Narrative Summary

I shipped a $300 rare coin collection via USPS Priority Mail. Tracking marked it "Delivered In/At Mailbox" at 1:15 PM. At 3:00 PM, my buyer sent me a video showing their entire neighborhood's cluster mailbox unit standing wide open. The carrier had forgotten to secure the master lock, and every single package and letter inside had been stolen. Despite the clear negligence and video proof of the open box, USPS denied my claim, stating their only obligation was scanning it at the correct GPS location.

The Resolution Strategy

When a package is stolen after a valid delivery scan, it usually falls under "porch piracy," which carriers do not cover. However, if the carrier's negligence directly facilitated the theft, the liability shifts back to USPS.

The drafted appeal, generated by the Authori shipping platform, relied on POM Section 645 alongside postal security regulations regarding carrier master keys (Arrow Keys). The appeal didn't dispute the location of the scan; it disputed the completion of a secure delivery.

The letter explicitly stated that leaving a cluster box master lock unsecured constitutes a failure to complete the delivery contract, as the items were never placed into the exclusive custody of the recipients. This procedural argument forced the issue up to the regional Postal Inspector's office. Facing video evidence of a gross security violation tied to a POM 645 investigation, USPS overturned the denial and paid the $300.