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When i moved from Hot Springs Arkansas to Phoenix Arizona (Well Sun City, but still metro phx) I submitted a change of address to take effect one week before i moved since I knew I had access to my new place.
I got confirmations of all 3 submissions with tracking and verified all were in place.
Mail started being forwarded correctly.
4 days later (before I actually moved but someone was at my new address to accept mail) the USPS deliver man showed up with 3 boxes I had ordered from Amazon. I did this by accident because normally Amazon ships to me via UPS/FedEx. but these boxes shipped USPS. I didn't worry since I knew they'd get forwarded.....Nope.
Even though i confirmed again my change of address, he still came. I asked why, telling him I had forwarded it. He said "Oh I didn't see anything".
When i got to my new home in Arizona I was unloading boxes. The USPS delivery man showed up to deliver some other things I'd ordered but sent to the new address.. No problem. I even spent around 5 minutes talking to him to see when his normal delivery window was, and gave him both our names as well as my business name. he wrote them all down and assured me he'd make sure it's recognized.
That was Monday the 3rd.... That was the last piece of mail we got, period. an entire week.
In the meantime I ordered some key rings at Amazon that were tiny. They shipped USPS. The next day the tracking showed 'undeliverable at address' even though I already received two items from USPS at this new address by the same shipping company (amazon) and had spoken TO the delivery man.
The next day they showed up as 'vacant' at the address when I viewed the tracking.
I figured it would clear up that week. it did not.
Today was the first business day since Friday ( i actually went yesterday forgetting it was closed since incredibly Columbus day is a federal holiday). The agent at the counter told me it had been marked vacant on Tuesday and reaffirmed on Wednesday. He checked tracking for my package and confirmed it was returned undeliverable.
Now, i had him remove that, and he has assured me i will now get my mail (I sure hope so since I had a new credit card sent to me that I'm afraid may have already been returned).
The point of all this is, DO NOT go by the notices or the COA you put in online OR physically at your old address.
You should find your local office at your new place and physically visit them to make sure you're going to get your mail. This of course is no guarantee since as I said 4 days after my forwarding took affect I was still delivered packages that would have been left on my doorstep at the old address.
Hopefully this message will help someone avoid the ridiculous garbage I had to go through (although i still might be going through it, i won't know until i get mail, at which time I'll update this thread)
USPS Forward does not Forward, Package (Parcel Select) for Free,
Amazon when they use the USPS, they use parcel Select (The old parcel Post 4th Class mail) for the last mile. USPS does have a service that allow you to Pay for Packages to be forwarded on your Dime.
1st Class is is for 1year
2nd class is 3 months
3rd (4th ... ) class is not forwarded for free (Premium Forwarding Service for extra $'s) will do it.
^ The shipper has the option to Request (and pay) for the forwarding of parcel select packages. So in your case, Amazon's Paid for the package to be forward to you.
They would have to pay for it to be returned back to them, since they use 3rd Party Zone Shipping (workload sharing). Amazon only paid the USPS to move the package from Little Rock to Hot Springs NP for final delivery.
To move it back to Amazon in Kenosha, WI Amazon would need to pay the return postage from LittleRock to Kenosha, WI (Or whatever the return address on the package was). Its definitely cheaper in the long run for Amazon to Pay the postage for the forward to SunCity AZ. Then Pay to get the package back to Amazon, then Pay to reship it to AZ.
they didn't know about the change there's not even any place you can change the destination address once it's shipped and at this point I hadn't even entered a different address in Amazon yet. and you're kidding yourself if you think the post office calls amazon when they can't deliver something lol. when things are undeliverable they automatically refund you once it shows up in tracking once you contact them. there is no way to get it re-routed. they refund and have you order again (which is exactly what happened on the next order.; shipped to the same address, same shipper. at the same post office)
all of which still leaves the problem with the CoA and not getting ANY mail AND the post office showing my home as vacant one day, confirmed the next, one day after physically speaking to my delivery man, as well as confirmed using the confirmation number you get in the mail after you forward (that was the last piece of mail we got)
Amazon can if they wanted to, on the Tracking number, Request a shipping exception of the package.
When UPS/FedEx/USPS scan it along it route of shipment. That will trigger the mail system to kick the package out, Once the Package is out of the Normal distribution channel.
The Exception will tell the carrier what to do with the package. Send it back to sender, Forward it to a different address, Hold it at the office, etc.
Amazon does not make that option available to you to use on there website.
When the package got to Hot Spring NP, your carrier on his/her route know there is a forward at your address. First they scanned it as undeliverable as addressed The BarCode (also printed on the label) will tell the USPS what to do with the package. Amazon has "Told" the USPS it will pay for the forward of the package in the data behind the barcode for the package. So the USPS in Hot Spring NP, slaps one of the yellow labels on to the box and away it goes across the US to get to SunCity AZ. The USPS will electrically Bill Amazon for the postage to get it there.
The USPS does not call/contact the shipper, The shipper has told USPS in advance what it wants them to do, in the information behind the Tracking number.
On Post #3 The shipper had set the options on the package with "address correction requested" and "Forward will be Paid" When the post office in Hot Spring NP, Scanned it. the USPS Computer has those option set for that package by (Amazon) Shipper, and the Hot Springs NP Post Office , Did what was pre-requested by the shipper, they forward it.
On Post #5 The Sun City AZ USPS (Carrier) set that address as vacant in error. When the package arrived for that address since the Carrier had set it as vacant, they will not deliver it (To Prevent Fraudulent use of the address to send packages there for "Stolen Pickup" thefts) . The package will be returned to the sender (Amazon will pay USPS to move it from Sun City AZ back to the Amazon Fulfillment center in Calf.
On Post #7 Amazon has a API (Data link into the USPS tracking system), They will send the USPS (probably millions) of tracking status requests daily on every package they have in the USPS system. Once Amazon get the "Undelivered" message back from the USPS tracking number, within the Amazon billing system they have tied that tracking number to a order, They issue a credit for that order, and generate a Email to you. In a few days when that package get back to the Calf Fulfillment center, Amazon will close out that order, Inspect the item, and put it back into inventory.
jeeze i just showed you every single thing i said was confirmed, including screenshots WITH dates, returned package, forwarded packages.
FYI customer service at Amazon determined the post office must have lost it. need a screenshot of that too?
none of which (for the second time) explains the problems once i arrived. 100% of which are the fault of the USPS and had nothing to do with Amazon
The whole problem is because you didn't change your address with Amazon. That is handled separately from doing a change of address through the USPS. I had the same thing happen to me when I moved. Eventually one item did show up, the other didn't. Amazon refunded my money for both, even though it was technically my fault for not changing the delivery address in Amazon. Even Amazon told me that the postal service DOES NOT forward packages.
that is a really small part of the whole reason for the post and really doesn't matter because they WERE forwarded and i did get them.
the point of the thread is to say you should find the local post office at your new place and physically visit them. relying on talking to the mailman did not work, my home was marked as vacant again twice that week. telling the other mailman finally explained it.
his words. which is the point of my post.
you cannot rely on those online change of address forms. they work forwarding your mail, they do not help on the receiving side. He also told me talking to the mail man doesn't help much since there are multiple people delivering here, and if it's marked vacant it makes no difference, he also said it wouldn't matter that my car was in the driveway or that myself and other people were in the garage. people that rent out houses or remodel have workers there all the time, it will not change it. you need to visit the new post office any time you move and that is the only way you can be assured to get your mail.
that is the only reason i even made the thread. the rest was examples and had the post office correctly forwarded my mail and not marked my house vacant even after submitting three change of address forms and speaking the carrier none of it would have happened.
I would guess 99.99% of people would think submitting a change of address, getting confirmation of that, looking on line with the confirmation code and seeing both addresses, the status of the forwarding and speaking to their actual carrier would be more than enough, and it absolutely is not. change of address does not mark a new place with the residence, if you forward your mail and the place is marked vacant you will not receive mail\
I know that something that doesn't happen miraculously did, but it really wasn't the point and if you turn in a change of address you would never expect them to try delivering with your normal mailman after that. (by the way, he also delivered other mail... letters..... nothing to do with packages.
maybe it's a little more clear, but forgive me for making a valid point, i'm done, believe me. i was very clear in my first post that the point is you need to visit the local post office because a coa online does NOT assure you're going to get mail
Last edited by story97; 10-13-2016 at 01:41 PM..
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