There are few things more frustrating than staring at the clock and waiting for a long-anticipated package to finally arrive, but nothing is worse than receiving that “delivered” notification and not having your package.
So, what happens when UPS delivers to the wrong address, and what can you do about it? If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
What If UPS Delivered to the Wrong Address In 2024?
If UPS delivered your package to the wrong address, reach out to the sender to verify the package was sent to the correct address and to initiate a trace with UPS in 2024. If your package was delivered incorrectly, you’ll need to reach out to UPS with all of the information possible about your package and file a claim.
If UPS delivered your package to the wrong address, you received a package that’s not addressed to you, or if you just want to know what to do if something like this happens, then this article’s for you!
What Should I Do If UPS Delivered My Package to the Wrong Address?
While it can be incredibly frustrating to learn that a package you’ve been waiting on has been delivered to someone else, the first step is to remember not to panic!
If your tracking information says “delivered”, do a quick pass around your property to first be certain that the package was indeed delivered somewhere that isn’t your address.
This means looking under patio furniture, by the garage, and keeping an eye out for plastic bags.
While all of this may sound silly, these are common tricks UPS drivers use if they feel that your package is in danger of being stolen or if there’s a chance of inclement weather arriving.
Once you’re 100% certain that your package is nowhere on your property, reach out to the sender of your package.
While this may feel counterintuitive, as the sender was not the one to actually deliver the package, the sender is the only person who can initiate a trace on the package.
Reaching out to the sender first can also be helpful, because it allows you to verify that they shipped the package to the correct address.
If the issue was that the sender incorrectly wrote the address, then it’s not a UPS problem and they won’t be able to help.
The sender should be able to not only verify the address they sent the package to, but also be able to give you vital information.
This information includes when the package was delivered and help give you insight into your package’s movements while it was in the system.
Once the sender has initiated a trace on your package, and you’ve verified that they did indeed send the package to the correct address, it’s time to get in touch with UPS.
The best way to handle receiving support over a package delivered to the wrong address is to call the UPS customer service line, which you can find on the contact page of the UPS website.
When you begin the call, be sure you have all of your package’s information handy.
This includes the tracking number, address on the label, where it was shipped from, and any other information you can think of.
The more information you can provide to UPS, the more likely it is the company will be able to help!
Navigating UPS’ automated system can be frustrating, and there doesn’t seem to be a specific option for help with a misdelivered package.
So, press zero several times to be connected to an operator.
Once you’re on the phone with a real person, describe the situation calmly, and in as much detail as possible.
The UPS operator will take down all of your information and begin the process on UPS’ end of reclaiming the package, and will likely ask for a phone number to call you back at.
On UPS’ part, once word is sent of a package not making it’s way to you, the company will begin an internal investigation to see if the package was scanned as delivered incorrectly, left at a facility, or delivered to the wrong address.
The company will be able to tell if your package was delivered to the wrong address by checking the GPS signature of the scan used to send the “delivered” notification.
If your package was in fact delivered to the wrong address, then a UPS person will typically visit the address and reclaim the package for you.
In this case, case UPS will reach out and tell you when to expect your package.
If you haven’t received your package or heard back from UPS for a week after you initially called the customer service line, then you may want to consider filing for a refund.
Can I Get a Refund If My Package Was Delivered to the Wrong Address by UPS?
You can, in fact, get a refund for a package UPS delivered to the wrong address, provided certain criteria are met.
First and foremost, you can only get a refund if there’s evidence that the package was delivered to the wrong address because of a mistake UPS made.
In other words, if the sender put the wrong address on the label and UPS delivered it accordingly, then UPS does not owe you a refund.
If the package was delivered to an address different than the one on the label, however, then this is because UPS made a mistake, which means you qualify for a refund.
The first step to getting a refund for a misdelivered package is to file a claim on the UPS website, which you can do by visiting the claims page.
This is not a fast or easy process, so remember to be as patient as possible, and to provide any and all information requested of you to help speed along the process.
It’s possible that the UPS customer service person you spoke to opened a claim for you.
If this is the case, then you will not be able to open a new one, and will just need to wait to hear back about whether your claim was approved.
To file a claim on your own, you will again need to provide as much information about the package as possible.
This includes the tracking number, intended delivery address, declared value, and supporting documentation, such as receipts and screenshots.
Once you’ve submitted a claim with supporting documentation to UPS, the claim can take anywhere from 8 to 15 business days to be processed.
From there, your claim will either be approved or denied- approved claims require payment paperwork to be provided, and generally take another 3 to 5 days to process.
If your claim is denied, try (kindly) contacting the sender again- just because UPS won’t give you a refund, doesn’t mean that the sender can’t!
What If I Received Someone Else’s UPS Package?
If you happen to be the recipient of a package that is addressed to someone else, you may also be at a loss for what to do.
First and foremost, don’t open or try and keep the package.
Secondly, don’t try and deliver the package on behalf of the shipping company!
While the instinct to help out is certainly admirable, UPS has a methodology in place for mistaken deliveries.
Instead, once you realize you got someone else’s package, call UPS and get a person on the line by pressing zero a few times.
Then, explain to the UPS person that you mistakenly received a package, and provide all of the information you can, like the intended recipient, their address, and any other information.
Once UPS has connected the package you received to it’s rightful owner, someone will be sent out to your address to claim the package and get it properly delivered.
To find out more, you can also read our posts on whether or not UPS ships to Puerto Rico, if UPS delivers on Sundays, and how long does UPS hold packages.
Conclusion
If UPS delivered your package to the wrong address, it’s important to stay calm- UPS will do its best to rectify the situation.
Be sure to contact the sender of the package before reaching out to UPS to verify delivery information and the address the sender has; if the sender put the wrong address on the label, UPS won’t be able to help you.
