A Question About USPS Tracking

[aramintaca]

I purchased a widget a few days ago. Tracking showed the widget got to my Post Office today and went out for delivery. 2 hours later tracking shows the widget was sent back to the vendor because of insufficient address. HOW??

I have been using the same address for years. And if there is a problem with a ripped label can't the PO see where it is supposed to go by the information pulled up from the tracking number? I can follow the package online and see it in my USPS account. USPS "knows" it is coming to me and has all my information and knows exactly where I am. Where did the disconnect happen?

A few months ago I had more strangeness with another purchase. The item was forwarded to somewhere in another town about 20 miles away. It spent the day there and then came back to me. Does it sound like there is a problem with my account or something going on at my PO? Is this worth a phone call to them to find out or should I just let it go? I don't want to bother them about something silly but now I'm getting curious. Opinions/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[orangehound · Accepted solution]

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@aramintaca wrote:

I purchased a widget a few days ago. Tracking showed the widget got to my Post Office today and went out for delivery. 2 hours later tracking shows the widget was sent back to the vendor because of insufficient address. HOW??

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Several possibilities:

1. Carrier used the wrong scan code with their scanner.
2. Carrier made a mistake.
3. Label torn and carrier is too lazy to look up the address information.

[aramintaca]

Thanks. I requested email updates on the widget and hopefully some bot will catch it and get it back on track. It didn't wind up in my mailbox so I don't know about wrong scan code.

[dirk12955]

I've learned to ignore the scans until there absolutely is a problem. The latest is items being scanned
delivered that aren't. Then I get the article the following day.

The scanners are operated by humans. Wrong buttons get pushed often, apparently.

I had an item delivered today that according to the USPS is still in Indianapolis, 150 miles away.

[koinonia215]

When I see this happen, I contact my buyer and tell them to immediately contact their post office. If they catch it in time, it can prevent the item from being returned. This happened within the past couple months where the buyer was able to stop the return and receive their purchase without incurring re-shipping fees. Many of these can incur a return fee to the seller. 

[lja440]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@aramintaca wrote:

I purchased a widget a few days ago. Tracking showed the widget got to my Post Office today and went out for delivery. 2 hours later tracking shows the widget was sent back to the vendor because of insufficient address. HOW??

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Several possibilities:

1. Carrier used the wrong scan code with their scanner.
2. Carrier made a mistake.
3. Label torn and carrier is too lazy to look up the address information.

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It could be miss scanned. Also the label maybe damaged, depending on the processing of the package it maybe the package it's self was not scanned but included in a all inclusive barcode. 

As for your #3 we can't look up the address information. The Postmaster can SOMETIMES, but this isn't always a given. If the numbers under the barcode are damaged then there is no way to enter it in the system.

[repairelectronics]

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@aramintaca wrote:

I can follow the package online and see it in my USPS account. USPS "knows" it is coming to me and has all my information and knows exactly where I am. 

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When you say you can see it in your USPS account are you talking about your Informed Delivery dashboard where they send info and photos for the current days' mail?

[a_c_green]

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@repairelectronics wrote:

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@aramintaca wrote:

I can follow the package online and see it in my USPS account. USPS "knows" it is coming to me and has all my information and knows exactly where I am. 

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When you say you can see it in your USPS account are you talking about your Informed Delivery dashboard where they send info and photos for the current days' mail?

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I don't believe Informed Delivery includes images of packages (yet), just letters. However, if the OP has already received the Out for Delivery update, then it should be on the truck.

It seems unlikely that there is really an insufficient address, but the best thing to do, if the OP has already received delivery of all the other mail today, would be get over to the post office sooner rather than later, and find out if the package is still in the building. Bring along a printout of the tracking. (If the item is a high-value, high-scam purchase, it could be that the sender is trying to deliver a trinket to somewhere else in the buyer's City and ZIP in order to defeat a later Item Not Received dispute.)

[lex-talon]

Last week, a buyer messaged me and said his book I sent him is being sent back to me. Checked his address and it was fine. Tracking indicated "insufficient " address. 

The package was sent back to an L.A. distribution center and eventually delivered to the buyer's address. All this because the buyer added an "E" to his address. 

[repairelectronics]

No, packages are not pictured yet but they do give some information. Mine show package totals for the week. If you have to enter a tracking number then it is not "informed" but rather just the DC lookup tool.

[a_c_green]

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@repairelectronics wrote:
No, packages are not pictured yet but they do give some information. Mine show package totals for the week. If you have to enter a tracking number then it is not "informed" but rather just the DC lookup tool.

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It is the Informed Delivery tool. I get notifications of inbound packages regardless of whether I know the tracking number (no entry is required) and regardless of whether I am even expecting a package. It's matched to me by the street address.

[repairelectronics]

Correct, I just wanted to let the OP know that if they have to enter a DC number then that is just standard tracking that doesn't have an addy attached to it.

[aramintaca]

Yes. I use my account to see mail and schedule pick-ups, etc. They have all the info on me they need to get a package to me. The good news is this was a very strange glitch and I got the widget today.

[aramintaca]

Thank you to all who replied! The widget was delivered here today with no explanation. It shows delivered to the original sender, but that's a wrong scan. I give credit to the bots in the system that watch where a package is going in order to give requested tracking updates.

There was no alteration of my address, you can see everything clearly as well as the tracking number. This was a case of human error. It's strange that I get hit with this and a forwarding request in a short time span. There may also be a bug in the USPS system. I have no clue. Just glad it's here, and no it wasn't an expensive item. Seller fraud was never a concern. Why my address seems to be glitchy is the head scratcher.

[repairelectronics]

Good deal, thanks for the update.