Bought an
ebay coin item for about 800$ from a reputable seller a few weeks ago. Tracking uploaded and item was moving thru the system slowly but surely by Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation required.
I have used the online USPS Informed Delivery service for several years and for this package it turned out to be a life saver!
Saw that the package had showed up at my local post office and was "out for delivery" so I watched for my carrier that day and went out to greet him when he showed up.
The package was NOT on my carrier's truck! He had not seen it. Fortunately, I had the tracking number readily available and my carrier called in to the station and had his supervisor look up the package. GPS showed my package had been delivered to a house on another route almost two miles away. The house it was delivered to had the same numbers in their address (3024) as mine but was a totally different street name but began with the same letter as mine - a "B".
The supervisor said he'd send a carrier out to reclaim the package later that afternoon.
Took my wife out to lunch and when we got home a strange car was in my driveway and a guy I had never seen was holding a package standing outside his car. He greeted me with "I think I have something here that belongs to you!"
It was the package I had been expecting. The mailing label that the post office had printed the day he mailed it was completely wrong. The postal clerk did not verify the street address before printing the label. Evidently, when the postal clerk enters the house number and zip code predictive text gives the clerk street name options in alphabetical order.
Fortunately, the address the seller had written on the package was correct and was not covered up by the USPS mailing label that was printed at the mailing post office.
I verified the contents of the package and thanked him profusely and had a good conversation with him. I also thanked him for his honesty and time by giving him some silver from my collection.
I had my carrier scan the package the next day to show it was delivered to the correct address. He was floored when he saw the label and agreed it was the clerk at the mailing location that made the mistake.
Crazy, but thank goodness for GPS!
Posted 04/04/2022 5:15 pm
