Here’s what the USPS does with lost mail — and how you might get it back (2024)
(NEXSTAR) – Were you expecting a package that never arrived? A present, maybe? A birthday card? Or perhaps a care package from your Aunt Linda with some crisp new socks inside?
If it was shipped via the United States Postal Service, chances are it’s in Atlanta. Or at least it was, at some point.
There are several reasons that the U.S. Postal Service might fail to deliver a package or piece of mail to its intended recipient in a timely manner: e.g., the sender may have provided the wrong address (or an illegible one), or maybe the item was shipped with insufficient postage. It’s also possible the contents of the package somehow came loose in the mail, making it tough to determine where they came from. In these cases, USPS workers try to return those packages or items right back to the sender.
But when that’s not immediately possible (usually because there’s no return address), those items get shipped off to USPS’ consolidated Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta.
The Mail Recovery Center, formerly known as the Dead Letter Office, is not where packages immediately go to die or be disposed of, despite the facility’s former name. Rather, the Mail Recovery Center (MRC)’s first objective is to determine the identity and location of the senders or recipients by having its investigators examine, scan, or ultimately open the lost mail and packages.
If the investigators at the MRC find a name or a clue associated with an address, great. The package can be shipped off to the recipient, or back to the sender.
If not — and if the contents of the package are determined to be valued at $25 or more (or $20 or more in cash) — they stay right where they are in Atlanta.
The MRC holds these types packages (if they meet all other guidelines) for at least 30 days, or 60 days for barcoded or “intelligent” mail. During this time, the sender or recipient is offered the opportunity to request help online, and later file a Missing Mail Search Request with as much descriptive information as possible, along with any photos.
“If we are still unable to match the shipment to a recipient, these items are handled in a variety of ways per regulatory policies and shipper instructions,” a USPS representative for tells Nexstar.
The USPS rep could not provide specific details, though the department’s site indicates that unclaimed items could be trashed, recycled, or donated to “charitable or welfare organizations.” (For a while, after the turn of the 20th Century, some of the strangest unclaimed items — or “curiosities” — were also sent to the Smithsonian Institution, per a Smithsonian article cited by a USPS representative.)
In other cases, these lost or unclaimed items are put up for auction and sold off to the highest bidder by a government-contracted agency. GovDeals.com, for instance, currently has books, apparel and large lots of “general merchandise” from Atlanta up for bid online.
Of course, senders can easily take steps prevent their packages from becoming lost forever, according to the USPS. For starters, the agency recommends covering up any older markings on boxes used to send packages, and using sturdy tape to make sure parcels stay intact. Senders are also urged to provide accurate, legible addresses on the package (both for the recipient and the themselves), and also include those addresses on a slip of paper and place it alongside the package’s contents.
“When sending a package, follow these guidelines to get shipments off to agood start,” reads an official USPS webpage. “Safe delivery starts with careful preparation,” the site adds.
Otherwise, its quite possible someone else — an online bidder, perhaps — could be opening your lost birthday presents, or enjoying the crisp new socks that Aunt Linda intended for your feet. And that would just break her heart.
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The Postal Service™ will attempt to find and return your lost item(s), but submitting a search does not guarantee a successful outcome. We will return any mail piece
mail piece
mailpiece (plural mailpieces) (chiefly Canada, US) (countable) A piece of mail, that is, an item of (physical) mail; especially, an item of flat envelope form factor as contrasted with an item of package form factor.
Mailpieces are scanned and those that are determined to contain items of value are opened in an attempt to identify an address where the piece can be forwarded or returned. The Mail Recovery Center (MRC) is the U.S. Postal Service's official “lost and found” department for undeliverable and non-returnable mail.
A Lost Article is defined as any mailing that has not been received and has not been returned to the sender. Customers may file claims for damaged and/or missing contents immediately, but no later than 60 days from the date of mailing.
Submit a search request in the Missing Mail application, OR. Call your Consumer Affairs representative via 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) and they can complete a search request on your behalf, OR. Visit your local USPS Post Office and have a search request submitted.
If we find your package or mail, we will send it to the address you provided. Please note, sometimes we cannot find missing mail items. It is also possible that your package or mail will not be recovered because it was not safe to forward.
You can't sue for lost mail, so consider getting insurance for a particular package. You can also send it through certified mail to receive proof that the mail got delivered. But if you seek to recover for personal injuries, you can sue the U.S. Postal Service if you follow the proper procedures.
To request a search for your missing mailpiece, go to MissingMail.USPS.com and sign in or register.Complete your search request form by providing all the required information and select submit. You will receive confirmation that your search request has been submitted.
If the package is lost or damaged during transit with a third-party shipper or delivery service such as the United States Postal Service (USPS) or FedEx, the seller is responsible and usually must replace the item or give you a reimbursem*nt.
For other issues or more information, you can e-mail the Postal Service's Customer Care Center at USPS® Customer Service or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).
If you're not receiving any mail, the best decision is to call or visit your local post office and ask them what the issues could be with your address and what further steps you should take. They can also ask your carrier in person.
If you are concerned because a piece of mail was scanned but not delivered, do not panic. Instead, wait one business day and see what happens. If the USPS has not delivered the mail piece after two business days, contact the post office and inform them that something has been lost or stolen.
In these cases, USPS workers try to return those packages or items right back to the sender. But when that's not immediately possible (usually because there's no return address), those items get shipped off to USPS' consolidated Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta.
The sender or receiver of a USPS package can file a claim, but the original purchase receipt must be available. You can receive a refund for mail that is lost or never delivered to its final destination as long as the package is insured.
It is a federal crime to destroy, hide, open, or embezzle mail that is not intended for you. The official crime is obstruction of correspondence, which is a felony. If you're found guilty of this crime, you could face up to five years in prison and some hefty fines.
If an address is found, the envelope is usually sealed using tape or postal seals, or enclosed in plastic bags and delivered. If the letter or parcel is still undeliverable, valuable items are then auctioned off while the correspondence is usually destroyed.
Either the sender or the recipient may file a claim for insured mail that is lost, arrived damaged, or was missing contents. The person filing must have the original mailing receipt. Each claim must be filed within a certain time period and include proof of insurance, value, and damage.
Letting USPS or the post office know that they have committed a misdelivery is the first thing that you need to do. If they happen to have delivered your mail or package to your old address due to a mail forwarding mistake, inform them right away that you now have a new address.
If the package is lost or damaged during transit with a third-party shipper or delivery service such as the United States Postal Service (USPS) or FedEx, the seller is responsible and usually must replace the item or give you a reimbursem*nt.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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