# Can Somebody Explain the USPS Parcel System?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 27, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459 "2015-12-27T14:27:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459/1 "2015-12-27T14:27:30Z")

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In early December, i bought an ebay item from a guy in England. I just checked the delivery status, and found that:  
-the package left the UK , sent to NYC  
-from NYC, it went to Greensboro, North Carolina  
-from Greensboro, it went to Springfield, MO  
-from Springfield MO. it went to Springfield, MA  
I live near Boston, MA-why didn’t they ship it from NYC to Boston?

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459/2 "2015-12-27T16:16:22Z")

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it passed through more than one carrier. I’d wager when it came over from the UK (sent via Royal Mail?) it went through customs at port via a broker, who sent all incoming parcels to the USPS hub in Greensboro. then USPS took it from there.

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**Author:** ![Kobalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@Kobalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobalt)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459/3 "2015-12-27T16:30:31Z")

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From NYC, the package went to a USPS Network Distribution Center, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network\_Distribution\_Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Distribution_Center), them to a Sectional Center Facility, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectional\_center\_facility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectional_center_facility), then to the Network Distribution Center closest to you, then to your local post office.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somebody-explain-the-usps-parcel-system/741459/4 "2015-12-28T00:45:35Z")

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Given that it passed through Springfield MO and Springfield MA I’m going to bet either the state abbreviation or the zip code was wrong on the package. Which is an easy mistake for somebody in the UK to make.

So the bogus zip or state abbreviation directed it to Missouri where it was undeliverable until some human looked at the address in detail and realized the city was in MA, not MO. So they updated the address and dropped it back into the system for eventual delivery to Massachusetts.