Postal Explorer > International Mail Manual - Issue 32 > 9 Inquiries, Indemnities, and Refunds > 920 Inquiries and Claims

920 Inquiries and Claims

921 Inquiry Described

921.1 General

Inquiry is a general term that includes:

a. Requests concerning the disposition of an item entered in international mail.

b. Complaints or reports concerning the loss, rifling, damage, delay, or improper delivery of an item entered in international mail.

921.2 Who Can Initiate

921.21 Letter-post and Parcel Post

Inquiries about registered and recorded delivery letter-post items, insured items, and ordinary parcel post items can be initiated at any Post Office by the U.S. sender or addressee. Inquiries are not accepted for ordinary letter-post or Global Priority Mail items.

921.22 Global Express Mail (EMS)

Inquiries pertaining to the disposition of Global Express Mail (EMS) items can be initiated only by the U.S. sender. To initiate an inquiry for loss, rifling, or damage, the sender must call the International Inquiry Center at 800-222-1811 and provide information about the mailing, including (but not limited to) the following:

1) Mailing receipt number.

2) Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the mailer and the addressee.

3) Date of mailing.

922 Filing Inquiries

922.1 Waiting Period and Time Limits

Customers must allow sufficient time for delivery of the mailpiece to the foreign country and must initiate inquiries within the time limits noted in the following chart:

922.2 Global Express Mail (EMS) Inquiry Procedures

922.21 How to Initiate an Inquiry

The U.S. sender of EMS, recorded delivery, registered air and economy letter-post, insured and ordinary air, and economy parcel post items that may be lost, damaged, or rifled must call the International Inquiry Center at 800-222-1811 within the time limits listed in 922.1 to initiate an inquiry.

922.22 Procedural Steps

After the Postal Service customer provides the International Inquiry Center with the relevant mailing information:

a. The International Inquiry Center advises the sender of the results of the inquiry.

b. When there is a determination that the item has been lost, damaged, or rifled, the International Inquiry Center mails to the customer an information packet with a letter of instruction about the claims process.

922.3 Transmitting Inquiries

The International Inquiry Center sends inquiries about registered or recorded delivery items, insured items, and ordinary parcel post items to the applicable foreign postal administration electronically or via airmail or fax.

923 Claim Described

A claim is a request by a U.S. Postal Service customer for an indemnity payment that resulted from the loss, rifling, or damage to a registered item, insured item, ordinary parcel post item, or EMS item. (See 221.3, 320, 330 for information on indemnity limits, and 930 and 940 for information on indemnity payments and postage refunds.)

924 Initiation of Claims

924.1 Registered Letter-post Mail and Insured and Ordinary Parcel Post

Claims are handled as follows:

a. Claims for registered letter-post mail and insured and ordinary parcel post may be initiated by either the sender or the addressee. The claimant must initiate a claim for indemnity within 6 months from the day following the date of mailing. Claims may not be processed until after appropriate inquiries (complaints) have been initiated in accordance with procedures in this subchapter.

b. Claims for registered letter-post and international ordinary and insured parcel post items delivered to the addressee in damaged condition or with contents missing are payable only to the addressee, unless the addressee waives payment, in writing, in favor of the sender. If the addressee does not accept delivery and the item is returned to the sender, the sender is the payee.

924.2 Global Express Mail (EMS) Shipments

Only U.S. senders may initiate claims for the loss, rifling, or damage of EMS items originating in the United States. These claims may not be filed until after the inquiry has been completed. (See 922.2 for inquiry procedures.) When initiating a claim, customers must complete PS Form 2855, Claim for Indemnity - International Registered, Insured, and Express Mail. This form must be accompanied by evidence of mailing and whatever documentation the customer feels would support the claim. (See 922 and 925.)

925 Required Documentation

925.1 Evidence of Insurance

Indemnity claims for registered items, insured and ordinary parcel post items, and Global Express Mail items must be supported as follows:

a. If mailed in the United States, the original mailing receipt issued at the time of mailing. Copies are not acceptable.

b. For Global Express Mail items, PS Form 2861 received from the International Inquiry Center.

c. If mailed in another country, the original mailing receipt if available, the customs label, the wrapper if appropriate, and any other markings or endorsements on the mailing container that indicate how it was sent.

925.2 Evidence of Value

The customer must submit acceptable evidence to establish the cost or value of the article at the time it was mailed. (Other evidence may be requested to help determine an accurate value.) Examples of acceptable evidence are:

a. Sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer.

b. Customer's own statement describing the lost or damaged article, including the date and place of purchase, the amount paid, and whether new or used (only if a sales receipt or invoice is not available). If the article is handmade, the statement must include the price of the materials and labor used. The statement must describe the article in enough detail to determine whether the value claimed is accurate.

c. Picture from a catalog showing the value of a similar article (only if a sales receipt, invoice, or statement of value from a reputable dealer is not available). The date and place of purchase must be included.

d. Paid repair bills; if the claim is for partial damage, estimates of repair costs or appraisals from a reputable dealer. Repair costs may not exceed the original purchase price.

e. Receipt or invoice of costs incurred for the reconstruction of nonnegotiable documents.

926 Disposition of Damaged Mail

Dispose of damaged insured and registered mail for which claims have been filed as follows:

a. Damaged international registered mail must be returned to the customer, whether or not the article has salvage value.

b. International insured mail:

(1) If claim is for partial damage, return the article to the customer.

(2) If a claim is for total damage and the article has salvage value, the article and the packaging must be brought to the Post Office facility. The customer must complete Section I and II of PS Form 2855, and attach the required documentation. Postal Service personnel must complete sections III and IV and send the completed PS Form 2855 to International Claims, St. Louis ASC, PO Box 80146, St. Louis, MO 63180-0146 and give the customer a copy of PS Form 3831, Receipt for Article(s) Damaged in Mails.

(3) If claim is for total damage and article has no salvage value, return the article to the customer or, with the customer's consent, dispose of the article with the understanding that the Postal Service will assume no responsibility if claim is denied.

927 Inquiry Charges

927.1 When Applicable

927.11 General

There is no charge for filing inquiries, except as specified in 927.2.

927.2 Telegraph Inquiries

If the sender requests that an inquiry be transmitted by telegraph, cable, or facsimile, the request must be accompanied by an amount sufficient to pay the transmission charges. If a reply by telegraph, cable or facsimile is desired, the sender must pay the charges both ways. Such requests should be forwarded to the International Inquiry Center, US Postal Service, PO Box 39955, Denver, CO 80239-0955.

928 Processing Inquiries

928.1 General Procedures

928.11 Nondelivery

The U.S. Postal Service will initiate an inquiry within the time frames specified in 922.1 with the destination postal administration in any case involving a registered or recorded delivery letter-post item or an insured or ordinary parcel post item that has not been delivered. Inquiries are not accepted for ordinary letter-post items or Global Priority Mail items.

928.12 Return Receipts Improperly Completed or Not Received

Senders may inquire about the delivery of an article by calling 800-222-1811 (see 928.21).

928.13 Rifled Parcels

Report rifled parcels on PS Form 673, Report of Rifled Parcel, in accordance with POM 169.3.

928.14 Wrapper Found Without Contents

928.141 Parcels of Domestic Origin

When the contents of a parcel of domestic origin become separated from the wrapper, inform the sender in accordance with the instructions on PS Form 3760, Parcel Search Request.

928.142 Parcels of Foreign Origin

If the parcel is of foreign origin, send PS Form 3760, appropriately modified, to the addressee.

928.2 Mail Exchanged With All Countries

928.21 Initiating an Inquiry

Advise customers to call 800-222-1811 to initiate an inquiry relating to:

a. The loss of outbound registered mail, recorded delivery mail, and insured and ordinary parcels.

b. The rifling or damage of inbound registered mail, recorded delivery mail, and insured and ordinary parcels.

928.22 Initiating a Claim

PS Form 2855, Claim for Indemnity - International Registered, Insured, and Express Mail, is used to process claims relating to the loss, damage, or rifling of outbound or inbound registered items, insured parcel post items, ordinary parcel post items, and Express Mail items. This form may be obtained at any Post Office.

a. Report on PS Form 2855. The addressee must complete sections I and II; Postal Service personnel must complete sections III and IV.

b. Claims for damage or rifling are payable only to the addressee if the addressee accepts delivery of the article. If a damaged or rifled article is returned to the sender, the sender is the payee.

c. See 925 for required documentation to accompany claim.

d. Do not collect a fee.

e. Send PS Form 2855 and related documents, including envelope or wrapper and customs forms, if available, to International Claims, St. Louis ASC, PO Box 80146, St. Louis, MO 63180-0146.

928.23 Outbound Insured and Ordinary Parcels

For inquiries relating to the loss or delay of outbound insured and ordinary parcel post items, advise customers to call 800-222-1811 to initiate an inquiry.

928.24 Inbound Registered Mail

928.241 Loss or Delay

For inquiries relating to the loss or delay of inbound registered mail:

a. The customer must submit the registered mail receipt, envelope, or wrapper for proof of registration. If documentation is not provided or is not available, tell the customer to have the sender initiate an inquiry with the postal administration of origin.

b. If documentation is available, advise customers to call 800-222-1811 to initiate an inquiry.

928.242 Damage or Rifling

For inquiries relating to the damage or rifling of inbound registered mail:

a. If the article has been delivered, advise the customer that the customer is the payee unless the right to payment is waived, in writing, in favor of the sender.

b. Complete PS Form 2855. The addressee must complete Sections I and V. USPS personnel must complete Sections III and IV.

c. Prepare a damage report detailing the condition of the item at the time of delivery, and indicate whether or not it was properly packaged to withstand normal handling in the mail.

d. Attach the damage report and the documentation described in 925 to the claim.

e. Send PS Form 2855 and related documents, including envelope or wrapper and customs forms, if available, to International Claims, St. Louis ASC, PO Box 80146, St. Louis, MO 63180-0146.

f. See 926 for damaged registered articles.