Is there any kind of postal service that lets you pre-pay postal charges for an item in case it gets lost?

Asked by bluemukaki (4332

) August 29th, 2010

So say you have an item that you really don’t want to lose, you prepay for postage back to your home address, and include on the item a code or reference number for a prepaid postage service that would allow the finder to just drop it at a post office and know that it would make its way back to you. Does this exist?

Obviously you can do this with prepaid envelopes or a whole bunch of stamps, but is there a more elegant solution?

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5 Answers

Apparently, there is (or similar, anyway). :)

BoomerangIt
StuffBak

Cool idea. I like it.

MissAnthrope (21511

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Yes, there are at least two types of insurance that you can buy at the Post Office that will cover lost items. If you are shipping the items, each shipping company will have their own version.

YARNLADY (46587

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Great finds, @MissAnthrope. GA. I never heard of this kind of service, but that’s just what a person might want for a cellphone, laptop, business briefcase, bike, etc., or even more personal possessions that could be stolen—a way for it to find you if ever gets get separated from you.

Jeruba (56064

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it really depends on where you are in the world. If you are interested in the answer to your question relative to the UK or NZ please just ask me.

Odysseus (2751

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You can get insurance to buy a new “something”
or
you can double wrap it with the item packaged in a return package floating in cushion ( peanuts or air envelopes) inside the sending outside package.
But I would still insure it.
Art Gallerys and Museums have human carriers that take things place to place.

MaryW (1731

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