Please help, I don't know what to do about my USPS package

[Suno]

I'm getting close to desperation. This whole experience I've had in the past week has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

I ordered something off eBay, but I forgot to update my address so it was sent to my old address. I contacted the seller but the package was already shipped. I called USPS after to ask them if they could reroute the package back to me since it was en route. They said no BUT as long as my mails were getting forwarded to my new address (which was the case). The package was confirmed to be delivered on Jan. 11th and I still don't have my package.

I have been pestering USPS non stop for the past week but they are just full of arrogant people with attitudes. They are very unwilling to help me, try their best to hang up, and haven't helped me resolve this issue. To make matters worse, the tenants of my old address MOVED after the package was delivered, just 3 days later on Jan. 14th. So it's entirely possible that the package was delivered to them and they didn't return it.

So now I have money down the drain, no package, seller won’t refund me (that’s a given), and of course USPS will say it’s not their fault. The package was not insured either so the seller can't/isn't willing to do anything. Okay yeah, all of this could have been avoided if I wasn’t careless and updated my address in the beginning, but you can’t fault me for not taking responsibility afterwards. I did all I could to get the package back to me, but can you really blame me for not taking further action after USPS told me not to worry? They literally told me "don't worry, if your mails are getting forwarded, it should get to you". Who am I to not trust the words of a USPS employee?

So I guess what I’m asking is what should I do? Or more like is there anything I CAN do?

 

[BreakGuy]

Do you know it has been delivered?

 

['Bmac]

Call USPS again!

I would call USPS 1 800 222 1811 and ask them for an investigation. Give them YOUR address and name the parcel was sent to and give them the name and address the parcel was sent from. They did that for me last month when I sent a parcel from USA to Australia. The parcel was found and delivered to who I sent it to with in 10 days. Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[ender land]

I'm going to assume you already checked any sort of delivery number if the seller had one to see what "state" the package is in with USPS?

 

[Educ8r]

So I guess what I’m asking is what should I do?

Write it off as a loss and always update your address when you move!

 

[scottness]

Yep, write it off as an educational moment. We all make mistakes... Which is actually a good thing if we learn from them. I'm sure next time you'll update your address.

 

[Suno]

Do you know it has been delivered?

Yes, the tracking code has confirmed the delivery on Jan. 11th.

I'm going to assume you already checked any sort of delivery number if the seller had one to see what "state" the package is in with USPS?

I don't know what you mean by state. If you mean the status of the package, it has been confirmed to be delivered on Jan. 11th.

I would call USPS 1 800 222 1811 and ask them for an investigation. Give them YOUR address and name the parcel was sent to and give them the name and address the parcel was sent from. They did that for me last month when I sent a parcel from USA to Australia. The parcel was found and delivered to who I sent it to with in 10 days. Hope that helps. Good luck!

I called that number as soon as I realized that I didn't have the package, despite the confirmed delivery state. They've done the investigation and told me that it was "sitting in a parcel locker". I've been pestering my local USPS office about that but they told me that it's not in there.

Write it off as a loss and always update your address when you move!

Thanks for the life lesson, as if I really need it.

 

[eric/]

It's fraud if whoever lives at that address accepted the delivered package. If the package has real value (like you ordered a Macbook Air or something), I would contact USPS again, and then discuss calling the police and launching an investigation.

Despite your negligence in not updating your address, whoever is living at that residence should have refused the package, and at the worst it should have been returned to sender.

The whole "hurrrr durrr you're so dumb for not updating your address" attitude is not only incorrect, but immature and not helpful.

 

[ender land]

It's fraud if whoever lives at that address accepted the delivered package. If the package has real value (like you ordered a Macbook Air or something), I would contact USPS again, and then discuss calling the police and launching an investigation.

Wait, what?

If I mail something to the wrong address/name combination, and it gets delivered, how is that fraud?

 

[BreakGuy]

Wait, what?

If I mail something to the wrong address/name combination, and it gets delivered, how is that fraud?

No, it's fraud to accept packages that are incorrectly delivered to your address as you're posing as the addressee.

 

[dukebound85]

Wait, what?

If I mail something to the wrong address/name combination, and it gets delivered, how is that fraud?

Reread what you quoted. It is fraud to accept other people's mail

 

[eric/]

Wait, what?

If I mail something to the wrong address/name combination, and it gets delivered, how is that fraud?

Because the package wasn't meant for you, it doesn't belong to you.

 

[ender land]

Retread what you quoted. It is fraud to accept other people mail

well @#%#@ then I commit fraud on a regular basis when I get junk mail sent to people who no longer live here

 

[eric/]

well @#%#@ then I commit fraud on a regular basis when I get junk mail sent to people who no longer live here

Yeah pretty much. It's just not a big deal since nobody wants that crap. But for a package that somebody is waiting on it's a different story.

 

[miles01110]

Retread what you quoted. It is fraud to accept other people mail

No, it's not. Fraud requires intent to defraud someone; if the person that now lives at the address used the OP's name and address to try and get around being billed or something, that is fraud. If a package shows up at someone's door with a name they don't recognize and they don't make any effort to find the proper owner, that is not fraud.

Please learn what you're talking about before telling people what they are doing is a felony.

18 U.S.C. § 1341:

Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit or spurious coin, obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held out to be such counterfeit or spurious article, for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice or attempting so to do, places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier, or takes or receives therefrom, any such matter or thing, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail or such carrier according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, any such matter or thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation occurs in relation to, or involving any benefit authorized, transported, transmitted, transferred, disbursed, or paid in connection with, a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)), or affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

 

[cerote]

How long ago did you move? They only forward mail for so long and if the person that moved in already moved out I'm just curious how long ago you moved from that address.

 

[Educ8r]

How long ago did you move? They only forward mail for so long and if the person that moved in already moved out I'm just curious how long ago you moved from that address.

Good question.

 

[Suno]

How long ago did you move? They only forward mail for so long and if the person that moved in already moved out I'm just curious how long ago you moved from that address.

I moved out about 6 months ago, but I don't think that should be an issue. I'm still getting some forwarded mails even as of late. In fact, as if some divine God of mail delivery was watching over me, I got a mail today that was forwarded to my new address just today. So mails are definitely still getting forwarded to me.

 

[dukebound85]

No, it's not. Fraud requires intent to defraud someone; if the person that now lives at the address used the OP's name and address to try and get around being billed or something, that is fraud. If a package shows up at someone's door with a name they don't recognize and they don't make any effort to find the proper owner, that is not fraud.

Please learn what you're talking about before telling people what they are doing is a felony.

If you accept/ open someone elses's mail, it is a federal crime.

I do, however, appreciate your condescending tone. Unfortunately, I feel that the advice you felt you needed to dispense may be useful to yourself as well.

Refer to section 1702

From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[www.gpoaccess.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 3, 2007]
[CITE: 18USC1702]


TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 83--POSTAL SERVICE


Sec. 1702. Obstruction of correspondence

Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post
office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter
or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized
depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it
has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to
obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of
another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be
fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII,
Sec. 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)


Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 317 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 194, 35 Stat. 1125; Feb. 25, 1925, ch. 318, 43 Stat. 977; Aug.
26, 1935, ch. 693, 49 Stat. 867; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 557, 53 Stat. 1256).
Section 317 of said title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was incorporated in
this and section 1708 of this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.


Amendments

1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $2,000''.


From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[www.gpoaccess.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 3, 2007]
[CITE: 18USC1703]


TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 83--POSTAL SERVICE


Sec. 1703. Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers

(a) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, unlawfully
secretes, destroys, detains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card,
package, bag, or mail entrusted to him or which shall come into his
possession, and which was intended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or
delivered by any carrier or other employee of the Postal Service, or
forwarded through or delivered from any post office or station thereof
established by authority of the Postmaster General or the Postal
Service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
five years, or both.
(b) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, improperly
detains, delays, or destroys any newspaper, or permits any other person
to detain, delay, or destroy the same, or opens, or permits any other
person to open, any mail or package of newspapers not directed to the
office where he is employed; or
Whoever, without authority, opens, or destroys any mail or package
of newspapers not directed to him, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, Sec. 37,
63 Stat. 95; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(16), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778;
Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(B), (G), Sept. 13, 1994,
108 Stat. 2146, 2147.)


Historical and Revision Notes

1948 Act

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Secs. 318, 319 (Mar. 4, 1909,
ch. 321, Secs. 195, 196, 35 Stat. 1125, 1126).
Section consolidated sections 318 and 319 of said title 18, U.S.C.,
1940 ed. The embezzlement and theft provisions of each were incorporated
in sections 1709 and 1710 of this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.

1949 Act

This section [section 37] corrects typographical errors in section
1703 of title 18, U.S.C.


Amendments

1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $500'' in subsec. (a) and ``fined under this
title'' for ``fined not more than $100'' in last par.
1970--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(16)(A), amended subsec.
(a) generally, which prior to amendment read as follows: ``Whoever,
being a postmaster or Postal Service employee, unlawfully detains,
delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail
intrusted to him or which shall come into his possession, and which was
intended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier
or other employee of the Postal Service, or forwarded through or
delivered from any post office or station thereof established by
authority of the Postmaster General; or secretes, or destroys any such
letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, shall be fined not more than
$500 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.''
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(16)(B), substituted ``Postal
Service officer or employee'' for ``postmaster or Postal Service
employee''.
1949--Subsec. (a). Act May 24, 1949, Sec. 37(a), substituted
``secretes'' for ``secrets''.
Subsec. (b). Act May 24, 1949, Sec. 37(b), substituted
``newspapers'' for ``newspaper''.


Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12,
1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United
States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see
section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective Date note
preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.

 

[Krizzy]

Suno, I'm in the exact same boat as you and was wondering if you ever managed to resolve this issue and, if yes, what you did to resolve it.

I would be very grateful if you would be able to share that information with me.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I feel so used. I read this whole thread then realized how old it was.

 

[Krizzy]

I'm so sorry, I hate that... I tried to message Suno privately however and have no option to do so. So I really did not have a choice but to bump a very old thread.... sorry to everyone that I disappoint...

 

[4JNA]

and then... what the hell happened?!?

I feel so used. I read this whole thread then realized how old it was.

i got lucky, read the date in #7 and was like, wait, when?!?

I'm so sorry, I hate that... I tried to message Suno privately however and have no option to do so. So I really did not have a choice but to bump a very old thread.... sorry to everyone that I disappoint...

no worries. hope you get the answer you are looking for. i just want to find out how it ends. like when the last few pages of a good book have gone missing...

 

[sdilley14]

Wow...punked me. Glad I re-read the thread and noticed the dates before submitting my first response.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Either way I'm curious what the value of the package was...