The SNES preservation project is undead

[Near]

Sorry, it's my fault on the title.

I did declare the project dead once the package was lost.

It was an utter shock to me that the sender was still willing to send the rest of the games. I know for damn sure that if I sent someone 100 games and lost them, that I would not be sending any more.

It was my fault for not waiting for his reply, and for that I am sorry.

But I still have a major problem: how to get the rest of the games over here. And no, I can't afford to go live in Germany for a few months, sorry.

> byuu's heard so many "just wait" suggestions that it's gotten old for him.

The thing with waiting is ... if it actually was stolen, then every day we wait is more of a chance for any CCTV footage to get recycled, for a package put into an "undeliverable" pile to go to public auction, etc.

This is priority mail with an 8-14 day window for delivery. We're on day 40 now. It may arrive tomorrow. It may arrive six months from now. It may never arrive. I'm operating under the latter assumption until I have reason to do otherwise.

If I'm wrong, great. I'll owe the whole world an apology for wasting their time. I can live with that.

[jmr]

This is priority mail with an 8-14 day window for delivery. We're on day 40 now.

In my experience, the quoted delivery windows have fine print that says something to the effect that it's only an estimate and doesn't factor in customs delays and so forth. Here's DHL's:

Transit times are indicative. Your final transit time may differ based on the actual pick up time, service requested, characteristics of the shipment tendered, and/or regulatory clearance requirements. DHL Express has no liability or responsibility for differences between the indicative and the actual transit time.

Your package took ~21 days in customs. Blaming USPS for missing the delivery window is like blaming the chef at a restaurant for your dinner being late when the waiter took 40 minutes to check in your order (I spent a long time waiting at a restaurant tonight, so this example was pretty fresh in my mind. )

I'm not saying you're not in the right to be worried about such a valuable package taking so long. I deal with international shipments a lot (I buy a lot of records - I just got a package from Germany myself). Lapses in tracking info seems to come with the territory, and just because one shipment took 10 days doesn't mean the next one always will.

Now that 7+ business days have passed since the last update on the tracking number, I'd say try to open up another lost package ticket with the USPS. Maybe call, if that's an option. In my dealings with Canada Post and UPS, I've generally had better luck getting answers over the phone than by email.

Good luck.

Edit:

for a package put into an "undeliverable" pile to go to public auction

wait, is that a thing that actually happens? D: I wonder if that's what happened to the audio mixer I sent to Philippines that supposedly never arrived...

[Near]

> wait, is that a thing that actually happens?

Yes indeed it is. Happens whenever the shipping label falls of the package or is unreadable. Can also happen if sent to a non-existent address, although there's a chance they return those to the original sender (not a guarantee.)

[Guspaz]

This story has now been picked up by Kotaku. Who also didn't get any answer from USPS.

https://kotaku.com/10k-worth-of-snes-ga ... 1792409527

[hex_usr]

byuu pointed out an inaccuracy in that article:

he confesses that he and Smarthuman could’ve done a little more to try and end up safe, rather than sorry. They didn’t split up the deliveries in such a way that they could insure packages for their full value, and Byuu’s kicking himself for that.

byuu never blamed the sender (hereafter known as "Smarthuman") at all. Smarthuman had no choice in which American mail delivery system DHL chose to receive the package.

I never put blame on Smarthuman. This was absolutely not his fault at all.

**I** am the one who suggested 100 games per shipment to reduce shipping costs. I thought that was a good amortization of risk (instead of sending all 400 at once), but failed to account for the fact that replacing even 100 games would be a real challenge.

I should have said 50 games at a time. As both Smarthuman and I have explained already, there were reasons we couldn't just drop $10,000 of insurance on the package.

This is entirely my fault. All Smarthuman did was trust me with a huge amount of his valuable games. And no matter what, I will get them all back to him, even if I have to rebuy each and every one of them myself.

Also, here's a Destructoid article.

[Near]

Yeah, I was really hoping that with some press attention, USPS would get a PR person involved, but ... nope.

So far, I've had four USPS employees who happen to be avid gamers offer to ask around for me, but no one in the Jersey City location has contacted me. Also had no response from the employees yet, been about 4 - 24 hours per person.

What do you guys think we should try next? CNN coverage? change.org petition? :P

[Sverker]

What do you guys think we should try next? CNN coverage? change.org petition?

How about try not making more of a spectacle out of your lost mail?

[Near]

Well, the package arrived today.





You guys still think I should've waited longer? :P

[rainwarrior]

I'm sorry this has happened.

[Kismet]

Well, the package arrived today.





You guys still think I should've waited longer?

How many of the games arrived, or did they just send you the packaging?

From the condition of the box, it looks like it may have sat in water.

[rainwarrior]

How many of the games arrived, or did they just send you the packaging?

From the condition of the box, it looks like it may have sat in water.

From what I read in the other thread that's the entirety of what arrived. No games, no box, just the outer layer of paper with the shipping labels on it.

[Near]

> I'm sorry this has happened.

Thank you kindly.

> How many of the games arrived, or did they just send you the packaging?

All they sent me was the top of the box. Zero games. Not even the customs form.

> From the condition of the box, it looks like it may have sat in water.

No water damage.

[tokumaru]

Holy crap, why would they even bother sending you the remains and giving you proof that bad shit happened when they could simply have stalled you forever? It doesn't even make sense. Seeing the aftermath is simply revolting.

[mic_]

Wait.. $5000+ worth of games weighing close to 20 lbs were sent across the atlantic just wrapped in some paper? Or was there a cardboard box that the USPS simply couldn't be bothered to deliver? I'm not saying that the USPS still hasn't screwed up, but if what's shown in the photo is all the packaging there was that seems really careless by the sender.

[Revenant]

It was a cardboard box with a paper wrapping, I believe.