What NOT to do when shipping through USPS

[HighUintas]

I wanted to put this out there for anyone that uses USPS to ship expensive parts frequently due to an experience I recently had.

When shipping with USPS, if you use one of their kiosks that are usually in one of their locations, the tracking number and other data is NOT retrievable by USPS if you don't have it. The kiosks are operated by a 3rd party company and there is no way to get that information from them. So if you don't get your receipt and/or tracking number when you print your shipping label from the kiosk and the package gets lost, you're out of luck on filing a claim even if you have insured it.

I used a kiosk recently (usually don't) and the receipt that I got was someone else's. I didn't realize this until a few days later. So, I had no receipt or tracking number. This was a month ago. The package has not made it to its destination that is within the continental US (the to best of the vendors' knowledge) and the USPS office has told me there is no way to get the tracking information.

So, if this package is lost and never shows up, I'm out of luck on filing a claim.

 

[ZUG]

Do you mean UPS not United States Postal Service? I did not know that the USPS used anything other than an official government building for the US mail service.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I try not to ship anything USPS. I've shipped items and had items shipped to me through the postal service that disappeared. Good luck getting any satisfaction if you file a claim. I always will pick UPS or Fed ex if I'm shipping something or receiving something, if the company offers a choice. They have a much better track record, and both have much better customer service if a problem does happen.

Plus, our local post office notoriously loses things. They're well known on our local Facebook page. I go out of my way not to send anything through them.

 

[Brokennock]

Do you mean UPS not United States Postal Service? I did not know that the USPS used anything other than an official government building for the US mail service.

The grocery store down the street from me has a U.S. Postal desk at it. But, it is not a "do it yourself," thing, there are employees there.

 

[HighUintas]

Do you mean UPS not United States Postal Service? I did not know that the USPS used anything other than an official government building for the US mail service.

Many of the USPS offices in my area have a kiosk where you can print your own shipping label, and then either put it in their outgoing bin or give it to the clerk at the front desk.

 

[Ames]

Open your own account online. Free. You can print the labels, insure for the value, have the regular mail carrier pick the box up from you. No extra charges involved. You can order more free boxes and get them dropped off as well.
Saves me $8 in gas I had to spend driving into town.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

WeI ship world wide via USPS everyday. 95% of our shipping is USPS, and we have very few damage claims, unlike UPS. USPS has paid us 100% for damaged goods.

 

[Whughett]

The local post office in the 34224 zip has a self service package service in the lobby. You weight the package, input a debit/credit card and it prints out a shipping label. Not sure if that is a kiosk as described by the op.

 

[Col. Batguano]

If you got someone else's receipt, odds are that it was printed in a time frame pretty close to when you printed yours. Take a look at it. From there you can start entering numbers for tracking on a "best guess" basis (both higher and lower ones) and just start looking at them if they are legitimate tracking numbers or not. The web tracker will tell you right away if you have a litigate tracking number or not.

Once you determine the differential you can start entering more receipt numbers, (probably higher numbers) and looking for destinations. Eventually you may strike upon the receipt that corresponds to your package. (This assumes you know where it was supposed to go.) From there you can start pursuing your options.

Hint; the tracking numbers (for legitimate destinations) are usually not different by just 1 serial number, but some interval number like 10 or 20. It may be different than that, but there is almost certainly a pattern to the interval.

Happy sleuthing!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Do you mean UPS not United States Postal Service? I did not know that the USPS used anything other than an official government building for the US mail service.

Yep, same confusion here. I use USPS (United States Postal Service) frequently to ship packages. I use the 'click and ship' feature. That is found on their web site and I can print shipping labels right from my computer. Package with label is placed on my porch and mail carrier picks up. No hassle, even with long guns (not modern). The package can be traced by both sender and recipient . Word of caution: I live in a semi-rural location with no traffic on my road. I feel safe setting packages on the porch.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Rule #1 Never underestimate the incompetency of The U.S. Postal Service. Rule #2 See Rule #1

 

[Rifleman1776]

Rule #1 Never underestimate the incompetency of The U.S. Postal Service. Rule #2 See Rule #1

I have to agree. But in recent years they have been fine. For many years I sold collectible items world wide and used USPS. All was fine unless I had to make a claim on insured items. The red tape was non ending. But, eventually, they paid up.

 

[Whughett]

The USPS is an Army of people operating in every city, burg , town and hamlet in a nation of almost 400 million people. They probably handle more mail in one day than all the other delivery services combined handle in a week I’d bet the successful transactions out weigh the snafus by a few million to one. I’ve lived in the same house for 52 years and to the best of my knowledge have never not received something mailed to me and even some I wonder how the heck I even got it the address was so wrong.
Lucky I guess.

Just saying.

 

[HighUintas]

Yes I have used USPS a ton in the past and haven't had an issue until using the self service kiosk. Which, should be fine as long as you get your receipt.

In the future, I'll only get shipping labels through the clerk at the desk or online.

I did have a CS rep tell me over the phone when starting a request for package tracking investigation that trying to file a claim for a lost package is a huge pain.

So for an update, through much discussion with the office, I was finally able to talk to the post master there and gave her all the details of the shipment: date, cost of shipping, destination address, etc and she was able to print another receipt from that self service kiosk for me. So, while they are first told me it's impossible to get that information, it is obtainable but is a pain to get them to do it.

 

[sheriff john]

I make a special effort to keep anything off of packages relating to firearms regardless of the delivery service used. Might be paranoid, but have also used aluminum foil to create an unidentifiable object inside a box containing a pistol frame on two occasions. Only problem was a derringer kit I mailed which took weeks to arrive.

 

[HighUintas]

I make a special effort to keep anything off of packages relating to firearms regardless of the delivery service used. Might be paranoid, but have also used aluminum foil to create an unidentifiable object inside a box containing a pistol frame on two occasions. Only problem was a derringer kit I mailed which took weeks to arrive.

Interesting. I thought it odd that I'd never had a package severely delayed until some of the ML build parts I ordered in the last couple months took several weeks to arrive.

 

[ZUG]

I ordered some small box hardware from a small company in Ontario Canada, and it took over two months to get to me - it was a small box. I think the issue was on the Canadian side not the USPS.

 

[GriscomRun]

I make a special effort to keep anything off of packages relating to firearms regardless of the delivery service used. Might be paranoid, but have also used aluminum foil to create an unidentifiable object inside a box containing a pistol frame on two occasions. Only problem was a derringer kit I mailed which took weeks to arrive.

Me too. I like your idea and may well try it. Prolly shoot right thru USPS. Don't know if UPS sends everything thru an x-ray scanner or not. Ever try it with a longrifle ?

 

[hawkeye2]

Me too. I like your idea and may well try it. Prolly shoot right thru USPS. Don't know if UPS sends everything thru an x-ray scanner or not. Ever try it with a longrifle ?

USPS doesn't X-ray so you can save your aluminum foil for something more important like your hat.

 

[Cpt Flint]

Me too. I like your idea and may well try it. Prolly shoot right thru USPS. Don't know if UPS sends everything thru an x-ray scanner or not. Ever try it with a longrifle ?

Prolly??