topic Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package? in Community Chat

Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

meonlybetter — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:33:55 GMT

I mailed a pkg (Ebay) out on 9/19. The buyer not got the package. I sent it first class (no insurance) and had a tracking number. My PO is the worst and difficult to deal with. I never ship with them but did this one time. And regretting it!
I reimbursed the buyer and filed a lost package claim.
Is there anything else I should/can do? Am I out of luck on being reimbursed by the PO?

Is it recommended to put insurance on anything that leaves the PO?

Thanks for any input!!!

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:42:36 GMT

The only people that can help you are the post office, I would seriously try them first.....good luck.

I don't know of any post office that is difficult to deal with.

To my knowledge, first class doesn't have tracking numbers so I believe you are confused as to how you mailed it.

First class is when you put a stamp on it and throw it in the mailbox...priority mail has tracking numbers and has a min of $50 insurance on the item unless you pay for more.

So there's a lot of confusion here and I would talk to your post office and ask them how you should be sending things and when should you issue refunds. If you are selling on E-Bay I would assume you would know how to ship packages.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:46:12 GMT

@meonlybetter

First, got to usps.com and type in the Tracking # and see what comes up. You can also request email notifications to track your package. I recently shipped a package that was going to the Boston area. For whatever reason, it went there by way of Seattle .... I have no idea why.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

shoekitty — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:49:34 GMT

If your post office is bad, call the main post office. They ought to at least be able to track package. They have more info than we ever get online.m. Another time I had a package show up at more door over 4months later. No kidding, true story. The poor vender had replaced my order after we waited 4 weeks. Then boom 4 months after I ordered it, there it was at my door. Weirdest deliver I have ever had. I put the box in another box and mailed it to her, because it was unbelievable. The postmark was June 4, and here it was October 31!!!!

it pays to insure. Sometimes if it is smaller I mail ups, because they insure everything under 100 free.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

on the bay — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:54:40 GMT

I was told by a USPS worker after having a package lost that anything that is valuable to you, you should put insurance on it.

I had 2 lost packages that I had sent and the recipients never received. I hadn't gotten insurance.

But I wasn't going to give up. I called both my post office and the recipients post office; described the package/one was a letter with something in it and they put in a track of them.

Months later, and I mean maybe 4-6 months later!, the packages were found and delivered. I don't know where in the world they had been but one USPS employee told me sometimes a package was found sitting around in the warehouse or wherever they load them and found much later.

So don't give up and they should have given you a lost package number or something you can reference. Don't be afraid to follow up on it if you haven't heard anything.

I just never accept the "lost in the mail." excuse.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

on the bay — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:06:29 GMT

Yes to @shoekitty's suggestion to call the main post office # (as well as your own PO)I remember that they were the ones who put a track on it. They were very helpful. Also calling the recipients post office is again another step that can't hurt.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

libbyannE — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:12:18 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs wrote:
The only people that can help you are the post office, I would seriously try them first.....good luck.

I don't know of any post office that is difficult to deal with.

To my knowledge, first class doesn't have tracking numbers so I believe you are confused as to how you mailed it.

First class is when you put a stamp on it and throw it in the mailbox...priority mail has tracking numbers and has a min of $50 insurance on the item unless you pay for more.

So there's a lot of confusion here and I would talk to your post office and ask them how you should be sending things and when should you issue refunds. If you are selling on E-Bay I would assume you would know how to ship packages.

@Mistreatedbycs

Wrong. I mail things First Class with tracking all the time.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Sister Golden Hair — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:15:23 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@meonlybetter

First, got to usps.com and type in the Tracking # and see what comes up. You can also request email notifications to track your package. I recently shipped a package that was going to the Boston area. For whatever reason, it went there by way of Seattle .... I have no idea why.

@Tinkrbl44 @meonlybetter I send to Sweden because our son and daughter-in-law live there. With tracking number, it will come up to send texts to your phone. This is better than checking online all the time. And it updates faster than online.

It is always best to insure a package. Also, it is a good idea to take a picture of what you are sending.

Most of our packages go through Chicago from Missouri but when we sent a bigger box than normal, it went to Montana then to California. It took almost a month, where most of the time is takes two weeks.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

libbyannE — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:19:10 GMT

I am not sure I understand, but if you paid for tracking and if tracking shows it was delivered, you were off the hook. There was horrible info out on Internet years ago about how to "get things free on eBay." One tip was to say you didn't receive the item. I was just starting to use eBay to help me manage my collecting of dooney bags and vintage jewelry, so I started to use tracking. I have had a couple of buyers say they didn't receive something, but with tracking proving that it was delivered, I did not have to refund the buyer. eBay backed me up.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Allegheny — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 09:50:51 GMT

This is off topic. While a tracking number can indicate that a package was delivered, it doesn't mean that the post office delivered it to the correct address. DH had that occur years ago before online tracking was available to consumers. After waiting many weeks for an order he contacted the company that he didn't receive it. They provided the tracking data that it was delivered and as far as the post office was concerned, they delivered it. When DH persisted the issue with the company they replaced the order out of good will and also because they may have sent it insured. A year later a neighbor renting down the street saw my DH outside and said "Hey I got something of yours". Package was delivered to his house and he put it in the trunk of his car and supposedly forgot about it. (Neighbor also had opened it.)

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

KathyPet — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 12:17:35 GMT

Several years ago I came home after being out most of the day to find a FedEx overnight envelope on my porch. IT was addressed to My neighbor at 110. I live at 101. I walked it down to him and he was so grateful. It was a large check from one of his investments and he had been tracking it on line. It had shown as delivered several hours earlier and he had been making frantic calls to FedEx to say it had not been delivered. So, yes just because it shows as delivered does not mean it was correctly,delivered.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Allegheny — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 12:40:49 GMT

@KathyPet wrote:
Several years ago I came home after being out most of the day to find a FedEx overnight envelope on my porch. IT was addressed to My neighbor at 110. I live at 101. I walked it down to him and he was so grateful. It was a large check from one of his investments and he had been tracking it on line. It had shown as delivered several hours earlier and he had been making frantic calls to FedEx to say it had not been delivered. So, yes just because it shows as delivered does not mean it was correctly,delivered.

I believe this happens more than most people realize. UPS delivered one of my QVC orders to my neighbor. Wife was out of town on business, before leaving she placed boxes on the porch to add to the burn barrel. Her husband saw the small box out on his porch (amoung the others) and assumed it was an empty box. I was tracking the package and UPS told me they had a sub driver on our route and luckly he remembered that he delivered it to the log home up in the woods.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

RespectLife — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 13:46:33 GMT

First Class absolutely can have tracking.

Other posters are correct...'Delivered' doesn't necessarily mean delivered to YOU or your recipient.

It also comes with $50 of automatic insurance.

If your item was more valuable than that...you are out of luck UNLESS you paid for extra insurance.

The Post Office sticks strictly to that rule no matter how much you complain.

If your tracking is incomplete (meaning USPS has no idea where it is) you can file your claim for your $50 provided you kept your receipts.

I also had a pkg take 3 mos. to reach its destination.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:05:26 GMT

Maybe everyone is talking Priority Mail...that's 1st class but not the same as putting stamps on a package and sending it 1st class.

Priority has tracking numbers........

Sending somethng in a mailbox with stamps is not necessarily priority mail

I'll just continue to do what I do for my business and stay out of this.....

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

MercysMom — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:08:51 GMT

Going through the same thing right now with Amazon. Thank goodness it's Amazon and their customer service is so good. My prime order was supposed to be delivered last Sunday. The tracking shows it was left in my mailbox but it wasn't. After I checked with all the neighbors, I contacted Amazon. They asked me to give it 48 hours. Still no package. This morning, they sent me a replacement, priority shipping at no extra cost to me, and extended my Prime membership one additional month for my trouble. Now that's how you give excellent customer service!! I'm sure the original package is at my local post office or on the truck somewhere.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

chrystaltree — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:25:49 GMT

Well, yeahhhh....lol You always insure a package that has anything of value in it. Now, all you can do is do whatever the Post Office tells you to do.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

viva923 — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 18:45:31 GMT

I have given up on the postal office here. I have had more packages lost or stolen.

the last one was from Nordstroms,they sent me out some make up I had ordered. The package was sent, tracking almost right up to the mail boxes in my development, when low-behold the package was mysteriously lost. contacted Nordstrom, they resent out what I had purchased. We are now on week 2 going on 3 weeks of this box of make up I had ordered. This box took close to 7 days to be delivered. I tracked the box right up to the mail box. Went to retrieve my one box when i look in the large mail bins to get my box of goodies, both boxes were delivered.

there has been so many instances, for me, that things have been lost or misplaced. you call them (the post office) and all they can say is sorry, your package never arrived, you will have to put in a claim and we will begin our investigation which can take up to 6 months. you just give up. I am expecting another package today, wonder if i will get it.

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

meonlybetter — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:11:05 GMT

Thanks ladies! It was shipped first class and tracking number was provided. The pkg made it to the state the buyer lives in. Just not to her door.
My PO is worthless. I've gone to the main PO in the city next door. They weren't much help either.

I've called the PO where the tracking ended. They are clueless.

Priority is covered automatically, first class is not.
I asked all 3 PO's that I talked to had I put insurance on the pkg would I be reimbursed.

All 3 PO's said, well, it depends.

Depends on what?

No one could give me a straight answer!

PO is becoming like the weather man/woman. Rarely right and still have a job.
I'm chalking this one up to this is what happens when you live in Poe-Dunk-Ville!!!!!!!

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

AnnMarie-1 — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:30:29 GMT

I am going thru this now

I am on the receiving end of a ebay purchase. I did not get the package & the tracking says it was delivered to my mailbox. It was delivered first class. I live in an apartment where there are 12 other boxes they fill & they are small.

I saw the postal carrier yesterday & it did not get in someone elses empty box.

I left a note to all neighbors if they got it by mistake, nothing

I didn't pay attention to the tracking until a week went by & I thought "where is my blush?",,, my mistake to not be right on it

WATCH YOUR TRACKING so you can follow-up that day or next day

I am going to the post office today as I see the tracking was time stamped at 4:20 & that is really late delivery, delivery here is around 2:30, so i suspect it went to someone else

Re: Any Suggestions on USPS Lost Package?

AnnMarie-1 — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:33:07 GMT

Also I will add, if I got someone eles's package by mistake I would return to the real owner, I think there will always be some bad apples who would keep the packages