Unfortunately, we did not hear about the rejection until we called to check on the status of the claim. Apparently when transcribing the data on our claims form to the computer someone typed an extra "4" in our zip code (03447) and thus entered the zip for Homosassa Springs, Florida instead (34447). Thus all mail regarding our claim went to Florida. If any of the mail was returned, no one forwarded it to us. When we talked to the Claims Department, we told the person we talked to that our zip code was in error in their computer and should be changed.

We now decided to try filing a claim for the other book in the package, the one that was lost. Our Postmaster duly filed that claim. We tried to have her send in that claim by certified mail, but she said that Postal Regulations prevented her from doing so. That claim simply vanished into the void. Perhaps it was lost in the mails. Perhaps it was simply thrown away. Perhaps the rejection notice was sent to Homosassa Springs.

We then filed a claims appeal for the damaged book with the Postal Service Claims Appeal Office in St. Louis. Again we did not hear back for many weeks but when we called to find out the status of the claim, we discovered that our appeal had been rejected for the same reasons as was the original claim. There had been a letter sent to us, but again it went to Homosassa Springs.

There was, however, a final appeal we could make, to the "USPS Consumer Advocate". We packed up our documentation (now a quarter inch thick) and shipped it off to them with a cover letter that made it very clear that they should reply to our address in Fitzwilliam, not to Homosassa Springs. ("This is a letter. It has a heading. The heading contains a return address. Please mail your reply to that return address. Please do not send your reply to Homossasa Springs, Florida.")

Well, the letter worked. Two months after we sent in the appeal, we got our $200. refund. And they mailed the check to us in Fitzwilliam. The downside? Our post office was not allowed to return the damaged book to us.

Thus ended an expensive (in time) lesson in the ways of the U.S. Postal Service. Hopefully what we learned may be of some use to other book dealers. Here are some points to consider:

1. You may wish to use Delivery Confirmation (tracking) instead of insurance on all but the most valuable of the books you ship. It is less expensive and provides a simple way you can prove that a package has been (or has not yet been) delivered. And you can do the tracking yourself on the Internet.

2. If you insure a book, you may want to put a note inside the book indicating how the recipient should handle a damaged book. Here is the note we now send with our insured books:

PLEASE NOTE: This package has been insured for loss or damage. Please inspect the book and the box it came in for damage. If the book has been damaged in transit, do not return the book to us but contact us immediately. We can then discuss the available options.