stuff in......even on a Sunday!!!!

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

OnlyShopsOnline — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 10:40:19 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

On the rare occassion that I use the USPS, I now go to a different location. It's a greater distance from my home, but they are always so helpful. Always offer different shipping options. And, give me receipts for items mailed with a pre-paid label, which the other location wouldn't do.

@OnlyShopsOnline I've been told by clerks at two different locations that they are no longer supposed to give you a receipt for a package with a pre-paid label. Instead, they scan it as soon as you give it to them.

I was told that once also. But, the one location that I now go to always gives me a receipt. Go figure, lol.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

MaggieMack — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:02:45 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

On the rare occassion that I use the USPS, I now go to a different location. It's a greater distance from my home, but they are always so helpful. Always offer different shipping options. And, give me receipts for items mailed with a pre-paid label, which the other location wouldn't do.

@OnlyShopsOnline I've been told by clerks at two different locations that they are no longer supposed to give you a receipt for a package with a pre-paid label. Instead, they scan it as soon as you give it to them.

Mine told me to ALWAYS come to the counter for a receipt so I will have proof that it was mailed. I do that on a pkg of some value.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

spud188 — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:05:26 GMT

Something fishy is going on at your PO??? I would be making some phone calls.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

MaggieMack — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:06:51 GMT

@sfnative, the only reason I can think that you would be told you weren't allowed to purchase insurance was that it went Priority and you told them the value was less than $50. You receive automatic insurance of $50 on Priority.

The post office WANTS to sell insurance since it is a good profit center for them. Talk to a supervisor if you hear it again.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

nomless — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:43:24 GMT

If you used Q's prepaid label, insurance is included.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

ID2 — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 12:00:57 GMT

Perhaps it was the way she was sending it. Some of the cheapest ways the PO has, doesn't come with any insurance. You have to up the way you want to send it then you can get insurance.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

PINKdogWOOD — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 12:09:45 GMT

Yes Ms desertDi, mine is the same. The women who work at mine are very nice, always share all of the price points. And I'm not sure about why insurance wasn't talked about. The postal service some time ago changed their rates such that unually the least expensive one I choose at $5.95 or so already has $50 of insurance built into the cost. Gets to the destination in about 2-3 days.

No problems as my post office.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

jackthebear — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 12:16:36 GMT

Besides inept PO employees, the other possibility is that if you were using the Qlabel I think it includes insurance.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Abrowneyegirl — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 12:38:37 GMT

If you think something 'fishy' is going on at your local branch contact your state's main USPS office.

I had a problem once a few years ago and called to inquire about something and I was surprised how seriously and promptly I was contacted by the head of our state's post office. This guy was not screwing around he wanted full details, I had no doubt the situation would be resolved...... and it was !

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

KingstonsMom — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:26:43 GMT

My P.O. will not give receipts for the prepaid label.

But after using the prepaid label once or twice and seeing how long it took to arrive back to Q and get my refund, I quit using the label anyway.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Tinkrbl44 — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 14:35:14 GMT

@sfnative wrote:
Having found it necessary to return an item to QVC, which I don't do often at all, I took it to the Post Office for processing and was denied the ability to purchase insurance. This was news to me.

Since I have already experienced theft of two items by employees of the USPS, I was livid at this news.

Does anyone know when this policy was initiated? Thanks for your help.

What was the reason given ..... and how were you sending the package?

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

Venezia — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 15:53:44 GMT

@sfnative wrote:
Having found it necessary to return an item to QVC, which I don't do often at all, I took it to the Post Office for processing and was denied the ability to purchase insurance. This was news to me.

Since I have already experienced theft of two items by employees of the USPS, I was livid at this news.

Does anyone know when this policy was initiated? Thanks for your help.

I had the exact same thing happen to me once at my local, rural post office. I had been using a different post office nearer to work normally. I was stunned, when the lady said she couldn't sell me insurance. When I asked why I was told.....that it was because I was returning a package to a company!!!

I pointed out that I was mailing a package at my own expense; it shouldn't matter to whom or why. She would not budge, so I took the package back and went out of my way to go to my "normal" post office, where I mailed it without saying anything about what had happened at my local until after the package had been mailed. I then told the lady there and she said it was total nonsense and offered to call my local and "explain" to the lady in charge there. I declined that and instead reported it to the post office's 1-800 number. I subsequently got an email from my "local" saying that she was "sorry" I wasn't happy with the service I'd gotten but that I was asking her to lie and circumvent the system!!! Say what????? I almost forwarded that back to the head of the postal system, but decided just to take my business elsewhere in the future.

I've also had one person tell me they couldn't give me a receipt for the prepaid labels - again, that's just a lie. I always get a receipt although this lady insisted that I ask for "a prepaid label acceptance receipt"! I said I didn't care what she called it - I just wanted proof of having handed over the package! Without that, if the package goes missing, you have no evidence whatsoever. (Photocopy the label with the tracking number before you hand it over, just in case.)

It seems to me in my area that they are hiring a lot of "casual" workers now who don't know the job (although the two instances I've just mentioned were full-time federal employees). Like the one who said she couldn't sell me any stamps because they were locked in the "back room" and she didn't have the key! This was on a Friday and the regular postmistress wouldn't be back till Monday!!!

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

HappyDaze — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 16:00:12 GMT

@only shops online wrote:
Did they say why you couldn't purchase insurance? Just curious, because we have a very strange post office, near our home, and I think the people that work there are delusional.

Everytime I went in there, I used to get some strangely high price, and they never gave me any alternate shipping options. Wouldn't even give me a receipt once.

On the rare occassion that I use the USPS, I now go to a different location. It's a greater distance from my home, but they are always so helpful. Always offer different shipping options. And, give me receipts for items mailed with a pre-paid label, which the other location wouldn't do.

They are required by law to give you receipt for something you paid for.

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

HappyDaze — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 16:02:11 GMT

This is really strange- I've never been denied purchasing insurance except, of course, for a letter. My post office is always more than willing to take my money!

Re: I'm confused: USPS denied me the ability to purchase insurance.

icezeus — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 16:17:51 GMT

@Kachina624

The Post office by my job had this policy. They denied me twice. Then out of the blue it was not a problem anymore.

The one by my house has never given me any grief about issuing me a receipt for items that I returning.