Undeliverable

[gtrhtr]

This may seem like an odd question, but the question is an honest one and I don't know what's going on as I've lived in Europe the past 9 years and may be out of touch. I've had 3 items come to me via USPS to include two items I'd ordered (one of which was a supply of pipe tobacco) and the other a piece of official government correspondence (I work for Uncle Sugar) and all have been deemed undeliverable, as I assume I've not been home, because I've been at work. Is there some new rule or trend with postal operations that require someone to be at home if no signature is required for delivery? I made an initial visit to my local post office to inquire on the location of all 3 items, and all 3 seem to have not been scanned since marked undeliverable over the past 3 weeks. I am asking to ensure something with deliveries hasn't changed before I go in again with a more firm attitude. The only thing that sticks in my mind is some news articles that concerned porch theft of delivered parcels over the holidays. Nothing has been left in my mailbox indicating the item wasn't able to be delivered.

 

[ssjones]

No, we get everything. It it is to be signed for, they leave a form in your mailbox. All packages have to be scanned now, as they all have tracking (First Class & up). I suppose Media mail might not. I'd continue to pursue at your local PO, they are the only ones who can help. Is this a small town, or big city?

 

[jacks6]

Media mail has tracking too now.

 

[snowyowl]

You can be more proactive by tracking packages yourself using the same system all the shippers use worldwide! USPS, FedEx, UK, Ireland, etc.
As stated earlier in this thread: from Amazon to Pipe and Cigars, and more, tracking numbers are available just as routinely as an emailed invoice. Person to person mailings can have one too. This is with or without the addition of a required signature.
I use Parcel. This is both a a desktop and iPhone app that tracks any package with a tracking number, and it notifies me each and every time the thing is scanned. I elect to have push notifications sent to my phone and desktop. There is also a log kept of each scan. This is for Apple, but this kind of application is available for other operation systems.

https://parcelapp.net/
For example, here are just the last steps for a package to be delivered today: Arrived at USPS Destination Facility (12:31am), Arrived at Post Office (5:42am), Sorting Complete (9:01am), Out for Delivery (9:11am). In addition, there's an estimated delivery date calculated at some point... by their computer's fuzzy version of logic.
I no longer have to guess, or worry. And if there is a problem, I print out the tracking number with its log of scans, then head to the PO.
Each shipper also has a web-based way to enter a tracking number and see the where and when.

 

[ssjones]

I believe the op mentions that the items have not been scanned since marked undeliverable. So, having a tracking number won't do much good (it seems he does). The Post Master in your town holds the key to this puzzle.

 

[mso489]

We've experienced occasional glitches but not detected any system wide changes. We get deliveries of various levels of mail from junk to registered. Usually there is a hub postal station where you can make inquiries and often intercept mail that wasn't left at your residence. Where we are, the follow-up is generally good, and we can retrieve packages that for some reason couldn't be left in our mailbox or at our door.

 

[gtrhtr]

Thanks for the great info for what must seem like a dumb question. Now I need to find out why my postman isn't leaving a notice in my mailbox.
I assume someone would be able to pick up an item that wasn't delivered at the post office that day or the next. I'll go in and speak with the postmaster now that I better understand what's going on.
Thanks again guys and sorry for the stupid question.