Worried that USPS lost your package? Unfortunately, with millions of letters and packages entering the mail stream every day, these things do happen. Fortunately, there are steps you can take. Here’s what to do if your package has been lost, is late, or has gone missing.
File a Missing Mail Search Request
First thing’s first: you’ll want to submit a missing mail search request with USPS once 7 days have passed from the day of shipping. It’s not guaranteed to work, of course, but USPS recovers a good portion of the parcels that people submit search requests for! If and when USPS finds your package, it will be rerouted either back to you or to the intended destination.
Before submitting your request, USPS will need you to gather the following pieces of information:
- Sender’s mailing address
- Recipient’s mailing address
- The size and type of box or envelope you used
- Specific identifying information such as your USPS tracking number, the shipping date, or a picture of your shipping label
- Description of the contents, such as what it is, and the brand, model, color or size (if applicable)
- Pictures that could help USPS recognize your item
Find Out if Your Lost Package is Eligible for an Insurance Claim
If you shipped your package with any Priority Mail service, you can move forward with filing a USPS insurance claim once 15 days have passed from the ship date. If your shipment was Priority Mail Express, you may be even be eligible for a full refund!
On the other hand, if you protected yourself with additional shipping insurance, you can go ahead and file a claim with your shipping software.
Pro Tip: International packages are a bit of a different story. Most third-party shipping insurance companies won’t file a claim for a missing international package until 40 days after the shipping date.
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