Items lost in mail!!! what should I do?

[gp]

Being a SME on physical distribution and customs, I can advise all shipping companies, regardless if you use the local / country's postal services like USPS, DP, post NL , B Post or carriers like FEDEX, UPS, DHL, Chronopost, DPD or whatever to:

- have it insured for 150% of the value or whatever higher level is indicated
- make a foto if you send or ask for a picture of the goods / package upon shipping to you
- do the same upon arrival
- sign with reservation
- claim within < 2 weeks, being the legal period
(attention: some carriers and or countries use a legal deadline of < 1 week to raise a claim
- preferably pay by a credit card as this also gives you some protection

it doesn't make a difference if you use f.i the Dutch Post or DHL: as long as you stick to the above rules.
I had a case were a package worth 2 K got lost by the postal services and as I could proof my case by complying with the above ABC, they paid after investigation.
On professional level I had a case were some boxes were stolen from a pallet to China and due to a mismatch between paper and physical qty I found my employer between a rock and a hard place.
Just because I had pictures of the outgoing shipment and could proof that upon arrival some tape to the plastic wrapping was added, my case was accepted by the quite strick authorities, goods cleared and an adjustment accepted, so a claim for the missing qty.

Just make sure you have it insured and proof available, regardless what you think or perception is. the latter doesn't count...
Take care and be smart !