I guess the USPS is catching on. This ability was in place for most private carriers for at least 25 years via radio dispatched control.

It wasn't uncommon for a shipping clerk to come out to my truck in the morning during sort and load and ask to me to keep an eye open for package X and when found bring it to her so she can return it to sender (or delay it for a day or two). If I had already left the depot then it became the chore of the dispatcher to contact me via radio and inform me of the same, to not deliver it and return it to depot shipping clerk when I come off the road.

When I read the OP I was kind of surprised that there are still logistic companies that don't have this basic customer service option available.

This has been in place for quite a while from UPS and other carriers, but nevertheless, it's a nice, long awaited, addition.

Cool, but kind of sounds like a PITA to setup. And why don't they ever make stuff like this more public? They send me a survey every month, but never announce new features.

If they would extend the max length to 60" for all international destinations, I would throw a party.

And why don't they ever make stuff like this more public?

Subscribe to the DMM Advisory [pe.usps.com ]. You'll get an email each week, outlining the changes that are coming up. Package Intercept was described in early April.

And why don't they ever make stuff like this more public?

I was notified by email, subscribe and you'll know ;)

OK... I had no idea there was such a thing.

Yeah, well it's gonna take a lot more than that to impress me, especially as their basic systems don't even work right. On Friday we got a notice in our mailbox saying that USPS had attempted an international delivery that needed to be signed for. So we filled out the card they left requesting redelivery for Tuesday and left it in the mailbox. On Tuesday we stayed home all day, the letter carrier came and left our other mail (we didn't notice until after he'd gone), and he didn't knock on the door or leave the package.

So we went online and the USPS website said that the package was returned to the sender! We called USPS and they first tried to (repeatedly) blame us for not requesting redelivery soon enough, even though we put the card back in the box the same day we got it, and our requested redelivery date was for only the third business day after we got the card. Then the agent suggested that I read the website wrong about the package being returned, so I had to read him the bold red wording directly from the USPS site that said that the package had already been returned to the sender.

He did say that *his* records didn't show that the package had been returned to the sender. He couldn't tell me why the website said the exact opposite.

The next day (Wednesday), the letter carrier delivered the package. The same one that the website had already been returned to the sender.

Oh, but now shippers can recall packages, huh? Let's see how well that actually works. And do you think that USPS staff will actually be helpful if you have to call them about a problem?

All that can happen, but there are also things that you can do, which you could never do with the other carriers. I've had stuff mis-delivered or had other issues, and was able to call the local PO at their end... have them talk to the person on that route, and get the item back or resolve the issue. Try something like that with UPS or FedEx. All you would get from them is... "Sorry, we show it as 'delivered'. So is there anything else we can help you with today?" Meanwhile your item is gone forever.

All that can happen, but there are also things that you can do, which you could never do with the other carriers. I've had stuff mis-delivered or had other issues, and was able to call the local PO at their end... have them talk to the person on that route, and get the item back or resolve the issue. Try something like that with UPS or FedEx. All you would get from them is... "Sorry, we show it as 'delivered'. So is there anything else we can help you with today?" Meanwhile your item is gone forever.

I'm curious about this. In what sort of situation did this work out?

In what sort of situation did this work out?

I can't address dpd1's example, but in my experience, if you call the *local* number at the customers' location, you can ask them to check with the driver / carrier. I've had good results with both USPS and UPS.

The local guys tend to bend over backwards if there's a chance they messed up a delivery. Generally, the deliveries ended up "in the garage", or "by the side door", and the driver / carrier will usually knock on the customers door explaining where they left the package.

I wouldn't call the 800-number, unless you just need the number of the local distribution center or post office.

Great info, thanks jwolthuis. How do you get the local post office number?

The way I do it is go to the USPS site, put in the zip as if I'm looking for a PO in that area... and then it will usually give you the one that it would go to. Then you call the direct # and ask for their postmaster.

The key is doing it soon after it went out though. So you have to keep tabs on your packages. If you wait too long, then they're never going to remember something. One thing I have thought about doing, is getting some sort of sticker, like a big green dot or something. Then you could say... hey, it was a box with a big green dot. That would help get them to remember it. But my boxes are long, so they're pretty easy to remember.