Lost in the mail: Wrong woman signs for $5,000 ring

PANAMA CITY — The United States Postal Service processes about 177 billion pieces of mail each year. That means postal workers are handling about 405,000 pieces each minute.

The vast majority of that mail comes and goes without a hitch. Although some of it, like a $5,000 diamond ring, doesn’t make it to where it’s supposed to go.

Robert Broccoli, a retiree living in Panama City decided to send his oldest daughter, Kimberly Zoulious of New Hampshire, an heirloom diamond cluster ring.

The package was supposed to be a Mother’s Day surprise, the ring handed down from Broccoli’s mother, who died several years ago.

The ring never made it to Zoulious.

Broccoli mailed the package from Southport, paying $4.95 for the postage and $49.95 for insurance. He also ordered signature confirmation. Broccoli said he wasn’t offered restricted delivery service, however, which would have allowed only one authorized person to sign for the package.

Broccoli had the package mailed with priority status on May 9, 2009. Three days later, his daughter said she had not received it, and both she and Broccoli began making calls to see what happened.

Three days later, Gloria Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the post office in Panama City, met with Broccoli and said the package was signed for and delivered to a woman with a nose ring. When Broccoli told Sanchez his daughter did not have a nose ring, she showed him the signature obtained in the delivery.

“This was a scribble, not a signature; I couldn’t make it out, Sanchez couldn’t make it out, no one can make it out,” he said, recalling the incident. “There was also no printed name (included with the signature); in my experience, all packages had to have a signature and the printed name of the recipient.”

Joseph Breckenridge, media relations representative for the post office in Northern Florida and Alabama, explained that USPS gave Broccoli the benefit of the doubt and sent him a partial payment of $400, because the carrier who delivered the package failed to get the printed name of the signer. Broccoli has not cashed the check.

Broccoli consulted an attorney, but then decided not to proceed with the case.

“The lawyer thought there was misjustice done, but it would have taken around $3,000 or $4,000 to fight the case. That’s nearly the value of the ring, so it wasn’t worth it,” he said.

This is an example of the failure of the federal government to be efficient and accountable, Broccoli said.

“This is the federal government doing what they want to do,” he said. “I’d rather do business with the mafia; at least then you know you’ll get hit if you don’t pay.”

Although his experience has been troubling, Broccoli wants to make it clear that he is not blaming all postal workers.

“Some people do their jobs, and some people don’t,” he said. “Sanchez did try to re-open the case, but corporate is the one that refuses to pay.”

“It’s not the money, it’s the principle,” he said. “I don’t have the money or the power to fight them, but they should be held responsible and people should be advised of the risk they are taking with USPS.”

Breckenridge said a post office insurance policy pays for what the item is worth at the time of mailing, but a receipt or professional appraisal is always necessary in case of any delivery issues. He also said customers should discuss their concerns with postal workers before mailing a package.

“If someone has a special circumstance it’s important to have a conversation … there are so many options and ancillary services offered that it would be impossible to mention all of them,” he said. “If something is a family heirloom, that should probably sent registered mail, which is handed person to person; it takes longer but by far the most secure.”