Off-Topic Forum

Thats only Ontario, and only 1st step. Long way to go. Has nothing to do with mail.

Yeah you should file a claim at the minimum and get your money back plus some more to cover loss of merchandise.  

mrmail2000's post contained a word that caused it to get deleted. I saved the message before that happened. Here it is with the "edit":

I work for the USPS as a carrier and I also did a little package locating as well

If an item is coming from Canada chances are it is being held up in Customs. The system the PO uses has more details than what is available to a random person. Sometimes packages never get scanned and appear in your mailbox. There are so many carriers that don't give a [crap] and then there are some that will go the extra mile for their customers., I am such a carrier. Unfortunately, packages are lost in empty equipment or sacks that were not emptied properly and until it is reused it may never be found for years. I can do a little research for you if you send me the tracking number, or call the 800 number or go online to track a parcel and file a claim

Many good points posted in this thread so far and some useless info as well. I'll add my take now. Packages crossing international borders does get hung up in Customs and it doesn't matter which way it is going and even hangs up for continental shipping.

What has YET to be mentioned in this thread... Tracking Number Barcodes on a label should NOT be taped over!!! That is the #1 reason why so many packages shipped do not get tracked. The laser scanner can not read the barcode through shipping tape most of the time. Lazy employees will refuse to manually type in the 22-digit tracking number into their scanner and that's why tracking doesn't show anything for that specific stop or movement. I've mentioned this many times in the past and people still ignore that advice, as well as skipping the part of the USPS page that says exactly the same thing. Tape over the tracking number on the label to protect it from rain, but DON'T tape over the barcode. But whatever you do in the US, tracking still ends at the Canadian border. It's on Canada Post then and they don't track it unless it has a Customs form. USPS can no longer track the progress once CanPost has it. The pandemic issues is why I stopped shipping outside the US until shipping gets back to somewhat normal across the globe.

Thanks for some of the good info.  Just a few facts about this:

1. The package in this case is coming from the USA to Canada.

2. Those who said the sender has to file the claim are correct; there is nothing I can do about it from this end.

3.  I do have the tracking # and no I don't use the Canada Post tracking site with it (duh!); I use the USPS site.  All it shows is "In-Transit", even has a map with a mail truck icon to show it is on the road. Wish they spent more money on actual tracking rather than the graphics (I will refrain from slamming the tech geeks). Previous packages were tracked right to being delivered.  RJ Smith even informed me that a second package had been delivered before I had picked it up from my rural mailbox so yes, it will (or used to) track even after crossing the border.

4. From the hundreds of trades I have, I do not think that one Postal system is better than the other. We have all read the stories about the extended routes some of your US address to US address packages have taken to go 200 miles down the road. I have not seen that in Canada. Once Canada Post has it in their hands, I get the package usually within a couple of days. I have had more issues (2) with things I have mailed within Canada.

5. In both systems, it all depends on the actual employee.  Some care about the image of their company; some go the extra mile for customer satisfaction; and then some really don't give a... (no Dan you need not delete my post).

I will inform the other member of this thread in case he doesn't read the Forums.  It may be stuck in Customs though baseball cards have no reason to be delayed as there is no duty to be paid on them coming into Canada. I do suggest to all that marking a package as a "Gift" and under $40 may help as you can mail someone a "Gift" once a day of that value or less.

Interesting I've never seen a map with a mail truck icon. I get a list of time & dates when it has arrived and departed from each sorting office it passes through. Is this something new? I've not used it in a month or so.

Also, I was told tracking across the border was no longer being done at the beginning of this year. The one I told you was delivered was over a year ago when they still did it. The last one I sent up there did stop showing info once it reached the customs office. I did not think of tracking it on the Canada website. But he had it in hand by the end of the week. I'll have to try that next time to see if it works.

As for customs in Canada, they have slowed down because of the cv. They even put out a report about it when all the stupidy started and they are still under yellow alert. I have no clue what that means.  I've always found leaving Canada is a lot quicker than a package going into Canada. But Canada is more on it, than American customs. So kudos to them. It's just always been that way from what I've seen.

  If it's in transit and has not reached the next sorting office by 5 days there is something wrong.  It's time to file a "missing package report." The USPS will search for any missing mail. There is no class they will not look for. A letter or a package, it does not matter.  You have a tracking number and the sender say they can't do it???? Did he send you a copy of the missing report he filed online?? It's only a few clicks to forward an email. From what you wrote, I don't think he filed a report and just went in and talked to someone that had no clue & blow him off. You start here, it's all online.  https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm  

If I was you Sandy I would fill out the form and see what happens. You got nothing to lose. You have most of the info. The only thing I would think your missing is a description of the package and you can just ask him for it and if your web address blocks you because you are in Canada. I would think you can ask one of us that you trust here in the states to give it a go for you. It does not take that long to file out a report when you have all the info.

Thanks for the save. I didn't even realize I messed up

Hello...As I have mentioned before on here, I am a 31 year rural mail carrier in SW Michigan. After reading through these posts, I have these observations. The mail service, especially for packages has severely slowed in the last 4 years. I see it in my mailings, and I see it on dates of items coming through the post office. While our letter and magazine mail have dropped off drastically, since the internet became so popular for communcating and bill paying, the addition of amazon packages has created a new dymamic, where they have become the major portion of our deliveries. I have seen bins of packages in quantities that I have never seen before (not all amazon), and it's everyday. I work in a larger post office, and we take out everything that comes in our office that day, nothing gets left behind. If packages are found for routes where carriers have left for the day to deliver, those packages are delivered that afternoon by the carriers who come in to deliver express mail that day. We are required to scan every item with a scan number. We are required to check before we leave for home, to see if there were any scans that were not scanned delivered, and account for any packages that were not scanned. I have over 100 scans a day, and have never had to account for a missing scan. I have witnessed the supervisors talking to employees about items that were not scanned. I have also had packages I have sent to other traders that were "in transit" for a couple weeks, before arriving at destination. I have made over 500 trades and only had one PWE not arrive at destination. I agree that the current PMG is unqualified to improve the postal system, and hope that changes are forthcoming. This doesn't answer any questions, like I said, just some observations from someone who works there.  I have not had any problem scanning a barcode with clear tape over it. Not saying that some people do, but I have not. 

Thanks Kaline6 - I was hoping to hear from you as I knew you worked for USPS.  I fully understand the delays and have been patient for most packages.  My concern on this one is that the tracking has only two entries - USPS got it and it is now in transit. Is there validity to the response my trade partner received about USPS not able to launch an investigation because of the class of mail he used?

I also just checked Canada Post tracking - you can track a USPS package tracking # through their site.  This package shows 39 days in transit.  I did get a package pickup notice on Friday and I am not expecting anything so unless someone sent me a super large PIF, it may be that it has finally arrived at my post office.  Will update on Monday.

Mainly to Sandyrusty....I cannot answer your question as I do not know. I just recently sent cards to Pennsylvania that took3 or 4 weeks to arrive, and were labeled as "en route to destination" for about 2 or 3 of those weeks before arriving. Where that package was, I have no idea. I have heard, and this MAY be just rumor, that at one time, there was such a backlog of packages at one of our main hubs, that semi-trucks were stacked, many many trucks deep, that were full of packages waiting to be unloaded. The facility didn't have the manpower or room to get to them as quickly (which is on a day to day basis) as they could. I am hoping they got caught up, but this could happen at other hubs as well. 

I am postal proud of the job I and many others do, although as with any business, we have workers who are less enthused. Those workers show up in all crafts... sorting, delivery and window clerks. I know we take a lot of guff, but also get a lot of credit for the work we do. I feel bad when we don't perform as expected, and especially when there is any instance of "standoffishness" toward anyone looking for mail they are expecting.