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Missing Mail search

Sep 4, 2024

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    1. I've had the worst nightmare happen: my doll has gone missing in the mail. The weirdest part is that there was supposedly a delivery attempt, so you would think the package would be somewhere still at the post office that attempted the delivery, but they swear they don't have it anywhere.

      They apparently attempted delivery August 24th, but then reported "No Access to Delivery Location. No follow up needed, will reattempt delivery on the next delivery date." But it's been in that status since the 24th with no reattempted deliveries. I live in an apartment and the apartment office and I have no records of any attempts by the carrier to get the package to me (they're supposed to buzz the office to be let into the building, but the office has no record of a call that day). And the mailboxes are in a wide open lobby so there shouldn't have been any obstruction for the carrier to get to them. It looks like they just didn't even bother to try to deliver the package, but then it isn't held in the post office either.

      So I've submitted a missing mail search request with the usps. I've never done one of these before, does anyone know how long they usually take?
       
      #1 Opalwhisker, Sep 4, 2024
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    2. Have you gone into the post office physically to ask what was happening or if they had further information?
       
      #2 Emmacandyapple, Sep 4, 2024
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    3. Yeah, I've been to the post office several times and they've told me they don't know where it is. :(
       
      #3 Opalwhisker, Sep 4, 2024
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    4. I'm so sorry :( from what I'm seeing online it could be around a month of waiting, but the time range seems to really vary :(
       
      #4 Emmacandyapple, Sep 4, 2024
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    5. I'm really hoping she reaches me safely soon, I am so excited for her...
       
      #5 Opalwhisker, Sep 4, 2024
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    6. I've had several experiences with missing mail over the years. Sometimes/usually it's very quick (within a week or two) but once the doll was lost. Six months later it arrived on my doorstep, completely out of the blue. The lost mail request had been resolved a long time ago, insurance paid out, etc.

      I've also permanently lost a few pieces of mail over the years. This is why I insist on insurance. It won't get the doll back, but I at least have the money.

      Don't lose hope! It could've just been misplaced!
       
      #6 Thymeseer, Sep 4, 2024
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    7. That's good to know, I'm hoping she will turn up soon or I'll hear either way if they can find it. I know labor day probably delayed the search a bit, but hopefully i'll hear some news next week.
       
      #7 Opalwhisker, Sep 4, 2024
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    8. Have you also called USPS so they could check their end of tracking? I had a similar strange nondelivery and it turned out there had been a mistake in my address and the parcel was being sent back. None of the tracking available for me said that (wow so helpful :nowords:) but DHL could check their internal tracking system and tell me what's up. I think it would be worth asking just to exhaust all options.
       
      #8 cobaltconduct, Sep 5, 2024
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    9. I tried calling usps but had trouble getting through their automatic phone tree. The tracking number for the package is unusually long and the automatic phone tree didn't like it
       
      #9 Opalwhisker, Sep 5, 2024
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    10. Update:

      After I physically went to the post office two separate times to ask if they had my package and they swore up and down they checked everywhere and did not have it, I decided to just wait and see what the missing mail search request turns up. So I was surprised today, then, that the package status had updated to "Return to Sender processed". I hoped that this was just an automatic update since the post office has told me they only hold packaged for 15 days before returning to sender, and since it's been 15 days the system just automatically made that update since it wasn't changed to delivered, but I went to the post office to check they just shrugged and said "sorry it got returned :/" I argued that i'd been by twice to pick it up and had been told they couldn't find it and i wanted a better answer. the guy SAID he'd look and call me back with an answer but im not too hopeful....
       
      #10 Opalwhisker, Sep 7, 2024
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    11. Oh no, I'm so sorry! It could be it didn't even make it to the post office if there was something iffy with the address that they discovered in the sorting center (at least that's how it went with my returned parcel) - it might be good to check with the seller and ask how they formatted the parcel slip and inform them of the return.
       
      #11 cobaltconduct, Sep 7, 2024
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    12. Oh that might be an option, I'll talk to the seller and see what they say. I feel like a delivery attempt may have been made, but maybe it wasn't
       
      #12 Opalwhisker, Sep 7, 2024
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    13. Over the years, the postal services have gotten worse. Some post offices don't have regular route carriers anymore, or delivery of certain types of mail is handled by someone different from your regular carrier. For me, I don't have a regular carrier, and certain mail services may be delivered by different carriers. If you don't have a regular carrier, people from other stations can bid on the route -- meaning, even though they are SUPPOSED to bring back the parcel to the station, they don't always do so. D:< (I used to have an awesome, lovely carrier who I adored. She got promoted and left, and my mail delivery has been in semi-shambles since.)

      I had this happen to an EMS parcel of mine. On top of it, the carrier put a typo on the redelivery request form, so I couldn't update it. I went to the post office 3x in person to resolve it, they promise they would help me by finding it, swearing up and down they didn't have it but would get to the bottom of it, promised it would not be returned to sender in such a short time frame, and well, what do we know -- the parcel was returned. The carrier who had it never brought it back to the station, and it was just returned to sender.

      I was extremely upset. I paid EMS shipping, and this was a business I have bought from numerous times before, so I know the label wasn't wrong. It was just pure post office incompetence. I of course got no compensation for it. I literally had to pay for EMS twice due to said incompetence, but the business had some mercy on me and gave me like a 20% off shipping discount for the future (heh). I'm still super bitter about this. Either way, I'm glad your doll was at least located, even if it was returned to the sender. :( I now have any express parcels sent to work or some place I know where there is reliable mail delivery cos I just can't with my post office anymore.
       
      #13 honeyedbiscuit, Sep 17, 2024
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    14. Good news update: she's finally here!!

      She was returned to gem of doll and they thankfully reshipped her to me. I was a bit worried because she cam a bit earlier than anticipated so I wasn't home when the post office stopped by today, but I was able to run over to the post office after work as fast as I could and pick her up <3
       
      #14 Opalwhisker, Oct 7, 2024
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    15. That is wonderful news:sumomo: !
       
      #15 Stormyhorse, Oct 7, 2024
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