When you’re expecting a package to arrive by a certain time, but things are moving slowly, it can be very difficult not to reach out to USPS and make inquiries.
USPS Tracking is a terrific tool for watching progress, but what about if it hasn’t updated in days? Can you call USPS to see where your package is? Here is what you need to know!
Can You Call USPS to See Where Your Package Is In [currentyear]?
The United States Postal Service provides a Customer Care hotline that concerned or curious customers can call to find information or speak to a representative about a shipment in [currentyear]. If USPS Tracking shows that the package has been delivered but no package has been received, should instead call your delivering Post Office for best response.
To learn more about where to reach out if you have a question about your package, whether it’s in transit, out for delivery, or says that it has been delivered, what is a good timeline for reaching out to USPS, and much more, keep reading below!
Can You Call USPS to See If Your Package Is There?
The United States Postal Service is a government agency that serves the people, and one of this company’s priorities as such is transparency.
Thus, you are always welcome to reach out to USPS, including its individual Post Office locations, to inquire about your package.
The general number for Customer Care is 1-800-275-8777.
Let’s say your package’s status on Tracking is that it’s In Transit, but it has stopped a sorting center and has been there a few days.
You’re curious as to what is causing this long pause.
You can easily Google the location, using the information from Tracking, and find a contact number.
(Try a query like “Amazon warehouse <city name, state>”; we did that with the Twinsburg, OH warehouse, and were able to find a phone number instantly.)
Just give USPS a call at that number and you’ll be provided with any information that can be handed over, including why there might be delays.
But what if your package has reached its final sorting facility (i.e., your Post Office) or is marked Out for Delivery or is marked Delivered, but you received no package?
This is definitely an instance where you should reach out to your delivering Post Office, and bypass the Customer Care number.
That’s because your local Post Office, and all its employees, are going to know what’s going on within the confines of the building much better than someone at a help desk.
Again, that Post Office information is easily Googled, but you can also use the USPS locator to find the contact information.
How Can You Find Out Exactly Where Your USPS Package Is?
There are a few different ways you can find out exactly where your USPS package is. Let’s go over them:
USPS Tracking
Tracking is one of the Postal Service’s most powerful tools.
Think of the thousands, if not millions of parcels crisscrossing the U.S every day, and each one has its own unique Tracking info.
This is the easiest way to see the progress your package has made, including either its current or last stop.
Calling
While Tracking can be informative, it obviously lacks the human touch – that is, another human explaining why your parcel hasn’t moved in two or three days.
So making a call to the distribution center where it’s being held up can be super helpful, as a representative at the actual location will be able to tell you what’s going on.
You can also try the USPS Customer Care, and a representative might have broad knowledge of what is going on at individual distribution centers or in general regions.
If your package has arrived at the delivering Post Office or is marked Out for Delivery, that location is the best place to call with questions.
Unfortunately, though, you cannot be told exactly where the USPS truck with your parcel is; all you can do in that instance is wait for it to arrive.
When Should You Contact USPS About a Package?
The length of time you should wait before contacting USPS about missing mail depends on the mail class.
For example, with faster services like Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, you need wait only one to three days.
(With Priority Mail Express, which comes with a money-back guarantee, you can certainly reach out to USPS within a day or so to get your refund.)
Slower mail classes, like First-Class Letter, should give you pause for five to 14 days.
The reason for this is that your mail might not be lost at all; it could simply be working its way through the system, which may be backed up due to volume.
Can You Call USPS to Hold a Package?
You can call USPS to request a great many services, including Hold Mail.
For this, the USPS website recommends calling 1-800-275-8777 (the Customer Care number).
You simply have to make sure you call the request in by end-of-day hours for your Post Office or for the Customer Care Center.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why is USPS package not working, USPS package going wrong way, and is USPS tracking down.
Conclusion
The United States Postal Service maintains an open line of communication with its customers, making it easy to call the Customer Care Center or individual locations for Tracking info.
While USPS might not always be able to locate exactly where your package is, especially if it’s moving in transit, representatives can offer insight into where it might be or why it’s not moving.
