As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Lost by the Post Office

SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today!Registered User regular
edited October 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Well, this is pretty simple.

I ordered something off Amazon.com a few weeks back (set of headphones), and was wondering why it was taking so damn long to get here. Upon checking the tracking, it had been marked 'delivered' more than a week ago, it just had never shown up in my mailbox. After checking the front desk of my apartment complex, and then visiting the local USPS distribution center, I'm fairly certain the package is lost (though a USPS supervisor, over a phone AT the post office, said me he'd "call me back").

So, this is the first time dealing with something lost by the actual post office. The fact that it was marked 'delivered' on the tracking system is weird too. Am I just shit out of luck, or is there something I can do?

Synthesis on

Posts

  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    You contact the post office and they will take care of it.

    SatanIsMyMotor on
  • Richard_DastardlyRichard_Dastardly Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    I can assure you the post office will be of no help. The only thing you can do, if I recall, is to fill out some paperwork.

    You're best bet would be to Amazon.com customer service. They are amazingly helpful.

    Richard_Dastardly on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    You contact the post office and they will take care of it.

    Yeah, I've done that. I mentioned it in OP. "Local USPS distribution center" and all.
    I can assure you the post office will be of no help. The only thing you can do, if I recall, is to fill out some paperwork.

    You're best bet would be to Amazon.com customer service. They are amazingly helpful.

    It was actually a (well rated) third-party seller on Amazon.com, rather than Amazon.com actually. Quick shipping. Frankly, I'm confused as to why they'd bother helping me, since even if I wanted to, I couldn't flat out lie to them (they have the same tracking number I have).

    Synthesis on
  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Try to get the post office to track it down. If they can't, just email Amazon.

    In the past I had a package that the USPS carrier left with my neighbors instead of walking around to the other door to give it to us. The neighbors kept the package and ignored my attempts to talk to them or recover the package. After explaining the problem to them, Amazon just reshipped it (either FedEx or UPS the second time, so it didn't have the same issue).

    Edit:
    Synthesis wrote: »
    It was actually a (well rated) third-party seller on Amazon.com, rather than Amazon.com actually. Quick shipping. Frankly, I'm confused as to why they'd bother helping me, since even if I wanted to, I couldn't flat out lie to them (they have the same tracking number I have).

    Ah... in that case, you continue pressing the post office. You can try talking to the seller, but since it's not Amazon, they're much more likely to just say 'too bad' since it was delivered. Given my experiences with the post office, you're probably out of luck, but there's a small chance that it's just sitting around the mail room somewhere and they'll find it.

    Daenris on
  • Richard_DastardlyRichard_Dastardly Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Synthesis wrote: »
    It was actually a (well rated) third-party seller on Amazon.com, rather than Amazon.com actually. Quick shipping. Frankly, I'm confused as to why they'd bother helping me, since even if I wanted to, I couldn't flat out lie to them (they have the same tracking number I have).
    Try, at least. Twice now Amazon has refunded my money for defective items, and both times I'd bought the stuff from a third party seller. Lost items might be different, but Amazon might just surprise you.

    Richard_Dastardly on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Synthesis wrote: »
    It was actually a (well rated) third-party seller on Amazon.com, rather than Amazon.com actually. Quick shipping. Frankly, I'm confused as to why they'd bother helping me, since even if I wanted to, I couldn't flat out lie to them (they have the same tracking number I have).
    Try, at least. Twice now Amazon has refunded my money for defective items, and both times I'd bought the stuff from a third party seller. Lost items might be different, but Amazon might just surprise you.

    I might as well. I already mentioned it to the seller (I normally leave feedback to sellers for items on Amazon, but since I didn't actually get an item, I can't really leave any feedback besides 'fast shipper').

    Synthesis on
  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    You should also push the post office harder. Was your package insured at all?

    SatanIsMyMotor on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    You should also push the post office harder. Was your package insured at all?

    I'm probably just doing it wrong, but I don't really know how to push a United State Post Office any harder than showing up and politely telling them I think they lost my package. I guess I could drop the 'polite' part.

    I don't think it was insured, but I'll check with the seller. It did have a tracking number, but that doesn't mean it was insured usually....

    Synthesis on
  • LewishamLewisham Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Synthesis wrote: »
    You should also push the post office harder. Was your package insured at all?

    I'm probably just doing it wrong, but I don't really know how to push a United State Post Office any harder than showing up and politely telling them I think they lost my package. I guess I could drop the 'polite' part.

    You say that you have a tracking number which claims it was delivered, when it clearly was not. Listing items as being delivered when they aren't is at least negligent, and at worse, fraudulent. They have a duty of care to make sure the item reaches a secure location (some people on H&A have previously disputed this, and say leaving stuff on doorsteps is OK, and if it gets stolen afterward, bad luck. I do not agree with this.) before marking something as delivered, when they haven't done so.

    Lewisham on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Lewisham wrote: »
    Synthesis wrote: »
    You should also push the post office harder. Was your package insured at all?

    I'm probably just doing it wrong, but I don't really know how to push a United State Post Office any harder than showing up and politely telling them I think they lost my package. I guess I could drop the 'polite' part.

    You say that you have a tracking number which claims it was delivered, when it clearly was not. Listing items as being delivered when they aren't is at least negligent, and at worse, fraudulent. They have a duty of care to make sure the item reaches a secure location (some people on H&A have previously disputed this, and say leaving stuff on doorsteps is OK, and if it gets stolen afterward, bad luck. I do not agree with this.) before marking something as delivered, when they haven't done so.

    I actually gave them the tracking number (I printed it off the website when I went to the USPS). I gave it to them when I explained the situation.

    Problem is that I live in an apartment complex, with my own mail box. So it's not as though it was stolen off my doorstop. The package itself was quite small, so it should have had no trouble fitting into the mail box (and if not, they leave a key to a large mailbox).

    No call from the guy. No surprise there. Looks like my only recourse at the post office is to go again tomorrow and do this again, probably with the same result.

    Unless the seller feels particularly merciful, I'm going to assume that that is $26 I'm never going to see again.

    Synthesis on
  • LewishamLewisham Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Synthesis wrote: »

    No call from the guy. No surprise there. Looks like my only recourse at the post office is to go again tomorrow and do this again, probably with the same result.

    Use harder language. Negligent/fraud/small claims. These sort of words. Let them know you aren't playing around.

    Lewisham on
  • DalbozDalboz Resident Puppy Eater Right behind you...Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    One of the purposes of the Amazon system is that Amazon usually guarantees their third party transactions. You can always contact Amazon and explain the situation. And my experiences with Amazon is that they're usually super helpful. I got a book from them once that was misbound (two first halves, no second half) and didn't find out until way after the 90 days that I'm supposed to notify them of a problem. I decided to tell email them anyway and explain the situation, and they immediately sent me another copy and said to just send the other one back with a printed return slip, no questions.

    I mean, the worst that can happen is that they say "no," right?

    Dalboz on
  • ink4n3ink4n3 Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    I am actually having the exact same problem right now. I ordered a book from amazon which the USPS has marked as delivered with "Delivery Confirmation" on their site. I had an email from amazon saying the book couldn't be delivered to my address (I have a locked mail box like you have) and I should pick it up from the post office.

    I went down to the post office to get it and the guy said they didnt have it and they have people all the time come in looking for amazon books from there. He said amazon will send out the email saying that it can't be delivered but actually hasn't even sent the book yet. This seemed like a pretty bullshit answer to me since it was marked as delivered on the USPS website.

    Anyways, I fired off an email to amazon and they said they were sorry to hear that I didn't receive my book and they would be sending another one right away free of charge. Hopefully one of the books will show up. I have a different tracking number now. My first book came from Lexington, KY and the new one is from Whitestown, IN. May I ask if you are from Indiana? Maybe we have a post office worker that likes amazon merch.

    ink4n3 on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    ink4n3 wrote: »
    Anyways, I fired off an email to amazon and they said they were sorry to hear that I didn't receive my book and they would be sending another one right away free of charge. Hopefully one of the books will show up. I have a different tracking number now. My first book came from Lexington, KY and the new one is from Whitestown, IN. May I ask if you are from Indiana? Maybe we have a post office worker that likes amazon merch.

    No, I'm in Georgia. And I haven't gotten an email or anything saying that it couldn't be delivered (not that there's any reason, I've ordered much bigger things from Amazon many times in the past).

    The Post Office didn't say anything of the sort. I'll probably visit again tomorrow, or call them, this time reminding them that they said they'd call me back twice already.

    Synthesis on
  • HypatiaHypatia Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Dalboz wrote: »
    One of the purposes of the Amazon system is that Amazon usually guarantees their third party transactions. You can always contact Amazon and explain the situation.

    I went through this before, basically you have to try to contact the seller first to see if the seller will fix it. If the seller blows you off (which happened to me) then you can contact Amazon and tell them, "Hey, I had X problem with one of your sellers and I contacted them on (date) and (date) and they're just ignoring me" and Amazon will step in.

    Amazon will try to resolve it with the seller, and if they can't they'll fix it for you by giving you a refund or making sure you get what you paid for. In my case, I told Amazon and I don't know what they told the seller, but my stuff got fixed real fast after that.

    Hypatia on
  • ink4n3ink4n3 Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Yeah I contacted amazon yesterday about my lost book and one was here today. Not sure if it was the first or second one that came today. I guess I'll see if I get another one down the road.

    ink4n3 on
  • RobprovRobprov Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Something similar has happened to me before, check the previous postal address you've given to Amazon. A I years ago they sent something to my old house despite I'd deleted the address from my account years before.

    Hope it helps and good luck.

    Robprov on
    Robprov.png
  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2009
    I have had stuff appear long after the USPS site said it had been delivered. Keep checking.

    Doc on
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Repeated hassling paid off. This time, they ordered the carrier to check the mail box. As it happened, it was stored in a large box (intended for larger boxes) and they simply forgot to stick the key into my mailbox.

    Synthesis on
Sign In or Register to comment.