>Just a small personal indication. Been liquidating parts of my
>library on Amazon, getting rid of books I haven't read in 10 years
>or more and can't envisage readiung again, miscellaneous law and
>philosophy and history books I don't use, old novels and plays I
>won't read again. Thousands of books. Lots of good Sovietica, btw,
>for those as is interested. In three years I have had maybe a half
>dozen lost books -- until the last three months, when I must have
>had another half dozen. Full refund, but it's costly. I asked what's
>up at the post office. Shrug, budget cutbacks, personnel reduction,
>antiquated machinery. That's life in the world's only superpower
>(for now). But I do guarantee if the book fails to arrive that you
>get a 100% no argument refund.
I've been selling and buying things on ebay and I've only just had my first thing go missing. Or allegedly go missing I suppose I should say. Co-incidently, it was someone named Henwood, who lives in Queensland who claimed she never got the coin I posted her. I offered to give a full refund, but that wasn't enough, the spiteful cow gave me a negative today.
She mentioned she works for Australia Post, so judging by her attitude I'm guessing she must have enemies in the workplace who are deliberately destroying her mail when they get the chance. Can't say I blame them.
Never had anything go missing to or from the US though. Yet. Occasionally I even get a bonus, this week there was some lovely Billy Graham leaflets, packed in with my item. The same person even refunded me a couple of dollars, saying the postage was a bit cheaper than they expected. Will take the comments on board and give Illinous a care.
I have to say, very nice people to deal with you Yanks. I was a bit nervous at first, but I'm feeling very relaxed about dealing with you these days. Even when I find myself dealing with an ex-marine from Ohio, or a Mr Capone from New Jersey.
Its those Henwoods from Australia you have to watch out for! They're a dangerous breed. :-)
My son works for Australia Post in Queensland, he tells me that occasionally the sorting machines can chew up a letter, especially those with rigid things in them (like the ones I post) that don't bend like expected. Apparently the priority when that happens is to get the machine working again, not to try to save the items that have been trapped. They just get brutally torn out of the machine.
It isn't just in the world's only superpower that this sort of thing happens. But being a resident of the superpower is no protection I'm afraid. Shit happens. You have to wonder if its worth the trouble of maintaining that immense military-industrial complex, if you still can't rely on the post.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell tas