Post office says delivered, Buyer says no...

[Fred]

I've got to believe that the postal service hires competent people but here's a neat one....

What looks to be time sensitive medical correspondence for someone else is delivered to my home. The next day the postal delivery person is stopped and the envelope is given to her with an explanation that it was given to me and not the person intended (who lived a couple of streets away). On the envelope I wrote "delivered to incorrect address". Five days later, guess what is in my mailbox? Yup, same letter. This time I figured I better just deliver it myself. The address on the envelope was clearly marked (it clearly isn't my address) and it wasn't my name, etc. How the heck does that happen?

I'm beginning to have doubts about the postal service because in the past year I've had two envelopes not delivered. One to an auction house (with a payment for an invoice), the other was a typical bill. It used to be unusual for the postal service to screw up the deliveries. Now it seems to becoming a bit more common.

[Brucepug]

When a parcel is scanned the scanner should send a gps signal to the “system”. You should be able to call the post office and see where and when the package was scanned. Then you can see if the mailman is incompetent or the buyer is either a scammer or had his package stolen.

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by Brucepug

When a parcel is scanned the scanner should send a gps signal to the “system”. You should be able to call the post office and see where and when the package was scanned. Then you can see if the mailman is incompetent or the buyer is either a scammer or had his package stolen.

That is correct. The gps tracking is incredibly accurate. When I was still working for the PO, I used gps tracking to locate packages. I would be able to tell customers things like -"Have you looked in your garage?", because the tracking was that precise. I could also tell them - "It looks like it was delivered to 406 Oak St instead of 408 Oak St". Then I would go where it was delivered and get it take it from the incorrect address to the correct address.

When you go to the PO to file a complaint, always insist on talking to the Postmaster or Supervisor. Some clerks can use the GPS tracking tool, but usually it is a management employee who has access to it. If it was correctly delivered, they can print you a map that shows exactly where it was delivered. It will also show the time of delivery. If the package shows that it was scanned as delivered at 10am and your carrier normally delivers your mail at 3pm, then there is a problem and the Supervisor should take that up with the carrier.

[Promethius88]

Originally Posted by buymycards

That is correct. The gps tracking is incredibly accurate. When I was still working for the PO, I used gps tracking to locate packages. I would be able to tell customers things like -"Have you looked in your garage?", because the tracking was that precise. I could also tell them - "It looks like it was delivered to 406 Oak St instead of 408 Oak St". Then I would go where it was delivered and get it take it from the incorrect address to the correct address.

When you go to the PO to file a complaint, always insist on talking to the Postmaster or Supervisor. Some clerks can use the GPS tracking tool, but usually it is a management employee who has access to it. If it was correctly delivered, they can print you a map that shows exactly where it was delivered. It will also show the time of delivery. If the package shows that it was scanned as delivered at 10am and your carrier normally delivers your mail at 3pm, then there is a problem and the Supervisor should take that up with the carrier.

But....what happens when it shows delivered but "awaiting delivery scan"?

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by Promethius88

But....what happens when it shows delivered but "awaiting delivery scan"?

I don't know how that could happen. Where does it show these items? On the USPS tracking site?

Do you have a tracking #?

[Promethius88]

This is what it shows on Ebay under my purchased items.

Delivered on Aug 27, 2019

Tracking number: Tracking number 9400109699937752170040

This item has been shipped.

This is what it shows when you click on the tracking number. Sorry, can't figure out how to do the screen shot.


Aug 27, 2019
12:11am

AWAITING DELIVERY SCAN
SPRINGFIELD, IL 62704


Aug 26, 2019
10:11am

OUT FOR DELIVERY
SPRINGFIELD, IL 62704

[frankbmd]

Well at least you don't have a tracking number from Singapore.

I tried to save a buck or two ordering a rather common item from a vendor in Singapore on August 21st.

I was reassured that the parcel was accepted by the post office three times on August 23rd.

On September 3rd, Singapore cleaned out the post office and my package was "dispatched to overseas".

The question not answered was whether the parcel was placed on a slow boat to somewhere (China perhaps) or whether it was placed in a corked bottle and cast off the pier.

To the seller's credit the delivery window in the listing was 5 weeks long ending in earlier October. It did not state whether the uncertainty is due to variability of the prevailing trade winds or perhaps the ocean currents.

This thread will probably die before my delivery, but I can always start another one for updates.