When sending out parcels or packages to a different city or country, you need a trustworthy courier service you know will treat your package carefully and won’t damage it. There are countless courier services out there, but how do you know which one you can trust? USPS is perhaps one of the most well-known among the many courier services in the industry, and you’ve probably considered employing its services once or twice.
However, the problem with USPS is that it has a deluge of negative reviews and complaints from customers who report that packages take ages to arrive. This is understandably frustrating and upsetting but shouldn’t we gain a better understanding of how USPS works? Sometimes, courier services can’t avoid delayed packages because of various unavoidable circumstances.
Why Do USPS Shipments Get Delayed?
We understand that sometimes, we just want to rant and rave about a delayed shipment, especially if it has taken quite a long time to arrive at its destination. However, we must understand that delays do happen, and every courier experiences this no matter where you go. That being said, we’ve listed below some of the most common and possible reasons why your package could be delayed.
Pandemic
As we all know, we have been in a global crisis since 2020, and this has significantly affected shipping services in more ways than one. For one thing, there has been a major spike in online shopping due to lockdown and health protocols. With this in mind, we need to remember that courier services like USPS are also affected by COVID-19, so it shouldn’t be surprising that there will be shipping delays.
Incorrect Address
There are times when the person causing the delay is none other than the customer themself by writing down the wrong address. Perhaps there was a typo or some kind of error when the delivery address was written or printed out. As you can imagine, this can cause a significant delay in the shipping and delivery process because your package could be sent to the wrong address, or USPS could put up a delivery exception for your package.
Fortunately, to help reduce the chances of delays caused by this reason, USPS offers Package Intercept services to customers who live in the United States. This service allows you to reroute your package if the wrong address was filed, but one of the requirements is that you need to have a tracking number for the package and that the package must not be sent via Standard Mail.
Weather
This is what we mean when we say unavoidable or unexpected circumstances can cause delays. No one can control the weather, and a sunny day could change into a stormy one in an instant. Heavy storms could also cause power outages, which can delay the processing of shipments even further. When a package is in transit, bad weather and other natural disasters during the trip can disrupt and slow down the travel time.
Posted Delivery Times Are Only Estimates
Another thing you need to keep in mind is that the posted delivery and shipping times on retailers’ websites are only estimates and not guaranteed. For instance, a retailer may say that you can expect your order to arrive within 1 to 3 business days via USPS First Class Package, but this is only an estimate, and your order could arrive earlier or later than this given time period.
Lost Package
This is another possible reason, albeit it’s not as common as the other ones mentioned above. There’s a rare chance that your package could have gotten lost or damaged along the way, which can seriously delay the delivery. If it’s been more than a week and your package still hasn’t arrived, it’s highly recommended that you contact USPS.
How to File a Claim
If your mail or package was insured and it got lost or damaged during transit, you can get an indemnity claim for it. So, if the parcel you’re sending is important or you just can’t afford for it to get lost or broken, you should definitely purchase insurance for it. Below, you’ll find the steps you need to follow if you want to file a claim. Note that the person who decides to file the claim, may it be the one who receives the broken item or the one who sends it, should have the original mailing receipt.
Take Note of the Filing Period
If you want to file a claim, you need to check the filing period of your package. Each service has varying filing periods, and this is based on the mailing date that can be found on the receipt. If you didn’t receive the package at all due to it being lost, you can file a claim depending on the time period of the service. For example, if you use Priority Mail Express, you can file a claim after 7 days, but you need to file before 60 days.
On the other hand, if the package you received contained missing or damaged items, you can go ahead and file the claim as soon as possible. But ensure that you’re filing no later than 60 days.
Assemble All Your Documents
Next up, make sure that you have all your documents ready because this can significantly help out and speed up the approval of your claim. Gather all the evidence you have to support your claim and keep them handy until everything has been resolved, such as the tracking number, proof of damage, proof of value, and other similar pieces of evidence.
File Your Claim
The only step to do now is to file the claim, and the fastest and more convenient way of doing so is online. If, for some reason, you’re unable to file the claim through USPS’s official website, you can also begin the process via mail. Again, don’t lose your documents and evidence even after you’ve already filed the claim.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this USPS review has given you a better understanding of USPS and, consequently, more patience whenever your package gets delayed. Nobody wants their mail to be delayed, especially if it’s an important one, but it can’t be helped sometimes, especially if the USPS workers are up against factors such as the weather.
