Imagine your disappointment when your box full of gifts never gets there

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I sent off a big box full of gifts for my nieces/nephews/sister/dad/step-dad way ahead of time—on the 15th at 8:30 a.m. So ahead of time that I chose the least expensive mailing option, knowing it would arrive at the very latest by the 22nd. You know, trying to save money this year, being prepared and on top of things, making sure I had plenty of time so that I wouldn’t have to break the bank at the post office.

I’ve never sent anything parcel post before. The only thing I knew about parcel post is that it’s the least expensive option. Would have been at least $12 more to send priority, but I didn’t need my stuff to get there in 3 days—I’d planned ahead, wrapped and boxed it all up early, made sure there was clear packing tape over my big, bold mailing label in case it got wet. I was ready to go. I also sent off a box separately to my mom (sister lives in southern MI, Mom’s in northern OH). My mom’s box got there on the 22nd.

When my sister’s box hadn’t arrived on the 24th, I gave up hope that my nieces/nephews would get to open their gifts on Christmas morning. I guessed they’d have to wait until the day after, which was a bummer, but what could I do? I knew there had been bad weather in the area, there must have just been some kind of delay. Thinking there was no point, really, I tossed out the USPS receipt the day after Christmas. Trash truck came yesterday.

My sis called today, on her way to Mom’s for the last family gift-opening get together, and said the box never got there. It’s now 5 days after the latest day that parcel post would have arrived. I have no receipt. No proof that anything went anywhere. And parcel post doesn’t track anything. I guess that’s why it’s cheap.

I can’t express how upset I am. My gifts weren’t expensive this year. They were modest, but full of thoughtfulness and creativity. I was even glad I held back because the day after I shipped out that box, I lost my job. I was relieved, in hindsight, that I was smart about it this year. I bought my sister a $4 enclosed folder to keep her big shopping coupons in. She’s been using a beat up hanging file folder—shoving it in between the front seats of her van. Complaining that if the hanging bar gets stuck on the seat as she pulls it out, it flops open and the coupons fly all over the place. I found the perfect solution, and even stuck a big JC Penney portrait studio coupon in there with a gift card for her next sitting. How effing creative and less than $30. And all the kids’ gifts, and my dad’s, and my step-dad’s.

I suppose the box could still get there, but the weather’s been cleared up for a couple days now. It doesn’t seem to be looking good.

2

:frowning:

3

You know, it wouldn’t hurt to stop by the post office and tell them your story. No, you don’t have a receipt, but you can give them the date and time you shipped it, describe the package, the addresses, and the contents, and let them know it didn’t arrive.

Chances are, it’s sitting under a stack of something and got overlooked. A little prodding by the office manager at either end, and it may show up. If it was stolen, the postal inspector needs to know so they can track the number of thefts.

4

Did you by chance include a slip with your name and address inside the box? I learned that trick some years ago because occasionally labels get torn off, and that way the box can at least be returned to sender.

I agree with phouka that it’s probably just been overlooked and will get delivered eventually, however. The post office may be ridiculously slow at times, but they don’t actually completely lose packages very often.

5

(IANA Postal Worker, but my husband is.) Parcel Post and other types in its class are considered last priority when it comes to shipping, so during this busy holiday season, I’m assuming it’s sitting in a sorting center somewhere waiting to be put on the next truck. That’s truth but also something they’re not allowed to tell you; it’s also one reason they try to ‘upsell’ another method instead of this one - Parcel Post is for stuff you don’t care about the delivery date of and/or the shipping cost for other methods is far too expensive. The date they gave you was probably way too generous considering the season, and that’s unfortunate.

That being said, do call or go to the post office you went to, and talk to the supervisor if you have to. And for next time, you can think about getting Delivery Confirmation and/or Signature Confirmation so you have some recourse for finding a package.

6

I only wish that was more apparent when I was standing at the counter. Parcel Post seemed like just another postage option. Priority Mail seemed so unnecessary and expensive at the time. Oh well, nothing can be done now. I should go to the post office and talk to someone, but waiting in line to get that look of “it’s your own fault, silly woman” is just not something I can handle right this moment.

7

I had to ship something cross-country a few months ago and was surprised to find that Fedex Home Delivery was cheaper than UPS and, I think, cheaper than any option from the USPS. So the next time you need to send something, you might try that. (All of the companies offer the option of getting a shipping quote on their websites, if you can supply the dimensions, weight and to and from ZIP codes.)

8

Did you pay with a credit card? If so they might be able to pull up some kind of record with that (some stores can).

Best of luck.

9

I think it will still get there. I wouldn’t give up hope for another month, at least.

10

I sent a Priority package this year that took almost 11 days to arrive. It was supposed to take no more than 3. Don’t give up hope for your parcel yet. It could arrive around June for a fantastic mid-year surprise!

11

Yep. I’ve always had Parcel Post stuff delivered within the time frame I’ve been told it would, but on several occasions had Priority Mail stuff go walkabout and be delivered 2 weeks to a month after it should have been. So you never know - and at least you didn’t pay extra for slow service!

12

My mom sent a package up from Florida for Christmas. It arrived in the expected time frame, maybe a week before the Holiday. I gave her the unopened package a few days before so she could take it to where she was staying, and do the gift-wrapping thing.

Found out on Christmas Eve, the box had been opened, contents stolen, and the almost empty box taped back up before USPS delivered it. Christmas ornaments, grab bag gifts, etc all gone. A couple of small purses for her granddaughters were all that was left.

A claim is being filed.

:frowning:

13

A couple months ago, my boyfriend sent some packages via Priority Mail. The clerk asked if he wanted return receipt or delivery confirmation, and he said no, and she gave him a “weird look,” he said. Then, his packages simply disappeared, never to be delivered. This wasn’t the only time. Another package he sent like a week later was never delivered either. These were fairly small packages, like DVDs or CDs, and sent to several different locations. How the hell do packages just disappear?? He is really pissed off!!

He has a theory that they tried to upsell him on the return receipt/delivery confirmation, and that because he didn’t bite, his packages were somehow disregarded. I know it sounds paranoid, but seriously, WTF?

14

For whatever reason, packages sent between here and my relatives in France have had wildly unpredictable delivery times. This year everything (in both directions) arrived within a week of being sent, but in past years Christmas packages have turned into Valentine’s Day packages. So far nothing’s disappeared, fortunately.

15

Well ‘Little Christmas’ or the Feast of the Epiphany is January 6. That’s when the wise men showed up and started this whole gift giving business, and, incidentally re-gifting as the myrrh was given to the inn keeper as a ‘thank you’.

So you sent them Little Christmas gifts.

16

I wouldn’t assume the package is lost just yet. I’ve even mailed things first-class (of course, it had to be my rent check) and had them take 2 weeks to get from one side of the city to the other. I’ve also had Priority Mail take more than a week. Sometimes packages just decide to go AWOL for a bit, especially this time of year.

17

The postal worker at the counter did you wrong. I’ve had Parcel Post take 3-4 weeks to arrive even in a non-holiday season. At this time of year… well, whoever sold you the postage should have been very clear that Parcel Post absolutely might not make it in time for Christmas. That being said, I definitely wouldn’t give up hope yet. Give it another week at least!

18

I guess the weird arithmetic in this story is that the box I sent at the same time to my mom got to its destination no problem (although sis’ box was going towards the worse weather and Mom’s was going towards the less bad weather, so I guess that could add up). The one I never expected to arrive was my mom’s because we kind of fibbed and said it was full of “gift bottles of salad vinegar,” if you catch my drift. :wink: and that was the only package that got a raised eyebrow from the clerk.

I will keep the Little Christmas story on stand-by in case we have splashdown before the 6th.

I need to do some thorough home-shipping self-education, maybe FedEx Home or UPS is something to consider. Got to love that tracking feature, now more than ever.

19

The USPS is a joke, and a very unfucking funny one at that. I won an item on e-bay from an international seller. The seller shipped the item the next business day after winning the auction, w/tracking number. It took the item 7-8 business days to travel from Japan to the U.S., and clear U.S. Customs and be turned over to the USPS.

It took another three business weeks (20 working days) for my parcel to travel from Ft. Lauderdale to Missouri. Tracking numbers are wonderful things. Now get this:

When it arrived at my local post office, it sat there for four more business days before I went down there and demanded to know where my package was, and when they were going to deliver it.

The local post office manager, without even looking, told me flat out that my package wasn’t there. I showed him the tracking number, and he said he didn’t care what some piece of paper said, my package wasn’t there.

I left, went home and immediately filed an e-complaint on the USPS website.

I was called the next day by my local PO and told my pacakge was in.

For the love of God, why in the hell do people still do business with these ass-clowns?

I would never willingly choose to use the USPS for any package/parcel transport, or anything that is even remotely time sensitive. They are overpaid Unionized leeches on the American economy, who feel that they deserve exorbitant pay for merely showing up to work and moving standard-envelope mail around; fuck anything beyond that.

And if you, John Q. Peon, should have the nerve to actually demand to know where the package that you paid them money to transport disappeared to, then fuck you you grubby little serf, your package is going into the nearest dumpster.

People, please! The USPS exists to exist.

UPS, FedEx, even, God help us, D(ay-and-a-)H(alf)L(ate), all have competitive pricing, and a market driven incentive to actually provide timely delivery and courteous customer service.

It’s like the cheetah and the gazelle: the cheetah is fast because he’s running for his supper. The gazelle is faster because he’s running for his life.

So stop using the USPS, and hopefully it will go away and die the slow, painful death that is so long overdue and even more richly deserved.

20

I’ve looked through the whole customer service/FAQ section of the web site but I can’t find anything that directs me to a complaint page regarding a missing/late package.