USPS Says Delivered But No Package (Why + What To Do)

Even though USPS has simplified tracking packages, some problems will inevitably arise. Sometimes your package could receive damaged or broken packages or USPS could delay your delivery. It is even more frustrating when USPS says your package is delivered, but you cannot find it anywhere.

Many people had reported that they didn't receive their USPS package even when they were told it was delivered. This guide will look at how this happens and what you can do when your supposed delivered package is missing.

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Does USPS Mark Packages as Delivered Before Delivering?

Unfortunately, USPS sometimes marks packages as delivered even when it's not anywhere around your address. This can happen when they drop off your parcel at the wrong address or something goes wrong. Whatever the case, it can be pretty frustrating when USPS claims to have delivered your package, yet you can't find it.

Keep reading to learn why this happens and how you can resolve it.

Why Do USPS Packages Say Delivered When It's Not?

Sometimes UPS may say that your package was delivered when it can take up to 24 hours to arrive.

The common reason why USPS says delivered, yet there is no package is that USPS could have dropped off your package at the wrong address. This happens when there is a mix-up with your package or the delivery driver makes a mistake when delivering the package.

With porch pirates on the rise, it's also possible that the mail carrier hid your package to keep it safe. You should look for it in hidden places other than the usual delivery spot. Sometimes the USPS carrier could accidentally give the package to your neighbor. This happens mostly when you live in apartments or condos. Therefore, when you don't find your package, check whether your neighbor was given for safeguarding or by mistake.

Sometimes, USPS usually prematurely marks undelivered packages delivered to save time. This usually happens when USPS wants to push a certain number of deliveries on a specific day.

It could also be due to clerical or technological errors. The mail carrier may mistakenly mark your package as delivered. It could also be that USPS computers malfunctioned and prematurely updated the tracking status to delivered.

Where to Check When Can't Find Your Package?

When you cannot find your package, but it shows that it has been delivered, you should check several other locations before concluding that it's lost or missing. Sometimes, the carrier could have put it somewhere hidden. It could be that they couldn't access your front porch, or it was too big not to fit into the mailbox. Therefore, the mailman could leave the package around the perimeter of the shipping address.

Some of the few places you could check if you cannot find your package include:

The front door
Back door
At your apartment package storage location
In your mailbox
Inside a cluster of collection boxes
In your apartment building's common area
In your garage or porch
At your neighbor's house

You'll be quite surprised how often you can recover missing packages when you look in these places. If your package is valuable or requires your signature, the delivery driver may take it back to the post office.

What to Do If USPS Says Delivered but No Package?

If you cannot find the package after looking for it, there are a few things you can do. In most cases, USPS usually looks for lost packages and delivers them to the intended recipient. However, you should ensure that your neighbor did not pick it up by mistake, and when you're sure that your package is missing, you can take the following steps:

Contact USPS

After realizing that your package is missing, the first thing you should do is contact USPS. You can visit your local post office, talk to the mail carriers who service your area, or talk to a USPS customer care representative. They will give you more information about your delivery.

File a Missing Mail Search

Typically, USPS tracking numbers are valid for up to 6 months, after which USPS will recycle them. Therefore, if your package hasn't arrived, you can submit a missing mail search request. This will activate the tracking number of your package in case it was incorrectly marked as delivered. To submit a missing file request, you'll need to visit the missing mail search page and click the Start Your Missing Mail Search button to start the process. You'll need to provide the following information to increase the chances of finding your package:

Sender mailing address
The recipient's mailing address
The size and type of container or envelope you used
Description of the contents, including the brand, model, color, and many more.
Any identifying information, including your USPS Tracking number
Any pictures of your item

It is recommended to submit the missing mail search request after your package has been missing for quite a long time, yet USPS says delivered.

Ask for the GPS Coordinates of Your Package

When USPS does its last-mile delivery, it usually keeps the GPS information for every package. Therefore, you can call or visit your local post office and ask for the GPS location information of your lost package. This will help you know where the package was delivered so that you can narrow down your search.

Why Do Amazon Packages Say Delivered When It's Not?

While most Amazon packages arrive on time, there are cases where the tracking may show as delivered when your package has not arrived. This usually happens when the tracking information is updated prematurely, or the delivery driver makes a mistake. Amazon advises its customers to wait for at least 48 hours before concluding that their package is missing. You should also keep in mind that some Amazon carriers usually deliver until 10 PM. If the 48-hour window has elapsed and no package has arrived, you can then take the following measures:

Ensure that there are no shipping errors. This includes checking that your shipping address is correct.
Check with your neighbors
Check your Amazon Locker if you have one
Check-in your letterbox
Look around the delivery location

How to Prevent and Protect Yourself from Claimed Deliveries that Never Arrived?

There are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening. They include:

Ask for a signature: You can sign up for this program so that the postal worker only delivers the package when someone signs for it. This prevents them from marking the package as delivered unless they receive a signature from you or an adult at your home.
Invest in a locked box: A locked box can help secure your packages. It usually comes with a code or key that you can give the postal worker so that they can place your package in and lock it.
Signup for informed delivery: This service requires the post office to take photos of the mail headed to your address. It will help you know when your package is on the way and act as proof that it was in the hands of a USPS worker.
Update your delivery preferences: This involves telling the postal workers when they can deliver your packages so that you're always there to receive them.
Set up cameras: They will help you prove that the delivery person never dropped off your package

Conclusion

Since USPS handles millions of packages, errors usually occur. It could be a technical error, a clerical mistake, or your package was incorrectly labeled or delivered to the wrong address. These errors can make USPS say delivered when your parcel has not arrived at your address. If you're facing this problem, take the steps and tips described above to find out what happened to your package, how you can resolve it, and how to prevent these situations from happening again.