USPS Horror: Phantom Delivery Confirmation

[T206Collector]

So I purchased a few cards from a board member, who shipped them Priority USPS with tracking and delivery confirmation. Seller is totally reputable with several prior transactions. USPS says the cards were delivered on March 4 at 11:16 am. Only you'll never guess.....

They never got delivered!

Did a Google search and am further sickened by the number of people who got "delivery confirmations" without ever getting their items -- or their items were severely delayed beyond the date of delivery confirmation.

Apparently I'm at the whims of the postman with his electronic delivery clicker.

I'll keep y'all "posted", but it doesn't look promising...

[D. Bergin]

Do you have a secure area to deliver packages? Did the tracking information say "out for delivery?" on the day it was delivered.

There have been plenty of cases recently of thieves following delivery vehicles and ripping off packages left on people porches.

Had a severe case one town over from me this last Christmas.

[oldcardboard]

Hope it works out for you. Its happened to me 2 times, and both times my package was delivered to a different house on my street. Im at 126, and packages were left at 226 and 129 on my street. Both sets of people were nice enough to turn over the package to me.

[e107collector]

I'm currently going through a similar situation with USPS. I ordered an item on Ebay on March 10th, and it was shipped out from Maryland on March 11th by DHL. They then turned the package over to the USPS in Secaucus NJ on March 13th.

It hasn't moved since then. I contacted the seller, and he said it's insured, and I can have another one mailed out after 30 days, or he'll refund my money in full, I'm not worried.

About a year ago, I kept track of one package online from the USPS, and it said delivered at 5:30am. Out mailman always comes around 1-2 pm each day.

When I questioned him about it when it did get delivered, the mailman stated that he scans the package as delivered when he loads his mailtruck in the morning. He had me in a panic for a few hours, I can tell you that.

Tony

[Matthew H]

I've learned my lesson with the USPS. If it's something I don't want to lose, I put insurance on it. A few Christmases ago my dad sent me some of my late grandfather's coin collection in two boxes. My step mom didn't insure them. The temporary holiday fill-in mail man knocked on my door and handed me one box. I asked him where the other one was and he just shrugged. It had to be stolen by someone at the post office. The boxes were heavy and some of the coins were loose in boxes. I could hear them rattling around in the remaining box. I'm sure someone else heard the same thing.

I don't trust the post office at all. If I send a card without insurance, I am prepared to refund the buyer if it doesn't get there. Your seller should do the same if the card doesn't show up.

-

[VoodooChild]

Good Luck and I hope the issue gets resolved. This has happened to me twice in the past. Once, the tracking info stated delivered, but the package was not in my box. My neighbor received it by mistake and was on vacation. He brought it over when he returned. The second time, the tracking info never stated delivered, but was "out for delivery" for over a week. I kept stopping by the Post Office after work, but they had no clue and told me it was probably returned to the sender for some reason. Eventually it was delivered one day. I received a call from the Post Office. Apparently it got stuck between some seats in mail truck.

[chaddurbin]

don't google usps delivery confirmation, because you won't be able to sleep at night and will turn into those people on doomsday preppers.

buy your mailman something nice for christmas and make sure he knows your name if you receive alot of packages...and then still pray to the god you believe in. USPS is still the best and most reliable, i just learned yesterday it only costs $13 to ship express mail through ebay for a flat-rate envelope. that's a steal these days and if they're late you get a refund!

[T206Collector]

"don't google usps delivery confirmation, because you won't be able to sleep at night and will turn into those people on doomsday preppers."

+1

I always have cards delivered to my office, which is required to log all incoming packages of employees. Never had a problem and I've known the mailroom guys for over 10 years. They looked at their log for that day and confirmed the mailman didn't deliver anything to me that day. And nothing under the tracking number.

I'm guessing it got scanned as delivered as it went on the truck and then didn't make it to my office because it either got delivered someplace else or fell through the proverbial cracks in the system.

BTW - Seller offered a full refund, but I refuse to take it. I didn't ask for insurance and the USPS says that I got it.

[sbfinley]

I use a P.O. Box for this reason. It's helps that I live in a small town and have a good relationship with the post lady who runs the office. (Not that good.) She knows what I collect and sell and is kind enough to not even put bubble mailers in my box because she doesn't want to inadvertently damage something. This means that I have to get there during business hours if I have a package incoming, but I'd rather have to do that then the alternative.

[T205 GB]

Mr. Adkins sent me a M Brown Chicago on shirt for my daughter melodys collection and it never arrived. It's sad how much of our stuff disappears thanks to the PO

[tolstoi]

I get a little worried about a lot of the recent stories I have read but I did have a card I bought off ebay from a somewhat reputable seller never show up. It was frustrating and the dc said it had been delivered...My fiance had purchased it for my birthday and tried to surprise me and was devastated. The seller was a jerk to her and unfortunately because the package said it had been delivered there was no resolution through ebay or the post office.

Usually my father in law is helpful about searching for lost packages through the post office since he works there. Now, the post office includes tracking on all packages and if you know someone who works there and are very nice, they just might look it up for you w/o having to pay for the dc#...not recommended though because you have to wait till there is a problem before you can do anything.

[cobblove]

This actually happend to me on monday. DC said it was delivered. But tuesday it was in my mail box. This is the 2nd time this has happend to be. But everytime it was just because the package was forgot in her truck. But everytime it was delivered the very next day.
Best of luck. Give it a few days. And also ask your mailman.

[z28jd]

While at my mom's house in the middle of the woods, Florida, I had a packaged delivered that said online it was delivered one day, back at the post office the next day. This backwoods town of less than 4,000 and a post office the size of a Fotomat kiosk told me that the reason the package was back at their office was that I put it back in the mailbox with the flag up to take it back, and they stuck to that story. The problems with that story were:

They told me one day that they talked to the mailman and he was out on the road and would check to see if he brought it to the wrong house PROBLEM: It was already back at the post office

Hours later they said that I put it back in the mailbox with the flag up. PROBLEMS:
1) Never got it in the first place

2) My stepfather doesn't trust his mailman and has NEVER mailed anything from the box in 9 years of living here. He works in town next to a reliable post office

3) The mail here didn't come that day until 130pm and the package was back at the post office before noon.

4) We didn't get the mail until 3:30pm the previous day, six hours after the supposed delivery time noted online

All of this was online and we were on the phone together looking at the times and going over it. When he called around 6pm the first day, he said the driver just brought it back and maybe it "will circle around to me" to next day. That was after I explained all the flaws in his story

The next day he called me and said it will be delivered that day and reiterated the same story from the day before. The mailman thought I didn't want it because it was in the mailbox with the flag up.

What really happened was they delivered it to the wrong house and those people brought it back to the post office.

People use their own beat up vehicles at this place and once a car caught on fire and all the mail was lost. The current delivery person, has what looks like an 85 Toyota pickup with multi-colored strips down the side, probably done by spray can.

Moral of this story is, it was probably delivered to the wrong place and hopefully someone returns the package and fixes the mistaken delivery

[SetBuilder]

I used to live in an apartment building with no doorman or secure area to leave packages. One time I ordered a card from eBay and the tracking number said "delivered." I looked in my mailbox and near my door and there was no package. I was scared to death because this was a $300 card.

It was then that I started knocking on my neighbor's doors. All the residents near me said they didn't see anything.

I thought I was screwed out of $300 (no insurance). It was a horrible feeling.

About an hour later I decided to give it another try and I knocked on the building manager's apartment upstairs. I told him there was an important package that may have been misplaced. He told me he'd look around and see if he could find it.

Finally, later that night, he knocked on my door and he said that they delivered my package to the wrong apartment and handed me the package. He told me the neighbor who received the package dropped it off at his door.

I couldn't believe my luck.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by autograf

I'm a homer but..........UPS Store mailboxes are about $15/mo. You can have packages from any carrier delivered there because you have a real street address. PO Boxes are cheaper but you can't have FedEx, UPS or DHL deliver to them. ONLY post office.

I once heard a postal employee talking to a customer about a PO Box and they offer a feature where you can use the post office street address for FedEx and other deliveries.

[cfc1909]

I had this happen. Tracking says it was delivered and I never got it. I talked to the seller on the phone and he gave me a full refund.

3 months later it showed up. I contacted the seller and paid in full.

So sometimes it still works out.


Another time I had a batch of Hindus disappear after the package left the Philadelphia sort facility. A month later the group showed up on ebay and took 13 months to sort out. I finally got them back.

[HercDriver]

My wife ordered something from Ebay not too long ago. When it didn't show up, she emailed the lady who said it had been confirmed delivered. Still nothing. About three days later, it was delivered. How they confirm it without it ever showing up is beyond me.

I always remembered going to the Post Office years ago and seeing all the windows open, with people ready to help. Now, if there are five windows, you're lucky to get two people. At the Post Office by me, one of those two is very good... the other person is always perplexed by anybody wanting to mail anything. He scratches his head, then tries to hit the screen with his pen, which never works. He finally works out that he needs to use his finger to make the touch pad work. After the person pays, he then stares at the package for another 5 minutes, while plunking away at the screen with his pen (he's forgotten it doesn't work by now, then he finally reverts to his finger again). Then the package goes in a box, he wanders around a bit, then takes the next customer. It's pathetic. Where is Cliff Clavin? I want him back...even if he lost Jeopardy. I forgive him for the Three People Who Were Never In His Kitchen.

Take Care,
Geno

[conor912]

I always cut that strip off the top of the shipping label that says "eBay" on it. I feel like leaving that on is just inviting trouble.

[chaddurbin]

Originally Posted by cfc1909

Another time I had a batch of Hindus disappear after the package left the Philadelphia sort facility. A month later the group showed up on ebay and took 13 months to sort out. I finally got them back.

jim,

the philly hub seems to be a problem. i've had at least one package disappear there also.

also another one down in florida where my card would show up on ebay a couple months later.

[frankbmd]

A few years ago my son sent me ice cream for Christmas from a shop in Columbus, Ohio via Fedex with tracking to northern Wisconsin.

After three days he called and asked me if I liked it as it had been reported by Fedex as delivered.

I told him it had not. He could get no information from Fedex. A couple of days later I was out walking and noticed a parcel on a neighbor's front porch. I didn't know they were out of town. I went to check the package on their door step and it was mine.

The good news is that for 6 days the temperature had been below freezing and the ice cream was fine.
When shipping ice cream to northern Wisconsin in the winter, you do not need a lot of dry ice, styrofoam, Fedex, UPS, overnight shipping or priority mail.

[Exhibitman]

I had a registered shipment from London go missing in the NYC post office or customs center. Very rare cards that I really wanted. Got a refund but...

I recently had two packages that I gave to the mailman show as delivered the day I handed them over...to me at my address. Both got to where they were supposed to go but it was touch and go there for a while.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

A few years ago my son sent me ice cream for Christmas from a shop in Columbus, Ohio via Fedex with tracking to northern Wisconsin.

After three days he called and asked me if I liked it as it had been reported by Fedex as delivered.

I told him it had not. He could get no information from Fedex. A couple of days later I was out walking and noticed a parcel on a neighbor's front porch. I didn't know they were out of town. I went to check the package on their door step and it was mine.

The good news is that for 6 days the temperature had been below freezing and the ice cream was fine.

When shipping ice cream to northern Wisconsin in the winter, you do not need a lot of dry ice, styrofoam, Fedex, UPS, overnight shipping or priority mail.

Graeters?

[dougscats]

also from a reputable Net54 member with whom I've had past transactions.

Delivery was confirmed Feb. 19, but I'm still waiting....

Guess I'm lucky it was only two T206 commons.

Doug