I sent a package to my parents with a couple of bottles of a gourmet barbecue sauce.  There were several other small gifts inside.  I sent it via Priority Mail to them and paid $10.40 for the privilege.

The package arrived with one of the bottles TOTALLY CRUSHED.  All of the contents were throoughly covered in broken glass and barbecue sauce.  I have no recourse for a complaint or compensation, as there was no insurance on the package.  I'll tell you this - if it was a commercial company, I would have a claim form and reimbursement in hand, and somebody would likely be getting their severance.  However, I don't have that luxury with a governemnt agency.  That's the last package I will EVER ship via USPS!!!  Please join me in boycotting their unaccountable asses!!

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the items were packaged with plenty of padding and the exterior was marked "FRAGILE-GLASS" on all 6 sides.

"Priority Mail to them and paid $10.40 for the privilege."

Oops... Waste of money...  Priority travels mixed in with the first class.  You get an option of a reply card with Priority as the only advantage.

Take this advice from the dirty, sweaty floor of Mail Processing...

If it is important, fragile, expensive, irreplacable, whatever, use Registered Mail.  Every person that touches your package must sign for it, even the truck drivers.  They are handled in a different secured area.

Now, as for me, I off to work to mash some packages at USPS. (Not really)

sorry for your experience, but I think putting "FRAGILE-GLASS" on a package makes postal employees treat stuff worse.