posted on March 31, 2006 06:32:00 AM
I need to ship an item worth about $4000 that weighs about 28 lbs. It will fit in a box 12x20x12 in. OK, it's silver bars if you must know. What's the best way to ship, and does something this dense need special packaging?
posted on March 31, 2006 07:43:36 AM
jewelers prefer to ship expensive jewelry thru USPS registered mail.It is traceable within USPS system as each station which receives the package has to sign for it.
But then I have also heard that everyone in USPS knows registered mail is prestigeous mail and so prone to theft??
Go to USPS website and see what is the max amount of insurance you can take out .
Also,USPS has been doing a good job denying claims esp if the seller is not an established retail store(say an auction seller),so I would do some research on 'what if your claim is denied?"
How do you prove you were shipping silver bars and not rocks??
/ lets all stop whining !! /
[ edited by hwahwa on Mar 31, 2006 07:48 AM ]
posted on March 31, 2006 07:45:31 AM
You dont have to double box but the USPS packing guidelines specify how many inches of padding all around .
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on March 31, 2006 08:38:01 AM
I don't think padding is really an issue with silver bars. It's not as is they are going to break.
I would absolutely double box and use some good old fashioned duct tape to seal the box up.
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Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on March 31, 2006 09:30:40 AM
Pelorus.
read the other thread on South Africa registered mail lost ,Tom has posted some information on indemnity of 46 dollars no matter what your declared value is.
My info on jewelers prefer registered mail may no longer be true if all they get is 46 dollars??
Best is to call your local jeweler and gold dealers and ask them how they ship their goods,call Fed exp and UPS etc just to hear what they have to say.
If you decide to ship via USPS,I would call your local USPS branch manager and ask him what you need to do to make sure your claim would be accepted,should you bring document showing where your silver bars come from and should you pack and seal them at the post office in front of them??
If you dont have a store sellimg precious metals,you better have some document on where you acquire those silver !
As for DSI and U-PIC,sure they would accept your money,but would they pay you 4k when the time comes??
/ lets all stop whining !! /
[ edited by hwahwa on Mar 31, 2006 09:32 AM ]
posted on March 31, 2006 10:23:54 AM
Is this being shipped within the US? I have sent any multi-thousand dollar items I have shipped by USPS Priority, Registered mail. My post office says they can not go missing because they are signed for at every stage. They can also be insured for more than regular Priority. I forget the limit. The same may not be true if they they are shipped outside the US but we have had no problem with US shipping. The one problem I did have was getting the paper tape that is not self sticking required for Registered. Had to finally buy a HUGE roll that I will not use no matter how long I live because it is not easy to find in small rolls.
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“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on March 31, 2006 10:32:27 AM
from the USPS website-up to 25k domestic registered mail-
When you’re sending valuable or irreplaceable items through the mail, protect them with Registered Mail™.
Items you send with Registered Mail are placed under tight security from the point of mailing to the point of delivery, and insured up to $25,000 against loss or damage. And you can verify the date and time of delivery and the delivery attempts online. Registered Mail to Canada is subject to a $1,000 indemnity limit. To all other foreign countries, the indemnity limit is currently $40.45.
Learn about detailed Features and Fees for Registered Mail.
Calculate Postage
Figure out how much postage you need – automatically.
You can use Registered Mail with:
First-Class Mail® - Letters, envelopes, and small packages weighing 13 ounces or less.
Priority Mail® - Cost effective delivery in an average of 2-3 days.
You can combine Registered Mail with the following Extra Services:
Delivery Confirmation™ – Provides date and time of delivery or attempted delivery.
Signature Confirmation™ – Provides date and time of delivery or attempted delivery, the name of the person who signed for the item, plus signature proof of delivery upon request.
Collect on Delivery (COD) - Allows the postage and price of an item to be collected from the recipient by the USPS and given to the mailer.
Return Receipt - Provides a postcard with the date of delivery and recipient's signature.
Restricted Delivery - Confirms that only a specified person (or authorized agent) will receive a piece of mail. Only available with Certified Mail, Insured Mail over $50, or Registered Mail.
Related Publications
A Customer's Guide to Mailing Read our Customer's Guide to Mailing within the U.S.
Registered Mail, Domestic Mail Manual
posted on March 31, 2006 10:47:49 AM
Virtually all carriers in the U.S. will decline to accept liability for certain items included in shipments. At the top of the list of all of them are gold, silver and other preciouse metals as well as gemstones, cash and certain negotiable documents. These items can be shipped, however, but it is necessary to secure insurance from a private insurance company to cover them. Trip transit policies can be written by several companies that specifically cover these excluded items. The local manager of FedEx or UPS can give you the names of local insurance company representatives who can provide this service.Don't waste time with the window clerks, or KinKo's or UPS Store employees. Speak directly with the manager. Don't bother packing anything yet until you find out the insurance company requirements.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on March 31, 2006 11:29:19 AM
It this were my item, I'd take a photo of the bars in their box before closing it up, and I'd have a witness there.
posted on March 31, 2006 12:03:33 PM
I would ship by FedEx Express & insure through DSI. This would be the fastest & to me the safest way. You can taske the 2 day delivery or the 3 day which would be about $61.00 for Zone 8
posted on March 31, 2006 12:41:26 PM
you guys are wrong,gold and precious metals dealers and jewelers ship USPS registered mail as it is logged in every step of the way and housed in special section of USPS warehouse guarded by USPS guards who carry guns.
Also dont forget who has the deepest pocket when it comes time to pay claims,it is USPS.
Yeah,take a picture with the local post office manager when you are packing up the silver bars,who makes a better witness than USPS management!
/ lets all stop whining !! /
[ edited by hwahwa on Mar 31, 2006 01:01 PM ]
posted on March 31, 2006 06:20:10 PM
OK I was in the coin business and if you are sending silver bars I would always find a strong box, cut the box to the appropriate size, wrap in in brown paper and then cover that with brown paper tape. It always went registered and never had a problem. I would also fill in any excess amount that was open in the box with newspaper, If I was sending coins I would put cotton on the top part of the roles to make sure they did not slide or rattle. We probably sent in excess of $10,000,000 each year by the post office. The clerks used to chringe when I came in because they knew I had a small box that was very heavy.
Also for the return address do not put any referance in as to what is in there. When I was with Graf Coins I would just put Graf. If you are not known as a regular dealer in such items I would get full documentation including photos as to what the items are.
posted on April 3, 2006 06:01:36 AM
Thank you all for the excellent information.
It's USPS registered for domestic shipments for me.
The reference to the right kind of paper tape made me chuckle. I had all kinds of problems finding it. The UPS store even sold me some they said was made for that purpose -- then the USPS rejected it. Live and learn.
posted on April 3, 2006 08:45:16 AM
I got a BIG roll of paper tape at Staples with embedded threads for strength. In the past I have begged for it at the post office for small packages but the last was big so I just went for it. Maybe I should offer to sell small amounts of it
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on April 3, 2006 09:13:32 AM
Need Paper tape? Stop off at your local U-Haul. You can buy it by the roll or in 3 packs.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Never ask what sort if computer a guy drives. If he's a Mac user, he'll tell you. If he's not, why embarrass him? - Tom Clancy
posted on April 3, 2006 09:42:20 AM
I tried several storage and shipping places but the paper tape they had is self-stick and the post office requires it be the old style that is water soluble.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
