Don't Use USPS 'Package Intercept' Service!!

[CaliCatKC]

Just a heads-up on a new service that USPS is now offering called "Package Intercept.'  It is a joke and a total rip-off!

I do a lot of shipping and this sounded like a wonderful service!  A couple months ago I accidentally shipped a package to '26 Main St.' instead of '25 Main St.'  My client received the usps tracking info and immedately contacted me about the error.

I had put the package in the post office's pakcage bin late on a Saturday night, so when my client contacted me early on Sunday morning, I went to usps.com and initiated the package intercept request. It said that my package was eligable so I proceeded to spend $11.50 (original shipping had only been $8) for the re-route.

All seemed well and my request went through.  I did see where it said that the intercept was not guaranteed, but no where on the info page did it say that the fee was non-refundable (AMX also reviewed the info page and concurred).

Well, the package was never intercepted even though tracking clearly shows that it did not leave my post office until Monday and did not get to (the wrong adress) until the following Thursday.

After I received an email from usps saying, 'Sorry we couldn't get to the package in time,' I initiated a refund through the USPS website and never heard anything. After a month I called USPS and was told by both the representative and her supervisor, that the fee is simply for their 'attempt' to locate and re-route the package and that it is non-refundable!

AMX refunded the charge for me. 

USPS is losing money.  They have a devised a 'service' that will take a crazy amount of money from your pockets for 'attempting' to re-route a package.  There is no proof or guarantee that they will even try to intercept the package. They don't have to! They get paid for this no matter what.

[fismail2]

I'm not paid by USPS to say this but I actually managed to get my package back using USPS intercept. The story begins when I had a buyer messaged me on ebay to cancel the item that he just bought from me. At first he said it was a fraudulent purchase and it wasn't him who ordered the item. He told me that the hacker hacked his ebay account (not that it is my problem) and order the item using his credit credit card. At this time, the payment was already pending on paypal and I already shipped the item. He told me to cancel the purchase and that he already cancelled his credit card. I was so scared at that time because I thought I wasn't going to get my money and the item was on its way to the hacker address. The real owner of the ebay account also blamed me for not noticing the address and the name being changed. I didn't know what to do so I googled the way to get my item back and I stumbled upon the USPS intercept. I was skeptical at first because it clearly stated on the website that the item are not guaranteed to be intercepted. I tried my luck anyway and fortunately my package (priority mail) was eligible for that service. I was charged $12 for the intercept fee and because I just needed the item to return to my address there was no additional fee added to that amount. Two days later I got an email from USPS telling me that the item had been intercepted and on its way back to my home address. Since the payment was already pending on paypal before the real owner cancelled his credit card, I managed to get both my item and my payment. I have never been scammed before because I was always so careful but the hacker MO was really new to me and I never heard about anyone being scammed that way. It was my first time experience being scammed and for what its worth, I just want to say that USPS intercept really save me from my losses.

[Shyzah]

Oh my god fismail2, the same exact thing that happened to you has happened to me. LITERALLY the same exact thing. I intercepted the package when it was still in california and now it is in alabama, it is in birmingham which is right next to hoover al. They still havn't intercepted it. I think it's going to get intercepted once it arrives at hoover, unless they skip hoover's usps and deliver it directly to the scammer. I swear if the scammer gets it I will be spending my own money to send them dog **bleep** every once in a while in the mail. I am so frustrated right now...

[znash88]

I sent something out that i had sold, that ended up being a scam, As soon as i found out I went online to usps website and put in for a package intercept. I got the confirmation email saying that  my request was put through. The next morning i go to check the tracking number on the original package, and it says package intercepted at 9.26am, I thought great, then i scroll up and see, package delivered and signed for at 9:53am. They intercepted my package and then went and delievered it anyway. I went to my local usps and they called the recieving post office, to which i was told we will investigate we have no idea how that happened. And now im waiting to hear back even though im sure what i will hear is that im **bleep** out of luck.

[SkiSue]

Thank you for posting your experience. My son had a package returned because he had used a pseudonym to order (he has done this for years). He went to the PO the day it arrived and it could not be found(no tag in his PO box.  He went back home got the tracking number the next day and the package supr said it was returned because of the wrong name.  Her supr told him about "intercept" but thanks to you no good money after bad. As having already paid for shipping once, now will pay return to sender and return to my son. Postage will be more than the product!.

[lchan513]

I am dealing with the same headache.

Try to follow my confusing story:

The wrong package (Package A) was dropped off at 10am on 10/31, The manager at the post office said the package is gone already, so i intercepted the package at 11am.

Went and dropped off the correct package (package B) at 430pm on the same day with a different tracking number.

So the wrong package (Package A) was successfully intercepted as per usps.com and they provided me with a new tracking number that is suppose to return back to me.

Now what im trying to understand is how did wrong package (Package A) get delivered to the address that is supposedly intercepted according to usps.com, and the correct package (Package B) is now marked as intercepted and being delivered back to me when both are different tracking numbers??????

And they going to charge me 21 dollars for what exactly because they did not successfully complete my request!

[perryellis]

How do you request a refund for an unsuccessfull attempt on their website? 

[H8erofUSPS]

Where I'm from is called Surepost, probably because it SUREwon'tPOST. I can stay with shipping through UPS then they transfer it to USPS SUREPOST. The disappointment and frustration sets in from there because I know it'll be a while until I get my package. In some cases I never get it and have to file for a refund. They even have the nerve to send notice that it was delivered and I don't have anything to show for it.

[hangtenboy]

Same thing happened to me. They rerouted it back and forth between two post offices in my city that are 2 miles from each other over the course of two days and by the time I finally got it, my bugs inside were all dead. So much for "Hold for Pickup" helping in cold temperatures. This item took 13 hours to get from New Jersey from time of receipt to reaching my city, then 2 more days til it was finally "Available for pickup". USPS in this city is horrible!

[Kmopotato]

I intercepted a package 5 days ago and it was successfully intercepted at the original destination town, EC. I then redirected it from EC to LF It showed it as intercepted twice, 2 mins apart from each other. After that, it's been sitting at the EC post office for the past week and nothing has been updated. I got an email saying the package was more than the estimated cost, so i need to pay in cash. I plan to head over to the LF post office today to see what's up since the call center is so bad.

[H8erofUSPS]

Sometimes I end up not having a choice about using them. A month ago they once again told a company that I ordered from that the package had been delivered. I had let the company know that I hadn't received the package so they issued a refund. Later I received a letter from them stating they were satisfied the package was delivered to me and were going to charge my card again to get payment. I had to block them through my bank. Last week I checked and the post office had returned the package to them. How could they return a package that was supposedly delivered? Totally trifling.