USPS Horror: Phantom Delivery Confirmation

[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.

[mrvster]

All these situations sound like A NIGHTMARE!!!

[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?

[drc]

I had an expensive item shipped to my parents' house, because I live in a multi-story urban condo building where they just leave large packages in the open lobby. The shipper said the item was delivered and signed for, but my parents said they never signed for anything. It turns out the shipper delivered it elsewhere and someone there signed for it. Happily, the package was insured, the shipper admitted the error was theirs and I got my money back. Never saw the item though.

This is one reason to have signature confirmation, as when the shipper looked into the missing package they saw someone other than my parents signed for it.

That was several years back and the only time I lost a package like that. Stands out because it was an expensive item. I also once had a much less expensive item that got caught in the USPS service machinery-- literally, the package was returned 3 months late and the bubble envelope was mangled from the sorter. Luckily, it was a card in a double top loader and it was fine. I also once had an overnight package take 13 days, because the lady at the local USPS put the package in the wrong box. I knew her and she apologized. I remember telling the impatient guy in California "I swear, I sent it overnight like you asked. I'm not making it up."

[digdugdig]

I just had a strange one myself. 2 items I sent out 2 days ago and my neighbor knocks on my door with the 2 items in hand. She offered to re-mail them but I told her I needed to email the recipients of the delay. Out of curiosity, I checked the tracking info and it said that both items were dispatched to sort facility....but ended up in my neighbors' mailbox???
I've heard of "gremlins" before but always "in house"!!
Called the Post Office and my actual mailman called me back with apologies for possibly sticking them in my neighbors mailbox before gettin back to the post office.
Fine and dandy, everyone has had some mail stuck into your neighbors mailbox by mistake...that's being human. What I can't understand, and couldn't get an explanation for, was why did the tracking info say that the items were "dispatched to sort facility" about 3 hours after "acceptance" when they were actually delivered just down the street about 3 minutes after "acceptance".
Whoa...this is giving me a headache...if ya can't trust the US government...whoa...bigger headache!!