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?