As some of you might know I made a post earlier as to what to do about a lost package. If you do not, I bought a RRA  M4 complete upper w/ carry handle on the EE here. It was shipped on 12/17/04.  Online tracking said it was delivered 12/23/04. I waited and waited. Finally I was told to file a lost package form at the local post office.  They responded to me a week later on 1/7/05. The head supervisor told me he checked the carrier that scanned it in as delivered, he claims he was sure he had the right house. Said he knew the address. I was told that it must have been stolen off my front porch. Very unlikely, I live in East Northport in Suffolk on a court, no one ever comes down my street. I was also home all day and so were 2 other members of my family. Everday after the thing was shipped I watched and waited for my upper (yes i was that excited)  Now for someone to take it off my proch they would have to walk all the way up my front yard up steps and onto my porch in the middle of the day. There is no crime ever in my town. It  was scanned in as delivered at 11:40am. I recall nothin ever coming at that time. It also did not make it to my post office until 10:45am the same day. I really do not think it could be delivered that quickly. I believe that someone at the post office stole it. I get the feeling that they keep putting me off because I am a 20 year old kid.  And that I will not bother them about it. I have filed a complaint with consumer affairs. I am very upset about this, I paid $470 and it looks like I am getting nothing, it was not insured. I know I should have made sure it was but really wasnt even thinking of it.  I was also told to contact the postal inspectors. If anyone has any advice as to what to do please let me know or If you find someone selling the same upper yet there is nothing unique about it, it would still be worth looking into.  Thank you.

I don't really have any advice to offer beyond what you already have been told.  I've only ever had one package get lost/stolen and the company that I ordered it from sent replacement items and filed charges against the shipping company no questions asked.  In your case I am not sure if there is much local law enforcement could do although I'm sure they'd be interested to know a complete upper half is in some unknown person's possession due to the nature of the item, possibly one who would get red flagged on a background check.  I do not even know if it would fall under their jurisdiction since you can't prove when it disappeared.

I'm just left wondering if there is another road in your area with the same name but a different suffix that it might have been dropped at by mistake.

Yea I checked, and asked but this guy was 100% sure he brought it to my house. Even if it was the wrong one people around here to keep things, theyll put it right back. Thanks

Report the theft to your local police and then to the Postal Inspectors.  Start HERE.  

The Postal Inspection Service office that serves 11731 can be contacted at:
POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE
PO BOX 555
NEW YORK NY 10116-0555

Phone : 212-330-3844
Fax : 212-330-2720

Hope they get this straightened out for you...........................keep us updated..........we'll keep our fingers crossed for ya..................

Call your local police, let them know what was in the package. I had a similar incident, all I did was mention calling friends @ the local PD. People began to act fast when the cops showed up. Police do not want more guns on the street & tend to help out when they could face the guy that stole your stuff. Make a big stink, "The mailman dropped of a firearm to the wrong person". I'm tellin ya I had the head of regional FEDEX on the lookout, its there ass if it ever used in a crime. They(FEDEX) dropped of my UZI @ the address next to my FFL & Claimed the scanner for signature was down & thats why there was no signature on file. -Justin

Report your suspicions to the Postal Cops (The contact info is listed earlier in the thread), They will track it down.

Do what others have mentioned..................And not for nothing, but yourself and whoever sold and shipped the upper to you are both VERY freakin' irresponsible. If you buy an item like that, you make sure it is going to be insured by the shipper. As the shipper, he has the responsibility to insure the package just due to the nature of the item.

USE YOUR FRIGGIN' BRAIN'S PEOPLE!!

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings (and I sincerely hope this works out for you BigB1129) but I had a VERY similar thing happen to me in November 2003.  I purchased a Glock upper assembly that was sent via the USPS with delivery confirmation, but no insurance.  Well, it never showed up despite the "records" showing it was delivered to my house on a certain date and time.  Where I live, it is also unlikely that someone would even know there's a package at my front door, let alone walk all the way to my door, up the stairs, across the porch and back down again.  I filed reports with the Postal Inspector, the county Sheriff's Dept, etc... basically anybody who would listen.  I made it very clear what the package contained so they knew what to look for (I even had pictures and a serial #).  They asked the delivery guy and he "didn't really remember" but is sure he would have brought it to the right address.  Well, it's now 14 months later and I've never seen the package, nor have I been compensated a dime for my loss ($300).  The seller told me basically tough luck, he shipped the part, got confirmation that it was delivered to my house, so it was between me and the Post Office.  Honestly, part of me can't blame him, except for not insuring the package, he did his part.

Anyway BigB1129, it's not that they're jerking you around because you're a 20 year old kid, they're jerking you around because they know that most people have little or no recourse against the USPS, right or wrong.  It doesn't hurt to get the Postal Inspector's office investigating though, maybe you'll have more luck than I did.

Lesson learned the hard way, ALWAYS insure ANYTHING shipped by the USPS and insist sellers do the same for you, even if it costs you a few more bucks.  One loss like ours basically wipes out any money savings accumulated by doing internet deals.

TO ALL SELLERS OUT THERE: In the interest of being a decent person, please spend a couple dollars to insure what you're selling if shipping via the USPS, even if the buyer doesn't pay for it.  I doubt it will break your bank to do so and it will go a long way to prevent issues like this.  To those sellers who don't, I think you're a bunch of cheap A-holes.  To those who do, thanks.

Quoted: Call your local police, let them know what was in the package. I had a similar incident, all I did was mention calling friends @ the local PD. People began to act fast when the cops showed up. Police do not want more guns on the street & tend to help out when they could face the guy that stole your stuff. Make a big stink, "The mailman dropped of a firearm to the wrong person". I'm tellin ya I had the head of regional FEDEX on the lookout, its there ass if it ever used in a crime. They(FEDEX) dropped of my UZI @ the address next to my FFL & Claimed the scanner for signature was down & thats why there was no signature on file. -Justin

+1

Did you speak with the local Postmaster about the missing item? Did you talk to all your neighbors on your  street to see if they had any missing packages?  Other then filing a police report there is not much more you can do at this point.  Don't give up yet as the possibility exists that it may turn up somewhere and delivered to you.

When you file a complaint with the PD and they come to interview you make sure the dead hooker is not in plain view.  

Was this for your first AR?

Quoted: Was this for your first AR?

Yes. I bought a lower off the EE and it made it to the FFL with no problems.  Made it in 3 days. Had the upper shipped the same way, but different coming from a different person.

Yea insurence is a must but I didnt even think about it. I though "hey if I pay 10 bucks to get it shipped it will get to me in a few days" I didnt think "ohh they might steal it" or "might deliver it to the wrong house". I have never had problems befor. But def anyone that ships anything have it insured. Looks like i learned the hard way.  I talked to the head post master, all the supervisors. They said they are pretty sure someone didnt steal it but are still looking into it. Neighbors havent had any packages missing.  I am going to call the postal inspectors on monday. Thanks for the advice guys.

Even if it was insured do you really think they would pay out seeing how by all accounts they say the package was delivered? Whats to stop them from saying that you actually recieved it and are trying to collect on it?

-Foxxz

Quoted: Even if it was insured do you really think they would pay out seeing how by all accounts they say the package was delivered? Whats to stop them from saying that you actually recieved it and are trying to collect on it? -Foxxz

They make you sign an affidavit stating that you did not receive the package, Then after a while they pay you. If they find out you falsly signed the form they have you for all sorts of criminal charges.   My guess is that they investigate the insured claims a little better being that it is costing them cash!

I always ship insured & I insist the shipper of anything I buy does the same!  

Quoted: Be aware that Postal Inspectors look out for their own. They would hang your ass out to dry if you got caught stealing but look the other way if a carrier was a suspect.

I beg to differ.  In my 18+ years in the USPS, I have seen many coworkers "taken off the floor" and lose their jobs and face prosecution for theft of mail.  The Postal Inspectors have a 95% conviction rate.   You steal, they find out, they videotape you, and then they get with irrefutable evidence.  Stick to what you know,  selling fish.

"I beg to differ. In my 18+ years in the USPS, I have seen many coworkers "taken off the floor" and lose their jobs and face prosecution for theft of mail. The Postal Inspectors have a 95% conviction rate. You steal, they find out, they videotape you, and then they get with irrefutable evidence."

That scares me a little. Insurance is a good idea, but can throw off profit margins enough to make things not worth while. Rock  Hard place -Justin

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Be aware that Postal Inspectors look out for their own. They would hang your ass out to dry if you got caught stealing but look the other way if a carrier was a suspect. I beg to differ.  In my 18+ years in the USPS, I have seen many coworkers "taken off the floor" and lose their jobs and face prosecution for theft of mail.  The Postal Inspectors have a 95% conviction rate.   You steal, they find out, they videotape you, and then they get with irrefutable evidence.  Stick to what you know,  selling fish. I speak from first hand experience. A postal worker stole stuff from a job I was doing. I contacted his supervisors and they didn't do shit. Maybe things work differntly at the Peck Slip Station office? Send a few of your 95% Postal Inspectors to find this kids upper, would ya?

Where the hell is the Peck Slip Station???  In all seriousness, the only thing that postal supervisors give a shit about is their production numbers.  That is what determines their yearly bonus.  FrankSquid, this is where you have erred.  If you witnessed postal theft, you should have notified the Postal Inspectors not a postal supervisor.  They are not the same as you implied.  In one sentence you speak of Postal Inspectors and in the next of postal supervisors as if they are the same.  Postal Inspectors will fry your ass regardless of whether you are postal or not.  The Postal Inspection Service are the "dectectives" of the law enforcement arm of the USPS.  They are all well armed.   I speak from first hand experience too.  Before I got sick, I worked at a large processing facility in North Jersey.  People steal regardless where they work be it the USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.  If they make a habit of it, they eventually get caught.  I have seen many people get taken away over the years.  Postal Inspectors let you continue to steal while they build a case against you.  I was questioned in several investigations involving coworkers that were stealing.  Walking into their offices showed me exactly just how much we were under video surveillance 24/7.  My wife works at the North Jersey Processing Facility at Teterboro.  She told me that a few weeks ago, they nailed an employee with 10 years of service for stealing DVDs..  The biggest problem now is the use of temporary employees particularly during Christmastime.  They hire them for three months at a time and they are not vetted as a career employee would be.  They are used both inside and outside.  It is in this group where the most theft occurs.  I feel badly for BigB1129 having been in his shoes.  I have been burned by all three of the big three (USPS, UPS and FedEx).  On each occasion, I was home and in each incident, the regular person was not working my route that day  The only advice I can offer for the future is that if a vendor will not offer insurance on your big dollar purchase, do not buy from them.  Do not assume that it will be insured.  Always ask.  As for BigB1129's package, it was most likely not delivered by his regular carrier if it was delivered at all.  Just before Christmas, they usually deliver Priority packages seperately from the regular mail because of the sheer volume.  That may explain why it was scanned a hour before the "delivery".  It is possible that it may have made its way into an employee's car before he/she went out on the deliveries.  I live in a nice neighboorhood on a quiet street and things have disappeared from my doorstep.  It can happen.  BigB1129, call the Postal Inspectors (look in your phone book, they should be under the USPS listings) and tell them that a firearm related package disappeared after it was purportedly delivered.  This should get the ball rolling and light a fire under the management at your local PO.  Do not waste your time with Postal Supervisors.    

If you paid with a credit card you may have some recourse through them.

When you call your local LEO make sure to tell them that is was an "assult style" weapon part, that will perk there ears a little more.

I feel for ya on this one, I have both a lower and a upper in the mail right now.  [Crossing Fingers]

Thanks guys. I am going to call them on monday they were not open today. I ask my useual carrier and she told me she never delivered a package. I then found out it was a different carrier, My local woman carrier shows up around 11:30-11:45. She said she also did not say any other carriers on the street at the time, Giving me more reason the believe that it was stolen.

Any advice when I am talking to these postal inspectors? This is driving me crazy

Quoted: Any advice when I am talking to these postal inspectors? This is driving me crazy

They might wonder why you didn't pay for extortion insurance.