Accidental Dropping of UPS Packages at USPS (You Need To Know!)
Despite the similar letters, USPS and UPS are completely different businesses. Which makes us wonder, can you drop off UPS packages at USPS?
We looked into it and this is what we found..
What should I do if I accidentally drop a UPS package at USPS?
All delivery services are recommended to customers always Provide a return address for anything you send. This allows the packages to be returned to you (if they go astray). The only thing you can do other than make sure you do this is to wait until your first tracking information comes in.
Sometimes, no information appears at all. Customers report lengthy and frustrating searches for UPS packages accidentally delivered to USPS. Despite enquiries at the local post office, no trace of the package was found.
Unfortunately, USPS does not provide any information about your package. This is because the USPS scanner cannot read the UPS tracking system. Therefore, you may only submit inquiries and explanations to UPS.
This article looks at what happens when we drop UPS packages into the USPS delivery system: what happens to them, why, and what you can do about them.
Can you drop off UPS packages at USPS?
USPS will only accept UPS packages if it is a UPS Mail Innovation package. If your UPS package is not a UPS Mail Innovation package, you may not deliver it to USPS.
If you accidentally put your package into the wrong mail system, there is no need to worry. According to the USPS, it happens all the time. Once you become aware of the error, please contact USPS and UPS (or FedEx) and explain the situation so that your package can be tracked.
Do USPS and United Parcel Service work together?
The United States Postal Service and United Parcel Service are not the same business. They do the same thing, but they are completely separate organizations.
However, USPS and UPS are services that often coincide. This means that your delivery may use both services throughout the journey from you to the recipient.
However, when you put a package that is tracked by a specific system (such as UPS) into the USPS system (with a completely different tracking number), USPS cannot “read” your package. This means they can’t “move” it either. It cannot be formally received and scanned in order to upload its delivery status to you.
This very human error can only be fixed by humans. This happens all the time. USPS workers report misplaced packages every day, one of the main reasons is United States Postal Service and ups Looks confusingly the same!
What happens if I drop a UPS package at USPS?
Large carriers such as USPS, UPS and FedEx have a historic “gentleman’s agreement,” according to a USPS worker. That means there is no official policy there, but polite code.
Each carrier returns packages that do not fit into its system. (This is necessary because each carrier cannot read (scan and update) each other’s package barcodes.)
What happens to your package depends on the facility it ends up in. The largest and busiest USPS locations end up with the most misplaced packages. As packages are stacked, staff will alert the correct carrier to send a courier to pick them up.
Each warehouse will have a different way of handling and communicating this disruption.
The process can become so regular that apparently every shipping service’s courier makes regular package “retrieval” trips.
In smaller warehouses, workers must alert other carriers, such as UPS, that they need to pick up packages at USPS. Then UPS needs to send someone over to collect them. Whether they do this daily or weekly is up to them.
Sometimes, no matter what, USPS will just hand over stray packages to UPS delivery drivers when they stop in their normal business. USPS workers reported seeing delivery drivers emptying USPS collection boxes, locating UPS packages, and simply dropping them into a nearby UPS Drop Box.
But it’s important to remember that if this happens, your package delivery will be delayed, and delays will vary by location.
How do I submit an inquiry to UPS?
UPS has a File a UPS Claim A page for consumers with “package problems”.You will need to be logged into your UPS account to complete the process.
UPS says, “For lost or damaged packages, you may file a UPS claim within 60 days of the scheduled delivery…” You will describe in detail why the package was lost.
Even if you are solely responsible for misplaced packages, UPS can still help solve the problem.
The claims process will require you to:
- Provide details about the package – you will need to provide the tracking number and details about the recipient.
- Let UPS know your role in the claim – this means your “relationship” with the package (sender, recipient, third party).
- Provide additional documentation – this refers to tracking numbers, receipts, invoices and/or purchase orders.
- Submit a claim – you will receive confirmation immediately. You will then be able to view the progress of your claim on your claims dashboard.
UPS also has a handy online tracker bar. Here you can submit your tracking number to receive information about the location of your item. If this information is not updated even once after you drop the package, it means that UPS has not received the information.
Remember, there will be delays while USPS finds your package and delivers it to the correct carrier. If you allow a delay and still no update, you will have to contact UPS and your local post office.
Want to learn more about UPS? Check out our related articles on Does UPS Ship Amazon Packages, Does UPS Deliver to PO Boxes, and Does UPS Sell Stamps?
generalize
Accidentally dropping a UPS package into the USPS postal system is surprisingly common. While there is no formal resolution process for retrieving your package, most items end up in the correct delivery system.
Usually you will have to live with delivery delays and sometimes packages disappear due to human error.
As a rule, though, U.S. Postal Service workers and UPS workers are happy to cooperate by returning the wrong package to the correct service.