Best Way to Ship & Insure Small, High Value items?


This is not a post about how best to pack & ship big, heavy amps & speakers & such (lot of great posts on A'gon on that subject). Rather, my question is which shipper is most reliable, & likely to pay an insurance claim, on a high value item, say.......$2,000 to $5,000 (or more). i.e.; how best to ship a relatively small but valuable item that can easily be shipped by air, & the weight & shipping cost is not an issue, & you're not as much worried about shipping damage as it possibly getting lost? I'm guessing, insured USPS priority or express mail? Thanks in advance for any feedback!
steveaudio
i would go with ups as they always pay off,ups seems to pay me faster where as the post office with their lagging senority driven employee's took 6 months to pay off.

not to mention that the uspo's traking system is abysmal.

i wouldnt ship a bunch of carrots with fedex,ever.

mike.
USPS without question. I have made two claims in six years, and had no problem with either.

They do not seem to have a strategy designed to cause you to quit pursuing a claim as UPS evidently does.

I may be wrong, but I believe I have read that the Hope Diamond was once transported via the U.S. Post Office before it became the USPS. Just a factoid.
United States Registered Mail is the best way to ship high value items. It provides protection and security for valuables or important mail. It also provides evidence of mailing and optional proof of delivery. Registered Mail is the most secure service offered by the United States Postal Service. Registered Mail is separated and does not travel enroute with First Class Mail because of the high degree of security. This extra security can delay mail by 24 to 48 hours over other First Class delivery objectives. Registered Mail must be taken by the mailer to a post office for acceptance.
this guy is talkin about "what if an item gets lost".

if you are unfortunate enough to get an item lost with the post office your really in for it!ive been there.

when your item dosent arrive & you call them for an update here is their response(its in the system)& when you call back weeks later to check the response is the same.

ive had nothing but bad luck with the postal system in my state,they sure dont get employees who go on killing sprees because they hire the cream of the crop.

if your stuff gets lost be prepared for THE BIGGEST NIGHTMARE OF YOUR LIFE!
As Hgeifman said, USPS Registered insured is the best way to send light parcels with a high value. I have shipped valuable numismatic coins and jewelry using this method. All of the box's edges are brown taped and USPS stamped over the tape and box interface, so no one can open and reseal the box, without leaving clear evidence of tampering. EVERYONE who handles the parcel must sign on and off for it. The delivery log may have several signatures. In addition, the parcel is kept under lock during storage at the various stops throughout it's journey.
The POSTAL SERVICE by all means REGRISTERED/INSURED.Has to be signed/checked at EVERY cHECKPOINT.And If it gets lost they will not give you a hassle like UPS which truly SUCKS.FYI they have an outside insurance contractor and they reject 70% of the claims.
Bigjoe, USPS Registered/Insured is a different creature than other types of insured delivery services offered by the USPS. The most secure way to ship, other than by bonded courier, or if necessary ARMED & bonded courier.
USPS is slow to pay off claims, that's for sure. Took me over 6 months with a very patient buyer helping out. But registered mail would get you paid, eventually, if it was lost. As far as liklihood of getting a small high value product to the receipient quickly, Fedex Express would be the way to go. If its an international shipment, I would NOT use USPS, cause then there are two gov'tal agencies to deal with. Just my $0.02.
ANOTHER vote for USPS Registered Mail!!! In the strongest manner I can recommend it.

As someone who worked for the USPS part time when I was in college, believe me, Registered Mail is akin to the king sending a personal note to someone. It gets a level of urgency and care that must be seen to be believed. At the ridiculously low cost they charge, it is astonishing. And, this from a person who REALLY thinks the Post Office isn't exactly run like clockwork.

The item is isolated in it's own sack, sealed with metal ID tags, gets truly royal treatment, and on, and on, and on. It's tracked on several levels, people handle it like it was their own item. With the regard that if anything happened to it, there would truly be hell to pay.
Trelja, thanks for your insider's point of view! Basically, the only way a Registered/Insured parcel disappears, is if the transporting vehicle is destroyed in an accident!
Thank you, Fatparrot! Though, in the grand scheme of things, testimonials, such as yours (the customer), from people like you who we have gotten to know and trust, are the most important statements in these matters.

I think your statement about the only way the package can disappear is probably right on.

As slow and painful as the USPS is, I had a good experience with them last year in trying to buy an item here on Audiogon. The seller wanted a USPS Money Order, which I mailed, and he claimed to never receive. They investigated it, found that someone else tried to do something with it, but in the end (less than 60 days), I was issued a full refund. I was more than happy and impressed, as well as kind of shocked.