The USPS package says it’s delivered, but it’s not here: where is my package?
With so many packages delivered by the postal service (tens of millions per day), some problems inevitably arise. Sometimes you’ll find yourself wondering why your package is delayed…and sometimes, while it’s uncommon, you’ll run into a situation where USPS says your package is “delivered” but it’s not anywhere at your address. This guide details how this often happens and what to do when you want to know where your package is.
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Sometimes USPS packages are “delivered” but you don’t find them
We hate to say this, but sometimes USPS will send packages that are not near your address. It’s frustrating to know that USPS has delivered your package, even if you can’t find it. Unfortunately, you cannot pursue any recourse through Postal Service, as the built-in insurance that comes with Priority Mail shipments does not apply to any package marked as “delivered” by USPS.
That said, if the sender has third-party insurance, they may be able to file an insurance claim and reimburse you in turn. Therefore, you should always let your sender know that you cannot find your package…but before you do, you should check several other places.
Where to check when you can’t find a package
Before you launch a flare into the sky, we recommend checking a few other places around your address to find your lost package. Most of the time, the postman will drop the package in an unexpected area of the delivery address. Maybe they can’t get on the front porch for some reason, or there’s a vicious watchdog that won’t let them through the gate (yes, that happens!). You can find your package in the following places:
- Front door
- back door
- In your mailbox or set of collection boxes
- Common areas for storing packages in your apartment building
- neighbor’s house
In our experience, it’s worth taking the time to check out some of the other, less obvious places. You’d be surprised how often people find “lost” packages!
Some steps you can take if USPS loses your package
When you are sure your package is MIA, there are steps you can take if USPS loses your package. We list these below.
Contact USPS
First, you should contact USPS before doing anything. We recommend visiting your local post office or trying to talk to the postman who services your address; if anyone can provide some insight into delivery, it’s your postman!
Submit a Lost Mail Search
Another option is to submit a lost mail search request to USPS. Because USPS recycles old tracking numbers every 6 months, USPS sometimes incorrectly marks packages as “delivered.” This is a fairly rare case, but it’s worth checking carefully! In this case, submitting a missing mail search can “start” the tracking number in the USPS database and populate the tracking number with updated tracking information.
Ask USPS for GPS coordinates
Did you know that USPS keeps GPS information for every package they deliver? Every time USPS scans a package for final delivery, their database captures precise GPS information! So the last option for finding a lost package is to call your local post office (or walk in) and ask for GPS location scan information. When you give them the tracking number for your package, USPS will be able to tell you the GPS location where they scanned and delivered the package, within a 6-foot radius. This might help narrow down your search!
