Any recourse? USPS says delivered - nothing received

Yeah same exact thing one time buying off of ebay. The post office didn't care but ebay reimbursed me. USPS is garbage and has been for as long as I can remember.

That sucks. I asked yesterday at the post office about this because we've been having issues with our mail for a long while. We get other people's and apparently someone else gets ours periodically. I've received notification from my credit card people that they needed an updated address because my bill was returned to them. I ordered a scale and some ammunition and it was left in an unlocked box in the neighborhood mailboxes.

The specific issue I asked about was because my wife had ordered something and it showed as delivered but we never got it. The post office supervisor told me that the sender would have to file a claim. That was as far as the explanation got...the seller is refusing to file a claim because my wife hasn't left feedback yet (stupid ebayers!). I guess the seller is supposed to file a claim, they get reimbursed (I assume...and probably do so incorrectly), and are supposed to reimburse the buyer. Doesn't make much sense to me.

If you paid with paypal they have a process for filing a claim and getting reimbursed, but I don't know if it applies to all situations. Might be worth checking out: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/paypal-safety-and-security

I can't help you with the USPS...I've no experience with them on something not delivered.

FedEx and UPS, however, I do have some experience with. Both times something was supposed to have been delivered, I called and they went through their tracking channels, all the way to the driver.

Shortly, the driver showed up at my door with the package and an apology for misdelivery.

It would seem that the USPS should have similar controls and means. I wish you the best of luck here.

Unless it was insured you might be out of luck if it doesn't show up. As you know Delivery Confirmation only lets the mailer know the package was delivered. Hope it turns up.

Have you checked with your neighbors? I know that with delivery confirmation they just scan it delivered and put it in the box.I'm guessing he put it in the wrong box.Hope it shows up!

I know it's after the fact but always pop for the insurance.
Having friends in the USPS - I've been told multiple times in varying ways that it not only protects the buyer (his money after all) but instills a greater level of accountability on what might otherwise be one of the USPS's lowest-common-denominator hirees.

If you didn't sign for it, it wasn't delivered.

All Delivered means is the package or mail guy punched it in on his computer at your address.
Or the one down the street or the next block over if he was sightly lost at the time.

File a claim ASAP.

rc

I had that happen with the USPS recently. Went to the PO every day for three days. The item mysteriously showed up several days later.

Four times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Two packages from Amazon, one from another vendor, and one from a guy on the forums with whom I was working a trade for some dies. None of the four has turned up.

When I went to the PO and spoke with the mail supervisor, she simply said they showed delivered. Nothing more she could do. I commented that that confirmed what I had thought for a long time, that delivery confirmation was totally worthless. The supervisor, who I have known for many years, looked around the lobby to see who was within hearing range, then said quietly "I'm not allowed to say that."

With Fedex and UPS they are required to obtain a signature. With UPS, their DIAD board records the exact GPS location when they deliver a package and it's tied to the package number, so if a package turns up missing, they can determine the location where the package left the package car. Pretty neat.

I've had packages come up as delivered, and them pop up a few days later. Like someone clicked delivered and it was still in route.

This seems to be a trend with gun parts and ammo lately which I find interesting. I never have problems with the USPS but I have read tons of experiences such as your own lately. I hope that the shipper took out insurance on it. Good luck to you and keep us informed.

It is a seriously flawed system. I sell a lot and buy a lot and use the USPS quite often. With delivery confirmation, it "protects" the seller because it shows delivered. However, delivered to whom?
In addresses we have N Main St, S Main St, etc.
We have Elm St, Elm Pl, Elm Ave, etc.
It could have been delivered to the wrong address but it doesn't go that far at the P.O.

Another time I was waiting for a UPS or FedEx delivery. The person who mailed it paid extra for 3pm or earlier delilvery. I waited at the front door all day. I checked the online status every 15 minutes. It showed out for delivery all day. At 5:10pm it showed up. I called the sender and told him it just showed up and to contact the carrier to get a refund for the 3pm guarantee. I then went online to see what they had and it showed delivered at 2:50pm. Huh? 5:10 is not 2:50 but what can you do. At least I got the package.

Unfortunately, if you want a pkg. don't use the PO. They are cheaper but UPS and FedEx are way my efficient and accountable. If your pkg. with the USPS was uninsured, good luck:banghead:.

I sold a McMillan stock to a gentleman in Charlotte NC. Same thing happened. Tracking said it was delevered, buyer said it was not. I paid for insurance, but USPS says that once it was confirmed delivered, they consider it delevered and I was SOL. I contacted the buyer and advised he file a report with his local USPS, which he did.

Although I did not believe it was the case, there was the possibility the buyer had in fact received the package and was trying to get the stock and his money back so I contacted the local PD. I was able to fill out an online form. I was conacted by a local detective by both E-mail and phone. In the meantime I refunded the money. The detective made a few calls and about 10 days later the USPS "found" the package. Seems they never delivered it after all. Even though they confirmed it delivered with an exact time of deliverey. The USPS contacted the buyer who had to come into the PO and pick up his package. He then sent payment again.

All worked out eventually for me, just took about 4 weeks from beginning to end. I'd file a report with both the USPS and local police. There is a chance it was delivered and stolen before you found it. Stolen articles are often recovered, but if you don't file a report you have no possibility of recovering it.

Several months ago I made a purchase of 1000 38 spl shell casings from an individual on Gunbroker. The items were shipped via USPS and a tracking number was provided. I followed the package through several locations with the last being in Ohio; it disappeared from that point on. USPS was useless in resolving my issue. However, the seller and I agreed upon a negotiated price for more shell casings to which we were both somewhat agreeable to.

joe

i had the same problem with Fed(up)Ex. my new computer barely missed the rain after being left overnight on my neighbor's deck. monday after receiving an email alert on an auto parts delivery i went next door and there it was . maybe i can find some oversize neon address markers for the driveway.

I sent a Sig slide out to a popular refinishing house last year. The owner promised to send me an email when she had mailed it back, but the only email I got was one asking if I had received the slide. Nope.

I used the tracking number she gave me and it got to the local postal sorting center but was returned; the message ‘invalid address’. My address is perfectly valid.

The owner at the refinishing house got the box back, but the slide was gone- replaced with a rusty socket of some sort.

We both called just about everyone in the USPS trying to get a resolution. It was obvious that a postal worker had stolen the slide because the box never left their system. Even though she had a clear distinguishable fingerprint on the tape the thief had used to reseal the box, the USPS, including their own Inspector General, didn’t care one whit.

Sig replaced the slide, but the fit isn’t as good as I remember the original having. Meanwhile, the USPS struggles to remain afloat, no wonder since thievery seems to be SOP for them.

I loathe the USPS.

SilentStalker said:

This seems to be a trend with gun parts and ammo lately which I find interesting. I never have problems with the USPS but I have read tons of experiences such as your own lately. I hope that the shipper took out insurance on it. Good luck to you and keep us informed.

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If you are having problems getting ammo delivered by USPS it might be due to it being confiscated as it is illegal to ship it through the post office.

don't use the PO. They are cheaper but UPS and FedEx are way my efficient and accountable.

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That doesn't work anymore.

UPS & USPS are in cahoots now.
http://federaldaily.com/articles/2012/12/06/ups-and-usps-say-if-you-cant-beat--em.aspx

The last knife I ordered traveled 1,800 mile across the country via UPS in 3 days.
Then they turned it over to the Shawnee Mission KS mail sorting center for USPS delivery to my home.

And it took 3 more days to get the last 30 miles.

rc

The last knife I ordered traveled 1,800 mile across the country via UPS in 3 days.
Then they turned it over to the Shawnee Mission KS mail sorting center for USPS delivery to my home.

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Fed EX also does the same thing as I've had it happen it N. TX, package had the Fed Ex shipping label and tracked it to USPS station, then delivered by USPS.

Yes to FedEx partnering with USPS - almost exactly doubles all delivery times.

Couple things I do to ameliorate the inevitable issues somewhat ...
- always ship to my office rather than home - shouldn't matter but the hit rate is much better, especially for heavy items (2k of 45ACP bullets). As a commercial address, USPS is by at least twice a day with a van for deliveries and pick-ups. They don't seem fazed by heavy/bulky pkgs ... not so with the door-to-door carriers who have on occasion only brought the "no one home - pick-up at post office" note with them rather than the actual package - - so he had pre-filled the no one home and left the pkg at the depot

- if selling, I always ask if the buyer wants insurance

- if buying I always pay for insurance
/Bryan

jmace57 said:

I guess I don't feel better after reading these responses (but I appreciate them anyway). I filed a "case" yesterday with the USPS and there was a message on my answering machine today where the local postmaster was saying "we show it was delivered, and don't know much we can do about it". I have his number and am calling tomorrow AM.

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I hate to say this, but you may end up biting the bullet on this one and coming away with some valuable lessons learned. Hopefully they'll turn up in the near future.

One of those valuable lessons learned is that cases like this are probably a major part of the reason the USPS is running in the hole financially and losing ground against commercial delivery companies...companies who are more in tune with customer service.

It's not much consolation, but perhaps this string will help others take steps to avoid this. Certainly many have posted valuable information.

Still, I wish you the best of luck.

I just went through this with the Ashton Drake doll company.Trying to get a doll for my daughter for an XMAS present
I went to my bank & delt with the fraud department of Wells Fargo. After waiting for 45 days for the doll to show up. IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE.