USPS Warning for honest sellers

here's my story;
I think it was couple years back around this time of the year, I bought a Balenciaga bag to reward myself and waited for the bag to arrive, I bought online a lot so I were expected the package will not arrive within 2~3 days (priority service) since it's the craziest time of the year. Days went by can't remember how the tracking went but it did ended up showing NOTICE LEFT, I search search and search the whole front door (we have this bushes that "sometimes" delivery person just "decited" to "hide" it inside) and found nothing, so the next day I went to the postal office gave them my address to track the package, half an hour waited "Maam, we can't find your package, we need your slip", I was furious came home and told the seller the situation, seller contacted her side of the postal office and things were CHAOS, apparently seller mistakenly send me 2 boxes (she claimed) 1 was mine and the other were another buyer item (don't ask me I don't know why), I was having buyer remorse while I was waiting feeling guilty for spending so much money on A bag back then, so I was kind of glad the package is missing because I know I am cover by buyer protection, to make it worst, seller DID NOT PURCHASE insurance for whatever reason it was. Over the weeks there were phone calls, Postal inspector visit, trips to my local postal office and no answer from Postal office and my package were no where to be found, long story short, I got my payment back from paypal, seller accuse me scammer that receive the bag and lied about it until TODAY!!
I feel sorry for her because according to seller she never receive the package being return to her.
I don't like my mail carrier and many many times i WANTED TO COMPALIN to the post master about him, to begin with, he's always late, he has been doing our route for many many many years and he know EVERYONE, he chat chat chat and delaying mails.
2nd, he always make mistake, EVERYDAY, we received our neighbour mails/package and vice versa
3rd, he SIGNED on behalf of me for my signature confirmation deliveries!!!!!!!!!

Since then, I keep very close eyes on my packages status and I hunt for him whenever I am expecting high $$ packages.
I buy and sell and use almost 99% USPS Priority serive, as a seller all I can says is purchase insurance to protect yourself and always drop off the package personally inside postal office and ask for acceptance receipt if you can.
as a buyer pray your mail carrier drink enough coffee that day and didn't make any mistake on his route :lol:
 
does anyone know if UPS is any better? I think things like this are only going to get worse in the future.

Sure UPS or FeDex are better. You can track your package every step of the way. And if there is a problem, you can call the 800 number and can actually talk to real human.
USPS is just getting worst and worst.
 
You must fight for it! This was just plain wrong!

Here is my lovely experience with USPS: We sell stuff on ebay and always put insurance and sig conf.! So a client emails me asking for his package, I research and I find some one signed for it! Upon further investigation and many phone calls to USPS, we find that the mail carrier signed for it and must have put it in the wrong box.
Well turns out the mail carrier is now on maternity leave and she should have never signed for it and no one can reach her and when I filled a USPS insurance claim, it was denied because it shows signed and delivered!

Just to let you all know that even if you get every possible option thru USPS to protect yourselves, if the carrier decides to sign for it and leave it at your door step or whatever and some one takes it or goes missing, your insurance claim will be denied and your SOL!
 
Sometimes it will be updated in a few days. But do not be surprised if that status will never updated, ever!
I have a couple of packages I sent that showed exactly that, and my buyers left me feedback or e-mailed me said they got the package.
This for sure is a way for a scam buyer to file INR claim.

I shipped something out on Wed morning and on Saturday, when I checked the status, it says:

Delivery status not updated as of December 11, 2010, 11:02 pm
Out for Delivery, December 11, 2010, 9:02 am, City, State, Zip

What does it mean? Does it mean it was delivered but the mailman forgot to scan it?