I have always stood back from trading as a way of getting my hands on miniatures. The reason? Models going missing! For some time I have just though 'hey, its me!' and just bad luck but recent events here in Essex are beginning to prove otherwise.
Its seems that employees from the Royal Mail have been actively stealing the contents of people's post for their own ends. So scandalous are the findings that the story has even made the front page of the local rag, as you will have seen above!
The story got me thinking about all the 'disappearances' that I have had to deal with in recent times, including a large trade overseas that just vanished, even though they are supposed to be tracked.
Then, the plot thickens and I receive a generic letter from the Royal Mail apologising (albeit rather vaguely) about the loss of my property along with some old envelopes that once would have held my beloved lead! Note that the envelope in the photograph is affixed with a signed for notice! Well I never signed for this one and the Post Office swore it was delivered, in 2011!
Yes, that is correct, in 2011!
So the thief not only pilfered my minis but even kept the evidence lying around somewhere, and then the Royal Mail, not able to return my property, just send me out an empty envelope!
Hopeless!
The hue and cry (lots of local people are talking about the items they have lost and the similar letters of 'apology' they have had popped through their letter boxes) has got me thinking. How common are these disappearances? Are rogue posties targeting our minis and stealing them, perhaps to sell back to us on eBay?
So if you have has items mysteriously vanish during transit or any other tales of problematic posties please do share. You know how!!
Back to miniatures proper next time.
Orlygg.
PS: It was an '80s Rat Ogre by Jes Goodwin that vanished from that envelope if you were wondering.
I'm a ex-postie (worked for RM twice for a total of 6 years), Thieving was happening in my local sorting office all the time. I don't want to sound racist but 80% of the time the it was the agency workers normally Polish (This was the case in the Watford office) stealing everything. What i have seen first hand would shock most people.
ReplyDeleteNothing good ever follows the phrase "I don't want to sound racist but..."
DeleteI had quite a lot items disappear over the last 3-4 of years, that was until my local depot was closed down.
ReplyDeleteMy parcels haven't seemed to have quite as much trouble of late.
I can only assume that something was dodgy about some of the local staff.
The real pity is that a lot of what they steal, like our miniatures, is worth nothing to them and probably just gets "binned" as you British say. I've had things disappear in the post and it is frustrating and painful, but fortunately the vast majority of parcels arrive safely to where you addressed them.
ReplyDeleteUpsetting to say the least. I hope you do not accept their apology. Since it was in their care they are responsible for any damages.
ReplyDeleteNever happened to me I'm glad to say.
ReplyDeleteI'm very impressed you know exactly what was in the parcel, not sure I'd have been able to recall what I was expecting.
Not happened to me yet, but I have has 2 boxes of minis that have clearly been trodden or even stamped on (one had a footprint on it). The rare Hinchliffe fantasy miniatures had been converted to flats.
ReplyDeleteHappy to say that I've not had this happen in the couple of years that I've been buying and selling minis on ebay. The only crime I've experienced there is the cut that ebay take on yer sales and the postage costs that I've paid (and I'll admit, charged - although I'm a reformed character) to cancel out the ebay cut.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem must be even more rife in the French postal system judging by the numbers of Bruno's goblins that haven't made it across the pond. I swear he's sent three sets to me now and none have come through. Touch wood I haven't had any British parcels not arrive.... yet!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is shocking. That's a lot of cheek to send you the empty envelope.
ReplyDeleteNothing is sacred is it? You just can't trust anyone! I hope these theiving gits were caught and prosecuted, but it's not likely is it?... :/
ReplyDeleteI once bought a LE2 Imperial Marine off an ebay seller, that never made it to me, so the unfortunate seller had to refund me the money (they got good feedback for that though).
I've been very lucky so far (touch wood) and I have an extremely friendly and helpful postie.
ReplyDeleteI once had a fairly large consignment from Reaper vanish in transit after leaving the USA, which might mean it was stolen by Customs & Excise rather than the Post Office. Worst case was my passport stolen when I applied for some financial product, that was nearly 10 years ago. Living in south-west London we apparently have the worst post in the country, so there y'go.
ReplyDelete