What to do if the USPS never delivered your package?

Question

I don't have shipping insurance or a tracking number. It was shipped on the 11th and hasn't came yet. I think they lost it. Is there anything I can do? Can I take them to small claims court or something? There must be something I can do. I mean, I paid them to do a job and they didn't do it.

Answer 1

Good luck.  That's why you get insurance or at least delivery confirmation.  They won't even look for the package until 30 days have passed so that the package has a chance to either arrive at destination, be returned to sender, or end up in a dead letter office.  If you haven't heard anything by the 11th of next month, call 1-800-ask-USPS.  They will note your complaint, and try to locate the package in their dead letter office.  As far as getting any money back, your best bet is to call your local post office and whine to your postmaster.  You won't get the value of the package, but they may give you your postage back if you lay a good enough sob story on them.

Answer 2

no not at all. If you do not have proof of it being shipped there is nothing to track.

Answer 3

contact them immediatly. you never know. they might just tell ya its still on its way. when it is not. Next time, get shipping insurance.

Answer 4

You may subit a Lost Mail report 14 days after the date of mailing here;

http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/...

However, you do not mention what class of mail you used to send the package, nor did you mention how far it was going.

It has been too long for the average of any class of mail through USPS, but Parcel Post, Media Mail etc can take weeks to arrive, especially if going cross country or out of the lower 48 states. It has been 19 days, not near long enough to be concerned about a lost package yet.

No, you can not sue the USPS over a lost package. Make the report and be sure to include as much information about the package and the contents as you can remember. This will help to identify your package if it has been sent to the Mail Recovery Center.

This is a good reason to remind people to include address information on the inside of the package as well as written on the outside. Too amny times, people do not prepare packages to really hold up to processing. Felt tip markers, or ink-jet labels tend to have the ink run. trying to use a tape other than a cellophane packaging tape is asking for the packge to come open and lose the contents. Reusing or using inappropriate sized boxes or using a grocery bag for packaging are other bad ideas.