USPS "Unclaimed" notice: Reliable?

[robh]

Question: If I get a parcel returned to me as "Not Called For" or "Unclaimed" how likely is it that the recipient would NOT be aware of the attempted and date/time recorded delivery?

I ask as this happened to me before Christmas, and the recipient in Tampa, Florida now seems happy to let me suffer the almost $30 loss which the shipping cost.
The USPS site was updated with time and date of the attempted delivery, then 2 weeks later as required by my parcel instructions (return to sender if undelivered) the packet was sent back to me. The recipient says "No, they never attempted to deliver it to me"

So whose word do I take?
If you say the recipient then that makes a mockery of any form of tracking, registration or proof of delivery on parcels sent to the USA and really undermines the concept of fair trading.

I have my items back (40K buildings) so on that score alone paying extra for the registered/tracking was worthwhile. But is this symptomatic of a USPS problem. Can the web notifications of delivery they send out be relied upon as proof of delivery if anything should go wrong or legal action need taking?

No names given on purpose, I am not witchhunting here, I know never to trade with the guy again.

RobH

[redstarone]

I once had a package from a client come to me. He emailed me a few days later saying did I get it because it says delivered. I didnt get it nor did I ever get a slip on my door saying they tried to deliver it.

I ended up going to my local post office before they sent me to the main one in downtown. Sure enough, I gave the number, no slip I mind you and they came right back with the paclage. They said it was delivered but I wasnt home.

No way as we have special mail boxs and if the box is to big, it goes to the office, which it didnt. In fact it was a small box. So I assume they never delivered it at all as I was indeed home all day and there never was a knock. So to sum up, the post office does make mistakes in my book.

BUT, if so, why ddint he go and collect it during the 2 weeks it was "delivered"?

[insidius]

Yeah, I've had them just not deliver the slip before, either they forget, or they just don't do it, I don't know, but it's happened to me, too.

Hell, the place I live now doesn't even pick up your outgoing mail most of the time, they just stuff your inbox full of junkmail (no matter how full it already is, or how many netflix dvds they have to crush in the process) and don't pay attention to anything else.

[Adunaphel]

Did you contact the recipient DURING the two weeks between the notification and undelivered status?

If you TOLD him that USPS had tried to deliver it and it still got sent back to you, I would say it's the recipient's fault.

If the recipient didn't know it was there, then it's USPS's fault. I don't think I have ever had a package come in where I DIDN'T get the notification slip for delivery. Maybe the postal workers for me have been very good at their jobs.

Karl

[MagickalMemories]

The rub is that you don't know if the guy's being honest or not.
All these guys (who I DO trust...) saying the same thing happened to them can be easily offset by them (I'd guess) overwhelmingly greater # of people to whom this has never happened.

You just don't know. It might be that he was busy and never got the chance to go pick it up (because he was never home when they tried to deliver it) and is now being dishonest.

I'm not saying that is what he's doing, of course. I'm just saying you have no way of knowing definitely.

I think that -presuming your both being honest- you did your part, he did his. Shipping costs should be split for another shot... and he should call his local USPS every day after a week or so goes by with it not being delivered.

Eric

[kturock]

there are several posbilities:
1st: notice was left and got lost.
2nd: notice was left and got ignored.
3rd: notice wasn't left.

there's supposed to be a 2nd notice left before it gets sent back...well there used to be.. the regs might have changed..
it used to be 30 days, unless otherwise stated, that the item was held..
at the 10-15 day mark, a 2nd notice was written up and delivered.
then it was sent back, on the 30 day mark.
usps lives on paperwork, so this was written up at least twice, 1st notice and notice when it was returned. it was supposed to be written up 3 times...1st, 2nd/final, then return.. [the return notice is basicly internal paperwork to have a paper trail of what happened to it].


is there any 'details' on-line, when you look it up? did you send it with d/c or some type of tracing/tracking number?
you can always go to the local usps and, for a fee, they can look up on the internal computer network, the entire record of it.

if he just let it slide.. well then he has to pay again..
the record should be able to tell you what/where/when.

BUT>>>>>

i hate to say it, but now.. with the entire 'lets make the usps like a private business', jobs are getting contracted out to the lowest bidder. you know what you get then, right? lowest bidder= shabby work.

all new routes; thats new developments, [especially gated communities or apartments/condos and such], and 'majorly changed' routes, that's where usps re-arranges which addresses go to which route; become a 'highway contract route'. that means, the entire route is sold on a contract to a private comany, who guarantees delivery.. but.. they don't.
they aren't subject to the same rules and regs that 'normal' [excuse the term] postal employees are required to follow.
IF they get enough complaints.. not at the delivery office, [building where carrier work/deliver from]; but at the HQ that sells the contracts, then, they [the contract company], lose the contract, and it goes up for bid..[they still delivery it until the next holder takes over].
to make things even more...right/wrong.. they get to bid on it again...and guess what, if they're lowest bidder.. they get it again.
they can hire anyone they want...only the boss, the head of the comapny, can 'discipline' [hire/fire/suspend] their employees. so if they don't take all of the mail out, or mis-deliver it, or any of a 100 other things, nothing happens..
how'd you like to have an employee, who doesn't have to even listen to you.. and you have no way to punish him?

welcome to the new usps..COM, not .gov...when the website address changed.. so did the 'standing'.

postmaster generals are appointed by the president of the US...guess what this one's 'job' was.. to privatize usps...

screwing service, employees, and now, after wasting all types of $$, wanting to cut back on service to 5 days a week...

soon to be United States Postal...[service was cut do to costs].

.

[MagickalMemories]

Dang, kt... caught you slipping again.

The OP is in Spain. I don't think he can get a Deliver Confirmation from there.

Don't worry. I don't blame you. When you post as much as I do, certain details are bound to get stuck in your head. LOL


Eric

[kturock]

well then...was it sent from spain to????

if it was international.. then it had the customs form to follow to the border...

if it was to the US..everything else i said was right.

the title does say usps....right?

[i don't look at the trader info under the name, since so many are in the US, and alot don't list the actual where, like this trader did, but something stupid, like in the web or behind the keyboard.. or just plain nothing.]

[robh]

I do get delivery confirmation on packets providing I pay extra for the tracking service (which I always do). I can track the packet up to US Customs on the Spanish Post website then on the USPS site to the recipients door. I can also get a confirmed delivery email sent to me with time/date of delivery.

This is what I got (nicely formatted in colour though) in this particular instance: (identifiable details blocked by me)

Track & Confirm

Label/Receipt Number: CP30 0234 ***ES
Status: Notice Left

We attempted to deliver your item at 3:12 pm on September 15, 2008 in TAMPA, FL ***** and a notice was left. It can be redelivered or picked up at the Post Office. If the item is unclaimed, it will be returned to the sender.

Additional information for this item is stored in files offline.

Apparently one files go offline I have to pay a search fee to view the information, which is probably not worthwhile unless I am going to be pursuing action against a scammer. (How much is the fee anyway?)

As for tracking by customs, that is an odd one as several people who trade with me have noted. From here, Canary Islands, ( we are an autonomous region in Europe but outside of the euro Tax/Duties Zone) I do not have to use customs slips (CN22s) on anything up to 2 kilos as that counts as letter post (although a 2 kilo "letter" costs almost $70 to post).

Thanks for your help guys, you sort of confirmed what I feared. Have to rely on other peoples honesty as the system cannot guarantee anything for you. No wonder it is so difficult to get legal action taken against scammers. As soon as USPS is mentioned as involved it becomes an automatic "reasonable doubt" situation.

RobH

[kturock]

the offline info was what i was reffering to.. i don't know how much the fee is, i was told about it, but i didn't need to pay it. [the info i found was good enough.] the clerk i talked to didn't remember how much the fee is, but he knew there was one.

[Norseman]

I have had one parcel come back. The recipiant said that he did not recieve any delivery notice. He actually went to the post office and asked about the parcel, they said they did not have it. The Tracking number said it was there. The parcel came back to me and I had to reship. He went to the PO after another 2 weeks and asked again about the parcel. The parcel showed up but he had not recieved a delivery confirmation at his door again.

So it does happen.