I suspect someone is stealing our mail

Kryhs

For the past couple of months now we've been receiving a LOT less mail. No bills or anything important in that regard has gone missing that I know of, but then again I do almost everything digitally. The main issue, though, is that we've had three packages that we've never gotten, and that seems like too many in such a short time span.

One was a shirt from PA, and customer service was awesome and simply sent us another one, which we DID get. Another was a small bubble mailer that should have gone in the mailbox. The last one was an expensive piece of jewelry that my girlfriend ordered from a private seller on etsy, who she has since been in constant contact with. I dug deeper by going to the post office with a tracking number, and the gentlemen there told me it was marked delivered to a local business. Okay... Well I go to said business and they have no record of it in any way, and that's when I decided to put my conspiracy hat on.

I have no idea how to found out what's really going on, and I don't have any real proof. Any suggestions?

This is roughly what our mailboxes look like, more or less (not where I live but it's the closest I could find with a simple GIS):

EclecticGroove

if it's visible from where you live, set up a webcam and see if anyone is opening your mailbox that is not you or the mailperson.

And I assume packages need to come to your door. Always make sure you are home to receive them, sitting outside the door is just asking for them to be stolen... but again you could set up a cam to watch the door.

Darkewolfe

Call the cops and post office, explain your theory and let them figure it out.

Esh

So your mailbox has a lock? Can you talk to your landlord and have the lock changed?

Dr. Frenchenstein

Wait, your tracking number said it had been delivered to a local business? did you match that up with the delivery address that the vendor has? If it doesn't match, your post office is the problem. If it does match, get with the vendor and see what went wrong.

I assume you live in an apartment complex? is there a package policy or something? i live in the city, and anything that doesn't fit in my mailbox automatically gets kept at the post office for pickup. You should check into something like that for your address.

spool32

Yes, it sounds like if the post office can verify that the package was delivered to a business address, and the business owner doesn't have the package, either the Post Office is your problem, or the business owner has the package. Did they have to sign for it?

MushroomStick

Assuming this is an apartment complex, are some of your packages maybe getting dropped off at the rental office? I used to request that when I lived in apartments.

Kryhs

EclecticGroove wrote: »

if it's visible from where you live, set up a webcam and see if anyone is opening your mailbox that is not you or the mailperson.

And I assume packages need to come to your door. Always make sure you are home to receive them, sitting outside the door is just asking for them to be stolen... but again you could set up a cam to watch the door.

Our mailboxes have separate, larger boxes for packages. If you get a package they put a key in your real mailbox and that key opens the large box.

Esh wrote: »

So your mailbox has a lock? Can you talk to your landlord and have the lock changed?

I can check with the apartment complex, but I doubt they're going to be willing to do it without proof.

Dr. Frenchenstein wrote: »

Wait, your tracking number said it had been delivered to a local business? did you match that up with the delivery address that the vendor has? If it doesn't match, your post office is the problem. If it does match, get with the vendor and see what went wrong.

I assume you live in an apartment complex? is there a package policy or something? i live in the city, and anything that doesn't fit in my mailbox automatically gets kept at the post office for pickup. You should check into something like that for your address.

The woman who sold the item had the correct address, and she's never done any type of business with the local business it ended up at. I've lived in this specific complex for six years and haven't ever had a problem. USPS packages get left in the large mailboxes or we get a slip in the main mailbox saying it's at the post office if the package is too big for even the large mailbox.

spool32 wrote: »

Yes, it sounds like if the post office can verify that the package was delivered to a business address, and the business owner doesn't have the package, either the Post Office is your problem, or the business owner has the package. Did they have to sign for it?

I agree and heavily suspect the post office (or a lying postman). The place didn't have to sign for it, and when I went in they told me that if that ever happens (because they get a LOT of packages) they send it back to the post office, but they never even saw this package.

MushroomStick wrote: »

Assuming this is an apartment complex, are some of your packages maybe getting dropped off at the rental office? I used to request that when I lived in apartments.

FedEx, UPS, etc. get left at the apartment office, but USPS doesn't.

Thanks for all of the help, guys.

spool32

I hate to say it, but you made a pretty big mistake allowing an expensive jewelry purchase to get sent to you via unregistered USPS.



Do you know if the seller took out any insurance on the package? Depending on the amount of money involved, things could get uncomfortable between you and the seller...

Kryhs

spool32 wrote: »

I hate to say it, but you made a pretty big mistake allowing an expensive jewelry purchase to get sent to you via unregistered USPS.



Do you know if the seller took out any insurance on the package? Depending on the amount of money involved, things could get uncomfortable between you and the seller...

I wasn't part of the transaction; it was all my girlfriend. I personally always ALWAYS get delivery confirmation on ANYTHING USPS. Because of this.

The lady is a complete sweetheart, though. Her and my girlfriend hit it off and have been talking about lots of things, and in the end the lady actually hand made and sent us a new piece free of charge.

Ganluan

A few years ago when I lived in a different area, I was having a problem with my GameFly rentals disappearing. I had 3 within a couple months that never made it to me, and I'm amazed GameFly didn't remove me as a member.

Anyway, there is a website where you can report suspected postal theft or other issues:
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/mlntrcvd.aspx

I filled this out and got a call the next day from someone in the Post Office who asked for more information. After that point, I never had an issue again.

Kryhs

Ganluan wrote: »

A few years ago when I lived in a different area, I was having a problem with my GameFly rentals disappearing. I had 3 within a couple months that never made it to me, and I'm amazed GameFly didn't remove me as a member.

Anyway, there is a website where you can report suspected postal theft or other issues:
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/mlntrcvd.aspx

I filled this out and got a call the next day from someone in the Post Office who asked for more information. After that point, I never had an issue again.

Awesome! This is perfect. Thanks so much.