I feel bad for you

That really is sad and maddening. "Anyone ever have their lost merchandise actually found?" Um, sometimes I go to pick up a package for which they've left a pick up slip and they can't even find THAT - and that's when the carrier is too lazy to bring the package to my house. Both my parents worked for USPS, but I HATE the PO.

If Etsy sent it Priority mail, it might be covered without separate insurance.

Priority comes with $50 insurance but I'm guessing a keychain was sent first class. (Also, Etsy doesn't send anything, the seller does.) I, personally, would go down to the post office to file a claim and take a printed copy of the Etsy transaction with you that shows what you paid as proof of value.

I finally got thru to the local post office and the guy said he'd never dealt with this situation before! So he gave me the # of another office to call and speak to the claims coordinator. Of course she wasn't in but I left a detailed message. I work 8-5 Mon - Fri so it's near impossible for me to go to that post office unless I can go on Saturday. I'll wait to hear what this coordinator says.

It appears the package got mangled in PA and I live in OH so I have a feeling my keychain could be anywhere and the person missing the earrings could also not be nearby.

Of course the seeds I ordered from another Etsy seller arrived unscathed. I wish I could've switched the two! Seeds could easily be replaced.

How aggravating. When you do find it, it will be all the more precious because of all the work you've put into choosing it and getting it delivered. Sort of like a relationship, the more thought and work you put into it, the better it is.

Did you happen to pay by PayPal or credit card if so you may be able to get some resolution through them since you never received your paid for item.

Ravencajun, why would you punish the seller when the fault is with the USPS?

Several years ago the post office delivered a package to my bil and it was stolen. I don't remember how I sent it, but I provided a list with the items and how much they cost and I was reimbursed for it all.

Last year, the post office damaged a package that I was expecting and they returned it to the seller as undeliverable. The tracking said I refused the package, but I never even saw it.

Last week, an item had postage due and the post office returned it to the seller rather than delivering it to me and collecting the money from me. I have such mixed experiences with the post office. Sometimes I have a great carrier and sometimes I don't so my service is very inconsistent.

Maybe you will get lucky and your Etsy item will show up, but I wouldn't count on it.

The post office may have gotten hit by the great snow storm that went up the east coast. I have seen what a storm like that can do to the postal service. Many years ago, i was driving downstate in Illinois after they had a 10 inch snow that stalled traffic on the interstate. This was a week after the storm and road had not been plowed. There were vehicles at the side of the road that had yet to be hauled away. One of these was a US Postal semi-tractor/trailer. It was laying on its side in the ditch. Through a rip in its side, one could see a Christmas present. I'm sure there were a number of disgruntled customer affected by that wreck. You could have been snared by a similar mishap.

I did pay by credit card. Ravencajun you're right - this is a business transaction. If it was Amazon I'd be hollering for another item to be sent! But since it's a woman making these out of her home I didn't think of it that way. I thought maybe she would offer to send me another one but that hasn't been the case so far.

I think she shipped it in the correct mailer - it was a little bubble wrap envelope that the post office basically shredded the back half of. On the paperwork they have suggestions on better shipping and none of the boxes were checked so I don't think the mailer was the problem.

Still waiting to hear back from the PO's claims coordinator.

Thank you all for giving me some things to think about and for commiserating with me!

I've been selling online for along time (ebay since 1997 and Etsy since 2009,) and if that tracking shows delivered Paypal won't refund the buyer- especially if the seller has emails from the buyer that the post office has claimed responsibility for mangling the package. The seller did their part, this is a USPS error and there is no indication so far that the USPS won't handle it.

No wonder the post office is slip sliding away. Their service is quite poor. From where I live I am unable to mail anything to a friend in North Carolina because she never receives it! Who knows where it goes. To treat her to a magazine subscription I must send it to her daughter in another part of the state, and her daughter physically hands it to her. Amazing in this day and age.

Considering how much mail the USPS handles and how little they charge us to do so, they do an amazing job!

Share_Oh, I'm sorry your little surprise was ruined but I wouldn't bother with the Post office on your own, I would contact the seller again. My sister sells hand made jewelry on Etsy and every time she sends something she gets a receipt with the tracking and insurance information. When you contacted the owner of the Esty shop she should have indeed offered to replace it immediately because she can then take the receipt to the post office and file a claim against the insurance. If you get any grief from her you can also solicit help from Etsy to make the shop owner fulfill her obligation. If that's not a route you want to take, you can file a claim with your credit card company and they will pull the funds from the seller and recredit your account.

Can I add that Raven is absolutely right, those shops are businesses, they each choose their packaging and shipping policies; as a customer you shouldn't think twice about expecting to get what you paid for. Good Luck!

Acouple of years back, I bought some silver flatware for my son and daughter in law for Christmas....It was a place setting of their sterling, I bought it in October on Ebay for a REALLY good price...really good!
The package didn't come after about a week, so I checked tracking. Showed it being received at the PO but nothing more. It was insured. I contacted the seller and she said..."Oh ho...I'll refund your money"...because it was such a great buy, I said, why not wait a bit. But after another 3 weeks, when it still didn't show, I contacted her and she refunded my money...it was insured.
Time passed....forgot all about it.
About 5 months later, I got a package in the mail with a notation form the PO that it was damaged in shipping. The box was taped together and one silver piece has a big scratch....but the4 pieces were there!
So....I had about $100 of silver that had cost me nothing....but I couldn't let it go at that, so I phoned the seller and said.."remember me?" She did....and I asked who should I pay...her or the insurance company. She told me she would check and get back to me. She contacted the PO who carried the insurance and they said after 5 months it's off their books....she said....just keep it...I am not out anything, the Post office doesn't want to bother, you had the inconvenience of having to buy another gift...let it go.
So....when you least expect it....things do show up!

I agree completely with ravencajun but there's the issue that you want the item and don't want to pay for another. Are you willing to pay some? Maybe the seller will make you another and rush it to you and you pay, say 1/2 price for it or something. Not an ideal situation for either of you but a compromise would keep a customer happy and a vendor happy to.

I think I will contact the seller again and see if she can do as lukkiirish said. The PO lady never called me back. :(

I spent a lot of time looking at snowmen earrings on Etsy to see if there were any matches so I could maybe get the earrings back to whoever bought them, who knew there would be page upon page of snowmen earrings?! Plus these have 3 charms on them so they could be specially made. Ugh. Of course I have no idea if they were even from an Etsy seller at this point.

Cynic I really don't want to spend any more $ on the item as it's just a metal key chain and probably overpriced at what I paid to begin with... but you're right I did really want the item. It was unique to our first date. :(

Lindac your story gives me hope that maybe someday it could show up! Thank you.