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Lost Package

Original Post
Mark D · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 30

I don't shop online often, but I couldn't pass up the deals that were available for climbing gear over the holiday. One of my packages ended up getting lost. The Post Office's delivery confirmation shows it was delivered, but I never actually received it. It's always possible it was stolen, but that seems unlikely since I checked the mail two times immediately after seeing a post office truck, and there was no package to be found.

Anyone else had to deal with this and what was the end result? Did the company you bought the items from end up sending replacements and dealing with an insurance claim through the USPS or did you have to take the hit to the wallet?

rock-fencer · · Columbia, SC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 265

Check garage behind bushes back door etc. delivery guys like to leave it in "safe" places sometimes. Never actually had a delivered package not be delivered. Occasionally they get the address wrong and might be at your neighbors

I'd take it up with the retailer as they probably have insurance etc

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325

Considering an adult signature is required for the Spanish/English dictionary book I just bought....I wouldn't be surprised by anything the USPS does...

$5 book, free shipping....adult signature required... Now I have to go down to the fucking post office and stand in line with the the woman who smells like shit and doesn't understand that stamps don't cost a penny anymore.

Or there's the time where the USPS worker was lazy and didn't deliver the mail and kept it for himself/herself. Remember it's the usps so anything is in the realm of reality.

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325
This post violated Rule #1. It has been removed by Mountain Project.
Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325
This post violated Rule #1. It has been removed by Mountain Project.
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

Not to bum you out, but here's a thread over on splitboard.com where a guy took a 1K beating. Unfortunately it seems from this and my experience, once it says "delivered" you are S.O.L unless the shipper refunds you.

splitboard.com/talk/viewtop…

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I've had very similar happen twice. Once a new carrier delivered a package to the wrong place, got fired for some un known reason, and thus I never did find out where my shit went on that one.

Another time it was delivered to the same number, but wrong street address.

My suggestion is to talk directly to whomever does the deliveries in your area. If it shows as "delivered", it's whomever delivered it that fucked up.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

I never had a lost USPS package, but the again I have a HUGE country, farm sized mailbox so all packages except skis will fit inside of it. ANd they are very easy to hold mail, put a stop on deliverys when you are gone for vacation. Paperwork you leave on that, results in their fault for making a delivery that was supposed to be held in office. UPS 'brown', leaves my boxes hidden near doorstep via agreement so they have never been lost either. FedEx is my worst, they demand I be home and sign for anything, so I avoid them since I can't sit home for a delivery to come. Best of luck locating it.

G McG · · Victoria, BC · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 60

I haven't fully read every response so I apologize if this has been listed already...Have you tried contacting the store you purchased from? They can often open up a trace with the postal system and, at least in the case of some retailers, send you out a replacement order.

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325

Sensative today or what?

Meme guy

John Ryan · · Poncha Springs, CO · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 170

EMS sent me the wrong size of Solutions. Their exchange system relies on purchasing a replacement, then issuing credit when they receive the item that is to be exchanged. I grew weary of this system, and told them that I was just going to ship the shoes to them, and have them send me the correct size once they received the shoes. After they got my shoes they sent out a replacement pair which was "delivered" via UPS, but I never got them. They had no record of receiving the shoes I sent in, and although they had the tracking number of the package they sent out, there was no detail showing what was in the package. So the only record they had was of the original purchase, and I had no shoes. I battled with them for weeks - they couldn't figure it out, and since there was no record of them receiving my shoes, or what was in the package they shipped me, they weren't going to resend me the climbing shoes - they wanted to give me a 15% discount on a new pair. They were so locked in to their damn computer system, they couldn't use their brains. It was pathetic. Only after arguing with the manager repeatedly did he agree to send me a replacement pair just to get rid of me. The last conversation ended in him making smart ass comments, and hanging up on me. I received a replacement - in the wrong size! Luckily they were close enough, and I just kept them. I'll never shop at EMS again. In the past they have been very helpful with any customer service issues. Good luck!

Meme Guy · · Land of Runout Slab · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 325

Yeah that's the thing about buying shit online, shipping and then return shipping if it isn't right. However I just bought something from EMS and they shipped and delivered way quicker than anyone else I've bought stuff from.

hikingdrew · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 38

Check your post office. I had a package that the tracking site said was 'delivered' but I never received. Somehow, it was in their back room. I think a lot of their process is done by hand, so it's easy for them to mislay a package...

khoa · · Tacomarado · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 53

yeah check w/ the PO. my mailman forgot to give me the key one time, even though tracking said 'delivered'

Greg Gavin · · SLC, UT · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 888

If you ordered from a reputable larger online retailer (EMS, BC, REI, MJ) they can file a misship for most items under a few hundred bucks and reship the order for free. Some smaller stores can't take the big hit from a misship like that, and will blame the lost package on the shipper (who's really at fault).

But due to the larger retailers want/need for customer loyalty and market share they'll bend over backwards to hook you up. Sorry for the pain in the ass man! Hope you get your stuff.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280
hikingdrew wrote:Check your post office. I had a package that the tracking site said was 'delivered' but I never received. Somehow, it was in their back room. I think a lot of their process is done by hand, so it's easy for them to mislay a package...
Yup, happened to me when I had mail on 'vacation hold'. I came in to pick up everything, they left it on shelf and after hounding them for days, they finally came up with it from some lost shelf out back. Assholes,,and they wonder why WE, the receivers can go 'postal' on them too!!
Mark D · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 30

Seems like I have exhausted all efforts with the post office at this point. I supposedly spoke to the mailman who dropped it off, and she said she put it on the porch. Hard to believe since I was home, and I've had multiple packages over the last week, so not sure if she remembers the correct package. Also checked with the neighbors and searched all around the house with no luck.

Unfortunately, it was a smaller company that can't really take the hit to just send me the same items again. Sounds like the guy is willing to work something out, but it definitely won't be everything shipped again for free. Regardless, that leaves both of us out of money and frustration on both sides. Sounds like I will be changing some of my rules for online ordering including requiring shipping insurance and a signature for delivery. Thanks for all the responses.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Mark Derham wrote:Seems like I have exhausted all efforts with the post office at this point. I supposedly spoke to the mailman who dropped it off, and she said she put it on the porch. Hard to believe since I was home, and I've had multiple packages over the last week, so not sure if she remembers the correct package. Also checked with the neighbors and searched all around the house with no luck. Unfortunately, it was a smaller company that can't really take the hit to just send me the same items again. Sounds like the guy is willing to work something out, but it definitely won't be everything shipped again for free. Regardless, that leaves both of us out of money and frustration on both sides. Sounds like I will be changing some of my rules for online ordering including requiring shipping insurance and a signature for delivery. Thanks for all the responses.
DId you pay with a credit card?
Mark D · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 30

Yes, I used a credit card.

20 kN · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 1,346
Mark Derham wrote:Yes, I used a credit card.
- Priority and Express Mail come with $100 in free insurance now. It takes forever to get your money back, so file a claim now if you can.

- Your local post office can initiate an "investigation" into the whereabouts of your package. Go to your PO and ask them to investigate the tracking number.

- As a last resort, you have the legal right to file a credit card dispute with your bank, and ask for a refund from your bank. Non-receipt of a package is a valid reason to dispute a transaction. However, when you dispute a transaction, the merchant is held accountable, and excessive disputes can result in Visa increasing the fees for the merchant, or in extreme cases, Visa can stop providing services to the merchant. So if you dispute the charge, it is the merchant that is going to get the short end and not the postal carrier.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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