Organization Information

Finance

Claims Process Updates — Domestic and International

As follow-up to the January 23, 2014, Postal Bulletin (PB 22381) article “Claims Process Updates”, we are providing more information and guidance on domestic claims, international inquiries, and claims.

Effective January 26, 2014, the primary responsibility of Post Office™ employees for the claims process is the inspection of a damaged package. The local Post Office has no responsibility for claim processing or adjudication. See the table “International Inquiries and Claims” below for actions to be performed by customers for international inquiries and claims.

Post Office Actions

n Recycle all versions of the claim forms PS Form 1000, Domestic or International Claim, and PS Form 2855. Post Offices are no longer required to keep or use these forms. (Note: This is a correction to the January 23, 2014, Postal Bulletin article.)

n Ensure that Poster 122, Timelines for Domestic and International Claims, is displayed in the back office for employees to view. Do not display Poster 122 in the front lobby.

n Notify customers that they should file domestic claims online through http://www.usps.com. Customers without Internet access can contact the USPS^® toll-free customer support at 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777) and request that a domestic claim form be mailed to them.

Damaged Package Inspection for Domestic and International

Actions required when customers bring their damaged item to the Post Office for damage inspection are as follows:

n The Postal Service employee completes PS Form 3831, Receipt for Article(s) Damaged in Mails.

n Once PS Form 3831 is completed, provide PS Form 3831 to the customer.

n In the back office, the Postal Service employee completes PS Form 2856, Damage Report of Insured Parcel and Contents. PS Form 2856 is an internal USPS form. Do not provide PS Form 2856 to the customer.

n Once PS From 2856 is completed, mail PS Form 2856 and any other claim paperwork to the address on the form. For domestic claims, mail PS 2856 to St. Louis. For international claims, mail PS Form 2856 to the International Research Group in Los Angeles.

International Inquiries and Claims
Reason for Inquiry/Claim	Origin (Sender)	Destination (Addressee)	Action
Package is lost.	Austria or other foreign country, including Canada	United States	U.S. addressee contacts the sender and requests that the sender start an inquiry through his or her foreign post.
Package is damaged and/or has missing contents.	Austria or other foreign country, including Canada.	United States	U.S. addressee contacts the sender and requests that the sender start an inquiry through their foreign post. U.S. addressee takes the package (with wrapping/packaging) to the local U.S. Post Office for inspection.
Package is lost.	United States	Foreign country, including Canada	U.S. sender must initiate an international inquiry by calling 800-222-1811.
Package is damaged and/or has missing contents.	United States	Foreign country, including Canada	U.S. sender must initiate an international inquiry by calling 800-222-1811. U.S. sender must contact the foreign addressee and request that the addressee take the damaged package (with wrapping/packaging) to his or her local Post Office to report the damage.
Package is damaged and/or has missing contents.	Article was mailed from the United States to a foreign country, including Canada and article was returned to the sender in the United States.	Foreign country, including Canada	U.S. sender must initiate an international inquiry by calling 800-222-1811. U.S. sender takes the package (with wrapping/packaging) to the local U.S. Post Office for inspection.

FAQs

Q. Do customers receive a confirmation after submitting a domestic claim online?

A. Yes, after successfully submitting a claim online (by completing all of the required fields), customers will first see a confirmation page. They can print this confirmation page for their records. Then, within one hour, the customer will also receive an email confirmation with the specific label number in the body of the email.

Q. Who can file a domestic claim?

A. For domestic claims, either the person sending the mailpiece (Mailer) or the person receiving the mailpiece (Addressee) may file a claim for a damaged or missing article (that includes insurance).

Q. What is required to file a claim?

A. To file a domestic claim, the customer must provide general information about the damaged or missing package, including the following:

n Article number (label or tracking number) on the package or label.

n Evidence of insurance.

n Proof of value.

n Evidence of damage.

The customer has the ability to upload JPG or PDF files to Online Claims to provide evidence of insurance and proof of value.

Q. For domestic claims, should the addressee or the sender of the damaged package bring the package to his or her local Post Office?

A. The addressee should retain the damaged package, all contents, wrappings, packaging, etc., until he or she receives a letter from USPS instructing him or her to bring it to the Post Office for inspection. The addressee should not reship the package. Additionally, after the Post Office completes the inspection, the Postal Service should not return the package to the customer; the Post Office must retain the package.

Q. If a claim has been denied, what does the customer need to provide to file an appeal?

A. In the appeal, the customer should explain why the case should be reviewed. Also, the customer should include proof of value and evidence of insurance if not provided previously. Domestic appeals may be filed online (within 30 days) if the original claim was filed online.

Q. How do customers appeal an international claim that was denied?

A. For a denied claim, customers may appeal a decision by filing a written appeal within 60 days of the date of the original decision to the following address:

ACCOUNTING SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL CLAIM APPEALS
PO BOX 80146
ST LOUIS MO 63180-0146

In the appeal, the customer explains why his or her case should be reviewed. Also, make sure that evidence of value, evidence of mailing, and insurance coverage for the article has been submitted.

Resources

To check on the status of a claim that has previously been filed, the customer should contact the Accounting Help Desk at 866-974-2733, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm cst.

Domestic Claims

n http://www.usps.com/domestic-claims.

n Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual.

n Accounting — Domestic Claims, http://blue.usps.gov/accounting/domestic.htm.

n For technical assistance with Online Claims, customers should contact the Internet Customer Care Center via phone 800-344-7779 or via email at uspstechsupport@esecurecare.net. Hours are Monday thru Friday: 8:00 am to 8:30 pm et, and Saturday: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm et.