An important warning, please heed this!

[Tenacious_Dyl]

Today, I received my autographed Island from Dragsamou (for those of you who don't understand, please read my other thread, I am wishing to own an Island signed by all of you! I appreciate it!).

Unfortunetly.. I didn't receive the Island. I received an envelope, with a nice note from Dragsamou inside it... but no Island.

At first I thought "oops drags forgot to put it in!'"... but then I saw a tear down the left side of the envelope. Upon closer inspection... the tear was a sloppy cut with scissors. By comparing the sides of the envelope... almost one whole cm was simply CUT OFF the left side of the envelope, the card was then taken, and a thin piece of tape was used to patch it again. Clever.

And so... being the SECOND package to or from Dragsamou's address, that has been stolen,(in just 3 weeks?) I **HIGHLY** recommend suspending sending to or from that address until other measures or ideas can be used and taken.

This time we are lucky... merely an Island signed by Alexis was stolen, and my Coro-Coro to him. However... I know drags is wanting those beta moxes... and that would be VERY BAD for him not to recieve anything but an envelope.... Note also, I *never* received the tokens at all from him. Not even just an envelope.

Not that anyone knows anyone in the postal system, but I will provide an undisclosed award to anyone giving information leading to who is doing this, or anyone that can truly stop this. Thank you. :( :(

[AXIOS]

maybe alexis can have eric to send it for him ;)

Just kidding, maybe there is a new mailman in the us or france, who really likes magic.

My opinion is, just send it registered.
In case of the island........it isn't worth sending it registered.
Now you know at least that alexis isn't trying to rip you.

He was sending the island out of philantropical meanings, so no reason to rip.

[Tenacious_Dyl]

Right.. I was never that worried about being "ripped" I think that people took that too much from me.... It was just a comment/question I had when for the first time, something I sent was reported "not in the envelope" That is all. I trust him, and I trust all of you really :)

After not receiving his tokens at all, getting a cut up envelope with no island, and him not getting a Coro-Coro this is not just bad luck. Someone is tampering. I am guessing it is in france? I received 3 islands in the last 3 days. Only one from my state in the USA.

Just warning people, and insure. Even without insurance... losing a beta mox to someone who rips it and just getting your money back.. well... sucks!

[hammr7]

I to have had mail disappear, although I've only once had mail show up with slits and no product in it.  Some possible reasons and solutions.

The one situation I had involved cards in a hard plastic holder which was placed in a regular envelope.  This problem has to do with high speed mail sorting equipment, which shoots letters through so fast that the thick holder, literally gets left behind.  It rips through the side of the envelope and ends up on the floor of the postal facility.   If the postal personnel notice they will tape up the side, but this often occurs well after the card has been lost.  The way around this is to:

1.  Use padded envelopes, which go through a different sort process

2.  Use cardboard to sandwich the cards (with them in soft sleeves). so that the envelope is consistantly flat.

3.  Tape the side edges of envelopes so they are stronger and survive the sort machine

4.  Use boxes.

In addition, if you use priority mail, tracking, return receipt, or registered mail it gets handled differently.  With anything of value I always do insurance if it is at all possible, just in case.

If you think the problem is theft, it probably occurs at the mail box.  The way around it is to bring shipments to the post office (sender) and to rent a postal mail box (receiving end), which eliminates mail in either mailbox.

Finally, I just had a situation that helped me with the few problem shipments I have had.  I received a package intended for another collector who happened to be in my mailman's route.  The other collector had mailing info similar  to mine (same approximate length of names, same first and last initials, same street number but on a different street).  It turns out my local postman hand sorts some of the incoming mail, and he erroneously stuck the shipment into my mail based on the similarities.   When I dropped off the package to the other person (who lives in my neighborhood) I found out it was a kid.  His parent confirmed that he had received at least one small shipment intended for me (but hadn't forwarded it to me ... they are trying now to find it).

[dragsamou]

Hi Members.
I'm Really Pissed >:(
Out of the Free Service French Tokens,3 Members did not received  them by Normal Mail.Then I send a Free Island Altered by Me,it get stolen.I send 1 Havic the Bothering Card not received.On the other side,I received everything with No problems,and it's for Much more than my sendings.
As The only problem,I have was the empty Letter from Tenacious.The case of Tenacious is really weird,looks like
somebody is filtering his letters coming or going from abroad,as Eric will send an Island,we will see if there's any problem with that letter coming from France.If any Members receive finally my Letters please let me know.
On my part,I will not send anything through Normal Mail to the US anymore for sometimes.

[rg]

a little bit off-topic but still related or might help:

I had similar experiences with an u.s. contact last year.
The only difference: it happens to 3 shipments from u.s. to germany.
But i'll look up the address if i'm at home so we can see if it's the same area where Dylan lives ...

[blackfire100]

I don't think this has ever happened to me...

Dylan: If you get my letter with no card, or don't get it at all, let me know about it.

[silver.paladin]

Hi Members.
I'm Really Pissed >:(
Out of the Free Service French Tokens,3 Members did not received  them by Normal Mail.Then I send a Free Island Altered by Me,it get stolen.I send 1 Havic the Bothering Card not received.On the other side,I received everything with No problems,and it's for Much more than my sendings.
As The only problem,I have was the empty Letter from Tenacious.The case of Tenacious is really weird,looks like
somebody is filtering his letters coming or going from abroad,as Eric will send an Island,we will see if there's any problem with that letter coming from France.If any Members receive finally my Letters please let me know.
On my part,I will not send anything through Normal Mail to the US anymore for sometimes.

The only problems I have ever had, are transactions from the US to Canada.  I had always felt that it was Canada Customs that was the problem.  Reading this now, I am beginning to think maybe it is US Customs that is the problem.  I stopped collecting foils when my Judgement (I think it was) went missing completely, and it was going to be too expensive to try to get them again.  
As I find out also, for me, it appears that almost every letter/package I get from the States is opened and resealed, and with our poor political situation in Canada, I felt that it was the Canada side of things that was doing this.  Maybe in the wake of 911, the US Customs, or US Homeland Security are opening packages that are thicker than a normal letter, for security reasons?  Is this a possibility?  And if this is what is happening, do they maybe have some kind of directive where certain mail items are seized, and they do not have to say anything?
In this regard, I am also thinking of what RG (I think it was) in saying that gambling cards are not allowed, so the German Customs would pull those sorts of items out of envelopes/packages.

As a quick question to you Dragsamou, as well as Axios - those cards I sent you guys, you both received them, but do you remember if the envelopes had been tampered with in any way?

[sylvanstu]

[quote]

The only problems I have ever had, are transactions from the US to Canada.  I had always felt that it was Canada Customs that was the problem. (quote)

I have also had lots of problems between Canada and U.S. in the past.  Lately i've had none.

[silver.paladin]

The only problems I have ever had, are transactions from the US to Canada.  I had always felt that it was Canada Customs that was the problem. (quote)

I have also had lots of problems between Canada and U.S. in the past.  Lately i've had none.

I will probably learn a little bit more about this soon.  I purchased a Darksteel set in an auction from a US seller, and he just emailed me yesterday saying that it would be sent next week.  I will make sure to look at the packaging when it comes to see (a) if it was tampered in any way, and if so (b) then try to determine whether it was the US or Canadian Customs that did this.

[mintcollector]

Just to share another related story.  Eric and I tried doing a trade of me sending him some 8Ed English cards he wanted in exchange for 2 French Dakmor Sorceresses.  My cards arrived no problem, but his never did.  We waited for a few weeks before giving up.  Eric sent me money to compensate for the loss via PayPal.  He also disclosed that some items sent to Chuck (Stone Rain Project) never arrived.  Just wanted to share this info.

[dragsamou]

Hi Members.
I just came back from Post Office since The Registrated Letter That I sent to Ralph never arrived for the moment
To be honnest,since,it was National Holydays in France,I do believe,that's quite normal,I have received Registrated Letter from Germany 12/15 Days after.
Otherwise,this will be the First time that I will loose a Registrated Letter To Germany.Regarding Tenacious
the situation,indicates clearly,that someone at the Post Office is making his Christmas Shopping,I tell you straight it can't be my Postman,the guy brings me so many letters,Registrated Letters Packages,that now,I invite him for coffee,also,I gave him a Nice Banknotes for Christmas  ;) As I received so far,everything at my Place except the Coro Coro from Tenacious,I do believe that on that Particular case ,it's a Thief Postman Problem.For Sylvanstu and Madhishain,I really have no idea.I always send Single cards in an Ultra Pro,then in a Top Loader,then an envelop(To hide),then the envelope with a piece of tape on the back,and I systematically add
my adress on the back.I really wonder if US Customs are tough on Letters coming from France through Normal Mail as Registrated Mail is working really find.
From the US,so far,I have received every single letters
in the last 4 Years(Thanks to GPM).I wonder if I should send another Letter to Dylan(Just an Extra 2$ Shipping)
tell him as usual,when I send the letter,and see,what's the result,but as we say:Never 2 Without 3,it may be a
bad idea.On my part,I have talked to the "Chief" at Post Office,and he will make a Serious Inquiry,I'm a Big Client
and he starts to knows me really well.Not mentioning
that Lost Letters is a Really Bad advertisement for them
since they spent Millions on a Commercial showing that you could send your Baby through Post Office as it's such a safe place  ;D
I start to feel like a PI,even if it sounds ridiculous,about
what get lost:3 French Tokens Sets,,French Beta Island Altered by me(The thief has taste at least  :)),one White Trash Havic the Bothering Card,3 Inquest Cards+2
advertisement cards.30$ at the Max,could had been worst.

[dragsamou]

As a quick question to you Dragsamou, as well as Axios - those cards I sent you guys, you both received them, but do you remember if the envelopes had been tampered with in any way?

Hi Silver.
The Only Negative thing,I have to say about Canadian Post Office,is that some Letters takes really long to arrived from there.As I received a Registrated Letter this Morning in 17 Days(Not so bad)but otherwise Normal Mail is much longer sometimes,otherwise I never have any problems and none Letters that I received from Canada get tampered  :)

[rg]

a little bit off-topic but still related or might help:

I had similar experiences with an u.s. contact last year.
The only difference: it happens to 3 shipments from u.s. to germany.
But i'll look up the address if i'm at home so we can see if it's the same area where Dylan lives ...

Hi Dylan,

as promised i looked up the address.
It's only 1,5 hours away from you in Haslett.  :o
Maybe posts in your area arrive or pass the same custom office in Detroit?
He had a lot of trouble not only with my shipments last year.

[TerraFrost]

perhapes another "card" could be sent out, but instead of a card being in the envelope, it could be a letter to the person who would take it.