Stamp Price Increase, Counterfeit Stamps, + Spotting Scams

US Stamp prices increase ~Jan. 21st. Save money by buying your commonly-used postage before then!

Second part, also very important: 

Anatomy of one well-made counterfeit stamps site and how to discover if YOUR retailer is counterfeit:

Counterfeit stamps are becoming more and more prevalent. This method really works for ANY online purchase, but in this case, it's about stamps.

Because USPS is a federal agency, it is a federal crime *per stamp* to use counterfeits, fake stamps that look like the real thing. There's lot of charges that could be used like interstate fraud, if your fraudulent stamp goes from your state to another, etc. It is a serious charge and right now is an *especially* bad time to try it because the USPS is desperate for income... because Postmaster General DeJoy expects the post office to run like a business, unlike literally every other federal service. You will be made into an example and likely crushed by fines and jail time, which will put more money into the prison system than you can imagine. 

 

OBVIOUS signs of your stamps being counterfeit:
- Do they come from a retailer like AliBaba, Ebay, Wish, or Amazon? Those are automatically fake.

- Compare them to the genuine thing: are they poor print quality, not the same paper, image is off from the real thing, or anything at all? By this time, you've already been scammed, but at least stop yourself from committing a felony. Report it to the USPS Help section directly. If you paid with credit card, contact them as well.

A well-made counterfeit stand-alone website:

A stand-alone website is a site that is like yoursite.com (example.) Amazon is not necessarily a 'stand-alone' because it's one hub where thousands of retailers all use the same site. Ebay and Etsy are the same. If you buy from fedex.com, you buy from ONLY Fed Ex. Anyone can sell through Wish, Temu, or Shein.

I almost fell to a very decent scam last week, advertised through Facebook. 

The scam was a retailer who had bought out of date or old stamps and then sold them in bulk (must buy 5 or more packages or rolls) for a small discount. 

 

Note that Stamps.com also legitimately sells stamps at a discount for a monthly subscription fee, and other sites do discount postage for using their services (like Etsy or Ebay.) Is it unusual for a retailer to have some kind of mass-buying bargain with USPS? Well... actually, it's plausible. When I ran a shop online for a decade, only stopping because of Etsy allowing factories- and then COVID hit, the death blow- I got discounted shipping all the time.

This site was advertised through Facebook (ANYONE can advertise there, by the way. Lots of scam sites do because they don't care who or where it is, they just want your money.) 

 

There were no odd misspellings or grammar, but even if there were, it's a yield sign and not a red flag. Lots of people speak more than one language outside the US, and lots of people IN the US speak 2-3 languages. I met a 6 year old who was fluent in English and Portuguese yesterday. Many of my friends from the UK fluently speak 3-4 languages, and they're from *England,* the only place in the world I'd expect *English* to be the only language. People in Germany easily speak and write 4-5 out of high school. America seems to be the only country pushing a "one language" narrative. Someone got a word wrong? They're *dyslexic* or English is their 2nd, 3rd, 4th language! We park in driveways and drive in parkways. Yes, it is that hard.

 

The sites photographs were professionally done and had multiple sizes, so whoever downloaded the original photos did a good job of having clear, large photo options of the actual stamps released. Few to no current designs, only past years' back to ~2011. That was the reason for the discount; these are unsold, back-issue stamps, sold by USPS to discount retailers for bulk prices. 

 

There were other things like good organisation, clear sans-serif text in a font size that was more easily able to be read, none of this grey-on-grey "aesthetic" BS that makes it difficult for people to use the website, etc.

 

And it was completely counterfeit.

Use Paypal or 3rd Party to Pay- Do NOT Use Credit Cards!

When buying from an 'unknown' site, anyone who is not *extremely* popular (and even then!) I use Paypal. That is because I can put my card on file with Paypal, but the transaction goes through Paypal as a middleman. I have buyer protections with Paypal and can quickly file a dispute. If I find it difficult to file a dispute electronically, I'll call them.

 

If I use my credit card directly through the site and they are illegitimate, that site is likely looking to trap credit card info to resell it. 

 

Security measures ask for your ZIP code when using a credit card number, right? What a better way to get it than to set up a PRODUCT SELLING website! They ask for your address, confirm that it's your billing address (just like genuine retail sites) and then they have your credit info.

Even though you can get your money back by calling the credit card company, your credit card info is compromised now. It WILL be resold and anyone will use it. 

Most fake charges are less than $5. That's because if they capture 1000 credit cards and bill for a negligible $5, most people never notice it. $5 x 1000 = $5000 on a scam, *easily.* 

 

These scams sometimes set up real names of common uses; one credit card, compromised through Ebay, had a $10 charge for GoodRx. GoodRx at the time did have a genuine $10 gold member program! And millions of Americans use GoodRx because it's cheaper than our insurance, IF we have insurance. The problem was... I do not use GoodRx. I also check every line of my credit charges weekly. Check the charges on your credit cards to make sure they are real, even if they look like something you use.

So what ended up happening?

I have fibro + a bunch of chronic health issues that I talk about. And post-COVID... I have to tell you, 1 in 5 COVID survivors have some degree of long COVID, with dysautonomia as a prevalent set of symptoms. Normally I think to investigate a new site before buying anything, but that day I didn't. I looked into it after I got the confirmation email.

And that's exactly what these sites are looking for. 

They are TARGETING people who have some kind of brain fog, ADHD (more common than you think,) autism (likelihood of believing reasonable-sounding lies: high. Also, this is 1 in 65 people.) Do you have chronic fatigue, long COVID, or just plain have WAY too many responsibilities? The brain get fatigued, just like any other part of the body when overloaded. Maybe you're having cognitive issues related to aging or a TBI from football or the military.

When you put all that together, we're looking at a potential pool of most people.

 

Anyone can be targeted. Yes, even you, reading this right now. 

Likely, you don't fall for 500 scams attempted on you in a year. Or a month, in my case. But occasionally, every now and then, like every 5-6 years... you *will* inevitably have that one that worked on you. Even if it was just $10. $10 from 1000 people is $10,000 for the scammer, yeah?

The confirmation e-mail

There are ways to see original sender vs. supposed sender of an email. Every email system has a different button or set of buttons to show this information. If they are different, that's a good sign the sender is not legitimate.

 

When I got the confirmation email, the email sender name was not the name of the site, or "Name from Company." The subject line was a shipping confirmation, but the email read like a weird cross between a typical shipping confirmation and a scam email. 

 

The email site origin was not the site purchased from. So website purchased from was different than confirmation@secondwebsite . That's odd. Websites usually come with 1-5 email addresses these days. It's a standard part of a website package, when you buy site building and hosting services.

Gmail makes it easier to check than others I've used. 

 

When making most purchases, Gmail will figure out that it's a purchase confirmation and put your items and total. It will show the sender's e-mail address BUT that can be spoofed (faked.) They used to just target businesses, and I think mostly they still do, but individuals can get spoofed e-mails FROM "businesses," too. IF the sender didn't mess up and send the confirmation email from a totally different site than the one you purchased from (like this scammer did,) you can check to see that the email "sent from" matches the sender. 

In Gmail, use "Show original" to see more information about the email sender. It will show the message ID, date, from/to, subject line, and then some data they use to authenticate email origin.

Papa Johns fails the DMARC test, so it often goes to Spam automatically- even if it's a legit e-mail. You have to mark it as "Not Spam." 

Most fake email is auto-detected though. If you make a purchase and don't get a confirmation email, check your Spam filters. If the purchase was not made on a major site that everyone's heard of, like Amazon or Ebay, and your confirmation went to spam... that site is probably run by a scammer.

If you really want, you can google WhoIs on an IP
address and match up domain origins. Put an IP address into Whois.com , a free IP lookup service. 

Does the data in the Original Message match the data on the WhoIs lookup?

This is where the scammer failed. You can't hide your true origins.

The site name for the confirmation was different, which is an immediate red flag, but also the IP lookup for that address was registered to AliBaba. AliBaba does not sell any kind of legitimate US federal items. Therefore, these are counterfeit.

Do NOT wait! File the fraud charges ASAP!

even if you still expect to receive something. It does not matter. So what if someone sends you a t-shirt? They probably won't, but even if they do, that is a scam website that exists to harvest data from you and people like you. REPORT THEM to people who might be able to do something about it, like Paypal and your credit card company, so they can watch for charges from yourself and others. 

The resolution

Easy and painless. Paypal was able to get the money back within 24 hours of filing, even though nothing had been "shipped." You don't have to wait on counterfeit or fraudulent charges. If you can't find the option easily, call them.

Because I did not put my credit card info directly into the website, they don't have it. Otherwise, I would have to call the credit card company and shut down the card. 

Even so, if you don't already have a credit monitoring service, you may wish to look into options. 

 

Experian has one for free, and I use CreditKarma, which checks my credit often- for new accounts, rotating balances, shared accounts, debts in collection, etc. CreditKarma is free and gives me the ability to dispute charges on debt collections. They also have lots of tutorials and articles on better managing your credit score. Even if you don't have a credit card right now, and really don't see the point (I mean. same.) credit score is important to your every day life. I don't care WHO or HOW you check your credit score, tbh. A better score means better rental rates on housing, lower or no security deposits, better auto loans, etc. If you never had credit before, you can't even get established in many places because you are a total unknown. And a scammer can PLUMMET your credit, fast.

 

 

I don't get paid to say any of that, sadly. I'd like to cover stuff like medical bills... but nope. just tellin' y'all so you don't pay ridiculous interest rates on stuff if you don't need to. 

Stay safe out there!

November + December Hosting, 2024 Plans

Hi!

I'll be hosting very few swaps in November or December 2023. Too many "end of the year" commitments, including November's scouting for Xmas cards + postcards. I mail out cards as Mrs. Claus every year. Thanks to joint problems, I start writing around mid-November and mail out by mid-December. 

You might see me in a few, and in ones I already said I'd host a few weeks ago. I have some ideas for art-based swaps coming for next year. I may come back and compile those ideas here; if anyone sees one they like, message me! 

Proposed Swaps + Changes in 2024 

Changes

I don't think I can mail out international mail in 2024. It's just out of my budget. Please be aware that all of my swaps EXCEPT electronic swaps will be USA only. Also, this year, all 1oz swaps should be weighed. I let swaps for nearly 1oz slide on half what was agreed to this year but in 2024, I will specify requirements more closely and leave it up to swappers to make the call on ratings.

In 2024, all 1oz swaps will need to be WEIGHED close to 1oz. 1oz is the cutoff for 1 stamp, which includes the envelope and a note inside saying what swap this is and who it comes from. As such, the minimum weight of the envelope (and all things inside) must be ~.85oz. 

If you sign up for a swap that specifies an envelope must be close to 1oz, and the envelopes people receive are half an ounce including the envelope, that does not meet swap ratings. And... I get a lot of those. I know other people do, too. So this year I am telling people up-front to weigh them.

I have an electronic scale for this. It came from wal-mart, I think. Takes a couple of batteries that were included. It was maybe $20 and it's lasted about a year. You won't need to go to the post office to weigh anything. I used to use a regular, non-digital scale, but even after adjusting it, it was often off by a bit. I suggest getting a digital scale.

Swaps

What Are You Making in 2024? 6oz supply swap

Postage is ~$7-8 (or for ~$11, use Priority Mail with insurance.) Mail 6oz of craft supplies (inc envelope, weighed) that you aren't using. Nothing broken, dirty, damaged, or smelling of perfume or smoke. Profile-based but ultimately sender's choice, since a person might not have items to fit your profile. 

USA Rainbow Swap #3

Postage is 1 stamp. There will be a group one with LSRUS planned and an "open" one. Send any flat mail within the colour scheme. Items can be glitter, confetti, vellum, papers, die-cuts, stickers, etc. Colours: pink / red / orange / yellow / green / pale or bright blue / royal or dark blue / purple / black + grey / white + cream / browns, tans, etc. / rainbow + metallics.

Ephemera, Photos, + Book Pages

Postage is 1 stamp. There will be a group one with LSRUS planned and an "open" one.

Now here's the part to read carefully:

This includes real ephemera, not printouts. Ephemera are things that are typically transient, like old movie stubs (back when theatres used those,) receipts printed with ink instead of carbon (carbon is the kind that disappears with heat,) tea wrappers, facings of greeting cards, etc. You can send photographs. These must be 4x6" or smaller, and must be on actual photo paper, not printed out. Also included are book pages. This is a specific swap for specific items that may be more difficult to get in an era where we print out everything, and everything is a reproduction of everything else. Book pages are included to give some options specifically because those items can be difficult to come by in quantity. 

Autumn in May

Postage is 1 stamp. There will be a group one with LSRUS planned and an "open" one. In the Southern Hemisphere, Autumn is March-June to begin with. In the US, "Halloween-season" is October. I'd love to do Halloween in May the way we do Xmas in July. Why not just go for Autumn? Not everyone celebrates Halloween, and I'd love a more inclusive swap!

Send 2 Items / 6x Washi Samples / Paper swap

These are repeating Newbie-friendly rates booster swaps that count towards tangible mail ratings. These are useful for ratings + stars, and also for swaps that require a physical Type swap.

Playlist / Fave ______ / Accountability or Goals Checkup E-mail swaps

These are repeating Newbie-friendly rates booster swaps that do NOT count towards tangible items ratings. These are great for increasing ratings and stars, but are not useful for swaps that require a Type minimum. 

Make + Mail (Cards or PCs, 1-5 items)

Make + mail a specified number of cards or postcards. Can follow some prompt ideas or just say hello.

Themed Journal Page swaps

An artistic journal page made to fit in a 5x7" agenda. You can take an 8.5x11" piece of paper and cut it so it's 6.5x10" Fold the 10" side in half, so the paper is 5" wide and 6.5" high. 5x6.5" will fit a 5x7" agenda, like a card. Write whatever, decorate however. At least 3 sections of the item must be covered (no sticker-slapping) leaving a blank side for gluing in, if you like. Optionally, you can decorate all 4 sections and the person could tape an edge in with washi or something.

Make Good Art! Practice a Craft challenges

Make an art thing. The whole point is that none of us are pros. Mistakes are normal and are a part of learning and appreciating accomplishment! Make a Thing and include the title of the tutorial to make the thing, too. This swap encourages us to practice a small craft. Postage is often ~$3-4.

Assorted postcards + flat item in a notecard swaps

These are newbie-friendly ratings boosters and are easy to join. Postcards often have a theme like Top 10 or something, and notecards are introductions or jokes with a profile-based surprise in them. 

"Holiday" + penpal letter swaps

These typically require previous Type 2 or 3 swaps because they require a letter or something more involved or themed. National Cat Day, Intl LGBTQ-related days, and other "holidays" are typical themes. Penpal letters usually have a prompt and can be a page or so. These are usually limited to 1 stamp.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Letter Tracking

UPDATE: Letter tracking

I previously posted receipts showing that I've mailed letter-class envelopes to various zip codes.

Since mailing the STMB: Halloween swap (hosted by LadyAduial) envelopes, I was informed that I cannot get a receipt to show that I mailed them. That means no receipts to prove items were mailed.

It appears that when I have "mixed mail" like packages or somesuch, I can get a receipt BUT letter-class isn't supposed to be scanned in. That's a service. I'm assuming that half a foot of paper for a handful of letters shipped out is costly when it's .5-1' for thousands of people a month, all over the country, and USPS is looking to cut more costs.

I was told that if I want letter-sized items to be tracked, I need to pay for something like signature delivery or some other service attached, a couple dollars per letter. The $0.64 is affordable for most of us. $3.50 each is NOT. 

Sooooo... it is what it is, I guess.

Flakers + Ratings

"Flakers" are people who sign up for a swap and don't send their end of the bargain. 

Often, these people don't reply to messages. IF you leave a poor rating, they MIGHT respond to it- but only because of public image. They rely on others agreeing that it was Just a Mistake!1! and to feel bad for the flaker when the Mean, Bad Swapper left a Negative Rating for them. ... oy. 

Have you ever seen that tactic? It has a name.

Image: DARVO statement examples
from Ray Family Therapy

That example is a form of DARVO, and it's super-common.

“DARVO is an acronym that stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim Offender. It describes a manipulative tactic often used by abusers to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and shift the blame onto their victims.” - Avigail Lev, PsyD, founder of Bay Area CBT Center and CBTonline.

Most people think of DARVO in context of abusive domestic relationships. Thing is, this social tactic is only practiced IN those relationships because the perpetrator has gotten comfortable using it with everything else. Often, the perpetrator isn't even aware that this is a form of abuse... It's probably even normal for them to experience from someone else! But 'normal' is not the same as 'healthy.' DARVO is normal, and normalized. And when it's small, like a stupid envelope of paper, it doesn't really matter right?

But it does. It does when you are the one leaving the honest negative rating for a swap that factually never arrived, on a swapper that you factually DID message, and factually never got back a response. It does when you're essentially getting bullied or silenced because you don't want to look like the Bad Guy when in actuality, they're the Bad Guy. Backing down lets bad people escape consequences.

Most people do the things they do, both positive and negative, because it has worked in their favour before. Whatever their personal values equate as "favourable" to themselves, a thing that works should keep working. Behaviour isn't random, even if it LOOKS like it on the outside. Learning this will help you with every single person you ever meet- it isn't just for a stupid mail site!

DARVO tactics are a demonstrable public ability to twist things around on strangers, to the approval of other strangers. And if those strangers "approve," it's not REALLY a Bad Thing, is it? And if the victim (the bad rater) breaks down and feels bad and changes the rating, that's further reinforcement that THEY didn't do anything wrong- the bad rater was a mean person for rating bad. Factually, the bad rating was a FAIR rating because the swap never arrived and the person never responded to messages, but public opinion is what dictates right/wrong. The wrongness isn't in the flaking, it's in whether they get punished for it. And the flaker feels like they do NOT deserve punishment. They have "Reasons!" (All of which are important and valid to them, with a lack of regard towards others.)

Being raised by a clinical narcissist (not the buzzword kind all over TikTok, the DSM kind) I've learned to make things as transparent as possible while attempting to protect certain information. It's a weird balance that's taken 20 years to kind-of figure out. The internet wasn't that big when I was a teen so there weren't hundreds of people better educated and more experienced than me to exchange tactics and psychology. Most of you, hopefully, will never ever need to be this level of on-guard! But I do have to say that it's taught me a LOT about "CYA policies," how law works, and how people generally behave (both positive and negative.) Most people are actually quite good, or they're trying to be much better people. Even people who have really bad habits (often) don't want to be harmful. Here's the problem: my name is not followed by PhD, LMHC, or MD. Chances are, yours isn't either. If it is, you probably are not some random person's therapist. 

On Swap-bot, we are here to trade letters and craft supplies. No one is here to be your doctor or mine. You cannot fix someone who twists stuff all around on you.

This is a guide to asking yourself how to handle a problem user: What to do if someone is rude to me on Swap-bot?

This is why I say to leave comments publicly on a profile. The catch is that the user can delete your comment on their profile. 

It's also why I save all messages until they are no longer relevant and keep open communication with Group Admins. Keep your messages and if problems arise, like someone demanding you change ratings or berating you in messages or forums, screencap it and e-mail it to yourself to keep the timestamps. 

If you are being harassed or threatened via Snail Mail, that is a federal crime. Even if you don't think that person is "actually serious" or capable of carrying out the threat, the reason that person feels so comfortable SENDING threats is because no one has sufficiently held them accountable.

"Keep any letter that attempts to scare, threaten or extort you in any way, and report it to the Postal Inspection Service by calling 1-877-876-2455. If you or anyone you know is being bullied, online or in person, tell a trusted friend or a loved one."

Public ratings are extremely important to keep everyone appraised of great swappers AND flakers/double profilers/unreliable swappers.

Sometimes, a late swap or a swap not showing is just a thing that happens with USPS. None of us control that. It sucks. But that's why it's so important to do some due diligence before assuming someone has flaked on you. Not everyone is signed up to get an e-mail if you send a message. 

But if you HAVE taken these steps and someone is MOST LIKELY a flaker, giving them a low rating is appropriate and important to protect the SB community. 

Don't worry about any backlash for doing what is correct and fair. Most users stick up for each other. We don't want to be the next person to fall for it.

You can also list that flaker here, and if you like, leave a short note about any retaliation you received.

Be an Active Group Member!

Quite a few of us are in groups or will be in groups. Groups are SB users who all have a common goal or theme, such as "Washi Tape Lovers" or CPG (cheap postage group). 

Image: Lovely Swappers-R-Us Group Page

 

On a group page, there is a title (Lovely Swappers-R-Us), a "theme" (what the group is about,) how old the group is, and in blue, the group forum.

In the body text, the group founders can put in whatever. LSRUS tells about the group in the first paragraph and specifies the group requirements. On the right side is an option to leave the group. I have the option to create swaps in LSRUS. Underneath is the list of Group Swaps, which can only be joined by group members.

Groups are a fun way to find swaps with like-minded people who often have specific ratings or requirements! I don't usually have to put any guidelines for ratings on those because the group rules weed out people to begin with.

Problem is... a LOT of people are NOT active group swap joiners! So there's big groups and few or no swaps ever happening, and if they are started, no one joins.

Part of this is limited ability to invite people to create swaps. It's a big responsibility because one poor host can ruin the reputation of the ENTIRE group. Ability to create swaps is often held tightly to a few original founding people for that reason. The other issue is a feature I didn't even realise existed for a few years! It's e-mail preferences for group swaps.

How to set up e-mail reminders on Group swaps:

Go to profile -> Update Profile -> Groups 

The groups you are part of should each be listed.

Click an option to receive an e-mail for each group. I only have e-mail notifications for group swaps being created. Other people have both options or neither option.

Unless the group admin sends out e-mails to remind people to check their group swaps, you won't see them in the general "Find Swaps" search! And many hosts, I have to tell you, have 'real life' stuff. This is not a job. It takes a lot of effort to host, much less to admin a group and remember to send out various reminders and resolve user disputes and all sorts of things.

Other ways to be an active group member:

Check out the Group Forums!

For the LSRUS example, the Group Forum link is right at the top under the Founded date. The group forum has all kinds of topics and people can start their own, too. The admin puts up a monthly sticky-post topic, meaning it stays at the top, for Wish Lists. There's no official swap set for these. If you have something that someone wants, you are free to send it or not. 

What is in YOUR groups' forums?

Go find out! But make sure to check back because there are no notifications for forum comments. 

Please help keep our groups active by joining a swap now and then. <3

E-mail Preferences, User Alerts, + What Doesn't Alert Us

There are optional e-mail alerts and there are things that don't alert hosts/users at all. It's important to know that some things are not always seen by a host and can't be replied to in-line or in a thread. You aren't being ignored!

Image: Swap-bot.com Email Preferences

Swap-Bot E-mail Preferences

Click "edit profile." Go to the "Preferences" section. It will say "Edit Your Preferences."

This is where you can select which e-mail alerts you receive. I already get a LOT of e-mail, which is overwhelming for me. I only selected to be notified when someone responds to my rating and when someone comments on my profile. Otherwise, I would never see either of those!

SB automatically e-mails me to say "It's time to start swappin'!" and to remind me when a swap I'd signed up for is approaching (even though that looks like an e-mail option that I don't have selected? idk.) 

But you'll see that e-mail options only cover FOUR categories. 

There is another that none of us get e-mails or in-SB alerts for:

Comments on swaps. 

Image: a screenshot of a comment on a swap.

lol check that out. that comment on the bottom of the swap, in the Swap Discussion section?

yeah.

NO ONE is ever gonna get an alert for that. Not the winners of this bonus envelope giveaway, not me (the host,) not anyone.

So if you leave a comment on a swap, there's not much chance someone will see it- or see it *in time* before the swap is assigned!

hahahahhaaaa

please just directly message the host.

one thing: 

If you see spam or bots posting a lot of weird messages, especially with links, or a normal-sounding username but with a comment that has nothing to do with the swap topic, MESSAGE THE HOST. We are the only ones who can delete these comments. And it's very important: the more spam is allowed, the more spam is 'ranked' as important and the more people are exposed to malicious spam and bots.

Help us keep swap-bot safe for everyone!

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.