[78-L] First eBay problem

[Tim Brooks]

Sorry you had this problem. I related a very unfortunate case like this in my ARSC Journal column a couple of issues ago. I had sent an extremely rare 1916 Starr record to Archeophone for reissue, and they returned it via USPO insured. As with yours, it never arrived. The PO said it had been scanned into the zip code, and had been "left at your door." However I was at home at the supposed time of delivery and no one rang the bell; I went out that door a few minutes after it was allegedly delivered and there was no package in sight.

Rich Martin of Archeophone did everything humanly possible to try to track it down, including repeatedly contacting the postmaster, and filing claims. I talked to my carrier and he said there was a substitute on the route that day. Bottom line, they were all
 very sorry but did nothing whatever (as far as I can tell) to try to find it. They also refused to pay the insurance.

They've lost other things too, like magazines, and they really don't care. They've got guaranteed jobs, no consequences if they screw up, etc. etc. What makes it doubly unfortunate is that this was probably the only surviving copy of a rather historic black recording. My best advice to everyone reading this is if it's important, either use UPS or Fedex, or at least signature required. USPO insurance is worthless. Hindsight is wonderful.

The one bit of good news in this case was that Archeophone made a digital transfer while they had the record, and it is now out on Ken Flaherty's excellent new Fisk Jubilee Quartet CD called "There Breathes a Hope" (with notes by myself and the estimable Doug Seroff). So the sound survives, even if the Post Office has made sure that the record didn't.



----- Original Message
 ----- 
From: "Taylor Bowie" <bowiebks at isomedia.com>
To:
 "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent:
 Monday, December 27, 2010 5:12 PM
Subject: [78-L] First eBay problem


>
 I've always posted on here about all my good eBay experiences as a 
buyer,
> so thought I should alert all to a probelm I just had 
which resulted in my
> being out $140.