Package keeps getting returned and I don't know why. So frustrated! UPDATE

[bluerose9978]

Last week I mailed a package to Canada. I have a scale and I print my labels at home. So, I did what I always do. I had eBay make up the label and I checked it over and I sent out the package. But the next day, the package came back to me with no explanation. I thought it might just be a fluke so I sent it out again. Today, it came back to me. Still no explanation. My husband is going to take it to the post office if he has enough time today and talk to the rep there.

But does anyone have an explanation for this? I have never had a problem before and I want to avoid this in the future.

Post Merge: January 17, 2017, 12:42:04 PM

My husband just text me from the post office and the guy had no clue why it's been coming back to me. Hopefully it continues on. He's at a different post office, not the one connected with our zip code.

[LadyMoondancer]

Did they stamp anything on the package when it was returned the first time, and if so did you repackage it or obscure whatever was added?

I've heard that once a package has been stamped to be returned, any post office employee who spots the stamp will send it back, assuming something is wrong.

If that's not the case then I'm not sure what would be wrong.  Frustrating!

[bluerose9978]

No, no stamping of any kind either time.

[Breyer600]

I just had the exact same thing happen to me! 

My package was supposed to be going to Austria.  I printed the label through USPS just like always and mailed it Dec. 29.  Dec. 30 it was delivered right back to me with no explanation whatsoever.  No stamps on the package and tracking just showed it as delivered as if there were no problems (even though it specified that it was an international package).  Took it in to the post office on the 31st and they couldn't explain it and just put it back in the system.  Of course the holiday meant no mail delivery for a couple of days but then the very next day we had delivery it was back at my door looking a bit worse for wear.  Took it back in the following day and they still couldn't figure it out but this time we drew an arrow to the correct address and wrote in big letters to send it to Austria.  The tracking on USPS hasn't updated since the first time they delivered it back to me, but I was able to find it on Austria's postal website once it finally made it out of the US (it just cleared customs yesterday according to their tracking ).   

I had another package going out to Germany only a day or so after the second time it returned so I was holding my breath hoping that one wouldn't also get returned - thankfully, that one proceeded as normal.

I hope your package gets back on track. 

[bluerose9978]

You know, I had this thought that somehow whatever they scan said that it goes to the US and the postal workers didn't pay attention to the addressee. I thought about circling the outgoing address.

[Haruna]

That's confusing :/ I've had that happen once, but I know why. I was shipping a package and paid for the postage online but also wrote my address and the recipient's address on the package itself. The package was then delivered back to me in a few days because I had accidentally written my own address in the recipient's spot and their address in the sender's spot. Note that this was just a cardboard box -- only convention indicated that the recipient's address should be on the right side; there was no "to" or "from" like some packages have. But as I had been in a rush I wrote my address on the right . . . When the package came back to me, I realized what was wrong and brought the package to the post office to speak personally with an employee to ask if I could get some sort of refund, since the shipping label clearly said the correct recipient zip code, even if the address was not technically in the right place on the actual box. This employee is fairly nice when I see her normally but insisted that no refund could be given because the address was not on the right side. I even pointed out that, besides the fact that the electronic label had the correct information, a human sorting the mail should be able to figure out that a package with our zip code on it is probably headed out to the area without our zip code, and the electronic label would confirm that for them if they cared to double check. You can tell I'm still salty about that My mistake, but really the post office should exercise some common sense. As the package I was trying to mail was also a return for a refund, I also missed the return window as a result of the back-and-forth and lost quite a bit of money in addition to the postage. Live and learn, I suppose . . .

So maybe it's some weird issue like that; the post office can be picky about some things.

[bluerose9978]

The to and from are clearly in the right places. On the electronic label, the To is actually at the top and slightly to the right. The From is at the bottom. I checked that it was filled out correctly, and as the clerk at the post office said, they had no idea why it was sent back.

But I've been given some advice that if it does come back to cross out the barcode and circle the outgoing address. Hopefully, this will catch someone's attention and it will get sent to the right place.

[Galactica]

They did change some of the limitations lately regarding how heavy an item can be to ship first class-

Or some of the specifics as to whether you need one custom form vs. another- but if you are shipping with an electronic label, the program should have picked up on those changes-  no idea

The recipient double checked his/her address?

[bluerose9978]

The package is only 4 oz. A little less to be exact. The recipient has a verified shipping address. I double checked.

[Galactica]

The package is only 4 oz. A little less to be exact. The recipient has a verified shipping address. I double checked.

Is it possibly that you are sending it by "envelope" rate instead of "package" rate?  If it is fatter than 3/4" - the price jumps to $9.50, even for a tiny little package weighing 3 or 4 oz  (so I have discovered)

[Breyer600]

They make it really hard to mess up an electronic label - as long as you put in the correct weight you'll only get the options that pertain to that size package and the type of shipping you choose.  If the weight were wrong (or envelope vs. package selected) it should have been marked as insufficient postage when it came back. 

I suppose there's always a possibility that there was some sort of glitch with the bar code which I would guess is why they suggested crossing it out if it should happen again, but really, common sense should have alerted someone that a package with USPS printed international label is not going somewhere in the US.

[Galactica]

They make it really hard to mess up an electronic label - as long as you put in the correct weight you'll only get the options that pertain to that size package and the type of shipping you choose.  If the weight were wrong (or envelope vs. package selected) it should have been marked as insufficient postage when it came back. 

I suppose there's always a possibility that there was some sort of glitch with the bar code which I would guess is why they suggested crossing it out if it should happen again, but really, common sense should have alerted someone that a package with USPS printed international label is not going somewhere in the US.

True- except with the flat vs nonflat option-  I don't think they make that very clear honestly.  You could easily select "envelope" not realizing the thickness is limited to 3/4" since it doesn't say unless you dig into the rules a bit...

[bluerose9978]

The package is only 4 oz. A little less to be exact. The recipient has a verified shipping address. I double checked.

Is it possibly that you are sending it by "envelope" rate instead of "package" rate?  If it is fatter than 3/4" - the price jumps to $9.50, even for a tiny little package weighing 3 or 4 oz  (so I have discovered)

Nope. It said $9.50. I do this a lot. I actually got charged a little less because eBay gives sellers a discount. As I have said, it was taken to the post office and the clerk said everything on the form was filled out correctly and they had no idea why it was returned. And with no stamping on it. I even emailed customer service and got a call back today and they couldn't explain why it had been returned twice.

And I didn't select envelope. I clearly selected package. It's set up that way on my template.

Post Merge: January 18, 2017, 11:28:49 AM

In case everyone wants to see this great shipping circle my package keeps taking (judging by the Jan. 18 in Newark, it's on its way back to me again....):

Delivered, In/At Mailbox
Jan-13-17, 13:59 PM, NEWARK, OH 43055

DELIVERED IN/AT MAILBOX
Jan-13-17, 13:59 PM, NEWARK 43055

ARRIVAL AT UNIT
Jan-18-17, 07:27 AM, NEWARK 43055

ARRIVE USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 06:18 AM, NEWARK 43058

DEPART USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 05:24 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

DEPART USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 05:17 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 04:25 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 02:41 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 00:55 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-18-17, 00:06 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-17-17, 21:39 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

DEPART POST OFFICE
Jan-17-17, 18:13 PM, REYNOLDSBURG 43068

ACCEPT OR PICKUP
Jan-17-17, 15:29 PM, REYNOLDSBURG 43068

ARRIVAL AT UNIT
Jan-16-17, 13:01 PM, NEWARK 43055

DEPART USPS FACILITY
Jan-16-17, 03:25 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

DEPART USPS FACILITY
Jan-15-17, 22:58 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-15-17, 20:52 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-15-17, 00:15 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-15-17, 00:04 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-15-17, 00:01 AM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-14-17, 23:07 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-14-17, 22:19 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

PROCESSED THROUGH USPS FACILITY
Jan-14-17, 22:12 PM, COLUMBUS 43218

DEPART POST OFFICE
Jan-14-17, 15:50 PM, NEWARK 43055

PICKED UP
Jan-14-17, 12:36 PM, NEWARK 43055

Arrived at Unit
Jan-13-17, 04:28 AM, NEWARK, OH 43055

Arrived at USPS Facility
Jan-13-17, 04:14 AM, NEWARK, OH 43058

Departed USPS Facility
Jan-13-17, 03:20 AM, COLUMBUS, OH 43218

Arrived at USPS Facility
Jan-12-17, 19:24 PM, COLUMBUS, OH 43218

Picked Up
Jan-12-17, 13:01 PM, NEWARK, OH 43055

[Galactica]

Super weird-

The fact that it was returned three different times must mean something is off right?

I've noticed the guys at the counter aren't always very good sources for info.  My guy is honest and admits he has no idea how these things work and refers me to the bigger post office down the street when I have questions. 

I sure hope you can figure it out!

[bluerose9978]

Me, too! I've been hinted that the barcode may be off and that it's routing the package back to me. So, if that's the case, if I cross that out, maybe mail handlers will actually look at where the package should be going.