UPDATED 10/5/23 - Tracking + Insurance

TRACKING:

Sometimes post offices have a hard time sending mail accurately. This is more prevalent in smaller towns and more rural areas. They pick up mail more slowly, due to a variety of factors, and seem to lose it more often. This also seems to happen when delivering from large apartment complexes for some reason.

How do you tell the difference between someone who actually DID send their swap, but it never arrived (and they blame the post office) and someone who never sent anything at all, but then blamed the post office? You can't. 

Protect yourself if your PO has a history of losing or misdelivering mail.

First:

 

If you take your mail in person to a USPS location, stand in line, and drop it off with a person at the counter, you can request a receipt. If you just dump it in a drop-box, obviously you won't get one. You *can* do this online but I've found the printed labels to be way too large for a letter.

 

Image: a USPS receipt
dated 10/4/23 with
tracking and no
tracking on mail

USPS does not put tracking numbers on all mail. I have receipts with lists of outbound mail but after ~July, when rates when up and services changed, the only mail with tracking is specific types of ground packages, media mail, and Priority- which is the majority of what I send. Letters and postcards will not qualify for tracking unless you buy trackable options. 

 

The locations and full tracking numbers (which can reveal locations) are covered in blue. The first item has tracking + insurance included. The second does not.

 

A receipt will still show where your mail was sent, so you can't show that you sent it to someone's specific address, but it WILL show the city/state it was mailed to and the estimated delivery date. The second item demonstrates this.

Be aware that a RECEIPT may not mean there is any recourse if a letter goes missing. Realistically, there are millions of pieces of mail in the system at any given time. They can see where it was last scanned and ask local staff to look for it, but... odds are Not Good. Receipts just show that you really did mail it. If you want some kind of recourse, ask your post office what options are right for your package. Anything with insurance is great protection! But please look up what kind of proof you need to make an insurance claim in advance.

If you have a tracking number, use the Tracking service. Here is a FAQ on what statuses mean.

Second:

If you have this problem, even just once or twice, you need to be proactive. File a complaint in person with the local post office. Let them know that this is happening. It's probably rare but sometimes carriers just don't do their jobs or for some weird reason steal mail. idk. Just in case something is going wrong, take it up with the local office.

If it's more than just once, especially if there isn't a legitimate problem like idk, the freaking hurricane in Cape Coral (FL) this year, you need to file complaints with USPS via Contact Us. There is a phone number, e-mail, mail tracking if you have a number, and other options.

INSURANCE:

If you want to ensure there is some kind of insurance to be paid back, read the USPS insurance rules about claiming and evidence of costs. Insurance can be purchased on anything, usually starting at a few dollars. Priority Mail items automatically have insurance on them.

Sometimes the cost of mailing items + insurance is the same or nearly the same as Priority, so I usually just upgrade to that. Standard Mail might take longer than 10 business days, but Priority usually takes 2-3 business days. If the price is very close, my preference is to just upgrade. This can be done most easily in-person, where the computer will bring up all options in one go, vs. using the computer and hoping it's the right dimensions or classification or whatever. 

INFORMED DELIVERY:

USPS has a free service you can sign up for. They send daily scans of your mail that is supposed to arrive that day or quite soon. It's called Informed Delivery.

https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm

You can find out what mail to expect a day or two before it's in your mailbox.

This has come in handy once or twice when my ID e-mail says a card or letter is coming but then it doesn't show up in 48 hours. Sometimes, the scanned side of a postcard will show what's written on it, and I can rate the swapper on it same-day. 

 

COMMUNICATE! 

It is best practice to take a photo of the receipt same-day and message your partner with the tracking info if you have it. Even if you don't, photograph the receipt showing the delivery city. Photographs can only be sent through e-mail. For a number, you can use SB messenger, subject "SwapName Tracking Info." 

Ask your partner about missing items before rating. Ratings can be adjusted/updated.

Read this post about not receiving swaps.

UPDATED 10/5/23 - Late Swaps, No Arrivals, Tracking + Receiving

Receiving mail + CYA Sending

First, sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. This sends a daily email to show you which mail has been scanned in for your address. This mail should be arriving same day or within a day or two. It is FREE.

UPDATED SECTION - USPS does not offer tracking for letters or postcards, only for what they consider First Class Packages via Ground Advantage. Anything small that doesn't qualify as a "letter" basically, Priority Mail, and some international mail. You can BUY tracking on almost any mail.

For showing that you mailed an item, get a receipt. If you are worried about time or labour costs, you can always buy tracking + insurance. This is especially important for anything handmade, 2oz or more, or anything intensive or worth more than a few dollars to reproduce. Read up on the rules for making an insurance claim to ensure you can file.

You need to go in person to a post office for a receipt.

Take your mail in person to a USPS location, stand in line, and drop it off with a person at the counter. You can request a receipt. SOME ITEMS come with tracking IF they meet qualifications. If you just dump it in a drop-box, obviously you won't get one. Tracking can show that you mailed a thing. It does NOT ensure that it arrives. You do NOT have recourse if it arrives damaged or not at all. It just shows that the item was mailed and you didn't flake on anyone.

This is a copy of my receipt from yesterday. The locations and full tracking numbers (which can reveal locations) are covered in blue. The first item has tracking + insurance included. The second does not.

This is the FAQ from USPS on Tracking.

Take a photo of the receipt, even if it doesn't have tracking on it. 

At least it shows that you mailed SOMETHING to that city. That way if the receipt accidentally gets heated (and carbonizes, when receipts turn black) or if it gets damaged, you know the numbers. Message the partner the proof, preferably same-day when it's fresh in your mind.

If it's a valuable item and you feel it's worth it, get insurance.

The USPS site is hardly comprehensive, I think. It takes a lot of digging to figure out how things work for normal people who don't already know the system internally. Oy. If you need answers, write down your questions as you think of them and take notes.

Late swap? No arrival? A few things could be happening.

• Check deadline date to send. For many USA items, 2 weeks is around the current USPS estimate for arrival. Be aware of weather that could delay things (like hurricanes, blizzards, extreme heat.) Somehow stuff from one county to the next is being shipped all over the USA. ::rolls eyes:: Yeah, idk why either. But first I give the benefit of the doubt.

• If it's been 2 weeks, send the partner a message. Keep it simple. "Hey, I'm your partner is Swap Name. I haven't gotten the envelope yet." Set a reasonable deadline to receive it. I've sent these messages and gotten the swap 4 days later- a day after the partner resent it. x.x But if a swap DOESN'T come by the date? The person can re-send it. Yep, even if it's me. :P

  Example:

  "Hi! I am your partner for Forgot to Swap 2, Let's Don't Stop Remembering! The deadline was Jan. 1st. Today is Jan. 31st and the swap hasn't arrived. Are you able to re-send it? Thank you!"

  (the partner responds within 2-3 days, Feb. 3rd. they will re-send. they did not specify a date.)

  "Thanks! Please re-send by Feb. 6th so I can rate."

  Do not rapid/repeat message someone. It puts people off and makes them avoidant and unwilling to answer you.
  

• SB typically sends an email for messages unless the user turned that off. If there is no answer to the message within 3 business days, rate that person accordingly and mention that your message was not responded to. It shows that you did attempt to reach out first. RATINGS CAN BE AMENDED LATER. Do not feel guilty about this. You can comment on that person's profile without rating but I don't think many hosts check *comments,* just ratings. 

  It is important to rate fairly even if the person generally has good ratings. If YOU didn't get your item and have tried communicating, and failed, I bet other people are also not receiving things... and that user maintains their good rating because no one wants to ruin their good score. See the problem?