There’s no denying that lost mail or packages are frustrating. whether you are the recipient or the sender, your time and in some cases money is wasted anyway.
usps handles millions of pieces of mail daily, so it would make sense for a letter or package to get lost. but unfortunately, when it comes to critical mail or an expensive package, it’s even worse.
also read: everything you need to know about a forwarded packet
so you’re still waiting for your lost package or mail from usps, now what? Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to try and get your mail back.
however, there is no guarantee that you will ultimately recover your lost mail or package.
how do you lose mail?
There are many reasons why you might not receive mail or packages, such as the shipping label falling off, the recipient’s address or name being smudged in bad weather, or the most common reason of all, a wrong address. .
A single wrong digit in the zip code can make all the difference in mail delivery. or in another scenario, you move and don’t request an address change, so your mail is sent to your old address.
You must be careful when sending mail to get the correct address, write it clearly and with a permanent marker. Now that we have an idea why this might have happened, let’s see how we can fix it.
read more: your usps package was forwarded to a different address: now what?
how to find lost mail and packages?
When your package or USPS courier doesn’t arrive on the expected delivery date, the first thing that comes to mind is that the mail or package is lost and how can I find a courier? lost?
It’s good to know that sometimes late deliveries don’t mean your mail gets lost; It may be caused by some avoidable issues from your shipper, the shipping company, or USPS.
now let’s say your mail has been lost; Here’s how to find a lost email in 4 simple steps:
Step 1: Check the status of your mail or package:
if your mail 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.
It may just be delayed, stuck in transit, and not necessarily lost.
Most online orders are accompanied by tracking numbers, so if you’re waiting for a package delivered by usps, you can use this tool.
if you use other courier services like ups or fedex, they also offer tracking services. so first, check the latest update with your mail.
step 2: ask your neighbors:
It’s possible that the status was “delivered” and you never got anything.
In this case, you should start asking your neighbors if they have received any mail or packages for you, it is possible that there is a mix-up with the apt. or building number.
You should also ask your mail carrier about it; this may even be the first and obvious thing to do.
Sometimes, if you’re not home but expecting a valuable package, your mail carrier will leave you a missing delivery notice. another response to a surrendered state is mail theft.
is a common problem with mail in the US and 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.
Step 3: Collect mail information:
Now that you have confirmed that your mail is missing, you should gather as much information about your mail as possible before contacting usps.
For usps to start a mail search, they need to know everything you know about your package.
You must ensure that:
- Correct address used
- Sender and recipient address
- Monetary value
- Tracking number, if available
- the receipt if it is an online purchase
- the description of the package, such as the size of the package, the contents, the brand, the images of the item and anything else that can collect.
Step four: Send a search mail request:
after you’ve collected information about your missing mail, the next thing to do is to submit a search mail request with usps.
how to submit a usps missing mail search request
1-check the status of your mail: before sending a search request, check the status your mail using usps service request status. sometimes there may be a delay in delivery due to unavoidable issues; therefore, you will have to wait a few days after the expected delivery date.
2-Submit a help request form: Your package may have been lost at your local post office. submit a help request form at the post office or online and it will be forwarded to the post office.
3-submit a missing mail search request: you may submit this request after 7 days from the expected delivery date and within one year from from the original shipping date. USPS will send you a confirmation email and forward your request to the post office to start your search.
when is a usps mail or package officially lost?
usps must consider a piece of mail lost before it can send a search request to find it, and there are specific time requirements for different types of lost mail. For most classes of mail, the package must be lost for at least 7 days from the date of mailing before you can initiate a request for USPS to search for the missing mail. Below is a table that shows the different times USPS considers mail lost by class of mail
How do I check the status of my missing mail search request?
usps will send you regular updates on the search and a final resolution with what they have, but you can also log into your account, open the missing mail search history page, and then the missing mail app to check the status of your application.
There are several states you can find, here’s what they mean:
- accepted: usps accepted the search request from the client
- rejected: the request has been rejected, this may be due to duplication or for other reasons. contact usps for further explanation.
- Match Found: This means that the lost item was found and is currently in the postal service’s inventory, ready to be shipped to you.
- Expired: This means that the search retention period has expired and the postal service is no longer searching for the package.
- saved as draft: the search request form was not completed by the customer, so it was saved as a draft.
- cancelled: The client canceled the mail search request because it is no longer needed.
how does usps missing mail search work?
USPS begins your search at the Atlanta, GA-based Mail Recovery Center, also known as Lost Mail & found. this is where all “bad address” or “return to sender” mail ends up.
However, most of the time, if the mail or packages are unclaimed and have a monetary value of less than $25, they are shredded 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.
while insured parcels or express mail help for up to 6 months, maybe even longer sometimes.
at the end of this period, valuable packs are auctioned off.
If your package is insured, valuable, priority or certified mail, you can file a claim.
Claims can be filed for domestic and international shipments; however, they should not take more than 60 days from the time of shipment.
in this case, if the package is not found, you will be refunded.
It is also recommended that the sender and recipient send a mail search in the event of a missing package or usps mail. in this way, the priority to find your mail would be higher.
an alternative solution?
To save yourself the frustration of losing your mail and packages, you can protect them by registering for a virtual mailbox.
Do you know the difference between a physical PO box and a virtual PO box?
A virtual mailbox is a convenient online mailbox. Your mail will be delivered in state-of-the-art mail facilities, reducing the risk of mail loss and theft.
Experienced mail operators will scan your mail envelopes and load them into your mailbox.
postscan mail offers virtual mailboxes with a variety of addresses throughout the country. you can choose to have a virtual post office box or a virtual mailbox with a real address.
You can log in to your online mailbox via your phone; just choose the mail piece and choose an action like open & scan, forward, archive or shred.
You can forward mail to yourself wherever you are, no matter how many times you move. Get your virtual mailbox today and never worry about your mail getting lost, stuck, or misplaced again.