Taking steps can prevent heart break over broken packages

Published March 15, 2006
By Lt. Tracy Page
USAFE Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) -- A damaged gift package can seriously spoil the arrival of that colored slip in your APO mailbox -- but there are steps you can take to brighten your day and get your money back.

First step -- don’t throw anything away.

“To file a claim for damage; the article, cost, mailing container, and packaging must be submitted to the post office so a claims clerk can assist you with filing the claim,” said Yvonne Radloff, Chief of Training for the 2nd Air Postal Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Second step -- file a claim as soon as possible.

“If something looks damaged you should take it to the APO to file a claim” said Ms. Radloff. “This allows the APO to file your claim with U.S. Postal Service for reimbursement.”

According to postal squadron regulations, members have up to 45 days from the mailing date to file a claim on First Class, Priority, PAL and SAM mail. If the item was sent via Surface Mail, that time frame increases to 75 days. For Express Mail, the time limit is 90 days.

Gift givers should remember that good packing can protect articles from damage and save your loved ones the trouble of filing a damage claim.

Always remember to include your return address inside your package and keep your insurance receipts.

“You will need your receipts if the items you send get damaged,” said Ms. Radloff. “It's a good idea to list the articles that are in each parcel on the reverse of your insurance receipt. If you mail more than one article to the same address, you'll know which insurance number belongs to the damaged article,” she said.