FedEx and UPS packages in mailbox?

[retire-early]

I had two recent FedEx Ground packages placed inside my mailbox.

This is the first time that has happened.

It is plainly against federal laws, and I thought FedEx drivers would be instructed not to do this.

Is this practice common?

EDIT: These were not FedEx SmartPost where the final leg is by USPS.

.

 

[Dash man]

Unfortunately, yes.

 

[Car-Guy]

It's never happen to me and I always thought it was against some postal law... But what do I know....

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Not illegal, shipper is using FEDEX Smart Post where the final delivery is given to USPS

https://www.fedex.com/us/developer/downloads/pdf/FedEx_SmartPost_Guide.pdf

 

[Dash man]

It's never happen to me and I always thought it was against some postal law... But what do I know....

Technically, mail carriers can remove anything from your mailbox that doesn’t have postage on it. It’s one of those laws that aren’t enforced by postal inspectors because they have far more serious things to deal with.

 

[Lakedog]

Both UPS and FedEx use the USPS for the final step of their cheaper delivery options so could that be the case here? I think UPS calls theirs Surepost and FedEx is Smartpost. I've never had either of them use my mailbox unless shipping was by one of the above delivery options.

 

[Andre1969]

I had this happen, back in the early 2000s, where Fed-X, or UPS (can't remember which) stuffed a package in the mailbox. Mail man came along, took it out, back to the post office, and they held it until I paid regular postage on it, as well! So I ended up having to double-pay on the delivery!

I contacted the seller, but they tried to accuse me of scamming them, so I just said screw it. I think it was only about $5.00, but it still irked me.

 

[Car-Guy]

I had two recent FedEx Ground packages placed inside my mailbox.

This is the first time that has happened.

It is plainly against federal laws, and I thought FedEx drivers would be instructed not to do this.

Is this practice common?

So do you know a FedEx driver dropped it in your mailbox or could it have been a USPS letter carrier delivering it for them (the last mile)

 

[mountainsoft]

Over the last year or so I have noticed several packages that originate from UPS or FedEx get "handed off" to USPS at some point. Then they get delivered by my regular mail carrier. I have even seen these transfers recorded in the tracking logs.

It also seems like a lot more packages are being shipped through USPS lately. My large box of computer components was delivered by USPS Sunday afternoon.

Finally, Amazon used to ship small items in ridiculously large boxes, but over the last few months most have arrived in simple plastic bags. So far the actual product packages have survived the trip but I would tend to think it would lead to a lot of damaged merchandise. Maybe the reduction in packaging costs outweighs the cost of replacing damaged shipments?

 

[ivinsfan]

It walks like FedEx and it talks like FedEx but it's not FedEx. Now if it's not smartpost you should complain as you aren't getting what the shipper paid for. It is FedEX ground but only to your post office.



UPS does this as well but very often I will get a UPS smartpost package delivered right to my door. FedEx never does that.



Check the tracking ID as it should say delivered to post office for future delivery.

 

[retire-early]

So do you know a FedEx driver dropped it in your mailbox or could it have been a USPS letter carrier delivering it for them (the last mile)

Definitely FedEx Ground driver.

These packages were not sent FedEx Smart Post where the final leg is done by the USPS.
I actually have one of those packages arriving this week from Roku.

 

[Aerides]

I actually had an amazon driver do this the other week. Not USPS-for-amazon, but the blue truck dudes, TBA tracking number, etc.

I got the "your order has arrived!" email with no photo (they usually leave stuff on my front porch with a pic). It said the item was left "in a secure location" because Mailbox isn't an option for them to pick because it's not legal.

 

[ivinsfan]

Definitely FedEx Ground driver.

These packages were not sent FedEx Smart Post where the final leg is done by the USPS.
I actually have one of those packages arriving this week from Roku.

It's really hard to contact FedEx but I would try to let them you want you stuff delivered to home as the shipper paid them for.

 

[retire-early]

It's really hard to contact FedEx but I would try to let them you want you stuff delivered to home as the shipper paid them for.

Okay, so I was annoyed, so I sent an email to the CEO of FedEx an hour ago.
It is a monitored email address similar to one Jeff Bezos has.
I just got a phone call from someone at FedEx corporate.
901 area code.
That was fast!
She left a voicemail saying that if I get another package in the mailbox to call her.

 

[Car-Guy]

Definitely FedEx Ground driver.

That's the way I read your original post...

because Mailbox isn't an option for them to pick because it's not legal.

That's what I've always understood...

 

[ivinsfan]

Okay, so I was annoyed, so I sent an email to the CEO of FedEx an hour ago.
It is a monitored email address similar to one Jeff Bezos has.
I just got a phone call from someone at FedEx corporate.
901 area code.
That was fast!
She left a voicemail saying that if I get another package in the mailbox to call her.

LOL nice that you got a real person but she just put the onus for good service right back on you!!!

 

[retire-early]

LOL nice that you got a real person but she just put the onus for good service right back on you!!!

She did mention she will be speaking to somebody or the other to make sure this doesn't happen again.

 

[Amethyst]

Must admit, I don't check packages to see who delivered them.

What does irk me, is the mailman cramming uncushioned packages (i.e. bags) into our small mailbox, so that we can barely dig them out again. Too lazy to walk them 30 feet to the doorstep.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I had this happen, back in the early 2000s, where Fed-X, or UPS (can't remember which) stuffed a package in the mailbox. Mail man came along, took it out, back to the post office, and they held it until I paid regular postage on it, as well! So I ended up having to double-pay on the delivery!

I contacted the seller, but they tried to accuse me of scamming them, so I just said screw it. I think it was only about $5.00, but it still irked me.

Wow...I would have just said I never received it, which is 100% true, and let the seller file a claim with the shipper. That's the only way shippers will respond, when their clients (the sellers) complain and make claims or switch shippers.

I actually had an amazon driver do this the other week. Not USPS-for-amazon, but the blue truck dudes, TBA tracking number, etc.

I got the "your order has arrived!" email with no photo (they usually leave stuff on my front porch with a pic). It said the item was left "in a secure location" because Mailbox isn't an option for them to pick because it's not legal.

I normally have sympathy for the deliverypeople, but that sucks. And when they don't take a photo, you don't get the image with the thumbs up/down asking you to rate the delivery, and there's now no other way to offer feedback on delivery that I can find.

 

[Jerry1]

I actually had an amazon driver do this the other week. Not USPS-for-amazon, but the blue truck dudes, TBA tracking number, etc.

I got the "your order has arrived!" email with no photo (they usually leave stuff on my front porch with a pic).

I had the same thing happen. It was something that I really needed on that date. I don’t recall if it was a birthday gift or what, but I was waiting anxiously for it. When I got the notice it was here, I looked all around and couldn’t find it so I contacted Amazon and said I did not receive my package.

To make matters worse, their response was that maybe the driver marked it delivered but that he hadn’t got there yet and that I should wait to see if it arrived. Well, that was unacceptable so after a bit of an argument, they said they’d send me another package. I think I might have still had enough time to get it before the date I needed it by so I wasn’t having any of the “let’s see if it comes tomorrow” BS.

Anyway, at some point, I figured to go look in the mailbox (mine is at the road, not on my house) and sure enough, there it was. I was able to cancel the replacement order, but I still made a point to let them know that the mailbox was not a proper/legal drop point for their packages. It never happened again but I have no delusion that it’s from anything I did.