Have a USPS package stuck in Indianapolis? How to report delayed, lost packages
Do you have a package stuck at a United States Postal Service facility? You're not alone.
Hundreds of people across Central Indiana have taken to social media, lamenting packages sitting at the USPS Regional Processing and Distribution Center on the east side of Indianapolis for days or weeks on end. Occasionally, customers report lost packages in the system.
Several people reached out to IndyStar to share stories of tracking personal packages that just don't move. Some of those packages contain critical documents, such as birth certificates, or medication. The USPS has had little public comment about the backlog in Indianapolis.
Here's what to know if you have a package delayed or lost in the USPS system.
When you mail a package through the postal service, the delivery will have a tracking number, which can be found on a shipping receipt, email confirmation or peel-off sticker on the physical tracking label. Post offices and sorting facilities scan the tracking number as a package moves through the system.
Customers can check the package's location using the tracking number online or sign up for text updates on packages.
Yes. To report a delayed package, USPS asks customers to visit usps.com and click on 'Contact us' at the bottom of the website or send an email: https://usps.force.com/emailus/s/.
Individuals may also request assistance through the official X account of the United States Postal Service @USPSHelp or private message on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/USPS.
Yes, but USPS recommends filing a help request before reporting mail as lost. If you have not received your package seven business days after submitting a help request, you can file a missing mail search request.
With proof of purchase, customers can request a refund on USPS fees and postage.
USPS offers insurance on select packages or for an extra fee. To file an insurance claim, collect all documentation and submit the claim online or by mail.
In November, the postal service opened a new regional sorting facility on the east side of Indianapolis. Union representatives of Indianapolis postal workers told IndyStar the new facility replaced the former USPS annex at the Indianapolis International Airport.
The east side building was meant to handle higher volumes of packages, however, lean staffing levels during the transition slowed down deliveries at the height of the holiday shipping season, said Steve Vaughn, chief trustee of the Indianapolis chapter of the American Postal Workers Union.
Burnt-out employees have not been able to catch up with the backlog, Vaughn said.
A USPS spokesperson did not directly respond to IndyStar questions about the source of the delays.
It's unclear when delays will be resolved. The facility is dealing with a backlog of delivery trucks every night and packages are sitting in piles untouched for days, union leaders say.
Indiana lawmakers in Washington D.C. called on the USPS Postmaster to address the issue last week. On Tuesday Postmaster Louis DeJoy announced plans to step down.
More: As USPS delays pile up in Indianapolis, lawmakers call on postmaster to address issue
UPS and FedEx remain the most common delivery services besides USPS, but those services will typically cost more for small packages.
If shipping valuable or important items through USPS soon, prepare for delays. The postal service has also cited severe winter weather as a source for delays.
Alysa Guffey covers business and development for IndyStar. Contact her at amguffey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How to report delayed, lost USPS packages in Indianapolis
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