Fossilcollector Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 When you mail a fossil and insure it and it breaks (with the USPS), you file for a claim and the post office will want the fossil and packaging brought in as evidence for them to examine and hold on to, if you win the claim they'll send you a check but the post office keeps the broken fossil. At least this happened the last time I mailed a 5" meg and it broke. So where do these broken fossils go? Is there a warehouse somewhere of all the stuff that breaks while shipping? Or do they go to the junkyard? Anyone know? -Veo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Real good question... I always assumed that they have some kind of salvage/liquidation contract to offset their losses? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I bet some stuff is tossed in the trash, but the stuff people want goes into their pockets. If you worked there, and they told you to put a 5 in meg in the trash, what would you do? Im not 100% on that one, but you wouldnt figure they would hold on to it all. The TSA holds auctions on all the stuff they take from people at the airport, so they may do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinthemud Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 How fun would it be to attend one of those auctions... either the TSA one or the USPS one... haha... many unique items, I bet... "To do is to be." -Socrates "People are Stupid." -Wizard's First Rule "Happiness is a warm Jeep." -Auspex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 How fun would it be to attend one of those auctions... either the TSA one or the USPS one... haha... many unique items, I bet... I worked at six flags years ago, and at the end of every season, all the lost and found that wasnt picked up was auctioned off to employees. You wouldnt believe the stuff people would not come back for. Diamond rings, tons of jewelry, tons of knifes, zippos, glasses, hearing aids. Whatever could fly off you on a roller coaster!! I always loved walking under the rides. There were spots under certain coasters that were like a slot machine. So much change you couldn't even pick it all up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I have been to a few Post office auctions of damaged and unclaimed items. There might be 20 or so packages in a lot unopened you did not know what you bid on. You bid by the sender like if it was from sears it might be good so the bid might get high. But that was before 9/11 bet they open everything unclaimed now. Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilcollector Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 Ah, that makes sense, after doing a little more searching, I guess my broken meg ended up at one of these auctions: http://www.usps.com/auctions/ -veo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 That might be interesting to see...next one on the 19th! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyquest Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Don't mean to intrude on the topic but, I have sort of a follow up question . If you have a meg that you sold for $500. How much should you insure it for and how much would you get back from the insurance company if it broke?? Couldn't someone ship a junky tooth and insure it for what they think it's worth. Who decides in the end how much you get back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilcollector Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 Don't mean to intrude on the topic but, I have sort of a follow up question . If you have a meg that you sold for $500. How much should you insure it for and how much would you get back from the insurance company if it broke?? Couldn't someone ship a junky tooth and insure it for what they think it's worth. Who decides in the end how much you get back? The USPS wants documentation when you file a claim. So you need the original ebay sales page or receipt, and a paypal receipt, or a written paper receipt from whomever you got it from. If the item is broken and unrepairable, they'll pay the full claim. I suspect they do audit and investgate potential fraud if something doesn't seem right to them. Basically their insurance company or whomever provides the insurance policy you pay for will decide. -Veo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traviscounty Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I worked at six flags years ago, and at the end of every season, all the lost and found that wasnt picked up was auctioned off to employees. You wouldnt believe the stuff people would not come back for. Diamond rings, tons of jewelry, tons of knifes, zippos, glasses, hearing aids. Whatever could fly off you on a roller coaster!! I always loved walking under the rides. There were spots under certain coasters that were like a slot machine. So much change you couldn't even pick it all up. I lost my cookies on the old wooden roller coaster they had. You would not have loved walking under that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 The USPS wants documentation when you file a claim. So you need the original ebay sales page or receipt, and a paypal receipt, or a written paper receipt from whomever you got it from. If the item is broken and unrepairable, they'll pay the full claim. I suspect they do audit and investgate potential fraud if something doesn't seem right to them. Basically their insurance company or whomever provides the insurance policy you pay for will decide. -Veo You have to be careful who you ship with too. Both FedEx and UPS carriage contracts have fine print that states they will not insure items that cannot be directly replaced. Even most UPS and FedEx employees probably don't know that so it's likely either company will charge you for the insurance as if it isn't an issue, but can be very nitpicky if breakage takes place. I've been lucky so far, but one big, big dealer got royally screwed when FedEx refused to pay his claim for just this reason. “When you're riding in a time machine way far into the future, don't stick your elbow out the window, or it'll turn into a fossil.” - Jack Handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoPutz Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I wonder how a meg tooth like that would get broken during shipping? They must have really abused that poor package. I usually make a vault where there is no movement at all. But I suppose if they had a quick pick-up game of kickball, and needed a ball, anything could happen. I have received a couple broken fossils (especially plates) and I usually don't worry about it. Most of them have repaired cracks and what not anyway. In fact the last big fish plate I bought had a piece broken off. As long as it isn't crumbled beyone recognition I just repair it myself. A meg tooth like that probably wouldn't fit in that category though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I bet some stuff is tossed in the trash, but the stuff people want goes into their pockets. If you worked there, and they told you to put a 5 in meg in the trash, what would you do? Im not 100% on that one, but you wouldnt figure they would hold on to it all. The TSA holds auctions on all the stuff they take from people at the airport, so they may do the same. Reminds me of a bizarre sight I saw at Wal-Mart (the headquarters) about 1985. I was an electrician then, and was sent to wire up a new trash compactor. I did so, then watched as it was operated the first time. A pallet of brand-new microwave ovens went in first, followed by a pallet of brand-new socket sets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig rocks Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Reminds me of a bizarre sight I saw at Wal-Mart (the headquarters) about 1985. I was an electrician then, and was sent to wire up a new trash compactor. I did so, then watched as it was operated the first time. A pallet of brand-new microwave ovens went in first, followed by a pallet of brand-new socket sets. A lady I know works at Wallys up here and she said everything that gets returned goes in the garbage and they don't compact it up here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilcollector Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 Ah, nice that someone brought this topic up again. So a few weeks ago I attended the USPS lost packages auction in Atlanta. So what they do now is that anything that is lost, has claims paid, or is unreturnable, gets opened up (post 9/11, gotta open it up before selling lost packages to people) and sorted into lots. So there's a warehouse with parcels of stuff, 16 ft cubic containers of clothing, dvds, books, textbooks, etc. Parcels of jewelry, coins, watches, pens, loose stones, etc. So I guess my broken meg eventually wound up at one of these auctions and someone got it as part of a parcel. -YvW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 When you mail a fossil and insure it and it breaks (with the USPS), you file for a claim and the post office will want the fossil and packaging brought in as evidence for them to examine and hold on to, if you win the claim they'll send you a check but the post office keeps the broken fossil. At least this happened the last time I mailed a 5" meg and it broke. So where do these broken fossils go? Is there a warehouse somewhere of all the stuff that breaks while shipping? Or do they go to the junkyard? Anyone know? -Veo It's interesting that they paid because I have been told that you can't insure fossils. I'm also curious how a meg broke inside a box (assuming it was decently packed). Was the box crushed at an odd angle or perhaps punctured? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilcollector Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 I've had claims paid on broken fossils by both the USPS and Fedex, not sure who's saying fossils can't be insured. I guess part of it is that most fossils cant be replaced, but with fedex they will inquire if it can be repaired and for how much. As for the meg, the box was slightly crushed, yet somehow that caused a 5" perfect meg with 99% serrations to split down 3/4 . There were no defects on the meg beforehand. Ya, it's kinda odd, I saw pics of the meg afterwards and the box, not sure how it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoPutz Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 That is terrible... looks like such a nice tooth too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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