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How to find lost USPS packages in the United States

How to find lost USPS packages in the United States

How to find lost USPS packages in the United States

When we shop online, we know how frustrating it can be to lose a package after days or weeks of waiting for it, that our order ends up at another address, or we can’t pick it up at the USPS offices.

This post will find different ways to search for your package. However, if after reading this guide you still have questions, it is best to contact the USPS at +1 800-275-8777 and remember to have your tracking number at hand. . Take a look at the following video in which they explain how to contact the USPS quickly:

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Whether you’re the recipient or the sender, we want to teach you how to find lost USPS packages in the United States.

So if you’re still waiting for your lost package or mail from USPS, you can take a few steps to get your purchase back.

Why can a packet be lost? 

There are many reasons why millions of packages are lost or held at USPS offices.

Sometimes the labels that keep your address and contact number fall off, or bad weather does its thing by erasing the recipient’s address or name with the rain, or the most common reason, an incorrect address.

Just one wrong digit in the postal code can make a difference with mail delivery. Or, in another scenario, you move and don’t request an address change to have your mail delivered to your new address.

Or, you may be on vacation and away from the delivery site, and the USPS holds your package for pick-up at its receiving offices and… You’reYou’re not there to pick it up. Yes, friend, if you do not pick it up on time, the package will be returned to the sender

Now that we know ​​why packages are lost let’s see how we can fix it, especially if our package was sent via postal mail and received by USPS.

Step 1: Check the tracking status of your mail or package:

The first thing you should do to find lost USPS packages is to verify that your shipment has a tracking option (the sender can give you the tracking number if you are the recipient), go to USPS Tracking and check the current status of your mail.

Your package may be delayed, stuck in transit, and not necessarily lost.

Step 2: Ask your neighbors about your package:

Your tracking status may reflect that your package was delivered and you have never received anything.

In this case, you should start asking your neighbors if they have received any mail or packages for you, as well as the concierge of the building, since there may be confusion with the apt. or building number.

It would help if you also asked your postman about it. It may even be the first obvious thing to do.

Sometimes, if you are not home but expecting a package, your carrier will leave an “available for pick up” notice which means your package is available at USPS offices.

It can also happen that your package is stolen from your post office box. It’sIt’s a common problem with the mail in the United States, and it gets even worse during the holidays. Therefore, if you believe this to be the case, it is best to report it immediately to your local post office and the police.

Most online orders are accompanied by tracking numbers, so you can use this tool if you’re waiting for a package delivered by USPS.

If you use other carriers like UPS or FedEx, they also provide tracking services.

Step 3: Collect mail information:

Now that you have confirmed that your package is missing or held, you should gather as much information as possible before contacting the USPS.

How to find lost USPS packages in the United States
How to find lost USPS packages in the United States

For the USPS to initiate a search by mail, they need to know everything about your package. In this sense, you must verify with the sender that:

  • your address is correct
  • The address of the sender and recipient
  • The monetary value of it.
  • The tracking number, if available
  • The receipt, if it is an online purchase
  • The package description, such as package size, content, brand, images of the item, and anything else you can gather.

Step Four – Mail a Search Request to USPS

Go to your local post office, or you can apply online at USPS Lost Mail Search. We recommend submitting a request if you have not received your package within seven business days.

USPS will send you a confirmation email when it receives your application and begins its search.

If your package is held for pick-up at the office and you cannot pick it up, you can schedule its delivery and indicate when it can be received.

How does the USPS lose mail search work?

USPS begins your search at the Atlanta, GA-based Mail Recovery Center, also known as Mail’sMail’s Lost & Found. It is where all mail with a “bad address” or marked “return to sender” ends up.

However, if mail or packages are left unclaimed and have a monetary value of less than $25, they are destroyed unopened.

USPS holds mail based on its delivery service and value. For example, priority, certified or regular mail is kept for up to 3 months.

Also, insured packages or express mail are helpful for up to 6 months, sometimes even longer.

At the end of this period, valuable packages are put up for auction.

You can file a claim if your package is insured, valuable, priority, or registered mail.

Claims can file for domestic and international shipments; however, they must not be delayed more than 60 days from shipment.

In this case, if the USPS finds the package, you will reimburse for it.

It is also recommended that the sender and recipient submit a search by mail if the package or USPS mail is lost. In this way, the priority to find your mail would be higher.

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How to Claim a Lost Package USPS

How to claim a lost USPS package? Fortunately, you can file a claim and get your lost package back. Below I will explain, step by step, how to recover a lost package through the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Check the Shipping Status

If the package can track,  use the USPS tracking system and check the package’s status. It is possible that the packet is simply in traffic or delayed and not lost. In this sense, most packages bought online also have tracking numbers; therefore, using this option is also possible. Companies like  UPS and FedEx also offer tracking services, so anytime you suspect your package is missing, check the shipment’s status first.

Confirm Delivery

On certain occasions, especially when it comes to valuables, the person responsible for the shipment will leave a notice when they cannot make the delivery. Another possibility, when the shipment status shows as delivered, is that the package was stolen. It is a common problem in the United States postal system, especially on holidays.

Gather Shipment Information

Once you’re sure the package is missing, it’s time to gather all the package and shipping information. You must obtain data from:

  • The address of the sender and recipient
  • The value of the package
  • Tracking number
  • Invoices
  • The physical description of the items

Request the Package be Wanted

To start the search, you must apply online through this link. However, there is one condition that you must take into account:  you can only make the search request if you have not received the package within seven business days. Once the search has started, USPS will send you a confirmation email.

USPS Search System

How does it work?

First, USPS begins the search at the Mail Recovery Center, located at headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. It is where all the packages with erroneous information or order of forwarding to the sender end up.

Generally, packages with a value of less than $25, as they spend a long time without a claim, are discarded without being opened.

The USPS  keeps packages based on shipment type and value. For example, priority, certified, or regular shipments are retained for three months. While uninsured or express packages are kept six or more times. At the end of this time, the packages are placed in auctions.

You can make claims for the loss of your package regardless of whether the shipment was national or international. You were avoiding taking more than sixty days to make a claim.

When there is no possibility of finding the package, the money will return to you.

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Contact the Sender of the Package.

 To claim a lost package through the USPS, the mailer of the package must be the person submitting the claim. If you haven’t received a package,  make sure the person who sent it files a claim.

Find the Tracking Number

The tracking number on a package is the best way to find it if it has been lost. Keeping the tracking number allows the location of the lost package quickly by matching the two numbers.

Contact Customer Service.

The Postal Service is willing to help its customers with any problems. By calling customer service, representatives will be able to help you claim your lost package.

Verify that you can file a claim.

USPS has restrictions on lost packages. Ensures that the Postal Service will allow you to claim your lost package.

Take online registration.

After filing the lost item claim, track the package’s progress by creating an online account. The account will allow the user to describe, thus giving the possibility of finding the package.

Purchase Package Insurance before shipment.

If the package is not recoverable, it makes it easy to receive money to reship the package.

Check Package Shipment, Perform before Submitting Claim.

This way, you can be sure that filing a claim for a lost package is necessary and does not cause any problems with the postal service.

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How to find lost USPS packages in the United States