I miss my boots.
January 8, 2015 5:53 PM   Subscribe

I recently sent my cherished pair of Frye boots through USPS Priority Mail to the Frye refurbishing center... Now they are missing...

I sent the boots to the Refurbishing Center because the soles needed restitching. I followed the procedure (and Frye is very specific with this). They are not under warranty, as I bought them sevenish years ago. But Frye said if I were to send them out, it would cost me just $10 to get the soles restitched. Much better than entrusting my beloved boots to our only local cobbler, who is grumpy and uses glue.

Anyway, I think USPS has lost my boots. The tracking info says they are still "In Transit" though they were supposed to arrive at Frye on Saturday. Now it's Thursday, and I'm freaking out. I insured the package for the price of a new pair of boots, but I don't think it is a simple process to get reimbursed. I have no proof that the boots in the box were worth the insurance, and I have no receipt from seven years ago.

So unless the boots miraculously return to the Frye Company tomorrow, I think it's safe to assume that they have been lost by USPS. What do I do? I am quite attached to these, as they were a majorly big purchase for me those years ago. I must have them back or replace them. I cannot afford (nor will my sense of principle allow me) to buy a new pair with my own funds. So if they have been lost, how do I get USPS to pay, even without a receipt for my original boot purchase?

Note: I haven't spoken to the post office folks yet, as my work schedule has not allowed me to. I plan to pay them a visit Saturday.
posted by hippychick to Work & Money (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Why are you assuming they are lost? It could be delayed. Mail has been pretty slow lately because of weather/holidays. I would give it a few more days before jumping to the conclusion it is lost.
posted by cyml at 5:58 PM on January 8, 2015 [3 favorites]


You can file a online claim for the insurance (which is why you got it in the first place. ) You need your tracking number. Frye will probably provide proof of the cost of the boots, but if you have a cancelled check or credit card info, the USPS will accept that.
In my experience, the Post Office usually just pays up.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:59 PM on January 8, 2015 [4 favorites]


Supposed to arrive on Saturday, and now it's Thursday? And it's the week after New Years? I'd wait a little longer before worrying too much. While you relax and sip your tea and don't freak out too much, I'd study up on the insurance reimbursement process.

It should be fairly easy to prove what the price of a new pair of boots is, since Frye styles and prices don't change much.

Also, on the off chance the USPS won't honor your insurance, Frye boots are often on sale at Marshall's and similar discount places. I see them -- usually barely worn -- in secondhand stores fairly frequently, as well.
posted by Sara C. at 6:01 PM on January 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


Just as a data point, in the last month I've had THREE "two to three day priority mail" packages take over two weeks to arrive at their destination. Maybe it's just a spate of bad luck, but USPS has been abysmally slow for me lately. I wouldn't give up yet (but I'd be annoyed).
posted by primethyme at 6:04 PM on January 8, 2015 [4 favorites]


Definitely don't give up. The USPS instructions on establishing value for a claim give you a decent number of options, and I'm pretty sure Frye would be willing to provide a "statement of value" in the absence of a receipt. You've done the most important bit by paying the insurance premium. That's what insurance is for.
posted by holgate at 6:07 PM on January 8, 2015 [1 favorite]


For what it's worth, USPS tracking is terribly unreliable. There's a chance your boots actually got there and just didn't log as being delivered.
posted by reptile at 6:12 PM on January 8, 2015 [5 favorites]


Not to pile on, but USPS can truly lag when it comes to delivering packages. You have every right to be frustrated and concerned, but my own experience has been similar to what others have said: sometimes USPS is just slow, with no updates given, and then stuff just shows up. Be patient.
posted by mosk at 6:20 PM on January 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


I went insane about some "lost" documents last year...they were definitely lost for awhile, and I spent wayy too long on the phone and on hold with USPS representatives, but eventually (the certified and trackable but lost) mail ended up where it was supposed to be going in the first place, possibly via some crazy detour.

If I lost my favorite boots, yes, I would go insane, but I think you need to wait a month (!) before you can even really assume that is the case. (But I would start USPS paper/phone/case number trail now, just in case).

BTW I even bought stamps online a few days ago and they had definite disclaimer stating there would be delays due to the "holiday season"- which I had assumed was now over!!
posted by bquarters at 6:34 PM on January 8, 2015 [2 favorites]


Have you called Frye yet? I was tracking a Very Important Document I'd sent via USPS, and it said "In Transit" well after the intended delivery date. I was pissed - this basically meant I was going to be unable to take college classes for a whole semester! But when I called my university, it turned out that they'd received the document on time, and the incompetent USPS delivery person just neglected to update the tracker.

USPS is basically the shittiest thing ever - I often think their employees are trained to be difficult - but sometimes they get the delivery right and the tracker wrong.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 2:06 AM on January 9, 2015 [1 favorite]


To chime in with yet another example, my wife and I sent our stuffed hedgehog off to stuffed animal hospital last year and it showed as "in transit" for over a week after it was actually delivered. We were understandably nervous, but when I called the place they said it had been delivered on the projected date. The tracking had just never updated. It happens, seemingly a lot with USPS, so I'd call Frye and see if they received them.

I did get to explain to a USPS employee what a hedgehog was, so that was fun.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:17 AM on January 9, 2015 [2 favorites]


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