Coral Springs USPS delivered package to wrong address and I’m left holding the bag

[gdiesel70]

You had one job, USPS…

My customer didn’t receive their package though tracking shows it was delivered. The post office admits they delivered it to the wrong address, the unintended recipient won’t cough up the package, and the post office walks away scot-free. I’m left holding the bag.

The buyer is in Parkland, Fl, 33076, the tracking shows it was delivered to a house in the nearby town of Pompano Beach, Fl also 33076 zip. I think they share a main hub with Coral Springs 33071, but each have their own post office.

I called the USPS 800 number, they said the GPS coordinates show it was delivered to the wrong address and the Coral Springs USPS admit it’s their mistake and made an attempt to retrieve the package. The unintended recipient claims they don’t have it, but the carrier (and the GPS coordinates) say otherwise.

The person (supervisor/manager?) I spoke with from the Coral Springs post office told me I would be able to file a claim for the amount refunded to my buyer, because, “it was our mistake”. I asked if there’d be an issue since it was first class uninsured and she said, “oh, then no, you can’t file a claim”.

It seems that this particular post office repeatedly mis-delivers mail and loses packages. There’s pages of complaints going back ten years (according to numerous Google reviews) to back this up. 

So now, after two of my lowest sales weeks in 20 years (down 85%), with my bank account running on fumes, I just scraped up $40 to refund my buyer, all because Coral Springs USPS screwed up  another delivery. If the package was lost or damaged I’d have an easier time accepting this as a cost of doing business but  the Coral Springs post office is proficient at delivering packages to the wrong address and of course they can’t do more to fix their mistake without proof of insurance. What a racket! 

Oh, and there’s another rate hike around the corner! 

Has anyone ever dealt with something like this before? Did you escalate it to higher-ups at USPS? What was the outcome?

[inhawaii]

If the package was not insured, I think the USPS, even though it was there fault, will not take responsibility.

If the package was insured, that's a different story.

Kinda like if they lose a package that was uninsured, you're out of luck.

Sorry this happened to you.

[lamber9347]

Exactly, it was uninsured so that's that. There are no guarantees in shipping first class. Best of luck to you....

[gdiesel70]

No, I understand. It’s just the whole vibe of, “yes, we delivered it to the wrong address and can’t get it back. No insurance? HA HA HA, Go to h3ll, loser!.” that’s rubbed me the wrong way.  

And the overall deterioration in quality of service with just about everything lately. 

[lamber9347]

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@gdiesel70 wrote:

No, I understand. It’s just the whole vibe of, “yes, we delivered it to the wrong address and can’t get it back. No insurance? HA HA HA, Go to h3ll, loser!.” that’s rubbed me the wrong way.  

And the overall deterioration in quality of service with just about everything lately. 

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That last line is spot on. Since the pandemic everything has changed, there is no customer service anywhere anymore. Such is life now and hopefully things will eventually return to better service from companies....

[inhawaii]

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@gdiesel70 wrote:

No, I understand. It’s just the whole vibe of, “yes, we delivered it to the wrong address and can’t get it back. No insurance? HA HA HA, Go to h3ll, loser!.” that’s rubbed me the wrong way.  

And the overall deterioration in quality of service with just about everything lately. 

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 I totally understand AND agree.  It sucks.

[ten_o_nine]

Trust me, whether insured or not insured, you will not get a penny from the post office, they have so many requests for documents and applications that get denied at the end for one reason or another, they never pay even for their own mistakes.

[dhbookds]

So........item shows delivered.....buyer started a case?  You showed tracking that showed delivered.......how did ebay rule against you? 

Frankly, to me, tho seemingly not fair to buyer, .........if PO screwed up that should be between him and his PO....  the only way Post offices will straighten out is IF their customers file complaints against them......

Not saying I wouldn't have given the refund, but I would have given the buyer a bit of say in the matter, rather than doing the legwork for him.

[gdiesel70]

No, the buyer didn’t open an eBay case. 
This was a very unusual situation because although it was scanned delivered, it was delivered to the wrong town according to the tracking. 
If the buyer opened an eBay case, sure, I guess  eBay would have closed in my favor since it was technically delivered.  It would be dishonest to keep their money when the onus was on me to insure against losses. I chose not to  because, IMO we pay enough for shipping, money is tight and so I took a gamble. 

I’m disappointed  with USPS, because it was a blatant failure on their part. This wasn’t a simple human error or an understandable oopsie.  This post office habitually loses people’s packages like it’s their job.  

Lastly,  I do have a responsibility (unlike USPS) to get the package to my customer, so since I purchased the label, and the post office failed to do what I paid them to do (deliver a package to the correct address), I felt it my responsibility to open the case with USPS. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

You're right, it would have been found in YOUR favor, though it's not nearly as unusual as you think.  It happens all the time.  Kudos to you for doing the right thing & refunding your buyer.  I have done the same.  You got Karma coming to you 😀

[wings774u]

Call the Postal Inspectors! thats their job

[criticalhitgamingemporium · Accepted solution]

You contracted them out by paying them for a service to deliver to a specific address which they accepted/signed onto by accepting payment for the service specified, and they failed to do so, losing your product in the process. Yes you can file a claim. You don't need insurance to cover their neglect/incompetence in failure to follow through on their end of the bargain.

"28 U.S.C. § 2680, titled "Exceptions," expressly provides that the waiver of sovereign immunity found in section 1346(b) does not apply to "(b) Any claim arising out of the loss, miscarriage, or negligent transmission of letters or postal matter."

Translation: You can't sue the post office for losing your envelope. However, you may be able to file a claim for the value of the lost item with the post office. Contact your postmaster regarding how such a claim may be filed."

[petes_o-s_amplifier_hoarding_problem]

I have a similar incompetent, negligent, waste of life local post office (98354). For over ten years I’ve been enduring issues missing and mis-delivered mail. Look up reviews for the PO   associated with that zip code up there, it’s an amazingly bad problem for all residents unfortunate enough to be serviced by this PO. As a buyer with a street address having communal cluster box on the corner. My key opens my assigned small box, and a seperate larger parcel locker key will be (or not be) left in the small box to open the larger locker when larger packages are to be delivered. Problem is the carrier just puts stuff randomly wherever, and my neighbors and I are constantly delivering eachothers mail amongst ourselves, and not getting paid for doing someone elses job I might ad. The carrier’s incompetence is only exceeded by the indifference of the postmaster as to the havoc caused by this woefully persistent botched delivery problem. I’ve had countless eBay resolution center refunds, amounting to untold thousands of dollars, payed out because one person at the very end of a delivery process where everyone else did their job, cannot seem to do their simple and well paying job. I have pleaded with the inspector general of the usps so many times to help, but whenever I do nothing gets fixed and I get my mail even more fouled up as retribution when the local post office finds out I complained above their head. I’ve tried everything apart from making threats or bribing the carrier to do his job correctly. 3 missing or mis-delivered items in the last 7 days, of about 10 inbound items. 70% successful delivery rate ain’t good enough! Ebay won’t even contact USPS and use their sway to render some results, even though it might save them a ton of resolution payouts by doing so.. I’m at a loss.. literally. Most of my ordered items are for a small engine repair business. This ongoing deplorable mail service has been a crippling thorn in my side, an incurable curse. Hate it.

[nobody*s_perfect]

That is indeed dreadful service. Perhaps it might help if you work your way up the chain and go to the local postmaster's supervisor, etc.