USPS denies Lake City man's claim after package delivered empty

LAKE CITY, Fla. — The U.S. Postal Service is denying a Lake City man’s claim after the package he paid to ship was delivered empty.

“They just plain stone-walled it. They’re not going to pay it,” said Terry Martin.

Martin said he shipped off a $329 aircraft radio for maintenance from the Lake City post office on Main Blvd.

When it arrived, Martin said the packing tape had been sliced through and the radio was gone.

USPS marked on the box that it was received unsealed and without its contents. Martin’s USPS receipt said $50 of insurance was included in Martin’s purchase.

But in a letter, USPS denied his claim because “it was not filed within the specified time frame.”

The postal service said that timeframe is 15-60 days.

The date on Martin’s claim indicates he filed it on time, 27 days after the shipping date.

But a USPS spokesperson said the postal service has no record of Martin’s claim until four months after the shipment.

“They can’t be trusted. They want to sell insurance, but they want to keep the money,” said Martin.

Martin said he will never ship an item through USPS again.

“I’ll send Christmas cards and greetings, but if it has any value, it won’t be shipped by me,” said Martin.

Martin reached out to Action News Jax after seeing our story on Nov. 14 about a Jacksonville woman who reported her diamond ring was stolen out of a USPS package. The postal service won't honor the insurance she paid for.

On Nov. 13, Action News Jax uncovered that the U.S. Postal Inspection service is investigating reports of mail theft in Jacksonville involving an outdoor mail box at the post office on 1440 Edgewood Avenue West.

On Nov. 17, a Clay County couple told Action News Jax someone stole a $40 check they mailed through a Green Cove Springs post office drop box, and turned it into a $940 check.

Woman says diamond ring stolen from USPS package on way to Jacksonville A Jacksonville woman was expecting a $4,000 diamond ring in the mail, but when the box arrived she said it was ripped open and empty.

Cox Media Group