How to resolve issues pertaining to Missed Deliveries?

Have you ever come home expecting to find your package sitting on your porch, only to see a “Sorry we missed you” sticker from the delivery service? Have you ever called off work or stayed home from school to wait for an important package you ordered, only for the courier to arrive while you were in your basement or taking a shower? leaving behind that dreaded “Sorry we missed you” sticker. We all have been in this situation, isn't it?

In simple terms, if a carrier attempts to deliver a package, but the recipient is not available to receive it, then it is a missed delivery scenario. With all said and done, missing a delivery is frustrating and causes more stress than it’s worth, we know.

What are the common reasons for Missed Deliveries?

Missed deliveries can be inconvenient for online customers. Package recipients rely on courier services to deliver packages on time, however, unexpected events might cause deliveries to be missed. Understanding the causes and addressing them as soon as possible is critical. Let us look at some of the frequent problems and effective solutions for handling these kinds of problems:

• Customer Unavailability- The most common and evident reason for a missed delivery attempt is the absence of the receiver. The driver then attempts to contact customers or make the delivery to the neighbor, failing which the missed delivery package gets stuck at the storehouse or is returned to the seller.
• Damaged or incomplete address - Every package has on it a shipping label that confirms the address in the destination for drivers and staff to make a successful delivery. But if the label and its barcode are damaged, and the address cannot be scanned or read properly then the package delivery might get delayed which also is a missed delivery situation. Similarly, if the customer has given the incomplete or wrong delivery address for the package, it goes into the undeliverable category and becomes an exception.
• Untraced address - Every shipment, in case of online delivery, must have a clear label containing the exact address of the buyer to ensure it reaches them in due time. Missed deliveries happen if a customer has provided a wrong or incomplete address.
• Someone refusing to accept the delivery - There can be instances where the package recipient fails to show up at the scheduled delivery time and others present at the address, who aren’t aware of a delivery may accidentally refuse the service which results in a missed delivery.
• The delivery agent could not access the delivery location - Missed deliveries also occur if the courier personnel was not able to access your premises (due to a locked or blocked porch or stairs, or access code) or if your mailbox was inaccessible for some reason.
• Weather conditions - Every delivery driver tries to deliver the goods within the delivery schedule. But bad weather is an obstruction, the intensity of which is unpredictable for anyone, thus resulting in missed deliveries.
• Unforeseen Circumstances -There can be sudden natural calamities, mishaps, or traffic conditions beyond the delivery person’s control making it impossible for the driver to reach the destination on time, thus resulting in a missed delivery attempt.

What can consumers do to resolve Missed Deliveries?

No one can predict a product’s missed delivery. This is because tracking numbers are provided with every shipment for the customers to check the updates on delivery attempts or any associated updates on delivery exceptions for their packages. Here is what package recipients can do in case of missed deliveries:

Resolving a Missed delivery

• Contact the Delivery Service: To report a missed delivery, contact the delivery provider or the retailer’s support line. Provide them with necessary details such as your tracking number, order number, and any other information requested.
• Redelivery Request: Inform the delivery operator that you want the package redelivered at a convenient time. Coordination is required to organize a time frame for delivery that corresponds to your availability. If required, include alternate contact information.
• Package Investigation: Request a package investigation if the delivery service is unable to locate your package or provide a suitable resolution. This will start a thorough search for your package, which will include tracking down its location and investigating the cause of the missed delivery.

By following these procedures, you can take care of missed deliveries and missed packages and ensure that your shipment arrives at its destination. Effective communication, collaboration with the delivery service or merchant, and dedication to pursuing a resolution will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.

What are shipping companies doing in case of Missed Deliveries?

A quarter of businesses see 10% of orders experience a first-attempt missed delivery. That means the carrier tried to deliver an order, but the customer did not successfully receive it. Sometimes the carrier or the customer can be at fault for a failed delivery. This is what third-party delivery companies are doing to help customers in case of a missed delivery situation:

Amazon

This is what consumers can do in case of Amazon missing packages. All undeliverable packages are returned to Amazon fulfillment center within 10 days. Once the packages are received, it takes 3 business days for the refund to be processed to the original payment method. The Refund timeline will depend upon the refund mode chosen by you (Amazon Pay Balance, original payment method or to your bank account). To know more about Amazon’s refund policy, click here.

However, if a third-party seller has fulfilled the order, it is suggested that the customer contact the seller for undelivered packages.

UPS

 In case of UPS missed packages, the driver will leave a note at your door indicating that delivery was attempted. The driver will attempt to deliver 3 days in a row, with no additional charge. In some residential areas, the driver may leave the package at an access point for pickup after the 1st attempt.

Fedex

If you missed your delivery, FedEx might make additional attempts to deliver your package, or for residential addresses; it may be redirected to a nearby FedEx or FedEx OnSite location for customer pickup. Along with this FedEx also leaves a door tag for you. It has a number that’s associated with your package’s original tracking number and the steps you can take to locate your package in case of FedEx missing packages.

USPS

The driver will typically try again the next business day in case of a USPS missing packages event. If you're still not home or available to accept the package, the driver will leave a notice with information on how to arrange a future delivery or pick-up. You can also look at FAQs related to USPS redelivery here

In spite of all these measures undertaken by consumers and shipping companies, missed deliveries still are a big problem for online shoppers. Having to go through the long process associated with following up for claims and refunds is not something that is feasible for everyone.

Keeping all these factors in mind, it is better to make use of the best possible solution, namely, package receiving and package acceptance services.

If you are wondering what exactly package receiving and package acceptance services do, then the next section is all about Stowfly, which is a one of its kind package storage service committed to the task of package receiving near you. Read on to find out more:

Stowfly’s Package Acceptance Services for Package Receiving to avoid Missed Deliveries

Stowfly is a network of 1000+ local shops and businesses that allow online shoppers to receive packages at these locations and pick them up at their own convenience. It is the perfect solution for those who have been constantly facing the challenges of missed deliveries, missed packages, package theft, and stolen packages. If you have given up hope, after having tried all possible ways and means in dealing with porch pirates, then Stowfly is your savior when it comes to combating porch piracy as well.

All you have to do is find a Stowlfy package acceptance location that works best for you in terms of hours of operation and distance from your home or office and opt for the same as your secondary address. Next, select the right pricing option between one-time use or one of our monthly subscription options and begin revealing your packages there.

One-time delivery costs you only $4, and $7.50 subscription for up to 5 packages a month. You can rely on Stowfly package receiving and package acceptance to manage your packages efficiently as a unique pick-up PIN code is generated for you once your packages are received and no one else is allowed to pick up your package unless the correct pick-up PIN is shown to our location partner. A $1000 insurance policy per package is also offered as an added assurance from our end.

Thanks to Stowfly package receiving and package acceptance services, no more missed deliveries will be reported in all major cities like NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, Miami, Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, Jersey City & Philadelphia hereafter!