The only way to know that your item has gone out to the mail office is by tracking it. Most people are either always busy or do not have the time luxury to wait till these items are sent out to locations.
While some people cannot actually wait for the postal service to sort and scan the thousands of packages in their possessions before delivery, others fear that these items may be sent to other locations and misplace, so they wonder if they can go to the mail head office to get these items by themselves.
The answer is yes. Immediately your item arrives at the mail office, you are at liberty to go get your item by yourself if you don’t want to wait for the delivery service. If you have experienced a missing, stolen, or late package delivery before, package intercept and hold is worth it. Although you would have to pay a fee.
You may ask why you need to pay a fee even when you are helping them with their job. Well, you may think that you are easing things for them, but, in fact, intercepting your package gives them a harder job. This is because following the normal procedure allows them to sort packages according to the particular destinations.
Having an indication for holding or intercepting takes an extra effort to monitor and track the particular package. They would have to remove it from the truck and hold it, which would cost extra energy and time.
Why was my USPS package never delivered but available for pickup?
Once your item is available for pickup, it will not be moved until you arrive to claim it. At this point, you are not expected to wait for the indication on the item to change. You may consider picking another date for delivery and having it delivered to you. However, being available for pickup always means that you must get the package at the office or facility.
This happens in these scenarios.
Attempted but failed delivery
Usually, a message will be sent to you when an attempt has been made to deliver your parcel but fails. This failure is caused by different reasons, which could be incorrect addresses, nobody to receive the package, or no safe place to drop them off.
It could also be that the driver could not have easy access to your residence or you paid a wrong amount of fee.
There was no attempt to deliver
You may be wondering, “I’ve been waiting all day; but they did not even make an attempt”
This could be very annoying, especially if you stayed at home because you were supposed to accept a parcel. No delivery was initiated and instead of “our for delivery” it changed to “available for pickup”.
An annoying explanation could be that the worker delivering the parcel missed yours when sorting it in the morning. Because of the amount of mail they have to carry, if your package is missed, it will likely be left for pickup.
Usually, you would have to call the office and file a complaint. They may carry it out on the next delivery run.
The drivers and workers are human and are prone to making mistakes, especially considering the quantity of mail they have to deliver. Packages or mail could get hidden in bags, tables, etc. Unfortunately, you will have to go to pick it up when all of this happens.
How long does post office take to deliver package?
When will my package arrive? That is what we keep asking the mailman or carrier while waiting for delivery. Even though the use of mail is slowly fading away and now replaced by emails, we still need mail to deliver or receive some special packages, letters, receipts, etc. Now, how long should you wait?
In the United States of America, it takes an average of 3 days for delivery. Regular mail will arrive in about 7 days, depending on your location and the time of the year (mail is delayed during holidays). During the holidays, the mail is always overwhelmed, which causes the delay.
Can I pick up my mail at the post office instead of having it delivered?
It is totally understandable that not everyone has the patience to wait for an urgent package. You can pick up your packages or mail at the office if you have tracked and confirmed their arrival. In fact, some services have been implemented to help customers with this.
Let’s look at some ways you can pick up your mail at the office before delivery.
1. Package Intercept
With this service, you request for your package to be held at a particular facility. You will have to go there to pick it up. This kind of service is not applicable for final deliveries.
It simply means before the package is sent to the office for sorting, you will intercept it. Restrictions are placed on big packages and international packages. As soon as your identification has been verified, they will hand over the package to you.
Although this service is not free,
2. Package hold
Package hold is almost the same thing as package intercept. However, using this service gives permission to the facility to hold your packages for a longer duration.
You can request a hold at any office or facility close to you.
Just like the package intercept, you would pay a fee for this service, and it also has some restrictions.
3. Arrive early
It is always important to go early for this service. There are a few risks involved in this service, and if you do not arrive early, your package will be carried out for delivery. At 6 am, you will find workers who load the truck at the office.
The office workers do not resume work until 8 am. However, if you still go on time and wait, someone may help you out. You may even recognize your mail carrier, who’ll help you look for your package.
Going early does not come with any fee, as you did not give them any extra work. This is the best time to say you helped them do their job.
There are restrictions on the kinds of packages that can be picked up. You also have to pay a fee when you do not want to wait for delivery.
What does it mean when it says arrived at Post Office?
Tracking your packages, mail, and parcels from the postal service sites helps you monitor their location and exact status. These status includes
- Pre shipment
- In Transit
- Out for delivery
- Delivered
- Accepted
- Available For Pick-up
- Delivery Attempt
- Alert
- Return to sender
Arriving at the post office means your package is currently at the office. It will be sorted and scheduled to be delivered. If it arrives at the office before 9:00 am, it will be sent to you that same day. After 9:00 am it will be sent the next working day.
What is the fastest postal service?
Mails are divided into different classes. Every letter sent or received had its own level, price, and requirements for pre-sorting. The content of the postage or package determines the class your mail falls into.
Below are the classes:
- Priority mail express
- Priority mail
- First class mail
- USPS marketing mail
- Periodicals
- Package services
Among all the classes listed, the fastest service is the Priority Mail Express. When this service is used, packages will be sent to the recipient in 1-2 days before 2 pm when this service is used. It also offers a $100 insurance policy and delivers throughout the year to different locations in the US. However, you will be charged extra for deliveries made during holidays or on Sundays.
How do I get USPS to hold my package for pickup?
You can redirect or stop delivery of your package using the package interceptor. You are also allowed to ask the office to hold or return the item.
Firstly, you have to;
- Confirm that the package is eligible for the package Intercept service
- After confirmation, login to your account on the website and submit the request.
- After submission, an interception fee will be estimated and provided to you.
- A charge or fee of $15.95 for intercepting your package will be taken from your bank card. If there are more charges, they will also be taken.
Depending on your request, the steps above will either give permission to the office to return the parcel to the sender or hold it for a period of 30 days.
How long does the post office hold a package before returning to sender?
The postal service makes sure they deliver millions of mail, packages, or parcels every single day around the US. Many times, packages are returned to the office because they were not received. It could be caused for different reasons.
If the receivers are not able to get to the packages right away, how long should the packages be left at the office?
The postal service keeps the mail at the office for up to 13 days after the package was attempted to be delivered. Then they are sent to the sender.
How do I know if my package is at the post office?
If you want to know the status of your parcel, you have to visit the website and input the number you were given at the post office or check the receipt you were issued. There is a confirmation number on it. After typing this number on the website, tap on track.