# USPS Tracking Shows DELIVERED but Customer claims not received item :(



## TeaLeafClothing

Hello All,

I just made my 1st sale through my website and the person said they did not receive their tee.

I purchased tracking via USPS priority and it said, 'delivered'. I have a feeling that the person is not telling the truth, I've been doing business on Ebay (just opened my website though) for 10 years and had NEVER EVER had this happen for a U.S.A or International order. So I don't know what to think. What are my options? Should I keep my mouth shut and refund, should I send a replacement?

If I ship with signature is that GUARANTEED to work? What are you experiences in using the signature route? is it worth the extra money? Are there other shippers that are better than USPS--like ups, fedex that it would be guaranteed to reach the hands of the customers? Sorry for the long post, I am livid right now. The person actually lives about 30 minutes from my house I should have just hand delivered!


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## tcrowder

If you send signaure required, you will have proof of delivery and a name of who signed for it. If you are really worried about it, send another t signature required and forget about it.


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## EXTouch

IMO, unless you hand deliver the package and hand it directly to the customer, there are no guarantees. LOL. 

The "I didn't get it" has happened to me with all the carriers (USPS, UPS, and FEDEX) at some point in time. First thing I do is verify the address that they gave me and the address that I shipped it to. Then I ask them to check with their neighbors and all the hot spots (porch, bushes, etc.). Only once have I had a package completely disappear and they lived in a seedy part of town. The next time I sent it, I did indeed have it sent with signature confirmation. 

For us, we have a dollar amount that once an order hits a certain price, we put the signature req'd no matter what. Just for our own protection. We also do it if it's a really small package (because they seem to be the ones that they say "Oh, I didn't see it"). 

UPS Ground will leave it if there is a "safe" place for it to be left unless signature is req'd. Fedex will leave it as well. If it only happens every once in a while, I don't think I'd worry too much about adding the signature req'd. Or factor that into your shipping price and do all the packages that way. 

I hope the package turns up.


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## TeaLeafClothing

I am really worried about it and it seems like I will have to resend. I will be using signature from now on, that's for sure! 

I am just wondering if USPS priority is the best option, I tried to go on UPS and FEDEx but their structure is so complicated, I can't make heads/tails out of it.


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## TeaLeafClothing

Thank you for the info. I think you guys are right, it's just the price of doing business. I will ask her to check around but it seems odd to me - - - I told her I will resend another tee and she asked for a Small even though her previous order was for XS  ugh. PEOPLE!  

Thanks again everyone


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## tcrowder

TeaLeafClothing said:


> Thank you for the info. I think you guys are right, it's just the price of doing business. I will ask her to check around but it seems odd to me - - - I told her I will resend another tee and she asked for a Small even though her previous order was for XS  ugh. PEOPLE!
> 
> Thanks again everyone


When you send the replacement, tell her if the other one happens to show up, please send it back to you.

Sounds to me like she got it, it didn't fit and she is trying to get the right size without admitting she is bigger than she thought LOL.


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## TeaLeafClothing

LOL! Love it! Ya, probably didn't fit. Even though I offer returns. GEEZ!!! PEOPLE!!! I just talked to my dad who's been in business for YEARS and he just laughed and said 'the customer is always right' Wow, I guess we're all screwed  

Thanks all for the nice replies, you definitely cheered me up, I 've been fuming all day


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## FatKat Printz

I had the same thing happen to me and when I sent the replacement I did direct signature. She got the shirt and wants another one because it didn't fit. 

If you happen to have a Kinko's nearby send it direct signature (FedEx) they will not leave the package and they must obtain a direct signature for someone in the household not a neighbor but in the household. 

Also, she can't just sign the door knocker she needs to have a signature in order to receive the package.

This way you can inconvenience her for inconveniencing you know she got the package. The customer may be right but this way you can protect yourself and she knows that you know she is lying. 

You can do ground or home delivery direct signature..


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## TeaLeafClothing

Great Suggestion FatKat. I'll do that, there's no kinkos near where I live--the closest one is like 25 miles away but I will make a trip this weekend into town and get it done. Thank you again!


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## veedub3

Seriously it happens more than you think. Believe it or not the USPS has a few idiots working for them. While sitting on my front porch I watched the postman deliver a package next door and watched the neighbor sign for it. Two things was wrong with this. It was my package being delivered to the wrong address and the neighbor signed for it knowing it was not hers. The good thing is that the neighbor walked it over and gave it to me but the postman actually got a signature at the wrong house and it showed delivered. Last month 9 houses in a row got the mail to the house next to them. Nine houses and he put the wrong mail in each one!!!!! In this business it will happen a time or two. Just pack up another shirt and make sure they sign for it and move on. Trust me it is probably an error more so than the person trying to con you.

I have an open ticket with USPS right now regarding a package that was never delivered dating back to August. The post office is clueless and trying to hunt down the package. The package was being shipped to California and the last tracking showed the package was in Virgina but they don't no where it went from there i am not going to tell them. they just keep contacting me giving me status updates. I actually contacted the buyer and she told me she did in fact receive the package but the post office has no record of it even though it was sent with delivery confirmation.

Trust me this happens more than you would think. Don't just assume that the person is lying.


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## EXTouch

^That's exactly why I have them check with neighbors. ESPECIALLY if it's an apartment. I've had packages that were in the leasing office for DAYS before they actually picked it up from the office, but the whole time had me searching high and low calling said shipping company asking them to investigate. LOL.


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## TeaLeafClothing

I see. I guess I didn't know it was so common since I was lucky enough to never experience it. I'll def. send w/signature even tho it's not 100% it's better than the delivery confirmation  thanks again for all who replied. It's been a huge learning experience starting my own business and these forums are AWESOME! Thanks


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## TeaLeafClothing

Love that you have USPS running around trying to 'find' a non-lost package!  hehe


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## FatKat Printz

I agree that you shouldn't always assume, but when the customers wants a smaller size than she order it just seems suspicious that's all.


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## TeaLeafClothing

I'm sending her a replacement this weekend via fedex with signature  If she orders from me again, I'm going to drive it over there  hehe


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## EXTouch

Oh wow, now THAT I don't think I would do (send a different size). Just out of principle. I'd replace the order EXACTLY how it was originally ordered.


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## TeaLeafClothing

LOL, sending the same size. I wish I could but I just want to get her off my back and go on with my life. She obviously is a scammer and I will not be doing business w/her again.  It sucks that it's one of my first orders on my site. I thought I'd be in business for years before having to deal with scumbags


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## veedub3

Now I would replace the lost shirt but if she ordered an XS that is what she would be sent. I totally missed that post about how she ordered on size now wants a different size. Yes that raises an eyebrow. Things that make you go hummmmm?

I would just send out the shirt and move on. If she is being dishonest it will come back to her.


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## FatKat Printz

Also, make sure you add a disclaimer to your quotes so that customers understand your policy and procedures. 

Is she constantly bugging you? cause that is another sign because she really likes the shirt but wants one that fits. 

explain to her that a S was lost and that what you are replacing, maybe she will be ok with it and all of sudden it pops up


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## tcrowder

TeaLeafClothing said:


> I'm sending her a replacement this weekend via fedex with signature  If she orders from me again, I'm going to drive it over there  hehe


What would be funny is if you knocked on the door with the "replacement tee" and she answered the door wearing the one that got "lost".


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## TeaLeafClothing

hahaha! That reminds me of another story--- I had a house keeper and one day when I came back from work early I walked in and she was wearing my t-shirt and jeans! After that I realized that I was missing several pieces of clothing...yes! THAT really happened  heeh (okay, totally off topic)


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## Tshirtguy

I've shipped almost 4000 orders with USPS, some Priority and some First Class but all with tracking. I'd say probably around 10 orders were marked delivered but customer claimed they didn't get it. Sometimes the next day the next day and say the found it but in most cases I just ship another one out at no cost.
If it was common occurance or expensive item I wouldn't do it but I just want to keep that customer happy and move on to the next order.


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## greyhorsewoman

I ship all packages (1st class or priority) w/delivery confirmation and I get a couple of these every year. What will tips me off to being bogus ~~ 

(1) The call of 'where is my shirt' comes within hours (sometimes minutes) of it having been logged as delivered.

(2) Customer wants replacement, but as long as you are, change 'size, color, design'

Generally, I respond to these with an email showing all information of delivery by the post office and telling them to check with neighbors, postman (he can't scan the package unless it is in his hand), etc. Almost every time, I never hear from them again. The % of times this occurs doesn't warrant signature confirmation (IMHO) and, as a matter of fact, some customers really don't want to deal with packages they have to retrieve at the post office if they aren't available to sign for them. 

Of course, for large orders, signature is a good idea. FEDx & UPS are really so much more expensive when sending just a couple of shirts. (And the FEDX & UPS delivery guys just throw our packages on the front porch, too.)

Your customer is so suspicious. ... HOW DID SHE KNOW she now needs a different size if she hasn't tried one on?


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## EnMartian

You can't go wrong if you assume the customer is right. We've had this happen to us a time or two and we use FedEx and UPS exclusively. Sometimes packages just go missing or someone makes a dumb mistake. We just replace the items and file a claim with whomever delivered the package. It's annoying, but it happens. Don't get upset over it, just replace the items and move on. 

Also, don't spend a lot of time wondering what the customer's motive is. It really doesn't matter. Good business practice is to replace the package and if you spend a lot of time trying to ferret out whether or not the package is "really" lost, you're probably going to end up wasting a lot of your time and losing a customer. The only exception to this would be if the same thing happens with the same customer multiple times. I might start to be a bit suspicious at that point.


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## TeaLeafClothing

Yes, I am new to this but I will take your advise and send her a new one and forget about it. She has been really understanding and is communicating really well with me so I guess I should just write it off as a loss and move on. Thank you all for the great advice!  This forum is THE best!


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## curiousity

Is there anyway that you can flag her address or name in case she orders again? That way you can put the direct signature on the first order shipped to protect you while not missing out on an order.

The whole "I never got the t-shirt so you need to send me a replacement, oh, but the next size up" definitely sounds like a scammer. Either it's too small or she's getting one for a friend. Either way it would be nice to have her name or address on a list so you know to ship requiring a direct signature for any future orders with her (hoping she likes the design and feel, etc.)

It's easy to say, but hard to automate unless someone has a plug in and forget application/module/etc that will recognize and pop up a warning.


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## TeaLeafClothing

I actually added a flag in my Quick books so when I try to enter an order for her, I will get a notification. I sent her a replacement and got feedback that she got it. I also sent it w/signature required. I'm learning


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## curiousity

TeaLeafClothing said:


> I actually added a flag in my Quick books so when I try to enter an order for her, I will get a notification. I sent her a replacement and got feedback that she got it. I also sent it w/signature required. I'm learning


That's thinking!

From reading other people posts who have shipped many items, cases like this are a very small minority. But for you to get it on your first order! Oh man! However, it looks like you have it all taken care of.


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