"USPS Tracking" Topic

I shipped a package to the UK. I pre-purchased the postage on line. Used a USPS flat rate box. I didn't wait in line and dropped it off. The clerk next to the drop off took a look at it and said it was good to go.

So I left, expecting to have a tracking number in my email when I got home. Nope. It's the next afternoon and I still haven't been sent a tracking number.

I made copies of the custom documents and I can't find the number on them. I checked the USPS website and it shows I dropped it off and that is it. What am I missing here?

Well you should always have someone at the post office scan it and give you a receipt with a tracking number.

If you used Click n Ship, there is always a tracking number on the receipt side. I never wait for the clerk to provide a receipt for any of the services I use. I already have all of the tracking information I need.

It may take some time. I shipped a small 1st-Class postage box from Mississippi to Quebec, Canada earlier this month. It took several days for the USPS tracking to indicate it was on its way. But I dealt with a clerk and got the tracking number with my receipt.

Jim

Even with tracking, and delivery records, the USPS' system leaves a lot to be desired.

I had an item shipped to me via USPS Priority Mail service, thankfully with insurance, and I paid for it with Paypal, but even though they confirmed the shipment as delivered to my address, it was actually delivered to an address not anywhere matching anything even close to mine, 60 miles away.

Needless to say I complained vociferously, and was originally told there was nothing the USPS could, or would do. I continued to complain, and eventually received it about a week later.

I have the correct impression that the USPS wouldn't have done anything if the incorrect recipient had kept it, instead of returning it for re-delivery, since a USPS worker actually told me "there was nothing they could do". Apparently, that even included not even bothering to ask for the package back.

Therefore, while "tracking" IS interesting, apparently it really does little to no good in many/most cases with the USPS when they screw up.

I did ask the local postal brass how an item that was actually delivered 60 miles away was recorded as delivered to my address.

They didn't have any explanation for that.

US Postal Regulations state that any mail or package received, unsolicited, can be accepted as a gift, you are under no obligation for it, whatsoever. Buy insurance. Caveat emptor… Cheers!

Next time I will print the forms and pay in person. First time I ever did that. In the past I stand in line 20 or 30 minutes or more and I see people just drop off their packages and leave. I will start standing in line again. Domestically I only use FedEx. But FedEx is super pricy to ship internationally.

It took 8 months for a package from Germany to reach me. I filed a request to search for it with the tracking number, and never received a response. I filed a complaint and never received a response to that either. Not sure why they even have these features on their website.

I always make sure the clerk scans, and provides me a receipt with the tracking number on it

So far haven't had an issue.

Not that I won't.

USPS is not alone , I have a medication delivered by Fedex. I was supposed to sign for it. Waited all day and I never saw it. Turns out the driver dropped the package off, signed for it, then came back a little later and took it back. He never rang the doorbell or knocked on the door. The next day it was delivered but again I never saw the driver, just dropped it on my porch. S I never signed for my $220,000 USD worth of drugs.

Wife and I bought a new house 3 years ago. The sellers were a couple, divorcing, with two adult children. We kept getting their mail for 2+ years! After crossing out their names and addresses, more than 14 times, marking letters and packages, "Return To Sender -- Address Unknown," I started pitching it in the trash. They did not care, why should I? Several of their mailings appeared to be bills! They had 14 letters/packages returned to the sender -- they had 14 warnings…

A package showed up, one day, after more than 2 years post sale of the property. I pitched it in the trash. Postman came and asked about it, one month later. Former home owner called and asked about it. I did not remember it (junk mail is a near daily occurrence), until after I got off the phone with him. It was apparently $600 USD worth of veterinarian drugs for his dogs. I think he finally got the message that he needed to update his address with companies he did business with.

His ex-wife, and daughters, pulled the same trick, on purpose. One daughter got a bill from a college: tuition past due. I never opened it, I just held it up to the light to see if it was something I should return to the college, or not (more than 2+ years after they moved); could read the text, she owed them tuition money… I pitched it: she knew what she was doing. I lost all empathy for all of them.

Wife and I filed to have our mail forwarded, for free, for 6 months. We updated all of our business accounts with our new address, over the course of the first six months. The forwarded mail really helped us to update every company which needed to know about our new address. It cost me 15 minutes of my time to fill out the card, and walk it to the mailbox, where the USPS picked it up, put it on file, and then forwarded our mail from the old address, for free, for 6 months!

Their mail has not shown up in our mailbox for the last six months. I think they might have learned their lesson. Maybe. And, No, I did not get their new addresses from anyone. It might have been buried in the legal documents, somewhere, but they likely moved after the closing anyway. Their divorce was not amicable and making a deal with them was particularly challenging with each of them having separate Realtors, selling a single home -- they fought over our offer, our Realtor was exasperated dealing with them, and their Realtors were also very upset with them. They were very difficult to deal with.

You may think that I am the worst type of person for doing what I did. That is your prerogative. I refuse to let other people use and abuse my time and patience. Take this as a warning: update your mailing address, or you may end up losing important mailings, to a guy like me. >;-) Cheers!

+1 Sgt Slag!

I found my tracking number it was on the customs form. I had tried that same number multiple times and it did not work (I cut and pasted it each time) I thought I would try it one more time, then magically it worked! I never have this problem with FedEx by the time I get home (I am about five minutes away) the number is already in my email. FedEx is just too expensive for international shipping.

It would help if they would say on the form that this is also your tracking number.

I shipped a flat rate box to New Zealand a few months ago, watching the tracking for 2 weeks and it was still listed as being in the regional distribution center outside of Chicago. Then after 3 weeks it made to New Zealand and finally arrived at his home a week later.
Found out later it was shipped by accident to the Netherlands and then back to the US and onto New Zealand after the reopened their post office. Total time to get there 32 days, and I did submitted an inquiry and also had $500 USD worth of insurance on it. Around the same time I had 2 airplane models shipped from Japan and arrived in 10 days and that package went from Japan to the east coast and then to distribution Center outside of Chicago.

@Sgt Slag – that is so true. I now pay to have my post forwarded for a year. I used to do 6 months (there's still a charge for that in the UK but obviously less than for a year). About a year after the 2004 move, the new owner (a slightly hippy scatterbrain) forwarded a letter to me. It was details of a pension plan I'd completely forgotten about (I'm quite scatterbrained myself) worth just under GBP30,000…! Yep, 30k…Hence i always go for a year's redirection now – (I've moved 4 times since then).

DBDD

Whenever I ship to the UK using USPS, the package goes west to Los Angeles and then to the UK. I live west of the Mississippi in the Southern Rockies. That may have something to do with it.