Shipped a package to forumite that never arrived

[FastforaSlowGuy]

I sold some pedals recently to a forumite, and they never arrived. It was sent USPS with a tracking number, but alas, USPS tracking is crap. Im trying to get a better answer from them, but so far all they say is "it hasn't arrived". It's now a week late, and while I'm willing to ask the buyer to give it a bit longer (this is the postal service after all), I'm interested in hearing how others have resolved similar situations.


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[tele]

hate to say it, but your screwed. In my experience once it has left your hands the post office has a pretty good shot at losing our stuff with no way to ever know where it ends up. Tracking is a joke. Some postal workers scan it and some dont.

As far as trying to get more info: your local postmaster can look up the tracking# on their internal system and get more info than you or I can using the usps website, but it really doesnt do any good. My postmaster was able to track a shipment from Western Mass to a huge sorting facility in Atlanta, I think) but that was as far as the package got. No more info, no help, a shrug of the shoulders and the comment, "thats why you should buy insurance. Did you?"

Good luck!

[gary_a_gooner]

I recently made an eBay purchase and it was shipped with USPS tracking. It came a few days late, not a week.

In my experience, it will get to him/her....eventually. When? No one really knows.

I shipped a used text book out and it arrive 3 weeks late in beat up packaging.

[timto]

I recently made an eBay purchase and it was shipped with USPS tracking. It came a few days late, not a week.

In my experience, it will get to him/her....eventually. When? No one really knows.

I shipped a used text book out and it arrive 3 weeks late in beat up packaging.

Once a package arrived to me weeks late too - with a scrambled variant of my address! I hope your package makes it's way there....

[daker13]

My experience has been that the package will eventually arrive. I'd ask the buyer to continue waiting, then give him his money back if he gets really impatient. But I think your package will get to him.

[josephr]

USPS has been intermittent lately...a month ago, it took over a week from a package to go from Memphis to me in Birmingham. Usually its two days max....even with "Priority" shipping.

Could be worse --- I shipped a set of pedals to another forumite via USPS Prioroty in one of those flat rate boxes. I started to tape it up and the clerk insisted as a "customer service coutesy" but didn't want to tape over the flap....the box arrived opened/empty and now my fellow forumite has to file a claim and wait 3-4 weeks to get his money back...ugh.

Joe

[FlashUNC]

I once bought a RD from a fellow in Boston.

Tracking number said it got to Atlanta -- and then mysteriously showed up back on his doorstep in Boston.

He re-sent, and got to my door two days later.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

I bought a crank from a forum member that never got to me, but according to USPS it was delivered so I was S.O.L. Never did get the crank. :mad:

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Sounds like mine is a well known song. Grr, USPS, grr.


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[ryker]

I bought a crank from a forum member that never got to me, but according to USPS it was delivered so I was S.O.L. Never did get the crank. :mad:

Did you sign for it? Geez I just got a pair of sneakers in the mail that were not for me. Not even addressed to me (it was faster to deliver them myself than return them to the post office).

[#campyuserftw]

I hope it turns out well, good luck. I was hoping for more of a story, like the one from a few weeks ago, epic, where a box was shipped and we were all asked to guess what was inside the box, based on its weight. :)

[donevwil]

My experience is similar to many, with USPS they will ultimately find it and deliver it. I sent a package USPS Priority and it was placed on the Global Express shelf at the receiver's PO. Went unnoticed, or ignored, for two weeks until I got the right person (PO district manager) on the phone who happened to be in the area conducting an audit of all things and personally looked for and found the package.

Don't give up or lose hope.

[crownjewelwl]

anytime i put anything in the mail, i'm shocked that it actually gets delivered

but most of the time it does...i sent a package once that "fell" off a conveyor belt...it took a couple of weeks, but they found it and delivered it

[rwsaunders]

When I ship USPS, in addition to the tracking number, I take a photo of the package with all of the shipping and postage labels attached, right before they toss it in the bin. Piece of mind more than anything, but if a package goes awol, at least the seller and I can work together in addressing the issue.

[blessthismess]

I have sold and shipped many things over the years via ebay and USPS and although there have been mix-ups and bumps in the road along the way they have never actually lost any of my packages. Maybee I've been lucky? Other things to be considered are that the package did not require a signature and may have been delivered and left on the doorstep to be nabbed by a neighbor or passerby. I know that is something I worry about in Oakland but may not be such an issue elsewhere.

[cinema]

about five years ago I ordered a pair of shades from someone. usps tracking kept saying the package was in transit. I went in to talk to someone and all they could do was point at their computers and say look, it's still in transit. can't do anything about it. this went on for two whole months.


eventually, long after I had written it off, I received a package in the mail. there were tire marks all over it and it had been stitched back together with postal tape. someone ran over my package. inside, instead of a pair of Oakleys, I found an empty Epson printer cartridge.

[krhea]

Do not give up.

two weeks ago I purchased myself a "Christmas gift" here on the forum, an expensive Christmas gift, at least for me. The seller packed, shipped and text me a photo of the packing/insurance slip with "tracking" number.

It was to arrive Sept 4th. It didn't. I asked our Postman what I should do and he suggested waiting another day. I did. Next day no package so to the PO I go. All the while I'm seeing online it says, "scheduled for delivery Sept 4th". No package at the office. They tell me it's probably on the wrong truck. They close at 5pm but the nice guy at the counter gives me his name and says call back at 5:30, he'll be there, he'll check the trucks and if it's there he'll stay until I arrive to get the box. I do that and still no box. I contact the seller and alert him to the missing package. Next day he checks his PO and they simply, "it's MIA and they have no idea where it is." He immediately refunds my money without me even asking him to do so, class move. The 6th comes and goes, the 9th comes and goes and no box. The 10th nothing...and then on the 11th, 7 days past the delivery date the box "magically" arrives.
Here's the information I got from our postman as to why things went as they did:
#1- You MUST ship everything PRIORITY to get a real, working, tractable tracking number. This item was shipped "parcel post" with insurance.

#2- Shipping parcel post with an insurance purchase does not give you a "tracking number". It's just an "insurance number". It shows when the parcel was shipped and what day they think it might arrive. There's no tracking information available whatsoever between dropping it off at the PO and it being delivered.

Good luck with you package and don't be surprised if it "magically" shows up.

[oliver1850]

I sent a front derailleur to a forum member that disappeared for a month, but eventually turned up. Meanwhile I sent another, so he ended up with two.

If you ship Priority, it now includes $50 insurance automatically. I recently filed a claim for a hub that was lost in shipping. Really the shipper's fault, as he hadn't taped all the seams. I filed a claim online, and received a full refund. This was an ebay item, so they could check the sale price by looking at the listing. I'd still like to know why they couldn't find the hub, as they know everywhere it went en route.

I would like us to have some concensus on shipping and insurance for items sold in the classifieds. Most people want items shipped the cheapest way, which usually means uninsured (although the new Priority insurance is going to help that situation - especially for small heavy items). When I ship cheapest way, I try to remember to say that I won't be responsible for lost items but will be glad to fill out the insurance form if the buyer wants to pay for it. In the case of the lost FD, I forgot to mention that, so felt compelled to send another. I'm still out 2 FDs 2 months later, but have only been paid for one.

I'm not one for adding a bunch of rules to the site in general. I would like to see us agree that it's up to the buyer if he wants something shipped with insurance, and that the seller isn't responsible for uninsured items lost in shipping. There should be mention of it in the classifieds rules. Does this seem reasonable?

[oldpotatoe]

I once bought a RD from a fellow in Boston.

Tracking number said it got to Atlanta -- and then mysteriously showed up back on his doorstep in Boston.

He re-sent, and got to my door two days later.

Sent a work stand to a gent in the Netherlands, it got lost in SAUDI ARABIA, made it, 2 weeks later .

[tuscanyswe]

USPS in the US seem to be so much worse than USPS international services. Ive yet to loose an item with them. Nothing damaged either and there is a lot of shipping with them at this point.

I did however once get abit upset at a post office clerk who said my package had allrdy been delivered when i went to the post office to pick it up. Think it was a frame and it had just arrived in sweden the day before so i was kinda pissed.

Then the clerk checked again and said it was delivered 2 months previously to a mr bjorn lundquist. Turns out i had given the wrong trackingnumber and with that sorted i got my frame and walked home feeling kinda dumb.

Usps have been excellent for me.

[Ken Robb]

I just got a flyer from USPS about changes to mailing packages. Among other provisions all now include $50 insurance automatically. I have never had a problem sending or receiving pkgs. from USPS. I have had sme magazines chewed up.

[JAGI410]

Pretty sure Hurricane Sandy ate the coat I sold William. It never arrived via USPS. I refunded his money and all is well, but that Sandy was mean for stealing that jacket! It was nice!

[oliver1850]

I just got a flyer from USPS about changes to mailing packages. Among other provisions all now include $50 insurance automatically. I have never had a problem sending or receiving pkgs. from USPS. I have had sme magazines chewed up.

Only Priority. Parcel rate and 1st class are still uninsured unless you add it for additional cost.

[bobswire]

I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago on an item I purchased from another member, It arrived week later than expected delivery but that is exception not the rule. I prefer USPS over both UPS and FedEx for anything smaller than a frame. Out of state I always ship USPS Priority.

[thegunner]

recently had the same issue from a package mailed 30 blocks north of my location. took 10 days.

god i hate usps.

[weaponsgrade]

I had a package shipped to me via USPS. I got a first notice to pick the package up. Went to the post office. They couldn't find it and told me to try later. I got another notice. Again went to post office and again was told they couldn't find it and to come back. I then got another notice saying the package would be returned to sender if I didn't pick it up. I again went to the post office who again couldn't find it. I pleaded even harder this time for them to try and look for it. Turns out the mailman decided to stick the package in a closet because he couldn't find room on the shelf in the warehouse area.

[MattTuck]

I blame this guy. I'm not sure who he is, but I think he may be the postmaster general guessing by how much he seems to like the USPS.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/test/2013/07/23/1374623539000-AP-Armstrong-Doping-Cycling-001-1307231954_x-large.jpg

[NickR]

I've had a couple issues with the PO.
1) I sold an item on ebay, shipped it and a month later received a refund request from buyer. Fortunately ebay saw no fault on my end and i didnt have to refund any funds. After that experience I always send items with delivery confirmation.
2)I sold an item on ebay, shipped it from the PO at work. The item was delivered to my house. I take it to my PO, they try telling me that I switch the labels and needed to pay to get it to the sender. After back & forth with counter person. I leave the package there and tell her, I'm not paying again to have it delivered. Once at home, I call the 800 number and place a complaint about the counter person implying that placed a new label on the package. In less than 30 mins, I received a call from a "manager". Takes all my information down and tells me she will call my PO and get it sorted out. In the end the package arrived to the buyer.

[67-59]

My experience with USPS is that it's only marginally better than strapping your package to a home-made hot air balloon and hoping it gets there.

I'll only use it anymore if I'm confortable with the notion of possibly having to repay the buyer if it doesn't arrive.

[Tokeat]

USPS is usually pretty good but somewhat slow.That said, a recent purchase did disappear into a black hole in July. It was shipped but never showed up. Seller was gracious enough to send a replacement one month later. One out of maybe 150 packages or so in my case but still a possibility.

I'd say wait another couple weeks before starting to (really) worry.

[bart998]

I've gotten to know the people on the next street over pretty well... Our houses have the same #'s and we get each other's mail at least once a week.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

Did you sign for it? Geez I just got a pair of sneakers in the mail that were not for me. Not even addressed to me (it was faster to deliver them myself than return them to the post office).


Nope never signed for it, didn't need to. I'm guessing someone in my area got them selves a nice Campy Chorus 172.5 set of crank arms.