USPS - what happens when package arrives damaged & empty?

[cindylouwho2]

I remember from when I lived in the US, & also when a package shipped to me here had the customs form fall off, that USPS used to have an annoying "Oops" letter sent to me in plastic along with whatever remained of the damaged/empty package. Is that still the practice? The US post office always delivers whatever is left of the shipment, even if that is as little as a stray customs form, right?

[Former_Member]

Not sure about US. I got a package from overseas (I'm in Canada) where the envelope got ripped and it was delivered to me inside a plastic bag with a note about how the package was damaged. I got lucky cause nothing inside the envelope was missing or damaged. I've never had a package of mine get damaged on its way to the US so I've never heard what happens. I'm curious to hear.

[Former_Member]

I've had packages delivered to the buyer that were totally mangled by the post office.

I've also had some returned to me by USPS that were mangled as well, even though the buyers address was legible.

A good reason to include a packing slip.

[GoTo]

As far as I know we still get the remains of the package sealed in a bag that says something about damaged during transit, but it happens so rarely it hard to say if they've changed practice.

If your buyer received one of these they should report it so the postal inspectors can look into why it happened:

Missing package? Package missing its contents?
http://www.gotogreatpanes.com/blog/2008/02/08/missing-package-package-missing-its-contents

[cindylouwho2]

GoTo, that is what I thought - I got those before. With the package that was shipped to me here in Canada, I just got the customs form in a bag with the note but then 3 days later the package arrived, delivered just fine despite losing the customs form before it entered the country. I did some searching & people frequently mention getting all of the packaging delivered to them, no matter how badly it is mangled.

[GoTo]

I guess they just couldn't pair up the parts in transit but both had the ship-to address so you got them delivered separately. :)

There was one package I sent (quilt pieces for DBL, a note on my business letter head & a small amount of cash to help with costs on the other end) that apparently lost its packaging, but all the contents remained together somehow.

I got an email from the PO it arrived at, about an hour from its intended destination, and the very nice postal worker said she'd gladly send it where ever it was supposed to go. It arrived in less than 2 days later including the cash..... woohoo!

Normally the ship-to address would have been on the enclosure too, but this time it was just a personal mailing that I had written a note on so it didn't say "ship to" anywhere. If it had, I'm betting it would have just arrived in one of those bags. A nice confirmation that including a detailed receipt is not just a waste of time.

[cindylouwho2]

I can't go into the details & probably don't even know them all (it's not me I am asking about) but I get the idea that a receipt would not help here. But all info is much appreciated - thank you!

[GoTo]

Good luck to whoever! LOL

[cindylouwho2]

for people who file the form to have the USPS search for their missing item, do you have any idea how long that takes on average?

[GoTo]

For my recent missing item I got a call back from the supposed-to-be-delivering-PO within 2 days of calling the 1-800-ask-usps phone number because it had tracking and we knew right where the package got stopped (the package was Express Mail--overnight delivery--but was sitting in the same transfer station for 4 days; it was delivered the day after I heard back because they found it, I know that won't always be the case).

I'm not sure how fast the postal inspectors work, but for a damaged package I don't think the 800 number folks could help the same way.