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USPS confirms Byuu’s PAL SNES package has been lost
- owlninja 10y agoWhere did he find the ripped label?
- yoodenvranx 10y agoIt was send to him by USPS
- owlninja 10y agoAhhh...obvious now. Thanks!
- throwanem 10y agoI'd love to be able to see the deets, but I guess I'm "not authorized to view these tweets"? Pretty sure I'm not banned or blocked, since I've never had an account. Do you have to log in now just to see anything on Twitter, or is that a user setting now? ETA: Yup, they broke something. I can see it from desktop too, but on this iOS 9.3.5 device, every tweet from any user shows that message, and any other Twitter URI bounces me to mobile and then gives "Sorry, Twitter is taking too long to load" with a "try again" button that doesn't work. Web 2.0 at its best. Thanks for all the helpful responses!
- koolba 10y agoI think Twitter shows that when a tweet has been deleted. There's no login required for viewing anything that is otherwise accessible on Twitter.
- alternize 10y agoI can see it even in an anon browser session: .@USPS @USPSHelp Thanks, I found my missing package ... label. Your employees ripped it off the box and stole a $10,000 package from me. pic.twitter.com/LfuPZ9vZ8U here are the two pics posted: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4wfEKCVcAATKva.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4wfEKCVcAATKva.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4wfEssVcAANYlw.jpg https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4wfEssVcAANYlw.jpg
- justusw 10y agoThat is so painful to read. On the one hand, USPS is apologising for the inconvenience, on the other hand they're shifting blame away from themselves by recommending to use more tape?
- throwanem 10y agoSounds right. They're okay for first-class mail, but you don't really want to trust them with anything of significant value; while theft is relatively unlikely, mishandling is in my experience quite common.
- byuu 10y agoYeah that letter is basically blaming me, the recipient, for them damaging the sender's package in transit. Truly there is no end to USPS' classiness.
- striking 10y agoIf for some reason you can't see the tweet, it's archived here: http://archive.is/nQNlE http://archive.is/nQNlE That being said, I could see the tweet just fine.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- piva00 10y agoI can see it from an anonymous browser window, from my work connection and also from my cellphone connection.
- jkkj 10y agonope, works without login. try a proxy?
- tavert 10y agoLots more info at https://byuu.org/emulation/preservation/lost-package/ https://byuu.org/emulation/preservation/lost-package/
- krallja 10y agoDid you have insurance on this package? If not, that is a very expensive lesson to learn.
- throwanem 10y agoThe earlier discussion here (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13646438 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13646438) included mention that the package is insured by its originator to €1000. The tough part is that byuu's probably going to have to make it right with the person who shipped him the games - he's already said that if they can't be retrieved, he's going to do that even though he's really not at fault, and I understand why. If you know any popular Twitch streamers or YouTube gaming superstars, now might not be a bad time to reach out, as I'm going to be doing later today. It would be amazing to see the huge retro gaming fan community come together and solve a problem like this for someone to whom we all owe so much.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- estomagordo 10y agoWhat do I owe this person for?
- throwanem 10y agoWell, I don't know for sure, I suppose, because I don't know you. But byuu has been in many ways the eminence gris of the SNES emulation scene for about as long as there has been one; in addition to the only really machine-accurate emulator, bsnes, his research and often his implementations have substantially improved a lot of the more commonly used SNES emulators out there, and he's also responsible for a nontrivial fraction of the ROM dumps that give an emulator user something to play. Whether or not that means you owe him anything is yours to decide. If you decide that you don't, that's fine. I suspect I'm not the only one who would decide otherwise.
- RantyDave 10y ago
- AdmiralAsshat 10y agoSo from what I gather on the Twitter chain, a USPS employee likely stole the package and claimed it as "lost", then probably tried to sell it as a lot on eBay. Since USPS is basically trying to blame byuu for this, I'm afraid the only option here to get any recourse is support-by-public-shaming. It would be a sizable blow to USPS's reputation to be framed as "A bunch of thieves who will deliver your stuff unless it's valuable, then we'll steal it, tell you we lost it, and sell it." He could try to involve the police, but I imagine it will go nowhere. It's a pity. EDIT: Corrected 'UPS' to 'USPS'.
- eli 10y agoSeems unfair to automatically assume malice. I once had an international package go missing at some point after clearing customs despite a label declaring its value accurately at $1. I doubt that was due to theft.
- tomtoise 10y agoWithin the twitter chain was mention of an ebay listing suspiciously similar to the parcel contents being seen. Parent is likely referring to this.
- mikeash 10y agoI don't see them blaming byuu. I see them giving practical advice for ways that might reduce the chances of this happening in the future. That's different from "this is your fault, not ours." The eBay listing indicates this may be theft, not just plain loss. Have they told USPS about this? And I don't mean telling their no-doubt powerless social media team on Twitter, I mean reporting it to the postal inspectors: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/ReportMailTheft.aspx https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/... I (thankfully) have no experience with them, but I have heard that they are not people you want to mess with.
- drewg123 10y agoI was wondering: The shipper used DHL, so how did the USPS get their grubby hands on it? Then I looked at the Wikipedia article for DHL and found that ~8 years ago, DHL started using USPS for local delivery. I've found recently that when I order a package online, it will ship via UPS, but then the package is turned over to the USPS for last-mile delivery. I hate this because the package disappears into a black hole of USPS incompetency where they can't even do tracking properly, much less delivery. I wish Amazon had an option "don't let USPS touch this" for shipping.. I'd be willing to pay extra.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- wears_sweaters1 10y agoIve heard through the grave vine that approaching Amazon via customer service and asking for the primary shipper to handle all phases of the process will stop your packages from getting handed to local services.
- DaveSwift 10y agoI've had a similar experience. A few years I had multiple issues with LazerShip (last mile delivery) and I complained to Amazon about it. They've never sent anything via LaserShip to me since.
- drewg123 10y agoYou guys must be special. I've had several problems with LazerShip. Most recently they delivered a $300 watch to the wrong location. I've specifically asked if I could somehow avoid having packages shipped by them, and the CSRs have told me they can't control that. Maybe it has to do with my region, or the fact that I'm quite close to a regional Amazon warehouse.
- throwanem 10y agoHere's something that's worked for me: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13660378 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13660378
- drewg123 10y agoI was wondering: The shipper used DHL, so how did the USPS get their grubby hands on it? Then I looked at the Wikipedia article for DHL and found that ~8 years ago, DHL started using USPS for local delivery. I've found recently that when I order a package online, it will ship via UPS, but then the package is turned over to the USPS for last-mile delivery. I hate this because the package disappears into a black hole of USPS incompetency where they can't even do tracking properly, much less delivery. I wish Amazon had an option "don't let USPS touch this" for shipping.. I'd be willing to pay extra.
- the-dude 10y agoAnecdata: have shipped thousands of packages and currently am shipping packages again worldwide. DHL is the worst, as a sender you don't notice. But on the receiving end there are numerous things that can go wrong. And with DHL, there always seems to go something wrong. I have asked our suppliers to avoid DHL and we just pay them more for proper worldwide service ( UPS / Fedex ).
- benmorris 10y agoIf the package was worth 10k no way would I trust USPS with it. We ship out thousands of packages yearly via USPS and there is zero accountability for lost or damaged goods. We file weekly claims to get the $50 priority mail insurance value which rarely covers the cost of re sending out an order. Use UPS or Fedex next time!
- masklinn 10y agoIt was an international parcel, IIRC shipped from Germany via DHL.
- DocTomoe 10y agoIt should be noted that in Germany, DHL is easily the easiest - and most secure - option. UPS and Fedex do exist, but their fees are outrageous, and both services are only available to business customers.
- gambiting 10y agoHe used DHL - it's entirely possible that he had no idea that DHL uses USPS for the final delivery once the parcel reaches US.
- Nexxxeh 10y agoYeah, if I sent something to the States via DHL, I would assume it would get to the intended recipient via DHL. Not "DHL palm it off to the local postie".
- cpncrunch 10y agoDoesnt matter who ships it. Important thing is to have insurance.
- ac29 10y agoAs I mentioned above, it was not shipped DHL, it was shipped Deutsche Post [0] (confusing because they are owned by the same group). They are the German equivalent of USPS. [0] https://i.imgur.com/0vDfxVN.png https://i.imgur.com/0vDfxVN.png
- diogenescynic 10y agoI've had several packages "lost" by USPS since moving to San Francisco. Never had issues in any other city. Almost everytime a package is shipped by USPS it stresses me out. I'll pay extra for FedEx now because UPS and DHL both use USPS for the last bit of the delivery in the city. I can't believe there is no way to really file a claim for a lost package. When you try they usually just give you a the Postmaster's phone number who puts you on hold for up to an hour. It's insanity. I'm normally for public services, but USPS is incompetent and can't be trusted.
- johnward 10y agoFedEx uses USPS for their smartpost packages. There's really no way to entirely avoid USPS.
- diogenescynic 10y agoThey might, but it happens much less often in San Francisco from my experience. Whereas practically every UPS package I had shipped from Amazon Prime was being fulfilled by USPS. I just try to avoid them when possible after a number of horror stories.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- calibraxis 10y agoA common privatization tactic is to defund public services so they're indeed incompetent. Then point at their incompetence as reason for privatization.
- driverdan 10y agoI suspect there is serious corruption and/or significant mismanagement in SF USPS. I've read many other experiences of people having trouble receiving packages from them. I personally had one or two cases of them not delivering stuff because they didn't feel like it.
- minimaxir 10y agobyuu posted a relevant thread on /r/legaladvice: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5ud6jq/lost_package_of_100_snes_games_valued_at_5000/ https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5ud6jq/lost_pa...
- ryanlol 10y agoSo yeah, doesn't look like the games were packaged properly at all. I don't want to sound mean, but undervaluing the contents for insurance and then wrapping the stuff in brown paper for packaging is kind of asking for this to happen. In this case it wasn't even about packages just randomly getting lost, but this thing was clearly packaged so poorly that it should've been immediately obvious that this was going to happen.
- cpncrunch 10y agoNot sure why youre being downvoted. Every time someone ships something to me in brown paper it gets ripped.
- losteverything 10y agoThe USPS will have gps coordinate of the scan made by the carrier on the street for delivery. --- If it made it to him or her. The carrier will enter one or more dispositions such as delivered, damaged, attempted and 20 others. It does happen where a delivery from another company for last mile goes "missing" and the entire manifest is reportedly "delivered" to the USPS. When in reality it never got there. This happened semi frequently at Christmas so the arrivals were not "late." the other reason is someone stole the parcel. Almost always stuff reappears - but late. No company in the chain accepts "late" so they fudge the scans. I would not assume that having just the label and no parcel means anything conclusive.
- byuu 10y agoIt means I won't be getting these games ever now, that much is for certain. Even if their story about "the machine at my label" is to be believed, I am now tasked with asking them to "please find my box. It's the brown, rectangular one with no label. Trust me, that one worth $5000 - 10000 is mine, even though there's no way for me to prove that."
- losteverything 10y agoHopefully not. As a general rule "stuff" isn't allowed to sit around a mailroom or distribution center. Bad packaging and addresses happen daily. A formal investigation is needed. The USPS still bows to political pressure. Often a letter to your congressman (not accusing but seeking help), puts postal management in another gear - and may find your items.
- byuu 10y agoI've still failed to get anyone to officially contact me on this matter. Exhausted every possible recourse I could think of. Any time I actually get a human involved, they just pass me off to some online form or say they can't help.
- losteverything 10y ago
- Mithaldu 10y agoBetter summary: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lost-package-of-8125834 https://www.patreon.com/posts/lost-package-of-8125834
- Someone1234 10y agoIt is definitely USPS's fault, but from what I can see that box was packaged incorrectly. I am just posting this so OTHERS might not make the same mistakes, I am not judging or blaming the original shipper (nobody is perfect!)... I've shipped a lot of stuff internationally. It appears that the shipper had a 18x16x10 box and wrapped it in shipping paper. They then applies the shipping label to the shipping paper. First of all, shipping paper is garbage, if it isn't on tightly enough then creases get caught in the conveyor belts and ripped off. It also doesn't do a damn thing, it is just glorified wax paper with minor water resistant properties. But here's their big mistake: They attached the label to the easily ripped off shipping paper and [likely] didn't write the destination address (or source address) on the box itself or within the box itself. That is a huge "no no." If you ship internationally, and particularly if you ship something valuable: Invest in the cardbox box. Cardbox boxes are NOT created equal. Most cardbox boxes are single walled recycled nonsense, you want a double-walled heavy duty box. The nice part about double-walled is that the first wall will "eat" the water damage leaving the inner wall completely intact holding the box's shape. You should also write the source & return address on the box itself. Even if the label has it. The label can be ripped off. And if your box lacks an invoice inside then instead include a contents list and set of addresses (this is so that if the box were to spill it can be reunited and forwarded). Last part: The tape. Not all tape is created equal. Look for the weight rating. If it doesn't have a weight rating then it isn't shipping tape. Here is a good place to start[0], again look at the weight ratings don't assume that brand X is good even 3M make "economic" tape I wouldn't use. Tape uses heat, water, or pressure to adhere. Most tape you'll be using will be pressure, if you don't own a tape dispenser then use your finger to apply pressure to the tape after it adheres. If you do own a tape dispenser then make sure you're using it correctly and applying pressure along the whole length of the tape (otherwise it "sticks" but at hugely reduced effectiveness). [0] http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/Products/~/3M-Tapes-3M-Adhesives/Packaging-Tapes-Equipment/Box-Sealing-Tapes?N=5393837&rt=r3 http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Adhesives/Tapes/...
- losteverything 10y agoThis. X100 It's often cool to bash Amazon but their boxes always withstand the shipping and delivery process. Imagine this. A cart of parcels shrink wrapped 10' is rolled near a scanner. Each is scanned and then "thrown" into a semi-circle of hampers. One on top of the other. Some things Amazon sells like dog food gets on top of that badly packages ebay or etsy lamp you just paid $75 for. "Top load only" items like live chicks get special treatment. Packaging is a BIG deal for a successful outcome.
- davidf18 10y agoThere are some deliveries where USPS does "last mile" for other carriers. If shipping something worth $10,000 the insurance for the package should be $10,000. Apparently the sender insured it for less than the value which is the fault of the sender, not the receiver. Not certain how the receiver would be liable for the sender not insuring the package properly.
- germanier 10y agoUnder German law (which seems to be applicable here unless they explicitly opted for something else) the liability shifts to the receiver as soon as it is handed over to the shipping company. The idea is that the receiver could have picked it up themselves but chose delivery instead. It's a pretty old law that a usual person doesn't notice in their life because there are special rules to make everything right when a company ships to a consumer. Of course one also would need to check if they had any agreement on which shipping service or insurance to choose which was violated or if there is any applicable kind of negligence involved.
- pcvarmint 10y agoShipper should have used Registered Mail. Anything over $2500 needs to be sent Registered. USPS has a Registered Mail tracking program with Germany: http://faq.usps.com/?articleId=1437076354655 http://faq.usps.com/?articleId=1437076354655