USPS lost 5 of my packages, really fustrating

lightmaria · #1 10-04-2014

Has USPS ever lost any of your packages? I put 5 into the drive through mailbox on a Saturday morning in front of the USPS office, and none of the tracking information have shown up after 10 days and all my customers are complaining, has this ever happened to anyone?

And is it safer to drop your packages into the drive through mailbox or inside on the counter, or even the drop box inside the store? Which do you guys use.

Thanks

GreenBean · #2 10-04-2014

USPS has bad form with us in WA State.

We have lost packages as you describe.

Offsider now hands them in over the counter.

Time consuming but it helps in the case of issues.

BigCJ · #3 10-04-2014

Starting to think its a lazy employee at this point.

A carrier in my area was arrested last week for 'hoarding' mail because he was 'depressed' 4 of my parcels that were dropped off at his location never made it to their destinations...

Got a 'letter' stating that my postage was to be refunded do to their error

pr0wake · #4 10-04-2014

just wow. how would they not compensate much much more?

GreenBean · #5 10-05-2014

@prowakeskater

USPS is too poor to care.

BigCJ · #6 10-05-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenBean

@prowakeskater

USPS is too poor to care.

Id accept their version of 'poor' any day

MM78 · #7 10-05-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCJ

Id accept their version of 'poor' any day

All you gotta do is send them an invoice to their Paypal.....
wedontcare@usps.com

rsot · #8 10-05-2014

Looks like your competition will thrive on the delay of your sales due to loss of stock potentially

plumsake2 · #9 10-05-2014

Had this almost happen with a birthday gift to someone that was shipped priority mail with signature confirmation. It was scheduled to arrive in 2 days but took 2 weeks+. I had to call almost everyday until someone magically found it.

You can call the main 800 number and get them to open a case but that's pretty much useless. It basically means the local post office is alerted to look for the packages (who knows if they actually do), and should call you back within 48 hours (they won't).

Instead I suggest looking up the USPS consumer affairs office in your city (and possible in the destination city too): https://ribbs.usps.gov/locators/find-cam.cfm

The website doesn't give you a direct number to them so you'll have to do some research to find the number, but it's worth it because it's basically their job to handle situations like this. They are much more friendly than anyone you'll talk to on the main number, and more importantly they are more helpful. They can send out a request to trace the package (where someone really does go and look for it), and in my situation they located the package and finally sent it on its way (not sure how they lost it in the first place - it was an oversized package, but okay).

For packages that have any sort of value, I always wait in line and hand it to a person at the counter. That way you know for sure it will get at least one scan, and will be easier to locate. If it's a cheap item I just drop it in one of their mailbox things.

animekings99 · #10 10-06-2014

i ship about 100 of them a mouth and i had 1 get lost this mouth

lightmaria · #11 10-06-2014

@pulmsake thanks that was helpful, I will try calling them! =)

novemberrain1970 · #12 10-07-2014

I ship heavily via USPS - about 750 packages per month - and typically between 2 and 5 disappear into thin air. I have a USPS pickup though - I don't drop them off and they always get scanned in right away from the scantron form I print out with one bar code on it for the entire shipment. It is helpful in that I can show that yes I did ship the item and we can go from there.

Artann · #13 10-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by novemberrain1970

I ship heavily via USPS - about 750 packages per month - and typically between 2 and 5 disappear into thin air. I have a USPS pickup though - I don't drop them off and they always get scanned in right away from the scantron form I print out with one bar code on it for the entire shipment. It is helpful in that I can show that yes I did ship the item and we can go from there.

I have about the same metric. And if the package still get misplaced calling customer service is useless, they simply won't do anything!

kronengriffharry · #14 10-09-2014

USPS has gotten super bad just recently.

Some of my packages stay at the sort facility for 2 days.

Last Monday I sent an Express delivery to AZ, was supposed to be at the Fulfillmentcenter on Tuesday.

After I called USPS yesterday and this morning it was delivered today.
3 days for an overnight package???
OMG

joew8989 · #15 10-09-2014

Its a government agency, they are not accountable, and why should they be? They have a monopoly, and plenty of men with guns ready to back them up. Just be glad they deliver what they do. Its sad that those of us shipping small packages are forced to use them.

kronengriffharry · #16 10-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by joew8989

Its a government agency, they are not accountable, and why should they be? They have a monopoly, and plenty of men with guns ready to back them up. Just be glad they deliver what they do. Its sad that those of us shipping small packages are forced to use them.

Totally agree

Government is not able to run a proper business

Gamefreak · #17 10-10-2014

Personal experience with those mail boxes. I put some packages i there and they didn't get there for like 15 days. First class that usually takes 2-5 days took 15 freaking days so idk what they are doing when you put packages in those.

vogeltron · #18 10-16-2014

Rarely are my USPS packages lost. However, most of my items are priority mail. I don't ship many light weight First class mail packages.

It does matter where you drop packages off and find a place you can trust. Over the past nearly 10 years. Like everyone I have had places I dropped stuff of and it sat in a back room for weeks or disappeared. For me the larger the post office the better. Especially if they have a Docking bay with bulk mail etc where you can drop items off. I sometimes use the 24 hour bins at night. Never really had a problem.

Most of my issues have come from giving them to USPS drivers or leaving them on the counter at a post office. You live you learn. Unfortunately it seems like in my experience the dumber Postal Workers are assigned the to low traffic small facilities. The bigger places they just get stuff done.

rsot · #19 10-16-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronengriffharry

Totally agree

Government is not able to run a proper business

Here we go...discussion time

nodeal · #20 10-17-2014

whenever my packages get lost, it is always when they are in the "out for delivery" status, followed by a "status not updated" message at the top. Always. I would say the post office will lose 1 out of every 40 packages I send out.