I was wondering what would happen if I wrote the wrong address on a letter and forgot to add my return address to the envelope. So I went in search of answers...
If you Google what happens to undeliverable mail, this is what pops up.
"The Mail Recovery Center (MRC) is the U.S. Postal Service's official "lost and found" department for undeliverable and non-returnable mail. Undeliverable mailpieces are letters, flats or parcels that cannot be delivered as addressed nor returned to the sender."
And if you go to the "What is the USPS Mail Recovery Center" page. It says this...
*Click on image to enlarge*
So apparently if they can't deliver the mail for whatever reason they open it to see if the contents are worth more than $25.00 ($20.00 for mailpieces containing cash), and they hold it for 30-60 days. If no one claims it within that time, they sometimes auction off the contents of lost mail, donate it or just throw it away. You can find the auctioned items for sale at the United States Postal Service Auctions page.
I didn't even know this was a thing! They have all kinds of products available to buy.
So if you're wondering how to file a missing mail request or if you could just go to the post office and have them look for a piece of mail that was missing. Well, they make it very hard to file a request if you're missing a piece of mail. I know, because I've done this several times before with no results. The way I was told to do it was to make an Informed Delivery account on the USPS website, click on 'support' and then on the right hand side click on 'missing mail' and fill out the missing mail report form.
I've done this several times because my mail has gone missing more times than I care to admit. Either the mailperson puts it into someone else's mailbox slot, doesn't deliver it at all or it goes missing. And since mail carriers have been caught on video disposing of large amounts of mail into dumpsters behind company buildings, it could have ended up in a dumpster for all I know.
Each time I waited 2-3 months for them to write me back, just to tell me that the 'missing mail' was not found and the report was now closed. Yep, very helpful, not!
So if you've ever wondered about what happens to missing mail, undeliverable mail or lost mail, now you know.
It is similar here.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it's like this most places.
DeleteYou can buy mail? Ok...
ReplyDeleteI mean I knew about amazon parcels and such
I knew about that too but didn't know about the mail.
DeleteInteresting. My understanding is that first-class mail cannot be opened by anyone other than the addressee unless they have a search warrant. Evidently there must be an exception for undeliverable mail. They certainly shouldn't make it difficult to file a request for something missing.
ReplyDeleteMy own experience has been that undelivered mail is very rare if it was properly addressed. Maybe your area has a less capable mail carrier.
If I lived in a house, and didn't have a huge bank of 88 mailboxes in one place, maybe the mail wouldn't get put into the wrong slot. I've had so much of my mail and neighbors mail get delivered to the wrong mailbox. I get others mail all the time too.
DeleteInteresting subject Mary. I guess similar happens here too...must look it up.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably the same in most places I would think.
DeleteI guess that's how the USPS makes money now...
ReplyDeleteI guess so.
DeleteI've always gone to the Assumption when it doesn't get put in my mailbox and I'm expecting it, it's never going to show up. Not unless it went in my neighbor's mailbox and they are kind enough to bring it over. Not everybody will do that though as I have found out. I don't expect much out of the post office.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten others mail and knocked on their door to give it to them and vice versa at times. But some of these neighbors I suspect will just keep it if they get it delivered to them.
DeleteI had never wondered, bt now I know. 😎
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to find out.
DeleteLuckily I've never had anything important or valuable go missing in the mail.
ReplyDeleteDang, you are lucky. I've had so many things go missing. The mailman used to steal my Netflix movie DVD's all the time. Back when you could have them mailed to you. I had 15 of them go missing.
DeleteI mailed my daughter's Christmas box to the WRONG address and zip in the same town. Believe it or not it was delivered to an empty apartment. I had luck calling her local PO and someone ANSWERED the phone (miracle) - I explained what happened and they went and picked it up and delivered it to the right address.. Now I triple check all addresses when I post something.
ReplyDeleteOh that was great that they were able to get it fixed.
DeleteYes, we've had a number of things never delivered and I had the same results as you, using their online system. It's B.S. There's a lot of theft on the inside. We had a gift card stolen that our aunt sent us and I had a graduation check stolen that I sent someone a few years ago. Many other birthday cards never received, I'm guessing because they opened them hoping to find money.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking as well. I think they hire a lot of thieves.
DeleteWhen you're expecting something and it doesn't arrive, you can investigate. On the other hand, if something addressed to you that you aren't aware of goes missing, you're none the wiser. We don't know what we don't know.
ReplyDeleteI have an informed delivery account and it shows packages that you should get each day. If you don't get one that shows it was delivered you can click on missing mail and fill out the form.
DeleteInteresting. I wonder how much lost mail is actually delivered to the wrong person and that person tosses it or keeps it.
ReplyDeleteOh I bet it's a lot. I get other peoples mail all the time. I got someone's credit card who's address was 2 miles away. I popped it in an envelope with a note telling him what happened and sent it off to him. Never heard anything.
DeleteMy niece makes fancy wigs for stage plays and she mailed one out this year to an address the post office deemed 'undeliverable' even though it was the correct address; then her box got damaged or the return label on it lost when they tried to return it to her or something, because she never got it back. And she called and filed claims and called and filed more claims because the wig was worth $150.00 and they could never find it. She found the whole thing very frustrating. So it might be sitting in some warehouse somewhere or already auctioned off...who knows.
ReplyDeleteYep, it is frustrating when they tell you they can't help you or you have to wait 3 months for the case to just be closed. I have a feeling they never even look for the lost packages.
DeleteInteresting
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteI do get their need to recoup losses when stuck with undeliverable mail, but they could also have less undelivered mail if they made the process of searching for it easier. Although, I have to say, a couple times when I thought my mail had been lost completely, it showed up months later to where it was supposed to go on two occasions. My niece got a Christmas card around Easter. ;)
ReplyDeleteThey should make it a lot easier to find what we are missing. They also need to hire better people to deliver the mail. I've seen the mailman drive right by my complex several times and not deliver anything at all for most of the street. I'm glad she got her card.
DeleteWhat an interesting rabbit hole!
ReplyDeleteIt was. I had no idea this is what happens to lost mail.
DeleteWow. Yeah, I remember someone handmade a gift for my granddaughter and the postal system lost it. We never did get it.
ReplyDeleteThey lose alot of items apparently.
DeleteEarlier in the year I mis-addressed a package, but it had my return address on it. The person who accidentally got it denied the package so it was returned to me. However, on the return trip it got damaged. I filed a claim, but it was denied.
ReplyDeleteWow, I bet they just kept whatever was inside. They need a better way of finding out lost mail.
DeleteI heard about buying the parcels on the radio sometime last year. I just feel sad for the people that don't get the packages they were expecting. We have problems with people going into our mailroom and stealing things (and breaking into the mailboxes), but our postal carriers are great.
ReplyDeleteOur postal carriers aren't so great. My mail gets put into the wrong mail slot all the time. I find my mail in my door because it was delivered to the wrong apartment and they were nice enough to bring it to my door. I get others mail all the time too.
DeleteWell well.. that was informative. I had no idea! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteThere are such auctions in every country, methinks, but with the parcels you cannot see what it inside, just buy it and hope it is something fun LOL
ReplyDeleteForgot to ad that we also have those auctions for things confiscated at the customs, and one can buy things there cheaper than their real value is.
DeleteOh I didn't know about that either but that makes sense that they would do that.
DeleteLast Christmas I mailed gifts to my granddaughter and great-granddaughter via the postal service. The box did not arrive. Fortunately I had a tracking number. My g-daughter went to the post office. The clerk discovered that the box had been delivered to the wrong house! They said they would try to get it back. She called and they told her they were unsuccessful! She went to the house herself and told the owner about the box, mentioning that inside was a pink unicorn for little Lucy. The owner agreed to give her the box. It had not been opened.
ReplyDeleteAt least you got it back.
DeleteThe postal service not being helpful...I'm shocked LOL!
ReplyDeleteI know. lol
DeleteI knew there was a lost letters office, but never knew all the details.
ReplyDeleteI didn't either.
Delete