Has anyone ever had success using the United States Postal Inspection Service?

kodave

kodave

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I sent out a package to a buyer on eBay.

The package moved through the system and the delivery confirmation showed it was last scanned departing the sort facility that was supposed to bring the package to the local post office. It hasn't been updated for weeks. Seller asked me where the item was. I filed a complaint with USPS but they were completely unhelpful and useless, directing me to my local post office who just told me to call the sort facility.

I called the sort facility and the person there says the package was indeed scanned and on its way to that post office, that the buyer's local post office should have received it, and that she has no idea why the local post office didn't scan the package upon arrival. (Yes I know scanning isn't required until actual delivery.)

I tried to call the local post office but couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone. I filed a complaint with the United States Postal Inspection Service ( https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx ). I also asked the buyer if they'd just take the tracking number down to their post office and ask them to look for it if they had any spare time, but I don't think the buyer wants to put any effort into assisting in finding his package, and I'm on the other side of the country so I'm limited in what I can do.

My hope is the USPIS would either tell me the package is officially lost, or that they'll locate it and push it through to the buyer finally.

Has anyone had any success using the USPIS to get any kind of response from them? If so, how long did it take? It's been a week for me now and I haven't heard anything from them yet.

Basically if this package is lost and I still have to pay the eBay and PayPal fees, then I'm out nearly as much as I paid for everything between those fees, the item's cost, and the shipping cost once I have to fully refund the buyer. I'm not a professional seller on eBay so even that small hit matters to me. So I'd prefer not to be in that position even if it takes forever for the buyer to get the item.
 
[quote name='kodave']I sent out a package to a buyer on eBay.

The package moved through the system and the delivery confirmation showed it was last scanned departing the sort facility that was supposed to bring the package to the local post office. It hasn't been updated for weeks. Seller asked me where the item was. I filed a complaint with USPS but they were completely unhelpful and useless, directing me to my local post office who just told me to call the sort facility.

I called the sort facility and the person there says the package was indeed scanned and on its way to that post office, that the buyer's local post office should have received it, and that she has no idea why the local post office didn't scan the package upon arrival. (Yes I know scanning isn't required until actual delivery.)

I tried to call the local post office but couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone. I filed a complaint with the United States Postal Inspection Service ( https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MLNtRcvd.aspx ). I also asked the buyer if they'd just take the tracking number down to their post office and ask them to look for it if they had any spare time, but I don't think the buyer wants to put any effort into assisting in finding his package, and I'm on the other side of the country so I'm limited in what I can do.

My hope is the USPIS would either tell me the package is officially lost, or that they'll locate it and push it through to the buyer finally.

Has anyone had any success using the USPIS to get any kind of response from them? If so, how long did it take? It's been a week for me now and I haven't heard anything from them yet.

Basically if this package is lost and I still have to pay the eBay and PayPal fees, then I'm out nearly as much as I paid for everything between those fees, the item's cost, and the shipping cost once I have to fully refund the buyer. I'm not a professional seller on eBay so even that small hit matters to me. So I'd prefer not to be in that position even if it takes forever for the buyer to get the item.[/QUOTE]


1) If you do end up refunding the buyer (assuming more then 45 days haven't gone by) you will get a credit on both the PayPal fees and the eBay Final Value Fees. To do this you will need to refund directly through the original PayPal transaction and then you will need to open a cancellation request through eBay and get the buyer to approve it.

2) I had a similar situation although I went to the postal inspector website after about a week. This wasn't for an eBay sale but a fairly expensive christmas gift I sent to my girlfriend's family. It was sent USPS Priority Mail in the next state over and should have been their in two days---three at the latest.

A week went by and no one was able to get any new information at 1800-ASK-USPS, at my post office, at the sort facility where it was last scanned, or at the receiving post office. I was running out of options so I filed a case with the postal inspector and about 48 hours later it was delivered.


3) In your case it sounds like it most likely was delivered (but not scanned correctly) and the buyer is trying to scam you. How long has it been since they paid?
 
"3) In your case it sounds like it most likely was delivered (but not scanned correctly) and the buyer is trying to scam you. How long has it been since they paid?"

Yup, from my experience at least. Sent a package to NJ in the middle of Hurricane Sandy, and the tracking never updated even weeks after so the buyer said they wanted a refund because the package was obviously lost. I filed a claim with the USPS Inspection Service and 8 hours later they responded informing me it was delivered only a couple days after shipping. When I forwarded that to the buyer they conveniently found the box under their children's clothing in their mudroom.

Another instance the package was actually in limbo, buy a message to the Inspection Service and less than 24 hours later they responded with an apology, its location and it was delivered that day.
 
[quote name='GBAstar']3) In your case it sounds like it most likely was delivered (but not scanned correctly) and the buyer is trying to scam you. How long has it been since they paid?[/QUOTE]

Today makes it 35 days since he paid.

I know eBay's rules say sellers have X amount of days to pay. I don't remember what it is off the top of my head. In my descriptions I ask for payment within 48 hours of the auction's close. This guy bid on my auction like 3ish days before it closed, and he was the only bidder. I sent him an invoice after 48 hours. No payment. I was nervous he no longer wanted the item, or thought he would get outbid, or he found another listing cheaper so he wanted to not pay on mine. After 48 more hours, I sent a second invoice and he paid (this was a Thursday - a week after he first bid). I shipped out the next day (Friday) and dropped it in the parcel bin in the wall of my post office during operating hours (though my post office didn't scan it as "accepted" until a Sunday night). It was last scanned a few days before Christmas. It should have been delivered on Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas.

He initially contacted me about a week after Christmas asking if I knew the reason for the delay. I told him I didn't know but I contacted USPS online with all of the details. He emailed me again 4 days later asking for an update and saying he'll keep his eyes out for the package. USPS didn't even get back to me by then, but then the next day they emailed a shitty email telling me to call my local PO. I called but just got a constant busy signal. I went down in person and was told to call the ASK USPS number to get the number for the sort facility. (So that was a monumental waste of my time and I skewered USPS on their follow up survey, but I never heard back from them).

ASK USPS give me the number for a regular post office. After a day that post office gets me the sort facility number. The person I spoke to at the sort facility was helpful in actually looking into the matter for me and she called me back and forth a few times and she confirmed it left their facility so the buyer's post office didn't scan it upon receiving it. The buyer had emailed thanking me for looking into it. I sent him an email relaying everything I learned from the sort facility, telling him I tried to call his PO but couldn't get through, that I filed a USPIS report, and that if he had time, it might be helpful for him to go down to his post office and ask them what's going on.

I haven't heard from the buyer in a week since I forwarded him the last update about contacting the USPIS and suggesting he go talk to his PO. I'm expecting him to email me again any day now. I know it's my responsibility to get the package to his doorstep, but FFS, this is something out of my control so it would be nice for the seller to give an inch if he is able bodied and not swamped with work or something.

The buyer has a few dozen positive feedbacks as a buyer. He's not a seller. The only slight flags were that on one positive he left for a seller, he said it took like a week or two for the item to arrive and the seller replied back saying "Jeez we shipped it within 2 days of payment." He Neutral'ed one buyer for the condition not being as described possibly due to poor packaging. But otherwise he's left more positive feedback for sellers than he's received.

He doesn't seem like a scammer but who knows. I've just tried to document all of my actions and give him all the information I have in the event he files a claim against me.

[quote name='ferant316']Yup, from my experience at least. Sent a package to NJ in the middle of Hurricane Sandy, and the tracking never updated even weeks after so the buyer said they wanted a refund because the package was obviously lost. I filed a claim with the USPS Inspection Service and 8 hours later they responded informing me it was delivered only a couple days after shipping. When I forwarded that to the buyer they conveniently found the box under their children's clothing in their mudroom.

Another instance the package was actually in limbo, buy a message to the Inspection Service and less than 24 hours later they responded with an apology, its location and it was delivered that day.[/QUOTE]

I've heard similar stories like yours regarding the USPIS getting the package moving again within a few days. But its been a week and I've heard NOTHING from the USPIS.

Funny enough, this package is supposed to go to an address in NJ for a neighborhood hit had by Sandy, but from everything I can find out, this address wasn't washed away (it wasn't beach front property) and their post office should be up and running with regular mail delivery.

But so far the USPS has been of absolutely no help to me, other than the one nice lady in the sort facility I called.
 
advice:

This is the part that will possibly get the buyer to fess up if they are trying to scam you.

Inform the buyer that once it has been 14 days after the date of mailing, that you will be making a lost/stolen mail report to the US Postal Inspection Service in an attempt to find the package, or, who may have possibly stolen it.

Also tell them that once you make the report, that they may be contacted to make a sworn statement as to the fact that they did not receive it. This is not a fib or lie, it does happen.

At this point, it has been my experience that one of two things will happen. The package magically appears, so there is no need to get the Feds involved now, or, the package was truly never delivered and you need to make that report.

credit - bulkmailtech_usps
 
Eh. I've already filed the USPIS report. But thanks for the info.

I can't really see people being scared of the USPIS for common items or items without serial numbers that could never be traced back to the seller definitively. Either they'll stick to their lie or just give it up.

But again, I don't think I'm being scammed just yet. If the USPS or USPIS would just give me an answer one way or the other I could move forward.
 
Update: Last night after I created this thread I sent USPS another email with all of the details asking them to please just ask someone at the New York post office to look for the package. Today I received a call that the package would be out in the mail to the recipient today. I don't know whether my second email did the trick or if USPIS just happened to fix this at the same time in a coincidence. The package was apparently in Brooklyn before being moved to the correct local post office. I don't know if Brooklyn is a usual stop on the route for packages to the buyer's address. So many questions but they don't matter at this point.

The seller hasn't left feedback yet so I'm not totally in the clear, but I'm almost there. Urgh.
 
So judging from the few posts mentioning it, reporting a missing/lost package to USPIS has a better chance of it being discovered & delivered than complaining a lot at the local PO?

I've had a Priority Mail package stuck since the 5th that has no update and last update it had shows it leaving a sorting facility in Bell Gardens, CA.

If I report it, do they usually call or email if they discover it?

I know they're winding down some sorting facilities & POs in the coming months. I wonder if all these packages in limbo have anything to do with it? I'm also starting to see why some sellers are starting to use UPS Mail Innovations instead. It's better to trust someone else with the shipping & just have USPS deliver it.
 
[quote name='tangytangerine']So judging from the few posts mentioning it, reporting a missing/lost package to USPIS has a better chance of it being discovered & delivered than complaining a lot at the local PO?

I've had a Priority Mail package stuck since the 5th that has no update and last update it had shows it leaving a sorting facility in Bell Gardens, CA.

If I report it, do they usually call or email if they discover it?

I know they're winding down some sorting facilities & POs in the coming months. I wonder if all these packages in limbo have anything to do with it? I'm also starting to see why some sellers are starting to use UPS Mail Innovations instead. It's better to trust someone else with the shipping & just have USPS deliver it.[/QUOTE]

The front clerks at the post office usually aren't very helpful or knowledgeable... they're basically there to work the register.

I would call the USPS number and tell them what happened. They'll take the appropriate steps and notify the people who actually process the mail.
 
[quote name='tangytangerine']So judging from the few posts mentioning it, reporting a missing/lost package to USPIS has a better chance of it being discovered & delivered than complaining a lot at the local PO?

I've had a Priority Mail package stuck since the 5th that has no update and last update it had shows it leaving a sorting facility in Bell Gardens, CA.

If I report it, do they usually call or email if they discover it?

I know they're winding down some sorting facilities & POs in the coming months. I wonder if all these packages in limbo have anything to do with it? I'm also starting to see why some sellers are starting to use UPS Mail Innovations instead. It's better to trust someone else with the shipping & just have USPS deliver it.[/QUOTE]

I'd email USPS on their contact form and be very detailed in your message. You could try ASK-USPS but good luck getting through to talk to a live person. If you call ASK-USPS, get the number for the Bell Gardens Sort Facility from a live human. The automated system will just give you the number for Bell Gardens' main post office, which isn't the same. If you email them, make sure you tell them to contact someone at the sort facility and not have your local post office contact you. That wasted many days of my time. If the USPS customer service doesn't get you anywhere, then file a lost mail claim with USPIS.

And as a final update to my story, the seller left positive feedback, so I'm like 99% in the clear. I just need the 45 day mark to pass or whatever.
 
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