What To Do About A Missing USPS "Delivered" Package
- Thread starter mingc
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I'm hoping some honest person got delivery of your package and reroutes it back to you. I have done this for others several times this season. With near neighbors I just hike it down there and put it in their box. But it is never too early to do the paperwork (or the paperwork online if you trust that). If it's not too inconvenient, I'd go into your hub postal station, if that's possible, so you deal with a human who could conceivably go the extra mile to help. Some of those jobs are repetitious, and some clerks actually seem to enjoy solving problem deliveries. The sender could get it back, for some reason, and re-mail it correctly. Or of course, it could all vaporize into the infinite void. But for a while, there's hope and ways to try to fix the problem. I'll chant and burn tobacco on your behalf. Let the sender know, in case it comes back to them, so they'll be alerted.
Signature Confirmation prevents most of these issues from happening in the first place.
I've more than a few times found mail for people farther down my road in my mailbox. I just put them back in the box and raise the flag for the next day's letter-carrier run.
Actually it looks to be a case of who You talk to at the post office. They take mail theft seriously. You have to get the Post Master involved. The Post Office is in the business of making money, you have to hold their feet to the fire. They offer a protected service. But yea, from now on get the insurance. ??
Hello Gentlemen,
It was my eBay site where Mingc bid on and won two of my pipe auctions and now doesn't have the pipes that I shipped to him.
Mingc notified me yesterday through proper eBay channels what his problem was. After I checked the USPS generated tracking number (also on file with eBay), I also received confirmation that the package had been delivered. I then contacted my local USPS to see if they had any updates that perhaps I did not have. Unfortunately, they did not. They did have a couple of suggestions that I passed on to Mingc that were actually the same suggestions that a few of you fine folks have already mentioned on this thread.
And for the record, just because I completed my end of the transaction in the eyes of USPS, eBay and PayPal, doesn't mean that I'm a happy camper. A USPS carrier made a mistake somewhere along the delivery line with one of my customers. And as happened the other two times packages that I shipped were lost (well, one was actually stolen), my customer will receive the fairest compensation that I can offer.
Finally, I can't even begin to imagine the stress USPS carriers are under during the holiday season when their daily load increases dramatically. So I vote that the guy who mis-delivered Mingc's package still gets his Christmas bonus with the caveat that part of it has to go to Mingc to cover his financial loss if that package is not found!
It was my eBay site where Mingc bid on and won two of my pipe auctions and now doesn't have the pipes that I shipped to him.
Mingc notified me yesterday through proper eBay channels what his problem was. After I checked the USPS generated tracking number (also on file with eBay), I also received confirmation that the package had been delivered. I then contacted my local USPS to see if they had any updates that perhaps I did not have. Unfortunately, they did not. They did have a couple of suggestions that I passed on to Mingc that were actually the same suggestions that a few of you fine folks have already mentioned on this thread.
And for the record, just because I completed my end of the transaction in the eyes of USPS, eBay and PayPal, doesn't mean that I'm a happy camper. A USPS carrier made a mistake somewhere along the delivery line with one of my customers. And as happened the other two times packages that I shipped were lost (well, one was actually stolen), my customer will receive the fairest compensation that I can offer.
Finally, I can't even begin to imagine the stress USPS carriers are under during the holiday season when their daily load increases dramatically. So I vote that the guy who mis-delivered Mingc's package still gets his Christmas bonus with the caveat that part of it has to go to Mingc to cover his financial loss if that package is not found!
You’re right if you used a CC you can force a refund but as far as eBay goes my description of the issue is correct. I’ve dealt with this a few times and unfortunately this is their and USPS’s view on the issue.
The one time it happened to me, I went to my local P.O. They contacted the driver and she went to wherever she miss delivered it to and brought to me.
Mike S.
Mike S.
Excellent response and you’re for sure a stellar guy/seller so I’m sure this will get resolved in a satisfactory manor. ?
Exactly. They have GPS tracking down to a few feet showing where it was scanned as “delivered”.
Well, it's a nice thought, but:
Do USPS employees get bonuses? - Quora - https://www.quora.com/Do-USPS-employees-get-bonuses
I say assume the worst and then whatever actually happened will be a pleasant surprise. Worst case is some meth head got your package and tried get methed up with the pipes. See now no matter what happens it's better. Though my gut and experience says it's going to get to you if you make a little bit of noise, but until then you'll have no answers and too many minutes/hours adding up. The logistics of getting packages to people is pretty impressive, when you really think about it it's more amazing that most packages show up in a timely manner.
You could always hold the postman hostage till the tobacco thief releases the stash.
“I ain’t coming out till I get my Penzance dammit.”
“I ain’t coming out till I get my Penzance dammit.”
that is the worst suggestion so far... in other words I second this action.
I fear this may be one of the shipments that will vanish into the twilight zone without resolution. 
when I had a package lost - I contacted my Post Master - I found he was everything but concerned and helpful. This particular package was insured, but they still wouldn't pay - that's what has me so incredulous. I filed not one but two claims for insurance, but both were denied. I was told by the USPS that no further actions were possible. I even called my US Congressman, who contacted the department who denied my claim and he was told the same thing, no further recourse was possible. So, while they don't make many mistakes by my experience, I did find that the USPS is accountable to no one.
Hopefully by Monday, you'll have a better outcome!
Hopefully by Monday, you'll have a better outcome!
Thanks for the reassurance about fair compensation, Steve! I figure priority mail is automatically insured at some amount though I realize it's not close to the full amount. I hope it won't come to that.
Per folks' advice, I called my local post office. To my surprise, someone picked up the phone. He put me on hold a few times as he checked up on things and then told he he had spoken with the delivery person who had my route. She told him it was in the box. Of course, it wasn't at last check yesterday. So, on the off chance she left it there earlier today ( I said hopefully to myself), I told him I'd go check. (As previously mentioned, we have a lock box among others in a mail room (cubby really) in an office building). Unfortunately, the box was still empty.
Taking her at her word, I can only assume that she left it in a different lock box belonging to another tenant. I called Craig at the post office again and he's going to ask her to retrieve it so I can pick it up on Monday. I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, as that's just the kind of guy I am. I'll let you know what happens.
Per folks' advice, I called my local post office. To my surprise, someone picked up the phone. He put me on hold a few times as he checked up on things and then told he he had spoken with the delivery person who had my route. She told him it was in the box. Of course, it wasn't at last check yesterday. So, on the off chance she left it there earlier today ( I said hopefully to myself), I told him I'd go check. (As previously mentioned, we have a lock box among others in a mail room (cubby really) in an office building). Unfortunately, the box was still empty.
Taking her at her word, I can only assume that she left it in a different lock box belonging to another tenant. I called Craig at the post office again and he's going to ask her to retrieve it so I can pick it up on Monday. I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, as that's just the kind of guy I am. I'll let you know what happens.
That sounds like a positive outcome! I suspect the carrier might get in trouble mixing up lock boxes, so perhaps that will drive them to indeed find it!
By the way, I also filled out the form email on the USPS customer service webpage. I'm not holding much hope on that process. For one thing, the drop down menu of options for the content question doesn't even have a category that fits a pipe. I can;t recall all the choices, but there was one for "Check/Money Order" and one for "Documents." Not even an "Other." Maybe I should have chosen "Jewelry." So I chose "Unknown" and explained in the notes that they were tobacco pipes.
The reply I got says that its been referred to the postal inspector general for a theft investigation. No acknowledgment that it could have been a mis-delivery.
The reply I got says that its been referred to the postal inspector general for a theft investigation. No acknowledgment that it could have been a mis-delivery.
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